The Velvet Underground - What Goes On

The Velvet Underground - What Goes On clip, from their self-titled third album (1969). Lou Reed: vocals, guitar. Sterling Morrison: guitar. Doug Yule: bass, organ. Maureen Tucker: drums.

Although What Goes On was recorded in Los Angeles for The Velvets' third album in 1969 with Doug Yule on bass and organ, the band performed What Goes On live with John Cale on organ regularly, until his departure from The Velvets in September 1968. By all accounts Cale's rendition of What Goes On on organ was legendary (although I haven't found any recordings of it yet) and that's why John Cale appears in this video instead of Doug Yule who actually played (what sounds like) a Vox Continental organ on this song. Besides I haven't found any actual footage of The Velvets with Doug Yule, from his entrance in the band in September 1968 until August 1970, when Lou Reed effectively put an end to The Velvet Underground's story by leaving the band during a residency at New York's legendary club Max's Kansas City.

Doug Yule - with Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker on board at first, and then with other musicians later - kept The Velvets going until 1973, and this incarnation of The Velvet Underground with none of the original members toured the UK and continental Europe (which the real Velvet Underground never did and would only manage to do for their one-off 1993 reunion) and released also an album, Squeeze, recorded in 1972 and released in 1973

I have to thank rock singer-songwriter Robert Caruso who gave me the idea about making this, for the info and pointing me towards the footage material for its realization. Hope you like it. Enjoy!