Keith Richards' I'm Waiting For My Man: watch the video

(Image credit: Mark Seliger)

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has released a cover version of Lou Reed's Velvet Underground classic I'm Waiting For My Man. The tracks is taken from the upcoming album The Power Of The Heart: A Tribute To Lou Reed, which also includes contributions from Rufus Wainwright, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Afghan Whigs, Bobby Rush and more.

“To me, Lou stood out," says Richards. "The real deal! Something important to American music and to all music! I miss him and his dog."

Waiting For My Man was originally released in 1967, on the Velvet Underground's debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico, and describes a trip to Harlem to buy heroin. The song has was subsequently covered as a solo release by four members of the band (Reed, John Cale, Mo Tucker and Nico), as well as by David Bowie, UK Subs, Pink Fairies, Georgia Satellites and Cheap Trick.

The Power Of The Heart: A Tribute To Lou Reed will be available on what's optimistically being described as "Silver Nugget" vinyl on this year's Record Store Day (April 20) at participating independent retailers, and will also be released on CD and via streaming platforms.

The album includes liner notes by Bill Bentley, who has previously overseen tribute albums to Roky Erickson, Skip Spence and Doug Sahm. Bentley was in a college band with future Velvet Underground guitarist Sterling Morrison, was Reed's publicist for 25 years, and also wrote liner notes for 1990's Songs for Drella album with John Cale. Full tracklist below.

The Power Of The Heart: A Tribute To Lou Reed tracklist

Keith Richards - I'm Waiting for the Man
Maxim Ludwig & Angel Olsen - I Can't Stand It
Rufus Wainwright - Perfect Day
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - I'm So Free
Bobby Rush - Sally Can't Dance
Rickie Lee Jones - Walk on the Wild Side
The Afghan Whigs - I Love You, Suzanne
Mary Gauthier - Coney Island Baby
Lucinda Williams - Legendary Hearts
Automatic - New Sensations
Rosanne Cash - Magician
Brogan Bentley - The Power of the Heart*

* = CD only

The Power Of The Heart: A Tribute To Lou Reed vinyl and CD packshot — (Image credit: Light In The Attic)

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.