The Chetboard

Got an email this morning asking me about a "hidden track" of Steve Wariner and Chet.

"Hello Mr. Redmond!

My fiancee is a huge fan of Mr. Atkins. One of her favorite songs is "Sails". She tells me there was an album where Chet and Steve Wariner cut a vocal version and added it as a "hidden" track. Is that urban legend or the truth? If so, can you give me the name of that album and when it was produced? I would love to surprise her with a copy.

Many thanks!"


Anyone know about this? I am only aware of the instrumental version of Sails.

Sounds plausible.

Begs the question.. Tab??? Anyone..

If it were done it would be more likely on one of Steve's albums but it really doesn't seem plausible in the long run because of copyright/royalty issues. I could see it added as a "bonus track" somewhere but "hidden" would be bad marketing.

Why would someone hide a track when listing it as a bonus extra would add salability to the product. And money is what it's about from the standpoint of the distributor.

That's how it looks to me anyway...

Steve teaches it himself on this DVD:

http://www.homespuntapes.com/shop/product.aspx?ID=1050

I got a copy from Homespun years ago when I was contributing to a Steve Wariner article in Fingerstyle Guitar.

I think he recorded the tune before Chet, a guitar/vocal version, late 80's or so. (I think it's on the "Drive" album, but I didn't check.)

The tune was originally by Orleans ("Dance With Me", "Still The One", "Forever") back in the '70's.

Craig

Norm-

Hidden tracks are a pretty common thing now. (I've even included one myself, on my Christmas CD a few years ago.) Usually, the hidden track is the last track, and begins several seconds (or even a minute or more) after you think the CD is finished playing. The label/artist pays for the mechanical license just as if it were a listed track.

Craig

Thanks, Paul... I never knew that about hidden tracks.

Still seems odd to add a track and not list it but what do I know...?

am I missing what a "hidden track" is?..."

I take it to mean a song added to an audio CD that is not listed in the songlist on said CD.

Hidden tracks were also added, much less commonly, to vinyl records as a double groove.

There are lots of ways to add one to a CD. As Craig mentions, at the end of the CD is most common (could actually be over 20 minutes after the the last track), before the first track (you have to rewind while the 1st track is playing to find this), a track that is only playable by a specific software player, and yes, Jack, it could even be hidden in the mix and have to be extracted by altering the mix to hear it.

Anyway, I haven't found anything on my Sails CD - other than some great Chet playing!

Randy

The Beatles added a tone so high only your dog could hear it after "A Day In The Life" (last track on Sgt. Pepper). I forget, it was maybe 15k or higher.

I added a track on an early AGW cassette (maybe 1993 or so), several minutes after the instruction and music was over, of the absolute worst out-of-tune rendition of a Christmas carol that I could muster. Apparently, no one ever noticed it...

Craig