The Chain (demo)
 

So, here’s a clip of "The Chain" demo from the upcoming Rumours reissue. Yes, a full standalone Stevie song with mostly all-new lyrics. Awesomeness! I had never heard this version...

http://depositfiles.com/files/xb9wtvqsn

Wow! Thanks so much for posting.

This is truly about the only thing I was looking forward to hearing on the reissue. Audio wise at least. Can't wait to hear the full version. :thumbsup:

I really like this..anyone else have thoughts? Yay/nay? Edited because I'm literally sitting here listening with headphones and a big smile on my face.

Neato! so Madame Stevie wrote those chorus lyrics for another song. It backs up what she said in a 1981 radio interview:

"I wrote the If you don't love me now part. That was my chain idea. This was a definite chain, and there was a reason why the links in this chain would not be broken."

Does the new reissue give a title for this? Did Stevie call it The Chain? or is it just called a Chain demo after the fact?

Wow, quite a treat. When new treasures like this are unearthed, I'm always amazed at how alluring Stevie's voice was back in those days.

It's too bad she didn't rework the unused verses into some other song; based on this clip it sounds like those discarded elements could have formed the basis of a good song.

Wow! Wow! and friggin Wow! That's worth the price of the box set alone. Amazing. The rest could be one killer song on it's own. The voice during this period could not be matched by anyone.

not expecting this...
 

"stepped into the canyons of my loneliness..and I went about as far as I could go"

this is not "The Chain" - this is a very beautiful song from Stevie who sounds amazing.

"if you meant what you said.. you'd of been here yesterday.."

Thanks for sharing! :thumbsup:

Thank you!

I really like this. The song is a good demo and could of been killer song for her alone. I love her voice during this period. How interesting!

Oh my, how could a lyric this good stay in the vaults all this time? But what a treasure to have it frozen in time with those perfect vocals.

This ^ :shrug::thumbsup: how have we never heard this?!

I'm truly very taken still with this demo! Do we think Stevie is playing the guitar as well? I feel like it's simple enough that it would be her. But I have no idea!

Awesome! I hear some of the GDW demo in this.

Yeah, me too. Well actually, it reminded me of If You Ever Did Believe, but they all kind of tie in - they all have that similar Ooooo part at the end.

for some reason, this sounds like a 60s song to me... little bit of Season of Witch or something... I can't understand the first line... Slipped into the velvet ?????

Just found the full version, and YOU mam are right on point! Good ear. The "I'm down on my knees, begging you to please, baby don't leave me" is the ending of the demo and IYEDB. Same tempo, ooohs, etc.

Just got the full version, and wow! Who would have guessed such a treasure would still be left in the vaults. Her voice used to be a thing of pure beauty.

That reminds me of Stevie saying that when Lindsey raided her song's chorus for The Chain, he left her with nothing, 'and of course he didn't care about that.'

Sometimes she says she gave them the song graciously in her retelling and sometimes it was stripped from her.

Michele

WOW! What a gem! Why they never recorded this is beyond me. The vocals are perfect, the lyrics are excellent. This.Is.Awesome :thumbsup:

The lyrics for anyone interested:

Slipped into the ___ (downstairs? velvet?) of my emptiness
I let teardrops fall, I let 'em go
Stepped into the canyons of my loneliness
And I went about as far as I could go

Even as I searched for you, I knew
Even if I found you you'd be so cold
Even when I found you now baby I knew
That I had gone about as far as I could go

And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain
I can still hear you saying
That if you don't love me now
Oh, you won't love me again

I don't mean to beg
But I don't know what else to say
If you meant what you said
You'd have been here yesterday
I won't watch you go
I won't even try
There you go down the road
But don't look to me to say goodbye

And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain
I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain
And if you don't love me now
Oh, you won't love me again
You won't love me again

You won't love me again

I think it's probably Stevie playing the guitar. I can't imagine Lindsey taking time out of his day to record that :lol: Whoever it is is just strumming basic C, G, Am, D, F in various orders for the verse and chorus and picking variations of F, G and Am for the bridge-type thing. So I'd say most likely Stevie.

This is so pure and beautiful. She sounds perfect here! In love with it!

I love it too. I can't believe this wasn't considered for Rumours and that she gave the lyrics for a song that basically just had the bass line.

She didn't give the lyrics. Lindsey stole them and when she heard what he had morphed them in to, she was very pleased.

wow this demo is amazing! stevie's voice sounds so good! i have goosebumps now.

Sometimes, she valiantly gave it to them. It depends on her mood.

Yes, back in the early 80s she said that she had written "the 'if you don't love me now' part and Lindsey said "can we use it?" and I said, "you realize you are ripping the chorus out of my song?" and he didn't care that much.. so *I* was the one who said 'there is a definite chain going on here, there is a reason the links in this chain are holding together"

What a gem! I'll be (hopefully) buying my copy tomorrow, but the snow is conspiring to make tomorrow a no-driving day.

So if I already bought the expanded Rumours previously released, do I only need the 3 disc version of this new re-issue?

Unless you want the DVD of Rosebud, yes.

is Rosebud any good?

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc....1.rc-U590N9GI

There are some great performances, but you've likely seen them over the years.

I got goosebumps too. This is beyond AMAZING! :blob2::]

I adore this demo. I kept playing it over and over last night.

Agreed, this is one of Stevie's purest and best vocal takes ever. Especially those haunting two verses at the start, and the chorus. I've been fiddling around with Ableton and am longing to make a good remix of this, if I can get my skill level up a bit more...

Nice catch, whoever above noticed that the back end of the demo got recycled/refashioned for If You Ever Did Believe.