Billy Yule

Billy Yule (born c. 1953) is an American musician best known for his brief stint as a temporary drummer for the rock band the Velvet Underground during their 1970 performances at Max's Kansas City in New York City.^[1]^[2] Born and raised in Great Neck, Long Island, in a middle-class suburban environment, Yule began playing drums at the age of eight, inspired by a merchant marine drummer he saw in a 1956 parade.^[2] By his high school years, he was performing in local bands that covered popular acts such as the Beatles, Cream, the Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix, using a Ludwig oyster black pearl drum kit and later incorporating a Slingerland bass drum with an American flag design.^[2] His influences included drummers like John Bonham, Keith Moon, Charlie Watts, and Ziggy Modeliste of the Meters.^[2] In 1970, at the age of 17 and still a high school student, Yule joined the Velvet Underground as a fill-in drummer when regular percussionist Maureen Tucker took maternity leave due to her pregnancy.^[2]^[1] He was recruited through his older brother, Doug Yule, who had been the band's bassist since 1968, and participated in their final shows with Lou Reed, including a series of late-night sets at Max's Kansas City from July to August 1970.^[2] These performances, later documented on the live album Live at Max's Kansas City, featured Yule on tracks such as "After Hours" and "Femme Fatale," where his straightforward, energetic style contrasted with Tucker's minimalist approach.^[1]^[3] Despite his youth and limited prior exposure to the band—Yule had never heard them perform before joining—he adapted quickly after a single soundcheck, though he later reflected on his inexperience with a touch of self-deprecating humor, noting his "total drumming snob" attitude at the time.^[2] Compensation for his gigs was modest, consisting primarily of beer and sandwiches provided by the club.^[2] Following his time with the Velvet Underground, Yule largely retired from professional drumming, though he briefly played in a new wave and punk band in Berkeley, California, during the early 1980s.^[2] In later years, he shifted to playing guitar and steel guitar as hobbies.^[2] Yule's personal life includes a son-in-law, Trent Ruane, who is a member of the garage rock band the Mummies.^[2] His contributions to the Velvet Underground remain a notable footnote in the band's history, highlighting the familial ties within the group during its transitional final phase with original members.^[3]

Early life

Family background

Billy Yule was born around 1953 in Great Neck, Long Island, New York.^[2] He was raised in a middle-class suburban household on Long Island alongside his older brother, Doug Yule.^[2] Doug Yule, born February 25, 1947, had already joined the Velvet Underground as a bassist and multi-instrumentalist by late 1968, establishing the family's early ties to the New York music scene.^[4]^[2] Details on Yule's parents and any other siblings remain limited in available records, reflecting the family's relatively private suburban life.^[2]

Musical beginnings

Billy Yule, born around 1953 in Great Neck, Long Island, grew up in a middle-class suburban environment and developed an early fascination with drumming during his high school years in the late 1960s.^[2] His interest was sparked by a memorable encounter with an anonymous merchant marine playing the bass drum in a 1956 Memorial Day parade, though he did not begin formal engagement with the instrument until later amid the Beatlemania era.^[2] By the late 1960s, as a teenager still attending high school—at age 17 in 1970—Yule was actively pursuing drumming as a passion, influenced in part by his older brother Doug's established presence in the New York music scene.^[2] Yule's key drumming influences during this formative period included Ringo Starr's straightforward style, John Bonham's powerful grooves, Keith Moon's explosive energy, Charlie Watts' minimalist precision (particularly highlighted by his brother Doug), and Ziggy Modeliste's funk rhythms.^[2] These artists shaped his approach, blending rock's intensity with subtle, solid fundamentals that he admired and emulated in his early playing.^[2] Initially self-taught, Yule supplemented his practice with informal school-sponsored lessons starting in fourth grade, honing his skills on a basic Ludwig oyster black pearl drum kit consisting of a snare, bass drum, and three toms.^[2] He later expanded his setup with a Slingerland bass drum and a mounted tom, customizing it by painting an American flag design before covering it in chrome Mylar, reflecting his hands-on, resourceful approach to equipment during these amateur sessions.^[2]

Velvet Underground involvement

1970 stint

In 1970, during Maureen Tucker's maternity leave, Billy Yule was recruited by his brother, Velvet Underground bassist Doug Yule, to serve as the band's temporary drummer. At the time, Billy was a 17-year-old high school student from Long Island, New York, who joined after just one practice session.^[5]^[2] His involvement began on June 24, 1970, coinciding with the start of the band's summer residency at Max's Kansas City in New York City, where they performed two sets nightly, five nights a week.^[5] The residency lasted from June 24 to August 28, 1970, spanning nine weeks and marking a period of relative stability for the band amid ongoing internal strains. Yule performed primarily older Velvet Underground songs from the group's earlier repertoire, often with minimal rehearsal, which required him to adapt quickly during live sets—particularly challenging in the second set when the band would switch to less familiar material. Band dynamics were tense, exacerbated by manager Steve Sesnick's pressure on creative control and Lou Reed's growing dissatisfaction, culminating in Reed's departure after the August 23 show at Max's, his final performance with the group.^[5]^[6] Yule received no monetary compensation for his role, instead being provided with meals and cinema tickets, reflecting his status as an inexperienced teenager commuting from [Long Island](/page/Long Island) without travel reimbursement. His drumming style brought a more conventional rock 'n' roll approach to the band, contrasting sharply with Tucker's unconventional, tribal rhythms that emphasized minimalism and space; this shift contributed to a slightly more mainstream feel during the residency, though Yule adapted to the group's experimental ethos as best he could with limited preparation.^[5]^[2]

1973 performances

In 1973, Billy Yule rejoined his brother Doug in a short-lived quartet that gigged on the New England bar circuit, drawing on Billy's prior experience filling in as drummer for the Velvet Underground during their 1970 residency at Max's Kansas City. The group, lacking any original members beyond Doug Yule, consisted of Doug on vocals and guitar, Billy on drums, George Kay on bass, and Don Silverman on guitar. Promoters billed these appearances as the Velvet Underground despite the band's objections and the absence of Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker, leading Doug Yule to later describe the decision as a "mistake" forced by an unscrupulous promoter who ignored their preference for billing as "Doug Yule from the Velvet Underground."^[7]^[8] A key performance took place on May 27, 1973, at Oliver's in Boston, Massachusetts, where the quartet played two sets of Velvet Underground material, including staples like "I'm Waiting for the Man" and "Sweet Jane." This concert, the last under the band's name post-Reed, was recorded by an audience member and later compiled as the fourth disc of the 2001 Japanese bootleg box set Final V.U. 1971–1973, released by Captain Trip Records with liner notes by Doug Yule. In those notes, Yule praised the lineup's solid execution—comparing their confidence to the 1969 era—but reiterated his discomfort with the unauthorized branding, emphasizing that the show represented neither an official Velvet Underground endorsement nor the group's democratic spirit.^[7]^[8]^[9] The tour concluded abruptly after just a handful of dates amid the billing disputes, with no further activity under the Velvet Underground moniker until a partial reunion years later, underscoring the original members' lack of endorsement.^[8]

Later career

1980s activities

Following his brief tenure with the Velvet Underground in the early 1970s, Billy Yule retired from professional drumming and shifted toward more localized musical pursuits.^[2] In the early 1980s, Yule resided in Berkeley, California, where he played drums in the new wave band Xiles, which incorporated punk influences. The band's manager organized "Day in the Dirt" events in a local park, including performances by artists such as Jim Carroll.^[2]^[2] This period marked Yule's transition away from drumming to other instruments, including guitar and steel guitar, reflecting a move from temporary high-profile roles to underground and regional band work. He occasionally contributed to local shows but largely stepped back from regular performance.^[2]

Later musical pursuits

Following his activities in the 1980s, Billy Yule has maintained a low-profile presence in music, with no major recordings or tours documented since that period.^[2] As of 2005, Yule engaged with music informally, primarily playing guitar and steel guitar in personal or local settings, occasionally setting up drums every few years for small-scale shows.^[2] His diversification into these instruments stemmed from experiences in 1980s bands like the Xiles, where he explored roles beyond drumming.^[2] Yule's family maintains strong musical ties, notably through his son-in-law, Trent Ruane, the frontman of the garage rock band The Mummies.^[2]

Discography

Velvet Underground recordings

Billy Yule's primary studio contribution to the Velvet Underground came during the recording sessions for their 1970 album Loaded, where he provided full drumming on the tracks "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" and "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'". These sessions took place amid lineup changes, with Yule stepping in as a temporary replacement for drummer Maureen Tucker during her maternity leave. His energetic, straightforward style on these songs complemented the album's more accessible rock sound, marking his only official studio appearances with the band during this period.^[10] The bulk of Yule's recorded work with the Velvet Underground stems from live performances captured during his 1970 stint with the group at Max's Kansas City in New York. These recordings were compiled and released as the live album Live at Max's Kansas City, originally as a single LP in 1972, with Yule handling all drumming duties. Notable tracks featuring his playing include "Sweet Jane," which opens the album with a raw, extended jam; "After Hours," a Lou Reed-led closer showcasing Yule's steady backbeat; and "Pale Blue Eyes," where his rhythms support the band's introspective delivery. The album's informal, audience-recorded quality highlights the transitional energy of the lineup, including brother Doug Yule on bass and vocals.^[11]^[2] An additional outtake from the 1970 Loaded sessions, the track "Ocean," later appeared on the band's 1995 retrospective box set Peel Slowly and See. Yule's drumming on this previously unreleased song provides a sparse, atmospheric foundation, aligning with the experimental edge of the era's recordings despite the band's evolving pop leanings. The inclusion of "Ocean" in the box set underscores Yule's brief but integral role in the post-John Cale phase of the group's output.^[12] Yule also featured on the 2001 bootleg compilation Final V.U. 1971–1973, specifically on recordings from the Velvet Underground's final concert on May 27, 1973, at Oliver's in Boston.^[13] As drummer for the entire set, he performed on all ten tracks, including "I'm Waiting for the Man," "Sweet Jane," and "White Light/White Heat," alongside Doug Yule, George Kay on bass, and Don Silverman on guitar. This appearance captures the band's final iteration before its dissolution, with Yule's contributions adding propulsion to the covers and originals in a raw, undocumented live format.^[7]

Other contributions

Beyond his involvement with the Velvet Underground, Billy Yule's recorded output remains extremely limited, with no solo albums or significant releases attributed to him in the decades following 1973.^[1]^[3] In the early 1980s, while residing in Berkeley, California, Yule briefly played drums in a local new wave band called the Xiles, which incorporated punk influences; however, the group produced no documented major releases or commercial recordings.^[2] No verified credits for session work, uncredited appearances, or other band projects have surfaced in reputable discographies or biographical accounts, underscoring Yule's low-output musical career after his teenage stint in the Velvet Underground.^[1]^[3]