After we wrote about the BBC Chelsea Hotel documentary last week, Joe Bidewell (he's the guy jamming behind Nico in the film) wrote to give us a a few behind the scenes details. Here's his letter: (Photo: Joe is in the center)
Yes, that is me playing '
chelsea girls' w/ nico. I'm strumming my then-new '79 strat through an mxr distortion box and a small amp. I still like the sound of that particular recording. Nico's performance is spot-on, in my opinion. We rehearsed for that taping in my room # 332. The bbc filmed us in a bigger, nicer suite on another floor in the hotel. The scene where Burroughs and Warhol are eating dinner, with the fellow reporting details to the camera at the door - nice editing, bbc. That British crew literally moved in and lived at the Chelsea for weeks, maybe longer - a month or two - just to shoot all the footage, and to get it right.
They seemed to really enjoy themselves. It was fun having them around. Some of the crew came to one of my performances at a club called s.n.a.f.u., just around the corner from the Chelsea. It was owned by lou tatoo, and the walls were adorned w/ Robert Mapplethorpe prints. Quentin Crisp did a sort of performance/reading @ s.n.a.f.u. around that time as well.
I'm happy my song 'dream hotel' (inspired by the Chelsea made the final cut. I miss the Chelsea, of course. Hello to Stanley, David, Jerry and everyone. Joe Bidewell
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