The Velvet Forum

Sound excerpts from Exploding Plastic Inevitable performance and interview with John Cale, 1966 September.

From the Dorothy Gees Seckler Collection of Sound Recordings Relating to Art and Artists, 1962-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Description of the full recording: Sound recording of live Exploding Plastic Inevitable performance in Provincetown, Massachusetts by Nico and the Velvet Underground, with sound from projected films, including Andy Warhol's films "Hedy" and "The Kiss." Seckler is heard discussing the films and performance occasionally during the show. Side 2 of cassette 2 begins with a 17-minute interview with John Cale, followed by about 8 minutes of blank tape, followed by more of the performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQK40F8 ... LL&index=2

Thank-you, Alfredo. Wondering whether there's a way to hear the whole tape, I found this page where an mp3 can be requested. Usage details has to be stated. What restrictions apply before they will provide one, I'm not clear. Obviously you need to regiester with the Institute

https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/doro ... 4/series-1

Wow! I recognised Symphony of Sound tuning up during the interview with Cale. It would be great to hear more of this

Yes, there is :

https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/item ... cale-13829

Seems in Washington only.

Wow.

Wonder what the recording of the show is like. The listing states "Sound is very distorted" but we can handle that right?

What a cool find,thanks

Hopefully the entire thing becomes available

alfredovu wrote: ↑23 May 2023 11:02 Sound excerpts from Exploding Plastic Inevitable performance and interview with John Cale, 1966 September.

From the Dorothy Gees Seckler Collection of Sound Recordings Relating to Art and Artists, 1962-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Description of the full recording: Sound recording of live Exploding Plastic Inevitable performance in Provincetown, Massachusetts by Nico and the Velvet Underground, with sound from projected films, including Andy Warhol's films "Hedy" and "The Kiss." Seckler is heard discussing the films and performance occasionally during the show. Side 2 of cassette 2 begins with a 17-minute interview with John Cale, followed by about 8 minutes of blank tape, followed by more of the performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQK40F8 ... LL&index=2

great stuff Alfredo - it's amazing that this kind of material is still showing up. It is so frustrating that there are so few good recordings from this time.

Mark Lamb sent the link to me. So big thank you to him!

And yes, I guess (hopee?) a lot still to be unearthed

mads.si.edu/mads/id/AAA-AAA_seckdoro_1999_a/AAA-AAA_seckdoro_1999_a.mp3
mads.si.edu/mads/id/AAA-AAA_seckdoro_2000_a/AAA-AAA_seckdoro_2000_a.mp3
mads.si.edu/mads/id/AAA-AAA_seckdoro_2001_a/AAA-AAA_seckdoro_2001_a.mp3
mads.si.edu/mads/id/AAA-AAA_seckdoro_2002_a/AAA-AAA_seckdoro_2002_a.mp3

I kept the links unclickable so your browser doesn't send the smithsonian a referer header that can trace them back to this thread

Awesome! Thank you for this

Gig setlist then -

First file:
1. I'll Be Your Mirror (beginning and end cut)
2. I'm Not a Youngman Anymore (end cut)
3. Little Sister (end cut)
4. All Tomorrow's Party (beginning slightly cut)
5. Venus in Furs
6. Black Angel's Death Song
7. Heroin
8. two people chatting while the Hedy film is playing in the background

2nd file:
1min 47 sec of indistinct talking

3rd file:
Indisctinct talking and singing over a PA while a record plays in the background (soundcheck?). Extremely distorted and modulated.Is this the audio from the Hedy film??
At 9 minutes a women is heard describing what can be seen
At 17.40 she states that "the live musicians are now beginning to play in the background" as the film goes on
MC introduces the VU and Nico, with a plug for their sponsored mod shirts
At 20.30 the gig proper starts:
1. I'll Be Your Mirror, voice over describing what's going on.
2. I'm Not a Youngman Anymore (Nico introduces it. More distorted than on the first tape)
3. extremely distorted instrumental / feedback
4. Little Sister (again very distorted, cuts before end)

4th file:
Conversation with John Cale - 17 mins
8 minute silence
5 minutes from Hedy soundtrack (very distorted again)


The conversation with Cale does make it clear that the recordings were made over two nights - the 3rd file being from the first, and then the 4th being recorded before the show on the second night.

So basically we've got approx half an hour of new live VU here, plus an audio verite insight into what a night with the EPI sounded and looked like. Pretty cool!