chelsea girl

Nico made an artistic statement of her own with the beautiful detachment and timeless wonder of the haunting folk experiments of this underground classic.  German-born Christa Päffgen was a model, actress, chanteuse, and femme fatale who appeared in advertisements, commercials, and several films, including Federico Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita' and Andy Warhol's 'Chelsea Girls'.   In 1965, she connected with Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones, who helped her release a single on Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate label with covers of Gordon Lightfoot's 'I'm Not Sayin'' and 'The Last Mile' which was written by Oldham and session guitarist Jimmy Page.  She then contributed vocals to the groundbreaking Warhol produced 'The Velvet Underground & Nico'.  

After her work with the Velvet Underground, she started recording songs for her own album. She enlisted Lou Reed, John Cale, and Sterling Morrison from the Velvets to not only play on the sessions, but also as songwriters. She also worked with Jackson Browne, who contributed three songs as well. She also covered songs by Bob Dylan and Tim Hardin. Tom Wilson produced the sessions at Mayfair Sound Studios in New York City for Verve Records with Nico on vocals; Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, and Sterling Morrison on electric guitar; and John Cale on viola, organ, and guitar.  When the album was finished, Wilson and Larry Fallon added string and flute arrangements.

Nico admitted years later: "Oh, the flute, oh my God! I was so unhappy when I heard the result of that flute taking over... They dubbed up the flute on top...It was much better without it, I mean, it gives it a more unified sound, I guess...More you know than the overall feeling of a flute being up front all the time."  She expressed similar feelings in Dave Thompson's book 'Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell: The Dangerous Glitter of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Lou Reed' :  "The first time I heard the album I cried. I still cannot listen to it, because everything I wanted for that record, they took it away. I asked for drums, they said no. I asked for more guitars, they said no. And I asked for simplicity, and they covered it in flutes! They added strings, and— I didn't like them, but I could live with them. But the flute! The first time I heard the album, I cried and it was all because of the flute."

'Chelsea Girl' didn't sell very well; but it has become an enduring esoteric favorite, even with the flute.





http://smironne.free.fr/NICO/bio.html








"The Fairest of the Seasons"
Nico says: "Jackson really plays some good guitar on some of them. You can't even hear it, because of the flute."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L-o26GqmZ8







"These Days" 








"Winter Song"






"It Was a Pleasure Then" 







"I'll Keep It With Mine"
Nico says: "He sang me a number of songs when he used to baby-sit for my son, er, Bob, and so he, he wrote, also sang that song, and so I asked him if I could have it, if I could sing that song, it's not that he ever gave me, he sent me a demo with the melody and the lyrics."













'Chelsea Girl'

full album:




Side A
"The Fairest of the Seasons" (Jackson Browne, Gregory Copeland) – 4:06
"These Days" (Jackson Browne) – 3:30
"Little Sister" (John Cale, Lou Reed) – 4:22
"Winter Song" (John Cale) – 3:17
"It Was a Pleasure Then" (Lou Reed, John Cale, Christa Päffgen) – 8:02
Side B
"Chelsea Girls" (Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison) – 7:22
"I'll Keep It With Mine" (Bob Dylan) – 3:17 
"Somewhere There's a Feather" (Jackson Browne) – 2:16
"Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" (Lou Reed) – 5:07
"Eulogy to Lenny Bruce" (Tim Hardin) – 3:45