To commemorate the 45th anniversary of The Velvet Underground's sophomore album, White Light/White Heat, Universal Music are releasing a three-disc reissue, co-curated by the Lou Reed and John Cale. Today, they shared a previously unreleased live recording of "I'm Not A Young Man Anymore" from the Gymnasium in New York on April 30, 1967, which is rumored to have been the band's only performance of the song.
Consequence of Sound reports that Lou Reed wrote the song when he was 25 but that the band never released it. According to Dangerous Minds, Thurston Moore asked Lou Reed to play the song at South by Southwest in 2008.
"I'd just heard 'I'm Not a Young Man Anymore,' which had just surfaced on a Velvet Underground bootleg," Moore said. "It was this powerful song I'd never heard before. Before we went on, I was talking to Lou and told him about it and he said, 'How the hell do you know about that song?' I said, 'It just surfaced on a bootleg on the Internet.' I said I thought it would be a good song to play since I just turned 50. And when I said that, he looked at me, half smiled and embraced me. It was wonderful and completely unexpected.
It's a shame it took this long for "I'm Not A Young Man" to surface. It's a solid track full of angsty vocals blended with fuzzy blues guitar and a meandering melody.
The White Light/White Heat reissue is due out December 3. It is a 30-track collection that includes mono and stereo versions of the album as well as a ton of bonus material such as new mixes and alternate or unreleased takes.
Listen to "I'm Not A Young Man Anymore" and check out the reissue tracklist here. Let us know what you think in the comments section below!
White Light/White Heat Reissue Tracklist:
Disc One: White Light/White Heat (Stereo Version)
01. White Light / White Heat
02. The Gift
03. Lady Godivas Operation
04. Here She Comes Now
05. I Heard Her Call My Name
06. Sister Ray
07. I Heard Her Call My Name (Alternate Take)
08 Guess I’m Falling in Love (Instrumental Version)
09. Temptation Inside Your Heart (Original Mix)
10. Stephanie Says (Original Mix)
11. Hey Mr. Rain (Version One)
12. Hey Mr. Rain (Version Two)
13. Beginning to See the Light (Previously Unreleased Early Version)
Disc Two: White Light/White Heat (Mono Version)
01. White Light / White Heat
02. The Gift
03. Lady Godivas Operation
04. Here She Comes Now
05. I Heard Her Call My Name
06. Sister Ray
07. White Light / White Heat (Mono Single Mix)
08. Here She Comes Now (Mono Single Mix)
09. The Gift (Vocal Version)
10. The Gift (Instrumental Version)
Disc Three: Live at the Gymnasium New York City, April 30, 1967
01. Booker T.
02. I’m Not a Young Man Anymore
03. Guess I’m Falling in Love
04. I’m Waiting for the Man
05. Run Run Run
06. Sister Ray
07. The Gift
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
