White Light/White Heat (song)
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| "White Light/White Heat" | |||||
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| Single by The Velvet Underground
from the album White Light/White Heat |
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| Released | January 30, 1968 | ||||
| Recorded | September 1967, Scepter Studios, New York City, New York | ||||
| Genre | Rock and roll, experimental rock, noise rock, protopunk | ||||
| Length | 2:47 | ||||
| Label | Verve Records | ||||
| Writer | Lou Reed | ||||
| Composer | Lou Reed | ||||
| Producer | Tom Wilson | ||||
| White Light/White Heat track listing | |||||
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| The Velvet Underground chronology | |||||
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"White Light/White Heat" is a song by American avant-garde rock band The Velvet Underground, the title track on their second album, released in 1968. It is a fast, relatively aggressive start to the album, similar to the punk rock genre it would ultimately influence.
The song's vocals are performed primarily by Lou Reed, with John Cale and Sterling Morrison performing backing vocals. The song, much like "I'm Waiting for the Man", features pounding rock-and-roll Barrelhouse-style piano. The song is about the effects of amphetamine pills.[citation needed]
"White Light/White Heat" was released in 1968 as a single with the B-side "Here She Comes Now".
Reed also recorded a live version of the song in 1974, which is featured on his Rock 'n' Roll Animal and Greatest Hits albums.
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[edit] Influence and cover versions
"White Light/White Heat" is often cited as a major influence on punk bands, as well as more varied rock and roll artists. The song has been covered by David Bowie (see below), Mick Ronson and Slaughter & The Dogs, among others. A live recording by Gary Numan appears on his concert album, Living Ornaments '78.
German industrial rock band Die Krupps released a single in 1997 called "Black Beauty White Heat".
Lou Reed played a portion of the song with alternative rock band The Raconteurs during the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
The song "Bang Bang Rock & Roll" by British band Art Brut makes reference to this song in its chorus.
The song is heard in promotional spots for The Starter Wife.
The 1996 album White Light, White Heat, White Trash by Social Distortion was named after the song.
The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll
[edit] Personnel
[edit] 1967 studio version
- Lou Reed - vocals, rhythm guitar
- Sterling Morrison - lead guitar, backing vocal
- John Cale - bass guitar, backing vocal, piano
- Maureen Tucker - percussion
[edit] 1969 live versions
- Lou Reed - vocals, rhythm guitar
- Sterling Morrison - lead guitar, backing vocal
- Doug Yule - bass guitar, backing vocal
- Maureen Tucker - percussion
[edit] 1993 live version
- Lou Reed - vocals, rhythm guitar
- Sterling Morrison - lead guitar, backing vocal
- John Cale - bass guitar, backing vocal
- Maureen Tucker - percussion
[edit] David Bowie cover
| "White Light/White Heat" | ||||
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| Single by David Bowie | ||||
| from the album Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture | ||||
| B-side | "Cracked Actor" | |||
| Released | November 1983 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | Hammersmith Odeon, London 3 July 1973 | |||
| Genre | Glam rock | |||
| Length | 4:06 | |||
| Label | RCA 372 |
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| Producer | David Bowie, Tony Visconti | |||
| David Bowie singles chronology | ||||
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"White Light/White Heat" is regularly performed live by David Bowie. A version he recorded in 1973 was released as a single in 1983 to promote the album Ziggy Stardust – The Motion Picture.
Bowie, a long-time Velvets fan, had been performing “White Light/White Heat" since 1971. (His album of that year, Hunky Dory, features a credit to the song for having inspired Bowie's Queen Bitch.) It had featured throughout the Ziggy Stardust tour (including a performance with Lou Reed on 8 July 1972), been recorded by Bowie for two BBC sessions, and been slated for inclusion on Pin Ups (the backing track from this session was later recorded as a solo version by Mick Ronson in 1975). Despite this, the Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture project would be the first time the song had been issued on a Bowie record, and as such it was released as a single.
With Bowie at the peak of his global stardom thanks to Let's Dance, "White Light/White Heat" was considered an unusual turn for the pop audience he had attracted, and reached only #46 in the UK. The song has continued to feature in Bowie’s live repertoire.
[edit] Track listing
- "White Light/White Heat" (Lou Reed) – 4:06
- " Cracked Actor" (David Bowie) – 2:51
[edit] Production credits
- Producers:
- Musicians:
[edit] References
- Pegg, Nicholas, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2000, ISBN 1-903111-14-5
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