John Cale marks anniversary of Lou Reed’s death with ‘If You Were Still Around’ video – watch

Reed passed away one year ago today at the age of 71

Former Velvet Underground musician John Cale has paid tribute to the late Lou Reed, marking the one year anniversary since the musician’s death.

Reed passed away from liver disease on October 27, 2013 at the age of 71. “The world has lost a fine songwriter and poet,” former bandmate Cale said at the time. “I’ve lost my ‘school-yard buddy’.”

Now, one year on, Cale has released a video for ‘If You Were Still Around’, a track that originally featured on his 1982 album ‘Music For A New Society’.

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“A Moth and a Candle met. They decided to become friends,” Cale says in a statement with the clip. “Everyone enjoyed watching their discourse – especially the risk takers. Then one day a big rain came. The Moth couldn’t fly and the Candle puttered out. Everyone laughed in bitter awe and blamed the rain. Most however knew the deeper truth – the Candle remains lit and the Moth will stay close.”

Watch the video below.

Reed’s death leaves Cale and drummer Moe Tucker as the only surviving members of the pioneering New York art rock group. Cale and Reed founded The Velvet Underground in 1965. They later enlisted guitarist Sterling Morrison, who died in 1995, and singer Nico, who contributed four songs to the band’s debut and died in 1988.

The band released two albums together under the original line-up – 1967’s ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ and 1968’s ‘White Light/White Heat’ before Cale was replaced by Doug Yule later that year. They then released their self-titled third album in 1969, before 1970’s ‘Loaded’, Reed quitting before 1973’s ‘Squeeze’.

As well as his time in The Velvet Underground, Reed also had great success as a solo artist, with his second solo album ‘Transformer’ spawning world-renowned hits ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ and ‘Perfect Day’.

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