THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: How did the band name come about?

Before the quartet called themselves THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, they were called The Warlocks and later The Falling Spikes. But it was the discovery of a contemporary paperback book about the secret sexual subculture of the early sixties called “The Velvet Underground” by Michael Leigh that gave the band its name. The drummer at the time, Angus MacLise, suggested the title as the band’s name. The rest is history. The name reminded guitarist Sterling Morrison and singer Lou Reed of “Underground Cinemas” and they were both hooked.

Listen to The Velvet Underground in our “Alternative Classics for the Night” playlist on Spotify: