Velvet Underground and Nico – All Tomorrow’s Parties

“All Tomorrow’s Parties” – Single by The Velvet Underground and Nico
Released: July 1966
Recorded: April 1966
Songwriter: Lou Reed
Producer: Andy Warhol

“All Tomorrow’s Parties” is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released as the band’s debut single in 1966. The song is from their 1967 debut studio album, The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Written by group leader Lou Reed, this song is about Andy Warhol and the intriguing people he surrounded himself with (“Warhol’s Factory”). Reed was good friends with Warhol, and they shared similar artistic sensibilities.

This was one of 3 songs on The Velvet Underground & Nico that Nico sang lead on. She also recorded it as a solo artist and included it in her live shows.

This is reportedly Andy Warhol’s favorite Velvet Underground song, though probably more for having Nico (born Christa Päffgen) sing the lead than Velvet Underground’s part in it. It was about a 50/50 shot whether flyers and posters for Exploding Plastic Inevitable performances around this time would have Nico’s name before Velvet Underground’s – with Nico sometimes billed as “pop girl of ’66.” In the pages of the Village Voice, rock critic Richard Goldstein called Nico “half goddess, half icicle,” and reviewed her, saying “She sings in perfect mellow ovals. It sounds something like a cello getting up in the morning.”

Nico – double-tracked lead vocals
Lou Reed – ostrich fretless electric guitar
John Cale – prepared piano, viola
Sterling Morrison – bass
Maureen Tucker – bass drum, tambourine