Belated RIP -Steve Sesnick

Just saw that Steve Sesnick, the manager who had the bright idea that the Velvet Underground would be a commercial juggernaut if they just weren't the damned Velvet Underground and systematically drove all the original members out, croaked a little over two years and a week ago.

I'm curious Brad, do you have any info to back up your claims, or is it just sort of a feeling you have? You've written here before that Doug Yule was simply a stooge of Sesnick, and not the villain that history (and Lou Reed) has made him out to be. So if what you say is true, then Yule should be inducted into the RRHoF with the other orig. Velvets. After all, his voice is all over at least 2 of their albums, and a fine voice it is.

The Hall seemed to not include Yule on the basis that they think he's the asshole who broke up the Velvets. Even if that's true, Mike Love is a generally universally loathed asshole, but of course he's in with The Beach Boys. And imagine if the Smiths ever got inducted - you think they'd not include Morrisey?

Yeah, I've always felt that Doug Yule's exclusion from the Velvet's RRHoF induction was unfair. From everything I've read, he was invited to join the band as John Cale's replacement in good faith. He distinguished himself on the road and in the studio -- so much so that Reed apparently encouraged him to sing a few of the songs on Loaded. And it doesn't really appear that Yule had anything to do with Reed's ultimate departure from the band; that's more down to conflict with Sesnick. To me, it sounds as if Reed just expected the band to instantly collapse without him, and for Loaded to languish in the vaults. Without Lou,after all, how could the VU exist? (cf. Roger Waters and Pink Floyd.)

It was only after his departure that Lonesome Cowboy Lou got the burr under his saddle about Doug -- first with the mix (and a few song edits) on Loaded, and then with Squeeze (practically a Doug Yule solo album) being released under the band's name. It was a messy denouement to their career, but still, IMO, Doug deserves a lot more credit than he often gets. But then, don't we all.

Never mind breno, I've answered my own question by reading this:
[en.wikipedia.org]

I've griped fairly often on here about Yule's exclusion from the RRHOF (and the Todd Haynes documentary) and don't think I've ever taken the position that he was Sesnick's "stooge" - I think I've generally expressed the opinion that Yule was a valuable member of the band but Sesnick's maneuvering unfairly ended up making him look like a villain, but I think overall I've been mostly sympathetic to Yule.

Heck, I've even had nice things to say about Squeeze.