The Velvet Underground - Doug Yule Part 1

Douglas Yule is an American musician and singer, most notable for being a member of the Velvet Underground from 1968 to 1973. When John Cale left the Velvet Underground at the behest of Lou Reed in 1968, Yule joined the band (then consisting of Reed, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker) as Cale's replacement. Yule made his first studio appearance on their third album, The Velvet Underground (1969), playing bass and organ, as well as singing lead vocals on the ballad "Candy Says" and co-singing the chorus of the album's penultimate track, "The Murder Mystery", with Maureen Tucker. Yule's contribution to the LP was considerable, and his vocals would later come in handy on the road. When Reed's voice became strained from touring, Yule would sing lead on several songs. While Cale had been a more experimental bass player, Yule was considered more technically proficient on the bass than Cale and his distinct melodic style suited Reed's desire to move into a more mainstream direction. On the band's fourth album, Loaded (1970), Yule's role became even more prominent, singing lead vocals on several songs on the LP ("Who Loves the Sun", "New Age" and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'"), and playing six instruments (including keyboard and drums). Yule's brother, Billy, also joined in on the sessions as a drummer, as regular drummer Maureen Tucker was pregnant and therefore absent for most of the recording. In this interview Yule discusses in detail his time in the Velvet Underground - replacing John Cale, working with Lou Reed, taking on vocal duties on tracks like "Candy Says", the more commercial ambitions of Reed and the band on "Loaded", and the dissolution of the original ensemble.

Added 25 Mar 2026