Writer: Lou Reed
Producers: Geoffrey Haslam, Shel Kagan, and the Velvet Underground
Recorded: April-July 1970 at Atlantic Studios in New York City
Released: September 1970
| Players: | Lou Reed–vocals, guitar Sterling Morrison–guitar Doug Yule–bass, vocals Billy Yule–drums |
| Album: | Loaded (Cotillion, 1970) |
The Velvet Underground formed in 1965, and after settling in New York City the group was adopted by artist Andy Warhol, who served as its manager and guiding force in its initial years.
After several years of developing a cult audience but receiving virtually no airplay, “Sweet Jane”–along with the Lou Reed-written “Rock And Roll”–brought the group to the playlists of the burgeoning FM rock radio stations.
With its spare sound and hooky guitar riff, “Sweet Jane” is also one of the Velvet's most straightforward and accessible songs.
It also remains a favorite of Reed himself: “To this day, I love playing that lick. It's the thing that gives the song that little hop.”
Ironically, Reed quit the band just before the Loaded album was released in the fall of 1970.
In a fit of retribution, bassist Doug Yule put his name atop the band list, and he was the only band member pictured on the album cover.
To Reed's chagrin, Loaded was also remixed in his absence and “Sweet Jane” was shortened from 4:09 to 3:14 (it was later restored to its full length for the group's retrospectives in the 1990s).
Loaded was the Velvet Underground's one and only release for Atlantic Records, a label that had been interested in the group in the mid-'60s but was scared away by its blatantly drug-informed songs.
Loaded is the only Velvet Underground album to stay in print continuously since its release.
Despite that, the album has never charted on the Billboard 200.
Velvets drummer Maureen “Mo” Tucker was credited on the original album but did not play on it since she was on an extended leave due to pregnancy.
Of the album, Reed has said, “Loaded didn't have Maureen on it, and that's a lot of people's favorite Velvet Underground record. So we can't get too lost in the mystique of the Velvet Underground. It's still a Velvet Underground record, but what it really is is something else.”