Chelsea Girls (song)

"Chelsea Girls"
Song by Nico from the album Chelsea Girl
Released	October 1967
Recorded	Mayfair Sound Studios, New York City.
Label	Verve Records
Writer	Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison
Chelsea Girl track listing
"It Was a Pleasure Then" (5) "Chelsea Girls" (6) "I'll Keep It With Mine" (7)

"Chelsea Girls" is the title track to Nico's 1967 debut album, Chelsea Girl. The song was written by Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison^[1] of The Velvet Underground, who Nico had collaborated with for their debut album the previous year.

The title of the song (and of the album itself) is referential to the 1966 Andy Warhol film, Chelsea Girls, which Nico starred in herself. The film was an experimental reality movie that focused on the various residents of the Hotel Chelsea during Warhol's Factory days; many of them were Bohemian artists, drop outs, and drug addicts, which is depicted in the lyrics of the song.

Running at just under seven and a half minutes long, "Chelsea Girls" is similar in style to a ballad, telling the stories of various residents at the hotel, and features instrumental work (guitar) from Sterling Morrison, as well as a flute piece which is prominent throughout the song.

Nico stated in interviews that she "hated" the flute piece that was used, but had no say in the matter because it was in the hands of the album producers.^[2]

The song was covered in 1999 by late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith and was played during live performances, but was never released on any of his albums.

References

1. ^ "All Music: Chelsea Girls by Nico". All Music. http://www.allmusic.com/song/t2727959. 
2. ^ Nico quoted in Dave Thompson's liner notes for the 2002 Deluxe re-issue of The Velvet Underground & Nico, which includes all five Velvet collaborations for Chelsea Girl.