We had this piece called 'Booker T' that was just an instrumental, so instead of wasting it, we decided to combine them. It was my idea to do it as a spoken-word thing. 'The Gift' was a story Lou had written a long time ago when he was at Syracuse University. 'I Heard Her Call My Name' and 'Here She Comes Now' evolved in the studio. Most of the recording was done straight through 'Sister Ray' was one piece. However, Cale would state that no one in the band "had the patience to rehearse" the album, even after numerous attempts to do so. Rehearsal was similar to the band's debut, with the band's best pieces being reworked mostly in the studio. Singer Lou Reed influenced the album with his obsession with astrology, especially his interest in the Virgo-Pisces astrological opposition. Steve Sesnick was chosen as the replacement manager for the band, and he was accepted by all band members except bassist John Cale drummer Moe Tucker even considered him a fifth member of the group. The sound of the album was designed from the beginning to be against the Summer of Love in San Francisco and also to capture their live sound. The band had access to new electronics through an endorsement deal with Vox. Jack Donohue, writing for Tech, the student newspaper of MIT, would be one of the first to announce that the band were working on a follow-up. The band fired Warhol, parted ways with Nico (which she would describe as being fired), and recorded their second album with Tom Wilson credited as producer. They toured throughout most of 1967, and many of their live performances featured noisy improvisations that became key elements on White Light/White Heat. Ultimately, White Light/White Heat had a hugely significant impact on early forms of punk rock and no wave and has appeared on several lists of the greatest albums of all time.Īfter the disappointing sales of the Velvet Underground's first album, The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), their relationship with Andy Warhol deteriorated. The album was dismissed by many contemporary mainstream music critics, although underground newspapers took notice. The album's only single, " White Light/White Heat", failed to chart, which the band blamed on airplay bans and lack of promotion from Verve. White Light/White Heat sold fewer copies than The Velvet Underground & Nico, and peaked at 199 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. The 17-minute "Sister Ray" is widely considered the standout track by critics and fans. The distortion level became a prototype for punk rock, shoegaze and noise rock. However, the final product was compressed and distorted-–most members were dissatisfied with the final product and it was followed with the less experimental The Velvet Underground the following year Cale would leave the band later in 1968. White Light/White Heat was recorded quickly and modeled after the band's live sound and techniques of improvisation, since they often played loud with new equipment from an endorsement deal with Vox. Warhol conceived the album's cover art, although he is officially uncredited. Musically, he took influence from jazz music and players such as saxophonist Ornette Coleman. Burroughs and Alice Bailey, and the lyrics create a cast of characters, such as in " The Gift" and those named in " Sister Ray". Reed was inspired by a variety of authors, including William S. The album includes lyrically transgressive themes like their debut, exploring topics such as sex, amphetamines, and drag queens. White Light/White Heat was engineered by Gary Kellgren. Recorded after Reed fired Andy Warhol, who had produced their debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico, they hired Steve Sesnick as a manager and hired producer Tom Wilson who had worked on the band's debut. Released on January 30, 1968, on Verve Records, it was the band's last studio recording with multi-instrumentalist and founding member John Cale.
White Light/White Heat is the second studio album by American rock band the Velvet Underground. " White Light/White Heat" / " Here She Comes Now".
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