The Velvet Forum

OK, the band played at the Hilltop Festival in Rindge, New Hampshire in August of 1969. So where the heck did the OSTRICH come from????

It's a reference to one of Lou's guitars, which they nicknamed the ostrich. I think the original credits on the first album have him listed as playing "ostrich guitar" or something like that, too.

Well, that was quick and easy. Thanks for clearing that up for me. At least it makes a little bit more sense now.

Cos it was a Japanese issue I always thought it was one of those 'phrases' made from 2 seperate unrelated words that often seem to occur in Japanese names - GameBoy etc

Ostrich because of Lou's single, the Ostrich, where each string is tuned to one note to create a rhythmic sound.

this recording gets me really excited these days. if anyone needs it I have it in flac for b/p or trade.

As Cameo Role rightly points out above, The Ostrich was a 'hit' pre-VU single by Lou, where he tuned all the strings on his guitar to the note 'D'.

Subsequently guitars tuned in that way by Lou have been referred to as an 'Ostrich Guitar', a lot of people read or hear about that guitar and assume that its something to do with a guitar with a strange shape (false). An Ostrich guitar is just any guitar with all the strings tuned to D. It is used to great effect in songs like 'All Tomorrows Parties'.

1st LP sleeve says - Lou Reed: lead guitar, ostrich guitar, vocal

... but the thing about Ostrich/Hilltop is that it is NOT the same as Black Side Of The Street. The main show is exactly the same (and great), but the bonus Sister Ray is different. I do tend to go on about this, but I thought I'd mention it as it's 15 March 1969 BTP (ie the gtr amp tape show) but a superior, different, more balanced recording.

Oh, I hadn't noticed that. I guess it must be the other one Olivier mentions:

March 15
Tape: Lou's amp, B+, 85 minutes. Also known as "the guitar amp tape". An alternate audience recording supposedly exists but hasn't surfaced yet.

I'll have to dig that out for a listen. Thanks Simon

To the best of my knowledge, the existence of an "audience" tape 15/3/69 has never been confirmed. But I think that a eq'd and cleaned up copy of the "guitar amp" tape could be made to sound as if it was an "audience" tape. It's not as if the vocals cant be heard at all - they can, its just that they are almost swamped by Lou's guitar. When Lou is singing, it sounds as if he's just "thumping" the strings while muffling them with his left hand. When he's not singing, his playing is so manic it just about drowns everything else out. I would guess that the guy taping it was holding the mic in front of Lou's amp/speaker, so the vocals can barely be heard when Lou is in full flow....what I would give to have been at this show!