What if Andy Warhol hadn't paired his house band for the Exploding Plastic Inevitable with German chanteuse Nico?
The Velvets hated Nico and likewise; she didn't enjoy the scorn of such "serious" musicians. But as much as you'd like to play to the musicians' wishes, The Velvet Underground & Nico (aka "that banana album") is the perfect collision of grit and grace, a talent for which Warhol was notorious.

What if the Velvets' label, Verve/MGM, had promoted their albums to any extent?
Verve put absolutely no money behind the promotion of any of the VU's first three albums. A weak attempt to push their debut ensued after a delayed release, thanks only to Warhol's name on the cover. VU & Nico's target release was in 1966, months before the beloved Sgt. Pepper and even dear old Brian's Pet Sounds.

What if Lou Reed hadn't fired John Cale after the release of White Light/White Heat?
As the two creative forces behind the Velvets, Reed and Cale were constantly arguing. Unbeknownst to the rest of the band, Reed fired Cale after recording White Light and gave the remaining members a my-way-or-the-highway ultimatum. Cale was the experimental edge that brought Reed's urban folk tales to life. Despite the simple beauty of The Velvet Underground, the VU would never again be the tour-de-force they were with Cale's avant garde ethos.

What if the Velvets' gear wasn't stolen before the recording of The Velvet Underground?
Weeks before preparations began for the third album, all of the VU's instruments, amplifiers and electronics were stolen while the band was on the road. This included a number of custom noisemakers Vox constructed for Reed, Cale and guitarist Sterling Morrison, which had been a trademark of the VU sound both live and on WL/WH. This also contributed to the hushed tone of The Velvet Underground. Reed bought a few twelve string acoustics for the recording sessions in California and began writing quieter tunes.

What if the Velvets hadn't boycotted performing in New York City for the better part of their career?
After radio stations refused to play even the tame "Sunday Morning" from the Velvets' debut, the band refused to play anything but a select number of parties in their home town of NYC, the city that essentially embodied the band's mystique. Instead, the VU made a second home at Poor Richard's in Boston, playing often to sold-out audiences. After the release of Loaded, the Velvet Underground made a triumphant return to NYC, playing a month-long stand as the house band at Max's Kansas City, during which Reed time announced his departure from the band.

What if Lou Reed hadn't left the Velvets?
After Reed's exit the Velvets carried on, with Doug Yule taking over as leader of the band. Reed informed his bandmates of his resignation before a set at Max's and never looked back. The remaining members finished the Max's Kansas City stint and even proceeded to record another album sans Morrison -- the disgraceful Squeeze -- and toured the UK with Tucker as the only original member in the lineup. No-one quite knows the specifics, but a power dispute at the hand of Velvets' manager Sesnick between the youthful Yule and Reed is rumored to be a major cause for the break. Reed went on, of course, to a sometimes brilliant, sometimes abysmal solo career which includes his arguably best-known song, "Walk On the Wild Side."

What if Atlantic had supported Loaded after wooing the Velvets away from MGM?
The Velvets recorded a whole album of material, which was never released, in order to fulfill their contract with MGM so they could switch to Atlantic records after their manager struck a deal with a new president of the label. While Reed and Morrison recorded what was to be their final album, albeit with the substitute Yule brothers, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, also newly signed to Atlantic, pressed for an advanced release date so as not to have to compete with the Velvets. After the Mothers' album flopped, Atlantic yanked any support for Loaded despite its numerous songs with commercial appeal. (Thus it was loaded with hits.) The album went on to garner critical acclaim and even won the Edison award in Amsterdam for Best Rock Album.

What if any of the VU recording sessions had gone as desired?
Numerous interviews with all the members of the VU have expressed regret over the quality of their studio albums. Until Loaded, most of the recording sessions had been rushed, ill-produced or ill-equipped to handle the volume of the songs being recorded. The Velvet Underground & Nico was recorded in a half-finished studio in ten days, without even such simple amenities as monitors (so the band could hear what they were recording). Drummer Maureen "Mo" Tucker complained that she had to watch Reed's mouth to stay in beat with the song. At the insistence of the band White Light/White Heat was recorded almost entirely live with minimal overdubs. This led to competition between the three males in the band to play loudest, while Tucker simply tried to keep up.