August 29th would have been Velvet Underground guitarist Sterling Morrison’s 83rd birthday. And to pay tribute to Morrison, guitarist Thurston Moore released a new cover of the Velvets song “Temptation Inside of Your Heart.” Joining Moore on the track are Deb Googe (My Bloody Valentine), James Sedwards and Jem Doulton. Moore was a member of Sonic Youth from 1981-2011.
The song was recorded by the Velvets in 1968, during the White Light/White Heat sessions and included original bassist/viola-player John Cale. It wasn’t released until 1985’s collection of outtakes, VU, which, interestingly enough, was the highest charting record in the band’s career, peaking at 85 on the Billboard charts.
Moore’s version is a much more straight-faced version. The Velvets original is notable for the sound of the band laughing and joking while trying to record the background vocals.
