Meeting with Andy Warhol
In 1965, the manager of the group became a famous artist Andy Warhol, the group proposed to use as a vocalist on some songs, his protege, the singer of German origin Nico. Warhol's reputation helped the team achieve even more fame, more than that, he helped the team to sign a contract with the label Verve Records, formally signify «producer», but actually gave The Velvet Underground an opportunity to create a sound which would suit them. With the Warhol group also became involved in the multimedia show Exploding Plastic Inevitable, which used their music, the show includes videos and pictures made by Warhol. A few months show that would satisfy their presentation in New York, and then committed a tour of the United States and Canada. Last time it was an installation in May 1967.
In 1966 MakLiz briefly returned to the group, and together they played a few concerts (they did not attend Reed, because ill with hepatitis B); Keil sang and played the organ and Tucker switched to bass guitar. In particular, during these recordings GROUP jam «Bucker T» (the name became the basis for the rock band Booker T. & the MG's); later this jam was recorded under the name «The Gift» for «White Light / White Heat». Some of these concerts were recorded and published on the bootleg, becoming the only remaining records of The Velvet Underground with MakLiz. MakLiz wanted to return to the group, already became certain popularity, but Reid eventually prevent it.
In December 1966 Warhol and David Dalton created a special multimedia project for the magazine Aspen. In addition to various illustrations and booklets, in «kit» became a two-disc, one side of which are records related to Timothy Leary, but on the other - Record «Loop», signed by the name The Velvet Underground. In fact, «Loop» Keil was recorded alone and is a recording of guitar Feedback whose volume increased to an end. This record was a precursor of noise-Rida album «Metal Machine Music», based on the same idea, and one of the first records predetermined noise and industrial. Also «Loop» became the first published and available for sale recording The Velvet Underground.