The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground (abbreviated as The Velvets or V.U.) were an American rock and roll band of the late 1960s. Its best-known alumni are Lou Reed and John Cale.

Reunion

In 1990, Reed and Cale released Songs for Drella, dedicated to the recently deceased Andy Warhol. "Drella" was a nickname Warhol had adopted, a combination of "Dracula" and "Cinderella". Though Morrison and Tucker had each worked with Reed or Cale since the V.U. broke up, Songs for Drella was the first time the pair had worked together in decades, and rumors of a reunion began to circulate.

Related Topics:
1990 - Songs for Drella

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There was a brief reunion of the original lineup in 1993, resulting in a European tour — opening a few concerts for U2 — and a live album, Live MCMXCIII. Cale sang the songs Nico had performed with the group.

Related Topics:
1993 - U2 - Live MCMXCIII

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Before the band could tour the U.S. or record — an MTV Unplugged album was proposed — Cale and Reed fell out again, breaking up the band once more. The definitive end to the band's checkered career came when Sterling Morrison died of cancer in 1995.

Related Topics:
MTV Unplugged - Cancer - 1995

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In September 1995 the Velvet Underground Box Set, Peel Slowly and See, was released. It featured four albums, as well as rare demos, unreleased, and live takes. In 1996 the Velvet Underground was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The remaining members, Reed, Cale, and Tucker, reunited to play "Last Night I Said Goodbye to a Friend," a tribute to their late guitarist Sterling Morrison, whose widow was present for the induction.

Related Topics:
Peel Slowly and See - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~