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The Velvet Underground with Andy Warhol in 1966.
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The Warhol Museum will open an exhibition on the Velvet Underground in May

Steve Schapiro, courtesy of Fahey/Klein Gallery

The Warhol Museum will open an exhibition on the Velvet Underground in May

The Andy Warhol Museum will open “The Velvet Underground & Nico: Scepter Studio Sessions,” a new exhibition highlighting the seminal proto-punk band’s first recording sessions in April 1966 at the New York City studio.

The exhibition will run May 12-Sept. 25 at the museum on the North Side.

The show centers on the original tapes of the initial tracks recorded by the VU, recently discovered in the museum’s archive. Those nine songs became the bedrock of their debut album “The Velvet Underground & Nico,” which was produced by Warhol and featured his famed peel-away banana artwork on the cover.

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The monophonic reel-to-reel ¼-inch tapes feature alternate versions and mixes of the songs.

The songs from the tapes, which will be on view, will play continuously in the gallery and will be accompanied by Steve Schapiro photographs from 1966-67 of the Velvets, Warhol and associates.

The exhibition will also consist of rare, unseen footage of the Velvet Underground performing live, more than 30 Warhol Screen Tests featuring the five members of the band and 100 copies of the “banana album,” all from the collection of Velvet enthusiast Mark Satlof.

“This is an exciting opportunity to celebrate the Velvet Underground and the beginning of their relationship with Warhol, as their original manager, producer and cover designer of the iconic 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico (aka the “banana record”), through an experiential exhibition centered around the dynamic sonic quality of the original Scepter Studio master tapes, as a highlight of the museum’s archive collection,” said Ben Harrison, senior director of performing arts and programming, said in a statement.

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To complement the exhibition, a schedule of public programs is being organized and will be announced at a later date.

Scott Mervis: smervis@post-gazette.com 

First Published: February 7, 2023, 3:27 p.m.

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The Velvet Underground with Andy Warhol in 1966.  (Steve Schapiro, courtesy of Fahey/Klein Gallery)
The 1967 "The Velvet Underground & Nico" record cover – also known as the "banana album."
Steve Schapiro, courtesy of Fahey/Klein Gallery
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