The Velvet Underground was one of rock’s most prolific bands during the late 1960s, and released a hit track that David Bowie got his hands on before it was ever released to the public.
Delivered in Lou Reed‘s languorous New York drawl, “I’m Waiting for the Man” was released as part of the band’s debut album in 1967 titled The Velvet Underground & Nico. It’s often described as a “tough garage rock” and “proto-punk classic” that centers on the main character obtaining drugs.
According to SongFacts, Reed developed the song in the early 1960s when he was attending Syracuse University, where he also developed “Heroin.” He didn’t come to play the song for Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale until 1965. Recorded in the band’s Ludlow Street loft in Manhattan, the lyrics describe a trip to a Harlem brownstone near the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 125th Street.
The main character goes to buy drugs from a dealer, the supposed “man” the song’s title refers to. He buys almost $25 worth of drugs, with Reed having once told Rolling Stone that “Everything about that song holds true, except the price.”
It was reported that the Velvet Underground were in talks with Atlantic Records for a record contract. Atlantic executive Ahmet Ertegun gave them an ultimatum. They had to drop “I’m Waiting For The Man,” “Heroin,” and “Venus In Furs” to get signed, but the band rejected the idea. They instead signed with MGM Records to release their debut album.
At the time, the band had one of the art scene’s biggest names behind them. Andy Warhol served as their manager, financial backer, and producer for their debut album. Before the album was released in 1967, “I’m Waiting For The Man” had a huge impact on David Bowie. Believe it or not, Bowie covered the song with his band at the time before the album was ever released in the U.S.
“I actually played ‘Waiting for the Man’ in Britain with my band before the album was even released in America. Talk about oneupsmanship. A friend of mine came over to the states to do some work with Andy Warhol at The Factory, and as he was leaving, Andy said, ‘Oh, I just made this album with some people. Maybe you can take it back to England and see if you can get any interest over there,'” said Bowie to Performing Songwriter.
“And it was still the vinyl test pressing. It hadn’t got a company or anything at the time. I still have it. There’s a white label on it, and it says ‘Warhol.’ He signed it. My friend gave it to me and he said, ‘This is crap. You like weird stuff, so maybe you’ll enjoy it.’ I played it and it was like ‘Ah, this is the future of music!’ I was in awe. It was serious and dangerous and I loved it.”
Bowie immediately went to his band and learned the song right on the spot, and began performing it live within a week. The musician would even go on to tell Reed about what happened, and he “loved” it. While many have covered the track since its release, Bowie was the very first, thanks to an inside connection.
Related: 1962 Hit, a No.1 Cover for George Harrison, Is Still a Powerful Rock Classic 64 Years Later
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