A collection of live recordings by The Velvet Underground, captured at the Matrix in San Francisco in 1969, is coming to vinyl for the first time.
The limited-edition 8xLP box set includes over 40 live recordings and arrives July 12th via Polydor/UMe.
Recordings from The Velvet Underground’s 1969 residency at the Matrix in San Francisco are finally getting a vinyl release.
The Complete Matrix Tapes captures highlights from two evenings of Velvet Underground’s 18-night 1969 residency at the illustrious San Francisco club Matrix, set up in 1964 in an abandoned pizza restaurant.
The shows were recorded between the release of the group’s third, self-titled album that year and the creation of Loaded the following spring. The recordings feature the band’s live configuration after the departure of John Cale, consisting of Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, and Doug Yule.
Some of these recordings previously appeared on the 1974 compilation 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, while 18 of them were also previously in the 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of The Velvet Underground. However, this is the first time that all of the Matrix tapes will be released together on vinyl.
The box set includes nine previously unreleased performances, including early versions of the then yet-to-be-recorded Sweet Jane and New Age, and rare live takes of Venus in Furs. All recordings were mixed down directly from the Matrix’s in-house four-track recorder. You can pre-order the box set here and check out the tracklist below.
Tracklist
LP 1:
Side A
1. I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 1)
2. What Goes On (Version 1)
Side B
3. Some Kinda Love (Version 1)
4. Heroin (Version 1)
LP 2:
Side A
1. The Black Angel’s Death Song
2. Venus In Furs (Version 1)
3. There She Goes Again (Version 1)
4. We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 1)
5. Over You (Version 1)
Side B
6. Sweet Jane (Version 1)
7. Pale Blue Eyes
8. After Hours (Version 1)
LP 3:
Side A
1. I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 2)
2. Venus In Furs (Version 2)
3. Some Kinda Love (Version 2)
4. Over You (Version 2)
Side B
5. I Can’t Stand It (Version 1)
6. There She Goes Again (Version 2)
7. After Hours (Version 2)
LP 4:
Side A
1. We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 2)
2. Sweet Bonnie Brown (It’s Just Too Much)
3. Heroin (Version 2)
Side B
4. White Light/White Heat (Version 1)
5. I’m Set Free
LP 5:
Side A
1. We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 3)
2. Some Kinda Love (Version 3)
3. There She Goes Again (Version 3)
Side B
4. Heroin (Version 3)
5. Ocean
LP 6:
Side A
1. Sister Ray Part 1
Side B
2. Sister Ray Part 2
LP 7:
Side A
1. I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 3)
2. What Goes On (Version 2)
3. Some Kinda Love (Version 4)
Side B
4. We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 4)
5. Beginning To See The Light
6. Lisa Says
7. New Age
LP 8:
Side A
1. Rock & Roll
2. I Can’t Stand It Anymore (Version 2)
Side B
3. Heroin (Version 4)
4. White Light/White Heat (Version 2)
5. Sweet Jane (Version 2)
