Lou Reed | Walk On The Wild Side

The lyrics of “Walk on the Wild Side” were groundbreaking and risqué for their time, telling stories not usually told in rock songs up to then and containing references to prostitution, transgender people, and … always thought it would be kinda fun to introduce people to characters they maybe hadn’t met before, or hadn’t wanted to meet.”

~ Lou Reed

Lou Reed Walk On The Wild Side RCA 12” single @ 45 RPM has been one of my top picks at Dealer Events, HiFi Shows for approximately 15 years.

Music lovers are often gob smacked to hear this radio classic in all his glory on a terrific music system … a song that many have heard countless times yet offers up so much more detail, on each  serious listening.

Lou Reed | Walk On The Wild Side’s tracks are indeed quite distinct.

Here are some highlights:

• “Holly” is based on Holly Woodlawn, a transgender actress who lived in Miami Beach, Florida as a child. In 1962, after being bullied by homophobes, the fifteen-year-old ran away from home; as the lyrics state, Holly learned how to pluck her eyebrows while hitchhiking to New York.
• “Candy” is based on Candy Darling, a transgender actress and the subject of an earlier song by Reed, “Candy Says”. She grew up on Long Island (“the island”) and was a regular at “the back room” of Max’s Kansas City.
• “Little Joe” was the nickname of Joe Dallesandro, an actor who starred in Flesh, a 1968 film about a teenage hustler. The lyrics are based on Dallesandro’s character in the film, not on Dallesandro personally.
• “Sugar Plum Fairy” is a reference to actor Joe Campbell, who played a character by that name in Warhol’s 1965 film, My Hustler. The term was a euphemism for “drug dealer”. Prior to joining the Warhol entourage, Campbell was Harvey Milk’s partner for several years.
• “Jackie” is based on Jackie Curtis, another Warhol actress.

A new system, a familiar song, new details at each listen

A few days ago, I was fortunate enough to play this single on a new system at home, comprising the Luphonic R3 turntable with it’s K2 12” tonearm, and the OTTA “Mandolin” MC cartridge into the Moonriver 505 phono stage, via a Stealth Audio Cables “HyperPhono” RCA interconnect. OMG, to describe us as gob-smacked would be an understatement.

David Bowie & Mick Ronson brought Herbie Flowers along from the UK to play bass; he played both acoustic double bass and electric bass to great effect. While it sounds like one bass being played, the astute listener can’t help but be delighted by the tonal colour of both bass instruments, as their timbre shimmer and the nuances are revealed. The visceral impact of the bass, painted smiles on both our faces.

And the girls sing…

Du du du du Du du du du du du du

Du du du du Du du du du du du

Du du du du Du du du…….

The backing vocals were sung by the Thunderthighs.

It’s great fun to hear these singers walk up to the microphone, then continue singing as they back away from the microphone.

It gives a wonderful three dimensional experience to this classical slice of rock.  A wonderful sliver of heaven.