All Tomorrow's Parties

The song was recorded at Scepter Studios in Manhattan during April 1966. It features a piano motif played by Cale (initially written as an exercise) based largely on tone clusters. The repetitive keyboard part was inspired by the style of his friend Terry Riley, with whom Cale had played in La Monte Young's mid 1960s group in New York City. It was one of the first pop songs to make use of prepared piano[5] (a chain of paper clips were intertwined with the piano strings to change their sounds). The song also features the ostrich guitar tuning by Reed, by which all of the guitar strings were tuned to D.[4] Drummer Maureen Tucker plays tambourine and bass drum while guitarist Sterling Morrison plays bass, an instrument that he professed to hate, despite his proficiency as a bassist.[6][7]

Nico provides lead vocals. The song was originally recorded with only one track of her vocals; they were later double-tracked for the final album version. Most versions of the album use this version of the song, though the initial 1987 CD release uses the original mix without the double-tracking.

• Nico – double-tracked lead vocals
• Lou Reed – ostrich fretless electric guitar
• John Cale – prepared piano, viola
• Sterling Morrison – bass
• Maureen Tucker – bass drum, tambourine

Both Nico and Lou Reed have recorded solo versions of the song. Other artists who have covered it include Jun Togawa, Apoptygma Berzerk,[9] the Ass Ponys, Buffalo Tom, Japan,[10] Bauhaus, Jeff Buckley, Icehouse,[11] Los Tres,[12] The Method Actors, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds,[13] the Oysterband, Tom Robinson, Kikka Sirén, Simple Minds,[14] Siouxsie and the Banshees,[15] Rasputina, Kendra Smith, Bryan Ferry,[16] June Tabor, Johnette Napolitano, Iron and Wine, Deerhoof, Hole, The Music Tapes, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio , Les Rita Mitsouko, Tractor's Revenge, and Black Tape for a Blue Girl.

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