Speculation on 1968 VU Demos

citizensmurf · Post by **citizensmurf** » 05 Apr 2004 04:18

I'm sure I'm not the only one who wondered what the 3rd album would have sounded like if their effects trunk didn't disappear the night before they were to record it (if that story is in fact true). Normally some demos are taped prior to the studio time required for a major label album's production, so has anyone ever heard or heard of the 'distorted' demo's for this album circulating, or even if they were archived in someone's basement?

Homme Fatale · Post by **Homme Fatale** » 05 Apr 2004 08:19

Well, I have never heard of any such demos, which does not necessarily mean they don't exist - what was that talk about a "deluxe" 3rd album with previously unreleased bonus tracks again...?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » 05 Apr 2004 12:01

I seem to remember that on the old yellow board, someone claimed to know "for a fact" that a version of Beginning To See The Light was taped in *Spring* 1968 - ie with Cale. Does anyone know more about this?

simonm · Post by **simonm** » 05 Apr 2004 14:41

Mark wrote:I seem to remember that on the old yellow board, someone claimed to know "for a fact" that a version of Beginning To See The Light was taped in *Spring* 1968 - ie with Cale. Does anyone know more about this?

I seem to recall that was an anonymous post

I think there must have been quite a lot of demos and alt takes and stuff recorded. That's just the way recording went at that time (look at all the Loaded out-takes), but there wouldn't be a priority to archive the stuff if the band were not shifting the units. I'd guess a lot of it wouldn't even have got to the rough mix stage in the '60s, so they could be hard to trace if the paperwork isn't there. I remember on the yellow board Sal posted that MGM had lost the multitrack masters for Nico's Chelsea Girl LP for example.

You could take the view that the VU were not that popular so the company wasn't giving them months of studio time just for fun, but there would still be stuff, it's just a matter of how much can be found, or if Universal have a motive to look, spend money on studio time etc, rather than spend their cash on new acts that will bring in money into the future.