Andy's Chest

"Andy's Chest" is a song written by Lou Reed, inspired by the 1968 attempted assassination of Andy Warhol. In June 1968, radical feminist writer Valerie Solanas shot artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol and Mario Amaya, art critic and curator, at Warhol's studio, The Factory.^[2] The Velvet Underground, of which Reed was the frontman, initially recorded the song in 1969, but this version went unreleased at the time. It was later re-recorded for Reed's solo release Transformer, co-produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson.

"Andy's Chest"
Song by Lou Reed
from the album Transformer
Released	1972
Recorded	1969
Genre	Avant-pop[1]
Length	3:22
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Lou Reed
Producer(s)	David Bowie Mick Ronson

The Velvet Underground recording of the song, eventually released on VU in 1985, is an upbeat pop track. The arrangement that appears on Transformer has a slower tempo and features Herbie Flowers on bass and Bowie on backing vocals. This song is a tribute to Warhol, who was Reed's mentor and lifelong friend. Warhol had supported the Velvet Underground through financing, promotion, bookings, and designing the band's debut album cover.^[3] Eventually resenting Warhol's degree of control (Warhol had inserted Nico into the band's line-up infuriating Reed and band member John Cale), the band broke with Nico, Warhol and the whole NY art scene in which they had become entrenched to pursue a rock tour and planning of their second album: White Light/White Heat. Warhol was shot by Solanas immediately after the split and only narrowly survived. "Andy's Chest" was written in sympathy and in thanks to Warhol. The title points to the substantial scar across Warhol's chest (the shot went through both lungs, spleen, stomach, liver, and esophagus), while the song lyrics refer to Warhol's studio The Factory and the artists who populated it.^[4]

Reception

Spin said the Velvet Underground version was a "slightly gauche tryout of a song that will return in a sharper and better-produced form on subsequent Lou Reed solo albums".^[5]

Personnel

• Lou Reed: lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• David Bowie: backing vocals
• Mick Ronson: lead guitars
• Herbie Flowers: bass
• John Halsey: drums

See also

• "Andy Warhol", David Bowie's own tribute to the artist

References

1. Saalman, Austin (November 9, 2022). "Lou Reed - Reflecting on the 50th Anniversary of "Transformer"". Under the Radar. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
2. Schaffner, Ingrid (1999). The Essential Andy Warhol. New York City: Harry N. Abrams. p. 79. ISBN 0-8109-5806-6.
3. Heatley, Michael (2014-11-24). The Boy in the Song: The real stories behind 50 classic pop songs. Pavilion Books. ISBN 9781909396876.
4. "Lou Reed "Transformer" presented by Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy". classic album sundays. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
5. Farren, Mick (May 1985). "Spins". Spin. No. 1. pp. 28–29.