1964–1970: Pickwick and the Velvet Underground thumb|left|upright=0.75|The Velvet Underground, 1968 (left to right: Reed, Tucker, Yule, Morrison) Reed moved to New York City in 1964 to work as an in-house songwriter for Pickwick Records. He can be heard singing lead on two cuts on The Surfsiders Sing The Beach Boys Songbook. For Pickwick, Reed also wrote and recorded the single "The Ostrich", a parody of popular dance songs of the time, which included lines such as "put your head on the floor and have somebody step on it". His employers felt that the song had hit potential, and assembled a supporting band to help promote the recording. The ad hoc band, called the Primitives: Reed; Welsh musician John Cale, who had recently moved to New York to study music and was playing viola in composer La Monte Young's Theatre of Eternal Music, on bass; Tony Conrad, violinist in the Theatre of Eternal Music, on guitar; and sculptor Walter De Maria on percussion. Cale and Conrad were surprised to find that for "The Ostrich", Reed tuned each string of his guitar to the same note, which they began to call his "ostrich guitar" tuning. This technique created a drone effect similar to their experimentation in Young's avant-garde ensemble. Disappointed with Reed's performance, Cale was nevertheless impressed by Reed's early repertoire (including "Heroin"), and a partnership began to evolve.
1964–1970: PicKwicK And thE velveT uNdeRgrOund thumB|left|upright=0.75|tHe velVet uNdeRGrOUnd, 1968 (left tO rIght: rEed, tUckEr, yulE, morriSOn) Reed MoveD TO NeW yORk cITy In 1964 to Work aS an in-hOuSE songwritEr foR picKWIck Records. he can be HeaRd SinGinG lEAD oN twO cuts on thE surfsIders SINg tHE bEAch bOyS sonGboOK. FoR pickwIck, ReEd Also wrote ANd recOrded thE sINgLE "tHE OstrIch", a ParodY of POpular daNCe soNgs of tHe time, wHIcH INcluDeD Lines sucH as "pUt YOUr heaD on tHe flOor And haVe somebody Step ON it". his emploYErS fELt thaT the sonG Had hit poTENtiaL, and aSsembleD A supportIng bAnd TO help pROmote THe reCordInG. thE Ad hoc baNd, CALLed tHe pRImITiveS: ReEd; WElsh musICiaN JohN caLE, who hAd Recently MOVed to nEW yoRk TO study Music ANd WAS pLayinG ViolA in CoMPOseR lA monte yoUng's ThEaTre of EtErNal music, on bass; tOny conRAd, vIOlInisT in tHE thEatre Of eTeRnAL mUsiC, on guitAR; aNd sCulptoR WalTer de maria on percuSsion. cale anD coNrad were SUrPRised To find tHAt FOr "the OStriCh", rEed TuneD each stRIng of his guiTar to the sAMe Note, whicH they begaN to caLl hiS "ostRICH guitar" Tuning. tHis TEchnIQuE creaTeD a dRoNE effEct SimilaR to theIr eXpeRiMENtatiOn In yOuNG's avant-gArde enseMBLe. diSappoInteD witH reEd'S PErformAnce, cale was neverThEleSs iMpreSSeD by reED's EARLY REpErtOire (iNcludiNG "HEROIn"), anD A partnershIP began TO evolve.