Hear Lou Reed's 1965 demo of "Heroin"

Lou Reed's original 1965 demo of "Heroin" is being released by Light In The Attic as part of Words & Music, May 1965

Here's the scoop...

“I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Heroin,” “Pale Blue Eyes” — In May of 1965, Lou Reed, with the help of future bandmate John Cale, recorded the very first known versions of these iconic songs along with a handful of others and mailed the tape to himself as a “poor man’s copyright.” The tape remained sealed in its original envelope and unopened for nearly 50 years — entirely unheard and forgotten, until now.

In partnership with Light In The Attic Records and @laurieandersonofficial, the tape will be released for the first time (remastered from the original analog tape) on Deluxe Edition LP, Standard LP, CD, Cassette Tape, and Digital on 8/26 and are available for pre-order right here. 

The first single, “I’m Waiting For The Man is available to stream now. Throughout 2022 and beyond, Light in the Attic will continue to honor the music and influence of Reed through the Lou Reed Archive Series. Visit LouReedArchive.com to learn more, and stay tuned for forthcoming releases.

Words & Music, May 1965 will be available on August 26th in a variety of formats, including LP, cassette, 8-track, digital, and CD. The centerpiece of the inaugural Lou Reed Archive Series release is the Deluxe 45-RPM Double LP Edition of Words & Music, May 1965. 

Limited to 7,500 copies worldwide, this collection was designed by multi-GRAMMY®-winning artist Masaki Koike and features a stylized, die-cut gatefold jacket manufactured by Stoughton Printing Co. Housed inside are two 45-RPM 12-inch LPs, pressed on HQ-audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI) featuring the only vinyl release of “I’m Waiting for the Man - May 1965 Alternate Version.” A bonus 7-inch, housed in its own unique die-cut picture sleeve and manufactured at Third Man Record Pressing includes the only vinyl release of six previously-unreleased bonus tracks providing a never-before-seen glimpse into Reed’s formative years, including early demos, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” and a doo-wop serenade recorded in 1958 when the legendary singer-songwriter was just sixteen years old. An accompanying saddle-stitched, die-cut 28-page book features lyrics, archival photos, and liner notes. Also included is an archival reproduction of a rarely-seen letter, written by Reed to his college professor and poet, Delmore Schwartz, circa 1964. The set includes a CD containing the complete audio from the package, housed in a die-cut jacket. 

The 11-track digital release of Words & Music, May 1965 will be available across all platforms, alongside the physical formats, on August 26th. A six-song digital EP, Gee Whiz, 1958-1964, drops on October 7th, offering the above-mentioned bonus content.