Velvet Underground Trivia

1. What was the name of the band formed by Lou Reed and John Cale in 1965, along with Tony Conrad and Walter De Maria, that would form the template for the Velvet Underground?

From Quiz Nice and Tricky Velvets Quiz

Answer: The Primitives

The Primitives were artificially formed by Pickwick records, who Lou was working for at the time, to tour his minor hit 'The Ostrich', but soon split, leaving Lou Reed and John Cale to find a new guitarist (Sterling Morrison, who they met by chance at a tube station) and drummer (Mo Tucker, sister of Sterling's best friend).

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: I'm set free

"I'm Set Free" is one of my favorite VU songs, off of their album "The Velvet Underground".

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "I'll Be Your Mirror"

From Quiz Nice and Tricky Velvets Quiz

Answer: Cafe Bizarre

Warhol, having been talked into taking his pop-art experiments into rock and roll by friend Paul Morrissey, was recommended the Velvets by Gerard Malanga, another Factory resident, and so went to see them at this tiny Greenwich Village bar. Their residency ended a few days later. The management hated them. Andy didn't, and invited them to the Factory.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "What Goes On?"

From Quiz Nice and Tricky Velvets Quiz

Answer: 1993

Although they were due to tour Europe in the winter of '67, it was suddenly cancelled with the death of Brian Epstein who, unlikely as it may seem, was a huge fan of the group and was to be their European tour promoter. The 'Velvet Underground' did reach foreign shores in 1971, however only Mo remained of the original members. They weren't to cross the Atlantic together until the 1993 reunion tour.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: Lady Godiva's Operation

"Lady Godiva's Operation" is a slightly disturbing song off of "White Light/White Heat". Lou Reed said that the song was a result of too many electroshock treatments.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "All Tomorrow's Parties"

One of the songs that Nico sung on "The Velvet Underground and Nico". Nico was apparently suggested by Andy Warhol early on in the piece, but was pretty much kicked out of the group not too long after.

From Quiz Nice and Tricky Velvets Quiz

Answer: Waldo Jeffers

'The Gift' was based on one of Lou Reed's essays, written for his English diploma, and spoken, with his laconic Welsh accent, by John Cale. The band, one of the first to truly experiment with stereo, put the lyrics on one track and the instrumental on the other so that, according to Reed, if you didn't like the lyrics played through the left, you could just listen to the music on the right.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: Maureen Tucker

Maureen Tucker was the drummer on all albums except for "Loaded". She was replaced on "Loaded" because she was pregnant. She returned for the reunion tour, and remains very close with Lou Reed and John Cale.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "Pale Blue Eyes"

From Quiz Nice and Tricky Velvets Quiz

Answer: Doug Yule

John Cale left the band in late '68 after his long, bitter relationship with Reed came to an end as Lou gave his other bandmates an 'either he leaves or I do' ultimatum. Billy Yule (Doug's brother) was hired for 'Loaded' as drummer, Angus Maclise was the band's drummer before Mo joined.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: Andy Warhol

It was Warhol's idea to have Nico sing on the group's first album.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "Beginning To See The Light"

One of the few songs written by Reed in his Velvet Underground days that had a real sense of enthusiasm and optimism. Until the end, of course - "How does it feel to be loved?"

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: Black Angel's Death Song

"Black Angel's Death Song" has the airhose and nonsensical lyrics. Lou Reed said the lyrics don't mean anything- they're just words that he thought sounded cool strung together.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "Heroin"

Probably the best known Velvet Underground songs. Mo Tucker does a fantastic job on the drums in this track.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: The Gift

John Cale convinced Lou Reed to put the essay to music. It's about a guy that mails himself to his girlfriend, who accidentally stabs and kills him while trying to open the package.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "Sweet Jane"

Covered a few years back (by the Cowboy Junkies?), as have been a lot of their songs.

From Quiz Nice and Tricky Velvets Quiz

Answer: Mo was pregnant

In contemporary interviews with the band, Mo was always said to be the 'kid sister' of the band, seemingly never part of the bitter infighting that characterised the group. Interestingly, as a sidenote, none of the band members ever admitted to taking heroin while a member of the band - Lou especially frequently became upset at the idea that they glamourised the drug - however the sheer weight of the song 'Heroin' and his subsequent slide into heavy heroin use in the 70's makes these comments a little suspect.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: John Cale

Use of the word "sing" is up to one's definition of the word. "Read" might be a better choice.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "I'm Waiting for the Man"

Reed has this uncanny knack for very vivid lyrics. You almost feel like you're there in the street, desperate and waiting for the man....

From Quiz Nice and Tricky Velvets Quiz

Answer: Max's Kansas City, NY

It was at Max's, where the band, containing only two founding members, lost their leader and driving force. They continued for a few years afterwards with Doug Yule replacing Reed as the band's leader, but recorded nothing even approaching the band's earlier work. On the night Lou walked off the stage Andy Warhol's collaborator, Brigid Polk, who was sitting in the corner, recorded the legendary show that she would later sell to Atlantic for $10,000.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: Sadomasochism

Yup, sadomasochism. The song "Heroin" was their drug use song on their debut album. "Waiting For My Man" was about drug dealing. I know they've done songs about cross-dressing but it slips my mind right now. If I remember at a later date, I'll be sure to update this. If you know of it, drop me a line. Thanks.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "Femme Fatale"

From Quiz Nice and Tricky Velvets Quiz

Answer: Lou Reed

The eponymous 'Lou Reed' was the first to be recorded after the split, mostly consisting of unrecorded Velvet Undergound songs. It wasn't until the release of 'Transformer', produced by David Bowie (whose constant plugging of the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed himself was perhaps most crucial to the record's success), in November of the same year that Reed finally achieved the success he so deserved, having achieved very little commercially with the Velvets, as 'Walk On The Wild Side' became a global hit.

From Quiz The Velvet Underground

Answer: Sterling Morrison

Sterling Morrison passed away on 8/30/95 of cancer. After the breakup of the band, he became an English professor at the Universoty of Texas. Nico has also died, but she wasn't a member of the band, as demonstrated by the title of the first album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico".

From Quiz The Velvet Underground Lyrics Quiz

Answer: "White Light/White Heat"

I was trying to think of a line that didn't have "White Light" or "White Heat" in it! Anyways, hope you had as much fun on the quiz as I had writing it up!

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