For most people - let's say the 30,000 or so people who started a band after buying their debut - The Velvet Underground was the band that introduced the world to the uncompromising rock energy of Lou Reed. As the latest archival title of his released by Light in the Attic Records will illustrate, Reed's talents were first put on record in a possibly more unusual place than with The VU.

Why Don't You Smile Now: Lou Reed At Pickwick Records 1964-1965 will serve as the first official anthology (blessed by both Reed's estate and his widow, musician Laurie Anderson) covering Reed's first gig in the music business: as a songwriter and sometime musician for the budget-minded label collective. Despite the obscurity of the material - and the iconoclast's own assessment of his time as "a poor man's Carole King" - Reed's affinity for pop and soul melodies was evident on these songs. Listeners will hear originals meant to emulate the American pop/rock landscape of the time, soundalike covers of The Beach Boys, and original compositions from the future two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, including the cult dance tune "The Ostrich." The set will include unseen photos and new liner notes by author Richie Unterberger and rocker, Patti Smith Group co-founder and historian Lenny Kaye. All audio has been remastered by John Baldwin and pressed on vinyl at German plant Optimal, with a package designed for vinyl by Masaki Koike at Phys Design and for CD by Darryl Norsen.

After graduating from Syracuse University with an English degree in 1964, Reed - an avowed fan of doo-wop and free jazz who was more focused on music than anything else - moved to New York City and found employment with Pickwick, a large label collective whose imprints like Design, Bridgeview and others specialized in affordable soundalike releases - either generic songs by session musicians or outright covers. His songwriting credit would appear on songs by forgotten acts like The Hi-Lifes ("Soul City"), The Beachnuts ("Cycle Annie"), The Roughnecks ("You're Driving Me Insane") and Ronnie Dickerson ("Oh No, Don't Do It," "Love Can Make You Cry"); these songs ran the gamut of genres and styles on the radio, showcasing what a versatile songsmith Reed was even then. He was occasionally called into some of the sessions, and sharp-eared listeners will hear his vocals on two Beach Boys covers ("Surfin'," "Little Deuce Coupe"), among others.

Perhaps Reed's most notable contribution to the Pickwick oeuvre was "The Ostrich," a silly take-off of dance-craze singles credited to The Primitives. Reed assembled The Primitives for this session, recruiting local minimalist sculptor Walter De Maria to bang out percussion and two acquaintances who were string players in La Monte Young's avant-garde Theatre of Eternal Music project. Violinist Tony Conrad served as The Primitives' guitarist, and on bass, Reed's roommate: a Welshman named John Cale, who'd played viola with the Theatre. Ostensibly baffled by the song and its arrangement, Cale was at least taken by Reed's unusual guitar tuning, setting all the strings to the same notes and creating a vague drone sound. The Primitives would soon evolve with Reed and Cale together, eventually recruiting a college acquaintance of Reed's named Sterling Morrison to play guitar; the addition of drummer Moe Tucker (sister of another classmate of Reed's) solidified the original line-up of The Velvet Underground.

Why Don't You Smile Now follows Light in the Attic's previous entries in their archival series for Reed: a reissue of his final solo work, the ambient Hudson River Wind Meditations, and the demo tape Words and Music, May 1965. It's available September 27 and can be purchased at the links below. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)

Why Don't You Smile Now: Lou Reed At Pickwick Records 1964-1965 (Light in the Attic LITA 212, 2024)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Light in the Attic (Oxblood/Gold Vinyl)

1. The Ostrich - The Primitives
2. Cycle Annie - The Beachnuts
3. I'm Gonna Fight - The Hi-Lifes
4. Soul City- The Hi-Lifes
5. Oh No Don't Do It - Ronnie Dickerson
6. Love Can Make You Cry - Ronnie Dickerson
7. Teardrop in the Sand - The Hollywoods
8. You're Driving Me Insane - The Roughnecks
9. Sneaky Pete - The Primitives
10. Wild One - Terry Philips
11. Really - Really - Really - Really - Really - Really Love - Spongy and The Dolls
12. Soul City - The Foxes
13. Ya Running, But I'll Getcha - The J Brothers
14. We Got Trouble - Beverley Ann
15. Why Don't You Smile - The All Night Workers
16. Johnny Won't Surf No More - Jeannie Larimore
17. Tell Mamma Not to Cry - Robertha Williams
18. Maybe Tomorrow - Robertha Williams
19. Flowers for the Lady - Terry Philips
20. This Rose - Terry Philips
21. Surfin' - The Surfsiders
22. Little Deuce Coupe - The Surfsiders
23. Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy - The Beachnuts
24. I've Got a Tiger in My Tank - The Beachnuts
25. What About Me - Ronnie Dickerson

Tracks 1 and 9 released as Pickwick City single PC-9001, 1964
Track 2 released on Out of Sight! - Design Records SDLP-269, 1967
Tracks 3-4, 7-8, 16 and 24 released on Soundsville! - Design Records/Stereo Spectrum SDLP-187, 1965
Tracks 5-6 and 25 released on Maxine Brown - Irma Thomas - Spin-O-Rama KS-426, 1964
Tracks 10 and 19-20 released on Swingin' Teen Sounds of Ronnie Dove & Terry Philips - Design Records/Stereo Spectrum SDLP-186, 1964
Track 11 released on Bridgeview single BV-7001, 1965
Track 12 released on Bridgeview single BV-7000, 1965
Track 13 released on The Four Seasons / Neil Sedaka / Johnny Rivers / The J Brothers - Design Records/Stereo Spectrum SDLP-185, 1964
Track 14 released on Showcase single SH-9805, 1966
Track 15 released on Round Sound single RS-1, 1965
Tracks 17-18 released as Uptown single 707, 1965
Tracks 21-22 released on The Surfsiders Sing The Beach Boys Songbook - Design Records SDLP-208, 1965
Track 23 previously unreleased