The Velvet Forum

Found this with some interesting comments from Willie Alexander about his time with the VU:

we ended all the three of us touring as the Velvet Underground with the only original member left being Maureen Tucker on drums. In fact, I took Sterling Morrison's spot as he had gone back to his studies. We started touring in June '71 and we even came to Europe. I have mixed-up memories as the group was sometimes excellent, but was generally awful. I couldn't wait for this thing to end, as the Velvet was Lou Reed's band and we had no legitimacy to use this name. Two tours, no one cared and the group was over.

Rather less diplomatic than the interview on Arjan's site!

...and how better to follow that up than with a rare modern-day photo of Walter Powers!



(He's on the left by the way.)

Walter Powers wrote:I couldn't wait for this thing to end, as the Velvet was Lou Reed's band and we had no legitimacy to use this name.

He's right about the legitimacy of course but he's making it sound like he was forced into doing it... I'm not sure if I believe the "couldn't wait for it to end" bit... Why didn't he just go home and leave the others to it if he hated it so much! I don't think Dougie and Sesnick held any guns to his head to make him play. I mean they even performed some of his songs.

The quote came from Willie not Walter. I guess he could have been doing the shows as a favour to Doug, or perhaps the band just turned out different to how he expected it to be.

Oops, it seems the eyes read and the fingers type faster than the brain thinks...

Mark wrote:...and how better to follow that up than with a rare modern-day photo of Walter Powers!

Wow, sure looks like him. I'm thinking of contacting him for a short interview, sort of a sequel to the Willie one. Did you contact him for your Hello/Goodbye piece? (When will that be published, by the way?)

No, I didn't contact him for the Mojo piece, but I think you should!

I *think* the piece will appear in the August issue.

Mark wrote:No, I didn't contact him for the Mojo piece, but I think you should!

Right, sent him an e-mail. Keep your fingers crossed...

Great - good luck.

FYI for those in New England Willie Alexander is playing Johnny D's in Somerville Wednesday 6/8

http://www.johnnyds.com