Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1966
Femme Fatale (song)
Buy Femme Fatale (song) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'Femme Fatale'" is a song by American rock band the Velvet Underground from their 1967 debut album 'The Velvet Underground & Nico', with lead vocals by Nico.
Background
The song was composed in the key of C major. At the request of Andy Warhol, band frontman Lou Reed wrote the song about Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick. According to Reed, Warhol said when asked what he should write about her: "Oh, don't you think she's a 'femme fatale', Lou?", with consequence, Reed wrote "Femme Fatale".
The song was recorded with vocals by Nico. Guitarist Sterling Morrison said of the song:
"Femme Fatale" was recorded at the Scepter Studios in New York in April 1966 while the studio was still under construction. It was released as a B-Side to "Sunday Morning" in December 1966. The following year it was included in their debut album 'The Velvet Underground & Nico'. A 1969 live recording of the song was included in 'Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes' released in 2001.
Critical reception
AllMusic critic Mark Deming thought that "Femme Fatale" was among the four best songs on the album. American music journalist Stephen Davis called "Femme Fatale" a beautiful song that portrays the vivid, conflicted and emotional undercurrents of 1966.
Personnel
* Nicolead vocals
* Lou Reedlead guitar, backing vocals
* John Calepiano, bass
* Sterling Morrisonlead guitar, backing vocals
* Maureen Tuckersnare drum, tambourine
References
Category:1966 singles
Category:1966 songs
Category:The Velvet Underground songs
Category:Nico songs
Category:Songs written by Lou Reed
Category:Verve Records singles
Buy Femme Fatale (song) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1966