It’s the 45th anniversary of one of the most celebrated rock ‘n’ roll records ever made: the appropriately named The Velvet Underground & Nico – since it was recorded by The Velvet Underground and, guess who, Nico.
Everything has been said about this seminal album that, in a way, defines like no other the place of its birth, New York City; so I won’t go into detail about its legacy in the music, fashion and arts’ world. Instead, I will list some curious facts with which you can impress your friends or perhaps win a pub quiz.
La Dolce Vita
What links an arty Italian film from 1959 to a noisy New York band from the late 1960s? Certainly not its soundtrack, which is mostly based on blues-jazz and swing themes, but a tall German blonde: Nico. Christa Päffgen, that’s her birth name, was a fashion model and actor before joining Lou Reed and company for the Velvet Underground’s début album . She plays herself in the “party of the nobles” scene of La dolce vita. Legendary actor, Marcello Mastroianni, in sunglasses, appears in the film too.
