Steve Vai Issues Speedy VaiTunes Update

Steve Vai has released a brand new song via his burgeoning VaiTunes project.

The song, ‘Speed’, is the third download only single to be released this year. The song dates back to around 1994 and has been released in different forms over the years (drummer Munetaka Higuchi released a version of it in 1997, Vai himself redid the song and released it as ‘Speeding’ in 2003 on the album Archives Vol.3).

Vai says of the song, "In the winter of 2010 I received a license request from Guitar Hero for this track (‘Speeding’). As much of a documentarian and audio pack rat that I am, we could not find the completed multi track masters for this track. I believe I may have inadvertently sent them to Sony with the other Alien Love Secrets masters. I had to actually re-record the guitars because all we could find was the drums and some rhythm tracks. I changed the form a bit and here it is, relatively similar to the version that came out on Archives Vol. 3, but different enough.”

Here’s what Steve Vai said about his VaiTunes project:

"It’s not uncommon for a musician to record more work than they release. In my case I have a digital ocean of snippets in various degrees of completion. Some are leftovers from assorted project recording sessions, projects that were never completed, sound check jams, demo snippets, etc.

"There are enough lonely unreleased notes in my world to fill an "infinity shelf.” VaiTunes are tracks that are culled from this melodic abyss, brushed off, sometimes severely hosed down, and released as digital singles.

"These tracks may be specific to a particular project that has never had the chance to be a completed big picture, but now, with the advent of all this digital technology and distribution, it’s possible to release a variety of tracks from a potential project without having to complete the whole project itself. Eventually, if there is enough tracks completed that fall into a precise endeavor, perhaps they will be compiled and released as a cohesive CD. In any event, it’s a good way to release a constant stream of music.

"Although the plan is to continue to create whole, full-bodied CD releases, VaiTunes can serve as temporary pacifiers for some delectable melodies to be sucked through the ears and absorbed into the soul.”