"Sweet Jane" is a song by American rock band

the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...

. Appearing on their fourth studio album '' Loaded'' (1970), the song was written by band leader and primary songwriter

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...

, who continued to incorporate the piece into live performances after he left the band. When ''Loaded'' was originally released in 1970, the song's

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

was cut. The box set '' Peel Slowly and See'' (1995) and reissue ''Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition'' restored the missing section. The song also appears on the albums '' Live at Max's Kansas City''; '' 1969: The Velvet Underground Live''; '' Peel Slowly and See''; '' Live MCMXCIII''; '' Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition''; ''

American Poet The poets listed below were either born in the United States or else published much of their poetry while living in that country. A B C D E F G H I–J K L M N O P Q *George Quasha (born 1942 in poetry, 1942) R ...

''; '' Rock 'n' Roll Animal''; '' Live: Take No Prisoners''; '' Live in Italy''; ''The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame''; '' Rock and Roll: an Introduction to The Velvet Underground''; '' NYC Man (The Ultimate Collection 1967–2003)''; ''Live on Letterman: Music from The Late Show''; and '' Berlin: Live At St. Ann's Warehouse''.

History

There are two distinct versions of "Sweet Jane" with minor variations, spread over its first four releases. The first release of the song in November 1970 was a version recorded earlier that year and included on '' Loaded''. In May 1972, a live version recorded in August 1970 appeared on the Velvet Underground's '' Live at Max's Kansas City''; this had an additional bridge that was missing from the ''Loaded'' release. In February 1974, a live version recorded in December 1973 (similar to the ''Loaded'' version but with an extended intro and hard rock sound), appeared on Reed's '' Rock 'n' Roll Animal''. The elaborate twin guitar intro on the '' Rock 'n' Roll Animal'' version was written by Steve Hunter and played by Hunter and Dick Wagner, two Detroit guitarists who would go on to play with

Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...

. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that "this heavy rocker" has a "strong production and good hook" as well as "stunning lead guitar and Lou's inimitable vocals." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said that "With a style that generates pure excitement, sweet sounds abound!." In September 1974, a down-tempo live version recorded in late 1969 was included on '' 1969: The Velvet Underground Live'', with a different song structure and lyrics. When a restored version of the original release on ''Loaded'' was eventually unveiled on '' Peel Slowly and See'' in 1995 (and in 1997 on ''Loaded: Fully Loaded Edition''), it turned out that some of the 1969 lyrics (notably the entire bridge as heard on ''Live at Max's Kansas City'') had originally been included in the ''Loaded'' version as well, but were scrapped in the finished edit. In a 2005 interview, former Velvet Underground member Doug Yule stated that the main signature "riff" of the song (as it appears on ''Loaded'') was finalized in the studio just before the tracks were recorded, and it was achieved by Lou Reed's playing "cranked-up very loud" through a large Sunn amplifier. In addition to recording the bass track, the drums on the recording were performed by Doug Yule because Velvet drummer Maureen Tucker was pregnant at the time and not present during the ''Loaded'' sessions. Lou Reed performed "Sweet Jane" in two keys. The 1969 and 1970 versions were in D as was 1972's ''

'' version. On 1973's ''Rock 'n' Roll Animal'' and 1978's ''

Take No Prisoners No quarter, during War, military conflict or piracy, implies that combatants would not be taken Prisoner of war, prisoner, but executed. Since the Hague Convention of 1899, it is considered a war crime; it is also prohibited in customary interna ...

'', the song is in E, and on 1984's '' Live in Italy'', the song is back in D.

Cover versions

* 1972: Mott the Hoople on the

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

-produced album '' All the Young Dudes''. * 1988:

Cowboy Junkies Cowboy Junkies are an alternative country and folk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1985 by Alan Anton (bassist), Michael Timmins (songwriter, guitarist), Peter Timmins (drummer) and Margo Timmins (vocalist). The three Timminses ...

on '' The Trinity Session''. This version's arrangement is based on the slower version of the song released on ''1969''. Lou Reed was often quoted as saying that the Cowboy Junkies' version was his favorite. It appears on the soundtrack of

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...

's 1994 movie, ''

Natural Born Killers ''Natural Born Killers'' is a 1994 American romantic crime action film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, and Tom Sizemore. The film tells the story of two victims ...

Rankings

In 2004, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' ranked it No. 335 on its list of the

500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring song ranking compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2 ...

. In a 2011 update of the list, it appears at No. 342, and was moved up further to No. 294 in the 2021 iteration. In March 2005, ''Q'' placed "Sweet Jane" at No. 18 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists and fans of guitar-based music and trends. The magazine has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original a ...

'' ranked "Sweet Jane" at No. 81 on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.

References

External links

* AllMusic Song Review* {{Authority control 1970 songs The Velvet Underground songs Songs written by Lou Reed Atlantic Records singles Columbia Records singles