Secret Tracks on Car Park Music
I have sometimes been impressed with the secret tracks on albums - these are things that usually appear on the end of the last track. Most people think it's all over, but if you leave the CD playing, you'll hear the extras. This is stuff which is not advertised for sale (often because it's not good enough!).
I've left several minutes after the end of the final track, then there is a snippet of "H to the A", followed by a verbal introdiction to the songs, which are these:
Back To The Cross - as recorded live by Howard's Broome Cupboard. If this sounds like it was recorded on a cheap tape recorder inside a large hall with a small audience, then I expect that there are reasond for this. On the keyboards and drum machine is Phil Broome, who was a bit of a musical wizzard in the youth group at the time. There is nothing like playing music live (and, do I hear you say, this is nothing like playing music live?).
Pirates Of Polzeath - recorded in my sitting room - this demonstrates that music is fun, as it should always be. Chris Medway provides extra vocals and keyboard parts.
At The Cross - my first attempt to transfer music from the computer to a CD - this used a complicated method (I can't remember whether I bounced the sound off the sound card or took the sound out and then back in to the PC) which added some distortion and perhaps some atmosphere. I programmed the drums in MIDI, and added several layers of vocals and guitars. It's worth listening to this just to see how far my recording techniques have come!