Trivia / Transformer

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• Breakthrough Hit: Both the parent album and "Walk on the Wild Side" established Reed as a solo performer after his failed first album.
• Creator Backlash: Despite the success of Transformer, Lou Reed felt frustrated that his one best selling record was a success because David Bowie helped him with it.
• Money, Dear Boy: The iconic double bassline (one played on a bass guitar, the other played on an upright bass) on "Walk on the Wild Side" came about because the studio musician playing bass realised he'd get paid twice if he played two parts.
• Pop-Culture Urban Legends: Perhaps because the album featured one song that mentioned a trans woman ("Walk On The Wild Side") and another that was about a transvestite ("Make Up"), there was a rumor that the woman and man depicted on the back cover of the album were portrayed by the same person - the former was Gala Mitchel, the latter was Ernie Thormahlen.
• Throw It In!: The high-contrast image of Reed on the cover came from a photo by Mick Rock that got overexposed when he developed it. Rock liked the effect and decided to go with it.
• Promoted Fanboy: Producers David Bowie and Mick Ronson were huge fans of Reed's earlier band, the Velvet Underground, with Bowie having first gotten into them via a pre-release acetate of their debut album.
• Referenced by...: The satellite of love in Mystery Science Theater 3000 takes its name from the song "Satellite Of Love".
• Write Who You Know: "Walk on the Wild Side" refers to several people Reed knew from the Andy Warhol entourage.

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