NewsThe Velvet Underground / The Complete Matrix Tapes / 4CD set
Polydor/Universal are set to release The Complete Matrix Tapes this November, an extensive 4CD document of The Velvet Underground live in San Francisco in late 1969.
The Matrix in San Francisco is where The Velvet Underground performed live in November 1969 and some of these recordings were used on the official 1974 release 1969: The Velvet Underground Live.
It is thought that around four hours of unissued material from their performances at The Matrix exist on four-track tape, including songs that didn’t make it to the official releases (a CD set was issued in 1988) including There She Goes Again, Venus in Furs and The Black Angel’s Death Song. With this CD box set much of this material is finally seeing an official release.
Track listings can be viewed below, for this 4CD set – as the image above shows, each CD is titled ‘Set One’, ‘Set Two’, ‘Set Three’… etc.
The Complete Matrix Tapes is released on 30 October 2015, exactly the same day as the Loaded 45th anniversary super deluxe edition.
- • UK Pre-order: The Complete Matrix Tapes
- • USA Pre-order: The Complete Matrix Tapes
- • CANADA Pre-order: The Complete Matrix Tapes
- • GERMANY Pre-order: The Complete Matrix Tapes
- • FRANCE Pre-order: The Complete Matrix Tapes
- • ITALY Pre-order: The Complete Matrix Tapes
The Matrix Tapes – The Velvet Underground
CD1 – Set One:
01 I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 1) (14:06)
02 What Goes On (Version 1) (8:58)
03 Some Kinda Love (Version 1) (4:59)
04 Heroin (Version 1) (8:13)
05 The Black Angel’s Death Song (6:20)
06 Venus In Furs (Version 1) (4:38)
07 There She Goes Again (Version 1) (3:08)
08 We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 1) (3:16)
09 Over You (Version 1) (2:24)
10 Sweet Jane (Version 1) (5:12)
11 Pale Blue Eyes (6:08)
12 After Hours (Version 1) (2:58)
CD2 – Set Two:
01 I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 2)
02 Venus In Furs (Version 2) (5:16)
03 I Can’t Stand It (Version 1) (7:54)
04 There She Goes Again (Version 2) (2:54)
05 Some Kinda Love (Version 2) (4:12)
06 Over You (Version 2) (3:07)
07 After Hours (Version 2) (2:37)
08 We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 2) (3:42)
09 Sweet Bonnie Brown/Too Much (7:54)
10 Heroin (Version 2) (10:08)
11 White Light/White Heat (Version 1) (9:30)
12 I’m Set Free (4.48)
CD3 – Set Three:
01 We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 3) (3:18)
02 Some Kinda Love (Version 3) (4:40)
03 There She Goes Again (Version 3) (3:02)
04 Heroin (Version 3) (8:34)
05 Ocean (11:03)
06 Sister Ray (37.08)
CD4 – Set Four
01 I’m Waiting For The Man (Version 3) (5:31)
02 What Goes On (Version 2) (4:34)
03 Some Kinda Love (Version 4) (4:46)
04 We’re Gonna Have A Real Good Time Together (Version 4) (3:26)
05 Beginning To See The Light (5:42)
06 Lisa Says (6:05)
07 New Age (6:41)
08 Rock And Roll (6.58)
09 I Can’t Stand It (Version 2) (6:54)
10 Heroin (Version 4) (8:18)
11 White Light /White Heat (Version 2) (8:45)
12 Sweet Jane (Version 2) (4:20)
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For all the Velvet Underground fans, this is a bargain right now at 17.99 on Amazon : https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B014WIZP96/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1479554373&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=velvet+underground&dpPl=1&dpID=41w2lEvusyL&ref=plSrch
On a side note, I’d just like to set how much I love this site. Keep up the good work.
See source info below:
SET ONE
1. I’M WAITING FOR THE MAN (Version 1) (13:07) ***
2. WHAT GOES ON (Version 1) (8:58) **
3. SOME KINDA LOVE (Version 1) (4:59) *
4. HEROIN (Version 1) (8:13) ***
5. THE BLACK ANGEL’S DEATH SONG (6:20) ***
6. VENUS IN FURS (Version 1) (4:38) +
7. THERE SHE GOES AGAIN (Version 1) (3:08) +
8. WE’RE GONNA HAVE A REAL GOOD TIME TOGETHER (Version 1) (3:16) **
9. OVER YOU (Version 1) (2:24) **
10. SWEET JANE (Version 1) (5:12) *
11. PALE BLUE EYES (6:08) +
12. AFTER HOURS (Version 1) (2:58) +
SET TWO
1. I’M WAITING FOR THE MAN (Version 2) (6:38) **
2. VENUS IN FURS (Version 2) (5:16) ***
3. SOME KINDA LOVE (Version 2) (4:12) + / **
4. OVER YOU (Version 2) (3:07) +
5. I CAN’T STAND IT (Version 1) (7:54) **
6. THERE SHE GOES AGAIN (Version 2) (2:54) *
7. AFTER HOURS (Version 2) (2:37) *
8. WE’RE GONNA HAVE A REAL GOOD TIME TOGETHER (Version 2) (3:42) *
9. SWEET BONNIE BROWN/TOO MUCH (7:54) **
10. HEROIN (Version 2) (10:08) **
11. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (Version 1) (9:30) ***
12. I’M SET FREE (4.48) +
SET THREE
1. WE’RE GONNA HAVE A REAL GOOD TIME TOGETHER (Version 3) (3:18) *
2. SOME KINDA LOVE (Version 3) (4:40) *
3. THERE SHE GOES AGAIN (Version 3) (3:02) *
4. HEROIN (Version 3) (8:34) **
5. OCEAN (11:03) **
6. SISTER RAY (36:54) + / ***
SET FOUR
1. I’M WAITING FOR THE MAN (Version 3) (5:31) +
2. WHAT GOES ON (Version 2) (4:34) +
3. SOME KINDA LOVE (Version 4) (4:46) *
4. WE’RE GONNA HAVE A REAL GOOD TIME TOGETHER (Version 4) (3:26) +
5. BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT (5:30) + / **
6. LISA SAYS (6:05) + / **
7. NEW AGE (6:28) **
8. ROCK & ROLL (6.58) + / ** / ***
9. I CAN’T STAND IT (Version 2) (6:54) +
10. HEROIN (Version 4) (8:18) +
11. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (Version 2) (8:45) + / **
12. SWEET JANE (Version 2) (4:20) + / **
All mixes previously unreleased, except +
+ appears on The Velvet Underground (3rd album) Super Deluxe Edition
* previously unreleased performance
** performance appears on 1969: The Velvet Underground Live
*** performance appears on The Quine Tapes Box Set
This is £29.99 on Amazon.co.uk today.
Can’t believe this is £63.99 Amazon.uk! The price must drop substantially. Looking for deals on this one.
It’s less than £30 on Amazon US, which appears to be the best deal. Even if you paid full import duty, Royal Mail ‘admin’ fee and US shipping you’d still save money
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014WIZP96/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B014WIZP96&linkCode=as2&tag=superdeluxeed-20&linkId=HIEKSF34E36DVXKA
Thanks Paul. I’ll take a look.
Anybody noticed the UK version is £63.99 where the US version is $43.98 – that is over double the price as at todays rates that is equal to $96 – over double the price!!!!!
Wow. Do I feel ripped off. I bought the multi disc deluxe of The Velvet Underground and that was one of the reasons why I purchased it.
I would have paid MORE for the Siper Deluxe version of the album of TVU if they had included all of these but to release this almost a year AFTER it is insulting and smug. After having released these as deluxe releases previously it just ads insult and rip off to injury.
Guess what Universal–I’m getting this via a different means because I’m tired of being ripped off.
Anyone know if this is a mono or stereo recording? Although off topic, I hope that many of the vintage Matrix shows from other artists will be officially released in superb quality in the future. Possibly a Matrix box set would be a decent seller.
These are 4-track stereo recordings. Full story here:
http://www.richieunterberger.com/vuexc10.html
First sentence:
“Polydor/Universal are set to release ‘The Complete Matrix Tapes’ this November […]”
Last sentence:
“‘The Complete Matrix Tapes’ is released on 30 October 2015, exactly the same day as the ‘Loaded’ 45th anniversary super deluxe edition.”
?!
If I’m not mistaken, ‘The Complete Matrix Tapes’ will be out on November 20, three weeks after the ‘Loaded’ super deluxe.
It looks like it comes out in the UK 3 weeks before everywhere else (?) for some reason (that, or Amazon UK simply hasn’t updated to the later date)…
Now this article really needs to be updated with regard to release date (i.e. -not same day as ‘Loaded – Super Deluxe’), as even the UK date has now been pushed back in line with all the other territories…
Given the list by Mark Lavallee (thank you) one wonders if and how the rest of the sets will be released (although I guess most of the readers are familiar with a certain Nothing Song label …).
Steg AT http://steg-speakerscorner.blogspot.com/
The packaging keeps the format of the Bootleg Series. There were originally 11 volumes planned for the Bootleg Series and all we ever got were the Quine tapes. All 11 volumes were apparently mastered and ready to go. Several have made their way out in the Super Deluxe Editions.
1. The Quine Tapes
2. Valleydale (released with the debut)
3. Gymnasium (released with White Light/White Heat)
4. 2nd Fret (in the forthcoming Loaded set)
5. Factory Rehearsals
6. La Cave ’68
7. Boston Tea Party ’68
8. Boston Tea Party ’69
9. End of Cole Ave- 1st Night
10. End Of Cole Ave- 2nd Night
11. Hilltop/Ostrich
£29.99 on Spincds.com. More realistic!
£29.99 would be more realistic, indeed!
But unfortunately it’s £46.99 now…
I’m Set Free and There She Goes Again don’t appear on 1969 Live or Quine, for what it’s worth.
Can anyone tell me what songs are unique to this release? I already have 1969 Live (first pressing on vinyl), a cd pressing that has an extra version of Heroin & the Quinne tapes on cd. If I buy this how many new songs will I be getting?
I think few, if any, distinct songs are unique to this release, but many of the performances of those songs are. That’s not really the point, however. This release offers the Matrix soundboard tapes in their best quality. The 1969 Live album used inferior copies of portions of these tapes whilst Quine recorded from the audience on a cassette desk.
If you like the performances on 1969 Live and Quine, this is an essential upgrade.
It may see a vinyl release if the like of Sundazed pick it up in the future…
Sad that this will never see vinyl.
$51.98 on Amazon.com, £56.14 on Amazon.co.uk – hope the price drops in the UK as that’s a pretty big difference (c. £33 in the US)!
Whilst I’m glad we’re finally getting the complete Matrx Tapes, my enthusiasm is somewhat diluted by the fact 2CD’s of the stuff has already been issued in the Third Album SDE, rendering much of the reason for buying THAT redundant.
And then Amazon.co.uk list the Matrix Tapes for £56.14 (which must have some corelation to the RRP)!
In conclusion, whilst a good release in it’s own right, it’s yet another example of a major label rip-off.
I’m confused… these are different than the Quine Bootleg Series then? Are these the tapes from which 1969 Live was pulled? Its a great live LP thats not really been done justice on CD (I’ve still my double vinyl). So if its the latter I’ll probably get.
The majority of Live 1969 was derived from these tapes – albeit in 2-track derivations in inferior quality. The rest of Live 1969 came from a Dallas show (End of Cole Avenue).
This release is the entire 42 tracks of Matrix 4-track soundboard tapes in best quality. 2 disks of this were issued on the Super Deluxe 3rd album set (1 disk on the 2CD edition).
The Quine tapes were audience recordings from The Matrix and Family Dog venues, some of which captured the same performances as here.
Confusing, I know!
While I am VERY excited about this release, it is sad that 65 minutes from this is on the 2CD 45th Anniversary issue of Velvet Underground (the 1969 studio album) while 2 CDs of it are in the Super Deluxe version!
REALLY wish the 69 studio odds and ends disc from the SDE had been disc 2 of the 2CD version! The ultimate 2CD tracklisting would have been discs 1,2, 4 of the SDE on 2 discs…
All that being said, live ’69 VU is wonderful stuff and I can’t wait to have this 4D release in my ears!
I really really really wish they’d kept the same packaging format as the other recent reissues. Aaaaagh!
Still very welcome, and ordered already!
Excellent news – thanks Paul. The following website provides the track listing:
http://www.musictap.net/2015/09/09/4cd-the-matrix-tapes-set-to-be-released-featuring-legendary-velvet-underground-live-tracks/
and a bit more info on the sessions:
http://www.metrotimes.com/Blogs/archives/2015/09/10/velvet-undergrounds-full-4cd-set-of-matrix-tapes-to-finally-be-released-oct-30
Looking forward to this (though it makes the previous issues of some tracks from these sessions look a piecemeal and disjointed now).
Thanks, will update :)
Ok, if these are the complete Matrix tapes, then where are Follow the Leader and Ride Into Sun? Don’t get me wrong: I’m excited, and I’ve already pre-ordered mine, but why do these VU releases always have some kind of kink in them that makes you feel like you feel like you’re getting just a little bit burned. Appropriate I guess: kind of like stepped H or C.