MATRIX TAPES COMPLETE: THE VELVETS

Pressed on vinyl for the first time. This new box set features eight pieces of vinyl plus an 18 page booklet, all contained in a drop-top box

The Velvet Underground toured extensively in 1969 but set up shop in San Francisco in November and early December for a series of 18 nights over four separate engagements, the first at the Family Dog, the rest at the North Beach club the Matrix, opened in a one-time pizza parlour by Jefferson Airplane’s Marty Balin in 1965. Over the course of their residency, which began 11 November, the club’s four-track recorder, manned by owner Peter Abram from a booth at the side of the stage, was rolling through much of it.

The Complete Matrix Tapes captures the highlights of two nights – 26 & 27 November. Originally released as a CD box set, The Velvet Underground – The Complete Matrix Tapes (Polydor/UME) makes its vinyl debut as a limited edition 8LP, 43-track box set. Out on 12 July and exclusively available in the US through shop.velvetundergroundmusic.com.

These shows, taped several months after the release of the third, self-titled Velvet Underground album earlier that year and before heading to the studio to record Loaded the following spring, featured the post-John Cale incarnation of the band, with newest member Doug Yule on bass and keyboards joining Lou Reed and remaining members guitarist Sterling Morrison and percussionist Maureen Tucker. Some versions of these performances, taken from soundboard mixes, were first issued in 1974 by Mercury Records as part of a double LP, 1969 The Velvet Underground Live, while other audience recorded versions released were taken from cassette tapes made by the late Bob Quine. Quine was at a number of the shows during their stint at the club and his cache eventually was released in 2001 as The Quine Tapes.

The Velvet Underground – The Complete Matrix Tapes features 43 recordings that have been mixed down directly from the original in-house multi-tracks, including the 18 tracks featured on a Super Deluxe Edition of the Velvets’ third album and nine previously unreleased performances marking the first time all the available tapes will be released commercially. 

TRACK LISTING

LP ONE

Side 1
I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 1)
What Goes On (Version 1)

Side 2
Some Kinda Love (Version 1)
Heroin (Version 1)

LP TWO

Side 1
The Black Angel’s Death Song
Venus In Furs (Version 1)
There She Goes Again (Version 1)
We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 1)
Over You (Version 1)

Side 2
Sweet Jane (Version 1)
Pale Blue Eyes
After Hours (Version 1)

LP THREE

Side 1
I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 2)
Venus In Furs (Version 2)
Some Kinda Love (Version 2)
Over You (Version 2)

Side 2
I Can’t Stand It (Version 1)
There She Goes Again (Version 2)
After Hours (Version 2)

LP FOUR

Side 1
We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 2)
Sweet Bonnie Brown (It’s Just Too Much)
Heroin (Version 2)

Side 2
White Light/White Heat (Version 1)
I’m Set Free

LP FIVE

Side 1
We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 3)
Some Kinda Love (Version 3)
There She Goes Again (Version 3)

Side 2
Heroin (Version 3)
Ocean

LP SIX
Side 1
Sister Ray Part 1

Side 2
Sister Ray Part 2

LP SEVEN

Side 1
I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 3)
What Goes On (Version 2)
Some Kinda Love (Version 4)

Side 2
We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 4)
Beginning To See The Light
Lisa Says
New Age

LP EIGHT

Side 1
Rock & Roll
I Can’t Stand It Anymore (Version 2)

Side 2
Heroin (Version 4)
White Light/White Heat (Version 2)
Sweet Jane  (Version 2)

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