Velvet Underground’s “White Light/White Heat” Gets 45th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue

The Velvet Underground’s original White Light/White Heat release in 1968 included just six songs, including the iconic title track and legendary “Sister Ray.” Raw, loud, and avant-garde for the time, it became a rock classic.

Decades later, the 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of the record features three CDs (one of the CDs is a live show recorded in 1967 in New York) and 30 tracks (the live show, alternate takes and some previously unreleased versions of songs.) There’s also hardbound book filled with rare photos and a David Fricke piece on the album including 2013 interviews with singer/songwriter/guitarist Lou Reed and bassist/organist/electric viola player John Cale.

Reed died in October 2013, long after the 1995 death of guitarist/bassist Sterling Morrison, who is credited with the music for “Here She Comes Now,” which appears in both mono and mono single versions in the deluxe set, along with the album version. Both Reed and Cale were involved in overseeing this set.

The album, recorded over the course of a few days, was the band’s second full-length release and Cale’s last with the group. This set features his last sessions as a Velvet.

Morrison sums up the band’s state of mind as it went into recording the album in an excerpt from a 1994 interview with Fricke that appears in the set’s book: “We were all pulling in the same direction. We may have been dragging each other off a cliff, but we were all definitely going in the same direction.”

And that band created a ferocious album. In the Fricke piece, Cale recalls his bass playing at the end of the title track: “I’m pretty sure it broke down. . . because my hand was falling off.”
You can check out Fricke’s entire piece here.

White Light/White Heat 45th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue is out now on CD and digital formats (iTunes and Amazon MP3.)

White Light/White Heat 45th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue Track List:

Disc 1:

1. White Light/White Heat (Album Version)
2. The Gift (Album Version)
3. Lady Godiva’s Operation (Album Version)
4. Here She Comes Now (Album Version)
5. I Heard Her Call My Name (Album Version)
6. Sister Ray (Album Version)
7. I Heard Her Call My Name (Alternate Take)
8. Guess I’m Falling In Love (Instrumental Version)
9. Temptation Inside Your Heart (Original Mix)
10. Stephanie Says (Original Mix)
11. Hey Mr. Rain (Version 1)
12. Hey Mr. Rain (Version 2)
13. Beginning To See The Light (Early Version)

Disc 2:

1. White Light/White Heat (Mono Version)
2. The Gift (Mono Version)
3. Lady Godiva’s Operation (Mono Version)
4. Here She Comes Now (Mono Version)
5. I Heard Her Call My Name (Mono Version)
6. Sister Ray (Mono Version)
7. White Light/White Heat (Mono Single Mix)
8. Here She Comes Now (Mono Single Mix)
9. The Gift (Vocal Version)
10. The Gift (Instrumental)
11. Disc 3:
12. Booker T. (Live In New York City/ 1967)
13. I’m Not A Young Man Anymore (Live In New York City/ 1967)
14. Guess I’m Falling In My Love (Live In New York City/ 1967)
15. I’m Waiting For the Man (Live In New York City/ 1967)
16. Run Run Run (Live In New York City/ 1967)
17. Sister Ray (Live In New York City/ 1967)
18. The Gift (Live In New York City/ 1967)

Disc 3:

1. Booker T. (Live In New York City/ 1967)
2. I’m Not A Young Man Anymore (Live In New York City/ 1967)
3. Guess I’m Falling In My Love (Live In New York City/ 1967)
4. I’m Waiting For the Man (Live In New York City/ 1967)
5. Run Run Run (Live In New York City/ 1967)
6. Sister Ray (Live In New York City/ 1967)
7. The Gift (Live In New York City/ 1967)