The Velvet Underground & Nico

Unripened (Demos)
Velvet Underground
XTV
new
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO – UNRIPENED (DEMOS AND RARE TRACKS) (LP, 2025)

Pre-release version of their seminal debut, recorded in April 1966
Raw and alternate takes of classic songs, presented in original demo sequence
Description

Unripened (Demos And Rare Tracks) documents one of the most essential “lost” recordings in rock history — the earliest studio version of The Velvet Underground & Nico, recorded in April 1966. Presented by Andy Warhol to Columbia Records, this version of the album was ultimately rejected, but it remains a powerful glimpse into the band’s raw beginnings.

Several songs appear in embryonic form, with some notably different from the final versions later released in 1967. This pre-release demo omits "Sunday Morning" and "There She Goes Again," which had not yet been recorded. What remains is a gripping, unfiltered version of the band’s experimental art-rock vision, including fierce takes of "Heroin," "Venus in Furs," and "All Tomorrow’s Parties."

This edition is expected to ship around July 4, 2025, and is a must-have for collectors, historians, and fans of proto-punk and avant-garde music alike.