Suzanne Vega Celebrates New York City With a Cover of Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’

Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega Celebrates New York City With a Cover of Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’

“Lou Reed was the first artist I saw live in concert,” singer-songwriter says, “and encountering his music changed my way of writing songs”

Angie Martoccio
August 27, 2020

Suzanne Vega has shared a cover of her late, long-time friend Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” The rendition appears on her upcoming LP An Evening of New York Songs and Stories, out September 11th via Amanuensis/Cooking Vinyl.

Suzanne Vega's teenage obsessions / 'Taxi Driver captured something awful but made it beautiful'

 

Suzanne Vega … ‘I’ve started dancing at my shows, but yet to go full disco.’ Composite: George Holz

TEENAGE KICKS

Suzanne Vega's teenage obsessions: 'Taxi Driver captured something awful but made it beautiful'

In the first of a weekly series where film and music stars discuss their youthful fixations, the US singer recalls silly walks and Saturday Night Fever dance classes

Interview by Dave Simpson
Thu 3 Sep 2020 16.30 BST

Songs of Leonard Cohen

After 1967, when this came out, if a stranger asked: “What’s your name, little girl?” and I said: “Suzanne,” they’d go: “Oh, like the song?” And I’d stare at them thinking: “What song?” Then I heard this beautiful version of Cohen’s song Suzanne by Judy Collins. I was so relieved that the song was beautiful and … weird! In 1974, when I was 14, I saw the album in the record store, took the risk and fell in love with it. All the songs were so beautiful, interesting and intimate, and he used a nylon string acoustic guitar which I’d just started playing. I didn’t realise how funny Leonard was until I got to know him. In 1988, I went to see him at Carnegie Hall and met his sister, a big woman in a brightly coloured dress. When she said: “He’s been dying to meet you,” my inner teenager was thrilled. The next time we met was for a very well-known photoshoot when he had my head in his hands, mashed up against his chest, which was … [laughs] very exciting. That was the photographer’s idea, but Leonard didn’t complain, let’s put it that way. I still listen to the album, and consider it a good friend.