The names dropped in this song are real people that Lou met at Andy Warhol's The Factory. Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn, Joe Delasandro (Little Joe), Jackie Curtis, and Joe Campbell (Suger Plum Fairy)
You beat me to it. Was trans and gay people that Andy hung around with. They all have great stories but sad passed on far too young. Joe was a dealer who was very good looking who men and woman paid for sex, Andy adored him. To the Leave it to beaver people they never got the song. To me live and let live aside from dealing hard drugs they were just people trying to be themselves at a time that could get you fired from your job or put in prison.
@@michaellockhart554 They were all just people living their lives. Aside from dealing hard drugs I do not judge them. The climate today is so hateful aimed at trans people it makes me sick. Why do I care how someone chooses to live their life? It is none of my business.
We started this shit. YALL just catching up. We rocked like this in the 70s. Yes, it was on the radio. We rocked hard before you were born. Hold my beer.
I'm 70 and this is music i listened to in my teens but it never shocked us like it's shocking you two guys. I find that so funny to see you both so shocked.
I am 74, it never shocked me either, problem is every younger generation that comes along think us oldies lived in a pure world !!! well listen and learn !!!
Bad ass rap dudes frontin' gangster vibes are shocked by AM radio song from the 70s LOL. We understood in the 70s, we figured out music, and sex, and fun, and race. Then these "kids" got on our lawns and ruined everything lol.
@@jeffstumpf9129 Then they have missed the best part of the song which was my main point. In any case, I don't agree with you; most reactors will stop the music & comment, not talk over it.
@@jeffstumpf9129 Then they have missed the best part of the song which was my main point. In any case, I don't agree with you; most reactors will stop the music & comment, not talk over it.
Lou Reed was one of the most influential artists of the 70s. The Velvet Underground was your favorite band's favorite band. And this song still gets airplay on classic rock stations. I grew up in the 80s and heard it in the radio plenty.
Shore was. Never got outta my Renault, just drove through on my way up to the UWS. Giuliani said he cleaned up Times Square. I'd like to hear how he did that and what he did to folks to get it done..
This is a little story about Andy Warhol and the characters from The Factory in NY. And yes it was played on the radio, us kids use to sing along with it when ever it came on.😂
Back in the 70s, people did not get offended by everything. We just let everything slide and carried on with a beautiful life .The 70s were the best of times. Best musical talent, honest hard working people, fun and naughty, but responsible for our actions. It was perfect.
Yet Lou Reed was incredibly productive into the 1980's and 1990's. Guys, try "New Sensations", "I Love you Suzanne", "Dirty Blvd.". You guys are still happily married (praise the Lord!) but for the rest of us, the wonderful "Baton Rouge". Chris, you should ABSOLUTELY cover "Walk on the Wild Side"! Lour Reed's semi-singing, semi-rap style is very hard to emulate, but you're a guy who can do it.
So true...we camped in a Tennessee Holler and blasted our music from a car with the best speakers. We say around a bonfire smoking doobies drinking beer and shots of moonshine. Spreading love...no fights 😅 Omg the best yrs ever. Now I sit and wonder...wtf did this hate brew up? Sad. 😢
Things were not perfect in the 70s, but it does feel like we didn't have to constantly censor everything to make the bigots, religious fanatics and rightwing nutjobs comfortable all the time.
Yes it was on the radio. I was 11 and my dad's favorite song for a while. No edits on this song over the radio. My dad listened to some great music. RIP Dad.
Mainly Ronson. That's Lou playing guitar despite it being said that Bowie did. Herbie Flowers indicated that Bowie didn't show up for the session of this song. Besides, the chord voicings for the main are the same as on Heroin and others by Lou.
Herbie Flowers' bass lines on this are delicious, and they make the song for me. He played double bass and electric bass to create the sound he wanted, it's a legendary bass performance, revered amongst bass players.. He sadly passed away about three weeks ago aged 86
I was 12 years old when this came out. When I discovered it? I went and asked for a bass guitar for Christmas because of it. It just hit me right in my soul. I played football in HS and College and busted my hands all up and never got really good at playing. But when I listen to new music it is the first thing I look for, it carries the framework of the song.
Y'all need to honor the Passing of THE LEGEND Kris Kristofferson with some his wonderful music!!! Just so you know he wrote Me & Bobby McGee and it's a BANGER!!! Sunday Morning Coming Down is an awesome song!!! RIP Kris Kristofferson 😢😢😢
Yes, and the singers who are actually saying “doo do doo” in the background were Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou, and Casey Synge, members of an all-white British group called Thunderthighs. So it was bit of an inside industry joke.
Well said. It's funny how young folks are so innocent and proper. In the 70s, Times Square as in your face raunchy, in public, until post Mayor Koch. Think it was Giuliani who "cleaned it up" and pushed sex trafficking underground. Right on about the reference to colored girls in the chorus; absolute " " sarcasm directed toward the $$$ producers and their racist use of talent.
When I think of the term “colored girls,” I think of girls of color. I don’t believe this was considered a derogatory term at the time by people of color. It’s just specifying people with more melanin. However, I don’t suppose they need to specify this, but think they did so as recognition to the ladies singing since it’s a song and you can’t see them. Anyway, it certainly wasn’t meant to be derogatory, nor considered such at the time.💕🌷
I'm 64...this was played all the time on the radio. Back then black folks referred to themselves as colored. I think you would enjoy a hit by Rod Stewart Maggie May (live, unplugged) with Ron Wood (Rolling Stones & faces) on lead acoustic guitar. This song was #1 USA & Uk in 1971 both men are two time members of the Rock & roll hall of fame🔥
The colored girls line isn't even what I contest, It's innocent enough(compared to EVERTHING about the guy) It was simply a shout out to black womens' proficiency and soulful ability to sing.
And it got played all over the radio for our young ears to hear. And it didn't do us a bit of harm either. What people forget is that anything that a kid isn't really ready for tends to go right over their heads.
Lou Reed is just unbelievable..writes songs for the..well darker side of life...just a little fact...in England...my ding a ling by chuck berry was banned by the BBC...walk on the wild side wasn't 😂...think the lyrics went over their heads...lol..lou will always b up there for me...true legend of music..
Well, everyone here was a very real person, 3 trans and two gay dude one of them selling heroin(the hustler). They were Andy Warhol's "superstars" part of the Factory. The Factory was Warhol's studio with some wild parties where a lot of real superstars could have been found. Like, Rolling Stones, Blondie, Bon Dylan. And with some afterparties that could easy rival Diddy's ones :D. This style of singing speak is somehow his signature. On the same album is "Perfect day" that's equally good with this one and where you can listen Lou Reed actually singing (for couple of seconds though). You could also listen Pale blue eyes that's another of his great songs and where you could listen to him also singing. Another less known fact is that this album's (Transformers) producer is David Bowie.
The "hustle" in this song associated with "little Joe" was that he was a prostitute, giving sexual favors for anyone who was willing to buy him for it.
The base guitar contains and shapes the track.. Awesome. Lou was in awe of and totally respectful of the coloured backing vocalsists he was hearing all over New York Many his friends
YAY - KRIZZ WAS ON THOSE LYRICS, MAN!! 🤣🤣🤣 The characters in this song were all actual people that Lou had encountered at Andy Warhol's...GREAT TUNE!!! THANKS, FELLAS!!!
i grew up white in one of the whitest states in the US and through the 70's to the 90's and we were told every 5 years or so that we were saying the wrong thing. Finally moved to Portland when I was 19 and finally got to hang out with some black dudes. They explained to me that there's a big difference between black people and THE black ppl or 'the black's. It's been f'n obvious to me since that day haha. Also, back in the 80's the Portland Zoo used this song in their big ad campaign. Stay weird y'all! Also also, Loo Reed came up in a Hall of Fame band called "Velvet Underground". Check out their song 'Heroine' from a few years prior. Wild dude.
As 58 yo dad of 3, I'm always surprised how prudish younger people are. Good food. Good job. Good partner. Good sex. Sure, be Zuck or Musk if you want, but if you wanna be happy, go for the essentials in life
Found this by chance and I'm an instant fan!!!! You guys crack me tf up!!!!! Hella song! As you said at the start, "Iconic" So cutting edge especially in '72! So brave. 🤘❤
I graduated high school in 76. Life was so free and easy then. It was pretty normal back then, and nothing was thought much about it. It was what it was. Lots of peace, love and rock and roll. Black people called themselves black. BLACK POWER was popular. Everyone got along a lot better than today. Probably because we got high on pot all the time. ☮️❤️🎼😎
These fine fellows have never seen “Midnight Cowboy” (1969) with Dustin Hoffman… it shows the New York’s wildside at this era… that is what this song is about.
Lou Reed was always an authentic composer/performer. His music reflected the life he led--he was so NYC. I still remember when I heard this on the radio--I was shocked bc I knew his music. But the content really flew below the radar for most people who did not understand the world he inhabited. As others have stated, everyone mentioned in the tune were real people he knew. He also had a long-term relationship with H, so some of his tunes are chilling. Even during addiction, his vision was unflinching.
Heyyy, it's Krizz "Gimme a pause" Kaliko, hahaha!! I love when BP and Krizz do reactions together. I thought BP's hat had devil horns until I realized it was Mercury's heel wings. Great reaction!! Love it!! ❤❤
This was a song about trans stuff long before there really was trans stuff. They called them cross dressers back then. And yes, this was on the radio. Not on all stations and it may have been slightly altered, but I remember hearing it.
That's the reason why the "Head" line rhymed as easy as it did. They knew it was going to get edited out but EVERYONE would know it and sing it out loud when it played anyway. lol.
The song is about the Andy Worhal genre (Andy Worhal co-produced Lou Reed's band, the Velvet Underground), his films and entourage during the middle 1960s in NY; included the likes of David Bowie and Mick Jagger. It was a time when homosexuality, transgenderism and androgyny were en Vogue. The characters in the song, in order of appearance are; "Holly" Woodlawn a Warhol films trans actress "Candy Darling" another Warhol films trans actress "Little Joe" Dallessandro, a Warhol films gay actor "Sugar Plum Fairy", a character in Warhol's first film, My Husler (1965), played by Joe Campbell "Jackie" Curtis" a Warhol films trans actress and writer.
glad you heard Lou Reed! try Sweet Jane next. or when he was older (yes he died recently) he sang these songs more clearly, slowly, with acoustics. He spoke his songs back then but did sing them later on. yes, colored girls was simply a regular reference, not derogatory. Diana Ross and the xxx were a colored girls group. Not many 'white girls' groups or backups then. Seriously because if the Motown sound - soul. To see some live 'colored girl' backup checkout Humble Pie - Black Coffee. fantastic. Steve Marriott was what Robert Plant of LZ wanted to be. Plant got the vocals down but Steve Marriott's stage presence was way better. He was the original Oliver Twist in the early 60's stage musical Oliver Twist in London. There are so many branches and roots of music you can follow. At least listen to Sweet Jane by Lou Reed first before moving on to other things.
I already watched this on Ps channel, but watching it again for u! 😊 I love watching people react to all of the original songs that were sampled by rappers! The way it is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range is one of my favorites! Edit : Black and white are technically shades, not colors, so I think it's safe to say that we're all just a bunch of shady MFers! 😏
The player of the iconic double bass on this track was played by a multi instrumentalist session musician called Herbie Flowers he contributed to over 500 hit songs . Sadly he passed away a few weeks ago. I was a teenager when this track was a hit in 1972, it makes me smile when people suddenly realise what the subject matter 😆 Its a song of about people Lou Reed personally knew in New York during his spell with the Velvet Underground
NYC was one wild place prior to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani :) Many "social interactions" with "working girls", many not really girls :), on the West Side ...in cars going back to Jersey.
@@isabelsilva62023 I said "prior" to Rudy, Isabel :) Who were the mayors prior to Rudy? Dinkins, and prior to him, Koch. NYC was a crime and graffiti infested toilet under both, RIP to both. ...complexities I won't go into here. Some interesting songs, like this one, sure resulted though :) . I know NYC, I've visited often, lived, or worked there since the 70s. Thank God for Rudy, and then Bloomberg, keeping his policies. Until de Blasio destroyed the city, and I left. Cheers!
@@elbruces Incorrect, no disrespect. I've Econ and Stats background I know data, and those who try to manipulate it, or merely misinterpret it. ...I'm not saying that's you to be clear. You're merely repeating what you've been told by some. The social rot was due to an epidemic increase in the bastardy/unwed parenthood rate. Unwed parenthood is source one of rapes, gang membership, shootings, and crime per the DOJ. It's NCVS, the DOJ's annual random survey of 100K people, has confirmed this for decades. NYC's rot traces back to LBJ's "Great Society". Ex - My family is from a tiny Puerto Rican island called Culebra. People are poor - some so poor that they have makeshift plywood or sheets for doors...yet, virtually no crime. Why? Marriage, and community. NYC's improvement was 100% due to cracking down on violations of "quality of life issues". Arresting criminals, including squeegee guys harassing drivers, ....repairing graffiti, removing crack addicts tents from parks, etc.
Songs of this caliber always find their way into the Zeitgeist of the Times,, these songs worm their way in to your brain and set up camp waiting til you hear just a snippet then BAM you remember it Was very much on the radio!!
Let me start by saying what a great and honest reaction. there are a few songs I love watching First timers react to, This be one of the top, when the lines hit and we get to watch your faces.. Its so entertaining, add to that when you voice your reaction with clear honesty it brings so much to the video. keep up the effort as music is here to enhance all our lives. i consider my self quite lucky to have been 13 in 81 and got to listen to all the 60s and 70s music on the radio but i also got to live though all the 80s tunes, its truley untouchable as a decade of outstanding artists and music.
Loved listening to Lou Reed, Transformer and Rock and Roll Animal, vocalist from Velvet Underground, left the band and went to England where David Bowie introduced him to his English audience, I was 18 when Transformer was released. You guys make me laugh, the song is about the people who were hanging around at the time, bearing in mind Velvet Underground and lots of different people were hanging out with Andy Warhol.
Worth saying there's no judgement at all in using the vernacular of the time "the coloured girls" in the chorus just as there's no judgement about any of the characters in the verses. It's straightforward reporting of what the writer is seeing. The 5 characters did the things mentioned. Most back up vocals were done by "coloured girls" at the time.
The look on y'all faces was fantastic!😂😂😂😂 Great reaction! I listened to this on my dad's 8 track player. Stereos were different back then. Ours was a long wooden cabinet that the lid lifted up and it had 2 big speakers in the front on each side coverwd with thin fabric. Sounded so good. I think even better than todays home units..
For me I was 12 in 1972, not yet a teenager but not a kid and I had passion the radio, music to be more accurate, when I heard this song and not being to worldly the lyrics did not get my attention really till I was more worldly age 13 I was listening to this 45 with my cousin that summer and we broke this song down lyrically and she being from the big city of Portland and me the country boy from a town of 800 well I learned a couple things and just said wow weird, but the music is pretty cool. It was really the subtle introduction of this lifestyle into into the listening publics ear, and the result was welcomed and I watched alot of people from that point when I heard the song in public I would look to see who might be listening 🎶 and make mental notes older usually just bopping to the soft beat subtle voice and soft instruments and nice female harmonies in the background 😀 and they weren't listening to a word most of the time, they always heard "colored girls sing" and the chorus but I guarantee they didn't hear or possibly understand the lyrics. It was a different world and Lou wanted to push the limits as it were and find out what he could get away with and did it successfully proving that if the music is right the lyrics can take a back seat. I've done it over the years not care for some lyrics but the rhythm is right you know what I mean they move you, it's a sensory thing. Even if you can't dance part of your body has to move. Of course for all teen 13:57 us teen boys the "hey babe take a walk on the wild side was thoroughly understood by I also guarantee less than 10% of the guys in the school of 100 students understood the babe was a transgender, just a babe and sex was all they cared about then and the song talked about it, it became the passing cliche to use, "Hey babe take a walk on the wild side" was the trendy pickup line for a while. Just a bit of mental flashback there, you should check out Alice's Restaurant is a classic very cool dated and the lyrics but go long version only save the afternoon.
Back in the day, every city and college/university had "underground" radio stations. These were limited local broadcast stations that played what wasn't played on the big radio stations. Lou Reed was played on the underground stations. I remember in the 60's, my brother hooked up some coat hanger and aluminum foil thing he fixed to his bedroom radiator as a sort of antennae so he could get the Baltimore (80 miles away) underground station playing blues and jazz. It worked and that station played all night, long after the regular stations went off the air.
I’m 67 and they wore this song out on the radio.
Yes
As long as you didn't say the Seven Words you could get away with almost anything
My high school had a radio station where I spun disks. I got in trouble for playing this on air in 1982.
Wnew New York with Allison Steele❤
@@jamesrowe5484😮
The names dropped in this song are real people that Lou met at Andy Warhol's The Factory. Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn, Joe Delasandro (Little Joe), Jackie Curtis, and Joe Campbell (Suger Plum Fairy)
You beat me to it. Was trans and gay people that Andy hung around with. They all have great stories but sad passed on far too young. Joe was a dealer who was very good looking who men and woman paid for sex, Andy adored him. To the Leave it to beaver people they never got the song. To me live and let live aside from dealing hard drugs they were just people trying to be themselves at a time that could get you fired from your job or put in prison.
@@StanSwan I didn't tell their stories hoping people would dive into who they were and the beginning of the movement they started
Velvet Underground!!
@@michaellockhart554 They were all just people living their lives. Aside from dealing hard drugs I do not judge them. The climate today is so hateful aimed at trans people it makes me sick. Why do I care how someone chooses to live their life? It is none of my business.
Sweet jane
We started this shit. YALL just catching up. We rocked like this in the 70s. Yes, it was on the radio. We rocked hard before you were born. Hold my beer.
tell it! amen
1972!
Started? Sure about that? Seems like you're making the same mistake.
@@aimp4598 so the 1960s songs talked about trans or drag? Who? 1950s? 1940s?
@@lisal6121Lola, 1969
I'm 70 and this is music i listened to in my teens but it never shocked us like it's shocking you two guys. I find that so funny to see you both so shocked.
Same 👍😉
I am 74, it never shocked me either, problem is every younger generation that comes along think us oldies lived in a pure world !!! well listen and learn !!!
Bad ass rap dudes frontin' gangster vibes are shocked by AM radio song from the 70s LOL. We understood in the 70s, we figured out music, and sex, and fun, and race. Then these "kids" got on our lawns and ruined everything lol.
We weren’t shocked & no one walked around hyper-offended by everything.
OMG You old folk had some music. Why yes we did. Go ask your grandma about Whole Lotta Love. That's why you're here.
I can't believe you talked through one of the tightest sax solos in pop/rock history.
Like they said, it’s a music reaction video, not a music video. They will talk over parts of the song, because that’s what music reactors do.
@@jeffstumpf9129 Then they have missed the best part of the song which was my main point. In any case, I don't agree with you; most reactors will stop the music & comment, not talk over it.
@@jeffstumpf9129 Then they have missed the best part of the song which was my main point. In any case, I don't agree with you; most reactors will stop the music & comment, not talk over it.
Yes indeed this was on the radio back in the 70's
This song is still on classic stations
Lou Reed was one of the most influential artists of the 70s. The Velvet Underground was your favorite band's favorite band.
And this song still gets airplay on classic rock stations. I grew up in the 80s and heard it in the radio plenty.
To me this song represents what NYC was in the 70s. Time Square was a totally different place back then.
The quintessential NY pop song IMHO...
He’s singing about real people in the NYC scene. Such a time capsule!
60s more than 70s actually.
Shore was. Never got outta my Renault, just drove through on my way up to the UWS. Giuliani said he cleaned up Times Square. I'd like to hear how he did that and what he did to folks to get it done..
People weren't perpetually offended back in Lou's day. Also this is a effing brilliant record by an artist with real talent.
This is a little story about Andy Warhol and the characters from The Factory in NY. And yes it was played on the radio, us kids use to sing along with it when ever it came on.😂
Yes! Gen X, raised in Janis Joplin, Lou Reed, and the Stones. We were free range and maybe still a little savage!
Wait for it Krizz 😂 I guess Krizz needs to hear Lola next 😂Great reaction and Peace out guys 🙏✌️☮️
Back in the 70s, people did not get offended by everything. We just let everything slide and carried on with a beautiful life .The 70s were the best of times. Best musical talent, honest hard working people, fun and naughty, but responsible for our actions. It was perfect.
Yet Lou Reed was incredibly productive into the 1980's and 1990's. Guys, try "New Sensations", "I Love you Suzanne", "Dirty Blvd.". You guys are still happily married (praise the Lord!) but for the rest of us, the wonderful "Baton Rouge". Chris, you should ABSOLUTELY cover "Walk on the Wild Side"! Lour Reed's semi-singing, semi-rap style is very hard to emulate, but you're a guy who can do it.
So true...we camped in a Tennessee Holler and blasted our music from a car with the best speakers. We say around a bonfire smoking doobies drinking beer and shots of moonshine. Spreading love...no fights 😅
Omg the best yrs ever.
Now I sit and wonder...wtf did this hate brew up?
Sad.
😢
Right on❤❤❤
Back when this came out, nobody understood what he was saying. That's why I got on the radio. People were very naive
Things were not perfect in the 70s, but it does feel like we didn't have to constantly censor everything to make the bigots, religious fanatics and rightwing nutjobs comfortable all the time.
Yes it was on the radio. I was 11 and my dad's favorite song for a while. No edits on this song over the radio. My dad listened to some great music. RIP Dad.
What a sweet tribute.
David Bowie produced this album
Makes perfect sense.
Not just Bowie Ronson as well
Mainly Ronson. That's Lou playing guitar despite it being said that Bowie did. Herbie Flowers indicated that Bowie didn't show up for the session of this song. Besides, the chord voicings for the main are the same as on Heroin and others by Lou.
@@leesakowski9145 nice to know thank you
Lou just rapped on it ;)
It amazes me that you young guys are shocked by this stuff. I bought this album when i was 15 in 1972. Give Lou Reed's 'waiting for the man' a listen.
I graduated high school.in 1972. I loved the 70s. We got away with a lot more then because the previous generation(s) was/were clueless.
I graduated in 72 too. To me it was the greatest decade. Loved the music!!! Great memories for me. Loved this song!
Same- class of ‘72. People weren’t offended & so much more chill & cool
@@akahina Ummm not my parents...lmao
Now you have to show him Lola by The Kinks.haha
Don't forget Gloria. 👍
BP did a reaction on Lola and it went over his head ....or he just wasn't listening carefully...
Maxx's Kasas City was a hot club...EVERYONE would show up there ,also CBGB'S
Chelsea Hotel where Sid Vicious and other kind of famous and not so famous people lived ...lot of goings on there too
L O L A....
Herbie Flowers' bass lines on this are delicious, and they make the song for me. He played double bass and electric bass to create the sound he wanted, it's a legendary bass performance, revered amongst bass players.. He sadly passed away about three weeks ago aged 86
I was 12 years old when this came out. When I discovered it? I went and asked for a bass guitar for Christmas because of it. It just hit me right in my soul. I played football in HS and College and busted my hands all up and never got really good at playing. But when I listen to new music it is the first thing I look for, it carries the framework of the song.
fr you can hear that slap vibrato-ing when he plays, absolute 👌
Y'all need to honor the Passing of THE LEGEND Kris Kristofferson with some his wonderful music!!! Just so you know he wrote Me & Bobby McGee and it's a BANGER!!! Sunday Morning Coming Down is an awesome song!!! RIP Kris Kristofferson 😢😢😢
Colored girls, reference to the industry racism against black female singers, and Lou Reed's finger to Man.
Yes, and the singers who are actually saying “doo do doo” in the background were Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou, and Casey Synge, members of an all-white British group called Thunderthighs. So it was bit of an inside industry joke.
Bingo! Put your finger right on it.
Well said. It's funny how young folks are so innocent and proper. In the 70s, Times Square as in your face raunchy, in public, until post Mayor Koch. Think it was Giuliani who "cleaned it up" and pushed sex trafficking underground. Right on about the reference to colored girls in the chorus; absolute " " sarcasm directed toward the $$$ producers and their racist use of talent.
When I think of the term “colored girls,” I think of girls of color. I don’t believe this was considered a derogatory term at the time by people of color. It’s just specifying people with more melanin. However, I don’t suppose they need to specify this, but think they did so as recognition to the ladies singing since it’s a song and you can’t see them. Anyway, it certainly wasn’t meant to be derogatory, nor considered such at the time.💕🌷
well stated...
It was meant as a call-out to all the black female backup singers at the time who didn't get much recognition.
@@craigplatel813 This is correct.
Yeah, even the NAACP used that term in its name and still hasn't changed it.
It's how they referenced themselves at the time, not at all derogatory
I'm 64...this was played all the time on the radio. Back then black folks referred to themselves as colored. I think you would enjoy a hit by Rod Stewart Maggie May (live, unplugged) with Ron Wood (Rolling Stones & faces) on lead acoustic guitar. This song was #1 USA & Uk in 1971 both men are two time members of the Rock & roll hall of fame🔥
The colored girls line isn't even what I contest, It's innocent enough(compared to EVERTHING about the guy) It was simply a shout out to black womens' proficiency and soulful ability to sing.
It was a positive reference, but in this case the backing was provided by the thunderthighs, who were three white girls.
Hustle had a different meaning then
No, it has the same meaning.
Lou was in a serious relationship with a trans person. No big deal guys.
Dude they wore this out on the radio in 72 and yes we did know what he was singing about.
And it got played all over the radio for our young ears to hear. And it didn't do us a bit of harm either. What people forget is that anything that a kid isn't really ready for tends to go right over their heads.
Velvet Underground - Sweet Jane.
Yes please!!! 😊
And for those that don't know, the song was written by Lou Reed, who continued to perform it live after he left the band.
Cowboy Junkies did a pretty good cover version.
Live version is my fave
EXACTLY! I am here for the reaction, most times I know the song so I enjoy seeing how other people experience it.
Remember hearing this in 71 on a transistor radio. It was followed by Roundabout. The 70s were great and our free speech was a badge.
✨️🎶✨️
Just waiting for the looks on Krizz's face lol
Worth the wait. *giggles*
Same 😂
That' was so funny, he was shocked 😂😂
Lou Reed is just unbelievable..writes songs for the..well darker side of life...just a little fact...in England...my ding a ling by chuck berry was banned by the BBC...walk on the wild side wasn't 😂...think the lyrics went over their heads...lol..lou will always b up there for me...true legend of music..
LOL Even though it contained the lyrics 'and g***** h****? Or was that only on the album version?
Take A Walk On The Wild Side, by Lou Reed. A great song. May Mr. Lou Reed rest in peace.
Yes! It was on the radio!
Well, everyone here was a very real person, 3 trans and two gay dude one of them selling heroin(the hustler). They were Andy Warhol's "superstars" part of the Factory. The Factory was Warhol's studio with some wild parties where a lot of real superstars could have been found. Like, Rolling Stones, Blondie, Bon Dylan. And with some afterparties that could easy rival Diddy's ones :D.
This style of singing speak is somehow his signature. On the same album is "Perfect day" that's equally good with this one and where you can listen Lou Reed actually singing (for couple of seconds though). You could also listen Pale blue eyes that's another of his great songs and where you could listen to him also singing.
Another less known fact is that this album's (Transformers) producer is David Bowie.
The "hustle" in this song associated with "little Joe" was that he was a prostitute, giving sexual favors for anyone who was willing to buy him for it.
The base guitar contains and shapes the track.. Awesome. Lou was in awe of and totally respectful of the coloured backing vocalsists he was hearing all over New York Many his friends
This song is from 1972. It’s been sampled, appeared in commercials, movies, you name it. It is absolutely Iconic.
The moment you realize that the generation of your parents has been much wilder than you ever expected
🤣🤣🤣🤣🫶
This song was on the radio. AM radio. This is how we all know this song. ;-)
What!!! 🤣
The 70's was a very tolerant society, no book banning, and no MAGA claiming these lyrics were grooming children.
@@Orange-Jumpsuit-Time you gonna be big sad on Nov 6. Prepare accordingly.
Velvet Underground one o my all time favourite bands as a teen they blew me away!❤😂
When life was free and easy. Great to be alive!
YAY - KRIZZ WAS ON THOSE LYRICS, MAN!! 🤣🤣🤣 The characters in this song were all actual people that Lou had encountered at Andy Warhol's...GREAT TUNE!!! THANKS, FELLAS!!!
i grew up white in one of the whitest states in the US and through the 70's to the 90's and we were told every 5 years or so that we were saying the wrong thing. Finally moved to Portland when I was 19 and finally got to hang out with some black dudes. They explained to me that there's a big difference between black people and THE black ppl or 'the black's. It's been f'n obvious to me since that day haha. Also, back in the 80's the Portland Zoo used this song in their big ad campaign. Stay weird y'all! Also also, Loo Reed came up in a Hall of Fame band called "Velvet Underground". Check out their song 'Heroine' from a few years prior. Wild dude.
The music in this song creates a mood/atmosphere. Great songs do this.
Lou Reed passed away on October 27, 2013 of liver disease. For the last ten years of his life, he was married to avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson.
"Oh Superman"......... Anderson was truly avant-garde
It was all over the radio when I was a kid in the early 70s
Take a walk on the wild side...I was 17 and wrote this on my Gummistiefel (rubber boots)) welcome to my generation. greetings from Hamburg
Yeah this was all over the radio back in the day
This was a HUGE hit on the radio, and played at every party, at Discos...it was everywhere
Ahhhhhh...the memories from the 70's - it was all over the radio.
This song and Lou is/was EPIC!!!!! 💟☮️. Great reaction!!!!!😊
As 58 yo dad of 3, I'm always surprised how prudish younger people are.
Good food. Good job. Good partner. Good sex. Sure, be Zuck or Musk if you want, but if you wanna be happy, go for the essentials in life
IYKYK and Krizz did not know🤣🤣🤣the anticipation for the lyrics to hit him was priceless😂
I freaking love when Krizz is on here cause he is so into music that it's amazing!
Also this song is freaking amazing!
It was huge hit and played on the radio all the time.
Found this by chance and I'm an instant fan!!!!
You guys crack me tf up!!!!!
Hella song! As you said at the start, "Iconic" So cutting edge especially in '72! So brave.
🤘❤
I graduated high school in 76. Life was so free and easy then. It was pretty normal back then, and nothing was thought much about it. It was what it was. Lots of peace, love and rock and roll. Black people called themselves black. BLACK POWER was popular. Everyone got along a lot better than today. Probably because we got high on pot all the time. ☮️❤️🎼😎
These fine fellows have never seen “Midnight Cowboy” (1969) with Dustin Hoffman… it shows the New York’s wildside at this era… that is what this song is about.
Yes it was on the radio
I love how every generation acts like they discovered something that has always existed.
Lou Reed was always an authentic composer/performer. His music reflected the life he led--he was so NYC. I still remember when I heard this on the radio--I was shocked bc I knew his music. But the content really flew below the radar for most people who did not understand the world he inhabited. As others have stated, everyone mentioned in the tune were real people he knew. He also had a long-term relationship with H, so some of his tunes are chilling. Even during addiction, his vision was unflinching.
This song is based on real people Lou knew from Andy Warhole!!! Love your videos. Love the opening line. You need to ðo a song with Korn
Heyyy, it's Krizz "Gimme a pause" Kaliko, hahaha!! I love when BP and Krizz do reactions together. I thought BP's hat had devil horns until I realized it was Mercury's heel wings. Great reaction!! Love it!! ❤❤
Heard Kris Kristofferson passed you guys should give him a little love sometime. He was a great singer, songwriter, and actor. RIP brother Kris.
Yes, it got by the censors and played on the radio!
Lola, From the Kinks....Naturally will be Next.
It was on the radio all the time, I was 10 when it came out and heard it all the time. Great song.
This song had TONS of radio play in the 1970s and 1980s, and I never understood how it was played uncensored on the radio! 😂
I recall listening to this song on the car radio, with my Dad, when it came out. We both liked it.
This was a song about trans stuff long before there really was trans stuff. They called them cross dressers back then. And yes, this was on the radio. Not on all stations and it may have been slightly altered, but I remember hearing it.
That's the reason why the "Head" line rhymed as easy as it did. They knew it was going to get edited out but EVERYONE would know it and sing it out loud when it played anyway. lol.
Yall are great together! Best song in a great time America coming together.
The song is about the Andy Worhal genre (Andy Worhal co-produced Lou Reed's band, the Velvet Underground), his films and entourage during the middle 1960s in NY; included the likes of David Bowie and Mick Jagger. It was a time when homosexuality, transgenderism and androgyny were en Vogue. The characters in the song, in order of appearance are;
"Holly" Woodlawn a Warhol films trans actress
"Candy Darling" another Warhol films trans actress
"Little Joe" Dallessandro, a Warhol films gay actor
"Sugar Plum Fairy", a character in Warhol's first film, My Husler (1965), played by Joe Campbell
"Jackie" Curtis" a Warhol films trans actress and writer.
I love everything by Lou Reed! I’ve got 22 LP of his. He’s so brilliant!
glad you heard Lou Reed! try Sweet Jane next. or when he was older (yes he died recently) he sang these songs more clearly, slowly, with acoustics. He spoke his songs back then but did sing them later on.
yes, colored girls was simply a regular reference, not derogatory. Diana Ross and the xxx were a colored girls group. Not many 'white girls' groups or backups then. Seriously because if the Motown sound - soul. To see some live 'colored girl' backup checkout Humble Pie - Black Coffee. fantastic. Steve Marriott was what Robert Plant of LZ wanted to be. Plant got the vocals down but Steve Marriott's stage presence was way better. He was the original Oliver Twist in the early 60's stage musical Oliver Twist in London. There are so many branches and roots of music you can follow. At least listen to Sweet Jane by Lou Reed first before moving on to other things.
This was all over the radio. In the 70s, you heard everything.
I already watched this on Ps channel, but watching it again for u! 😊 I love watching people react to all of the original songs that were sampled by rappers! The way it is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range is one of my favorites!
Edit : Black and white are technically shades, not colors, so I think it's safe to say that we're all just a bunch of shady MFers! 😏
Nice and shady 😎😂
The player of the iconic double bass on this track was played by a multi instrumentalist session musician called Herbie Flowers he contributed to over 500 hit songs .
Sadly he passed away a few weeks ago.
I was a teenager when this track was a hit in 1972, it makes me smile when people suddenly realise what the subject matter 😆 Its a song of about people Lou Reed personally knew in New York during his spell with the Velvet Underground
NYC was one wild place prior to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani :)
Many "social interactions" with "working girls", many not really girls :), on the West Side
...in cars going back to Jersey.
@MarcPagan I think you mean Mayor Edward Koch...
@@isabelsilva62023
I said "prior" to Rudy, Isabel :)
Who were the mayors prior to Rudy?
Dinkins, and prior to him, Koch.
NYC was a crime and graffiti infested toilet under both, RIP to both.
...complexities I won't go into here.
Some interesting songs, like this one, sure resulted though :)
.
I know NYC, I've visited often, lived, or worked there since the 70s.
Thank God for Rudy, and then Bloomberg, keeping his policies.
Until de Blasio destroyed the city, and I left.
Cheers!
@@MarcPagan
Those changes have a lot more to do with demographic population shifts ("white flight," etc) than any one politician's policies.
@@elbruces
Incorrect, no disrespect.
I've Econ and Stats background
I know data, and those who try to manipulate it, or merely misinterpret it.
...I'm not saying that's you to be clear.
You're merely repeating what you've been told by some.
The social rot was due to an epidemic increase in the bastardy/unwed parenthood rate.
Unwed parenthood is source one of rapes, gang membership, shootings, and crime per the DOJ.
It's NCVS, the DOJ's annual random survey of 100K people, has confirmed this for decades.
NYC's rot traces back to LBJ's "Great Society".
Ex -
My family is from a tiny Puerto Rican island called Culebra.
People are poor - some so poor that they have makeshift plywood or sheets for doors...yet, virtually no crime.
Why? Marriage, and community.
NYC's improvement was 100% due to cracking down on violations of "quality of life issues".
Arresting criminals, including squeegee guys harassing drivers,
....repairing graffiti, removing crack addicts tents from parks, etc.
Songs of this caliber always find their way into the Zeitgeist of the Times,, these songs worm their way in to your brain and set up camp waiting til you hear just a snippet then BAM you remember it
Was very much on the radio!!
I want to hear that sax at least a minute longer
This is one of my all time favorite songs!!!! Yay!!!
Now ya'll need to listen to Rod Stewarts' - "Georgie Boy" part one and two
Let me start by saying what a great and honest reaction.
there are a few songs I love watching First timers react to, This be one of the top, when the lines hit and we get to watch your faces.. Its so entertaining, add to that when you voice your reaction with clear honesty it brings so much to the video. keep up the effort as music is here to enhance all our lives.
i consider my self quite lucky to have been 13 in 81 and got to listen to all the 60s and 70s music on the radio but
i also got to live though all the 80s tunes, its truley untouchable as a decade of outstanding artists and music.
Velvet Underground was THE spot. React to Heroine please
🎵 so I'm back, to the velvet underground 🎶 😉 I like your name, gypsy
Loved listening to Lou Reed, Transformer and Rock and Roll Animal, vocalist from Velvet Underground, left the band and went to England where David Bowie introduced him to his English audience, I was 18 when Transformer was released. You guys make me laugh, the song is about the people who were hanging around at the time, bearing in mind Velvet Underground and lots of different people were hanging out with Andy Warhol.
Mark Mark - Wildside. Is another hip hop cover of this song
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
never change a classic
Black Pegasus next song should be called "Booty or Heroin?"
Yes, it was on the radio uncut,
The bass player Herbie Flowers died a couple of weeks ago.
New listener guys. I loved that comment, "Every one's got their own version of Wild." Carry one with the good work.
He wrote a song called _heroin_ in '67, so yea, he was edgy from the get go....
His best song imo
@@lisasinatra9383 It pinned me to the wall when I first heard it.
One of my all time fav classic rock songs.
Hey Babe, take a walk on the wild side
❣️ 💋 ❣️
Check out the song Perfect Day by Lou Reed
Alice Phoebe Lou - has a KILLER acoustic cover of this. Must watch, her visuals and sweet voice are a great contrast to the crude lyrics.
Worth saying there's no judgement at all in using the vernacular of the time "the coloured girls" in the chorus just as there's no judgement about any of the characters in the verses. It's straightforward reporting of what the writer is seeing. The 5 characters did the things mentioned. Most back up vocals were done by "coloured girls" at the time.
The look on y'all faces was fantastic!😂😂😂😂 Great reaction! I listened to this on my dad's 8 track player. Stereos were different back then. Ours was a long wooden cabinet that the lid lifted up and it had 2 big speakers in the front on each side coverwd with thin fabric. Sounded so good. I think even better than todays home units..
A Tribe Called Quest - Can I kick it
For me I was 12 in 1972, not yet a teenager but not a kid and I had passion the radio, music to be more accurate, when I heard this song and not being to worldly the lyrics did not get my attention really till I was more worldly age 13 I was listening to this 45 with my cousin that summer and we broke this song down lyrically and she being from the big city of Portland and me the country boy from a town of 800 well I learned a couple things and just said wow weird, but the music is pretty cool.
It was really the subtle introduction of this lifestyle into into the listening publics ear, and the result was welcomed and I watched alot of people from that point when I heard the song in public I would look to see who might be listening 🎶 and make mental notes older usually just bopping to the soft beat subtle voice and soft instruments and nice female harmonies in the background 😀 and they weren't listening to a word most of the time, they always heard "colored girls sing" and the chorus but I guarantee they didn't hear or possibly understand the lyrics.
It was a different world and Lou wanted to push the limits as it were and find out what he could get away with and did it successfully proving that if the music is right the lyrics can take a back seat.
I've done it over the years not care for some lyrics but the rhythm is right you know what I mean they move you, it's a sensory thing.
Even if you can't dance part of your body has to move.
Of course for all teen 13:57 us teen boys the "hey babe take a walk on the wild side was thoroughly understood by I also guarantee less than 10% of the guys in the school of 100 students understood the babe was a transgender, just a babe and sex was all they cared about then and the song talked about it, it became the passing cliche to use, "Hey babe take a walk on the wild side" was the trendy pickup line for a while.
Just a bit of mental flashback there, you should check out Alice's Restaurant is a classic very cool dated and the lyrics but go long version only save the afternoon.
Not folk....more punk / glam rock.
Urban blues with a good dose of jazz.
Back in the day, every city and college/university had "underground" radio stations. These were limited local broadcast stations that played what wasn't played on the big radio stations. Lou Reed was played on the underground stations. I remember in the 60's, my brother hooked up some coat hanger and aluminum foil thing he fixed to his bedroom radiator as a sort of antennae so he could get the Baltimore (80 miles away) underground station playing blues and jazz. It worked and that station played all night, long after the regular stations went off the air.
Krizz omg do a. Cover!!!!!!! But I think you are so open minded to all music
Old hippy lady here. I love your reactions.