Chic Recordings...Answering the call!

 

You CAN have it both ways!

 

Today's square dance music market is no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition.  Chic's goals are to produce singing calls in a variety of music styles; stay true to the original song; and release the music in two separate keys, one for male callers, and one for female callers. The second key is not simply a re-pitched version of the first. All the live instruments and background vocals are done twice to maintain the quality of the recordings.

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Written by Shauna

December Release - "Blue California"

 December adds a bit of Classic Country to the Chic catalog. "Blue California" is a great song by the Bellamy Brothers and includes everything a classic country song should have including steel guitar, a longing for love, and a chorus with a hook. When Tom Miller suggested the song to us, we nearly passed because we did not have access to a steel guitar player. As luck would have it, our path crossed with a local dancer who was a retired steel player. He graciously volunteered to come out of retirement to lay down the needed steel tracks. A great big "thank you" to Terry Reardon, of El Cajon, CA!

"Blue California" was released by the Bellamy Brothers in 2000. As mentioned above, the song was suggested by Tom Miller who then agreed to return for a second Chic appearance and record the vocal. His golden voice was perfect for this song. Tom appears courtesy of ESP Recordings.

We invited Carrie Masters of Grand Terrace, CA to return for her second guest appearance. Carrie will be moving to Olympia, WA at the first of the year, so California will be feeling a bit "blue" over the loss. But California's loss will be Washington's gain.

CHIC1020 in the male vocal range features Tom Miller's vocal.

CHIC2020 in the female vocal range features Carrie Masters.

Both versions include background vocals by Jimmy Mac and Shauna Kaaria.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody and background vocals, and the vocal cut.

Both are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

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Written by Shauna

November Patter Release - "Baby Elephant Walk"

 November brings another Chic patter release with the Henry Mancini hit, "Baby Elephant Walk." This well-known song was written by Mancini in 1961 for the movie "Hatari." It has the classic 12-bar blues progression with a very catchy, and instantly recognizable melody. It's such a great song, we made TWO separate patter cuts.

CHIC4018 - "Baby Elephant Walk"stays true to the original Mancini cut that was the backdrop for baby elephants walking down to the bathing pool. Jimmy Mac had some fun using his saxophone skills. Your dancers will enjoy the smooth groove.

CHIC4019 - "Baby Elephant ROCK" was born as Jimmy was practicing the melody on his guitar using a rock/grunge voice. With a little concern I asked, "Are you going to use that grungy sound?" Obviously, he wasn't, but it sounded so cool we scheduled another session to create a second cut with a rock/blues groove. We ended up adding a little flare/snippets from a couple of other rock classics, and even a well-known television song.

Both are extended patter releases, running over six minutes each, and have dancers bopping the moment the music starts.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody and background vocals, and the vocal cut.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

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Written by Shauna

Holiday Release - "Baby, It's Cold Outside"

 "Baby, It's Cold Outside!" ” is a “call and response” duet where one singer attempts to convince another (their guest) that they should stay for a romantic evening, due to the cold and inclement weather.

Frank Loesser wrote the duet in 1944 and premiered the song with his wife, Lynn Garland, at their Navarro Hotel in New York housewarming party. They performed it toward the end of the evening, signifying to guests that it was nearly time to end the party. Garland wrote that after the first performance, "We became instant parlor room stars. We got invited to all the best parties for years on the basis of 'Baby.' Garland considered it their song and was furious when Loesser told her he was selling the song. Garland wrote, "I felt as betrayed as if I'd caught him in bed with another woman." MGM was the buyer and used the song in their film “Neptune’s Daughter,” starring Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban.

The song has been recorded by many artists over the years, but this is the first adaptation as a singing call for square dancing.

While working on the rough tracks for the singing call, I mentioned to Jimmy Mac that I hadn’t decided who I was going to ask to sing the male part and he said “Pick me! Pick me!” It was all of two seconds before I replied, “Done!” We had a blast recording this song together.

This is a great song for singing with another caller, but if another caller is not available we have you covered. We have included tracks with both sides of the duet to allow one caller to share a duet even though another caller is not in the room.

CHIC3017 is the third in Chic's "Duets" series with a vocal by Jim MacDonald and Shauna Kaaria.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody and background vocals, and the vocal cut.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

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Written by Shauna

October Release - "Windy"

 "Everyone knows it's Windy!" I couldn't be more excited about our October release, "Windy" by The Association, because I have a personal connection to this song. I first sang "Windy" when I joined the 6th grade chorus in Elementary School. The luck of the draw sat me on the side of the room that received the harmony part for our first attempt at a non-unison song. I so clearly remember the first time we sang it correctly, and the feelings and sensations that came with it. I was hooked! Because of that moment, this song was a labor of love for me. I hope you enjoy it too, but for me...it was a trip down memory lane to the moment I first knew I loved to sing harmony.

"Windy" was written by Ruthann Friedman and released by The Association in 1967, quickly rising to #1 on the Billboard charts. The Association was six members strong and well-known for their impressive sound and harmonies, so we knew we had to either "go big, or go home" with the background vocals. Dancers know this song and won't be able to stop themselves from singing along with you.

We invited Steve Moore, of Chula Vista, CA to record the male vocal of Windy. It has been a few years since Steve has been in the studio and we were thrilled when he agreed. He did an amazing job! In honor of 6th grade chorus, the female vocal was recorded by me.

CHIC1016 in the male vocal range features Steve Moore's vocal.

CHIC2016 in the female vocal range features Shauna Kaaria (as stated above).

Both versions include background vocals by Jimmy Mac and Shauna.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody and background vocals, and the vocal cut.

Both are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

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Written by Shauna

September Release - "For What It's Worth"

 "Stop! Hey, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down." It's our September release of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth." We worked hard in the studio to maintain the simplicity and purity of the original song, and not over-produce it. After 14 releases, we finally get a lead vocal from our favorite caller, Vic Kaaria, who delivers a spot-on vocal for this tune. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. makes a guest appearance, courtesy of Rhythm Records, and delivers an equally great vocal for the female key.

CHIC1015 in the male vocal range features Vic Kaaria on the lead vocal (as stated above).

CHIC2015 in the female vocal range features Sylvia's great vocal.

Both versions include background vocals by Shauna Kaaria.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody and background vocals, and the vocal cut.

Both are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

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Written by Shauna

Anniversary Release - "Whatever Lola Wants"

 It's hard to believe it's already been a YEAR since our first release. We want to send a huge thank you all of you for making it so great! We're launching year two with a fun show tune from "Damn Yankees." Our version of "Whatever Lola Wants" is another song brought to our attention via a Facebook post, this time by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. who suggested The Gotan Project's version for calling patter. Their version had such a cool vibe, it was exciting (and challenging) to turn it into a singing call. Of course, we invited Johnny Preston (courtesy of Royal Records) to record the male vocal, since he was the one who first brought it to our attention. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. was the only choice to record the female vocal, so she returns for her second appearance on Chic Recordings.

CHIC1014 in the male vocal range features Johnny Preston (courtesy of Royal Records) on the lead vocal (as stated above). Johnny had some fun with this song delivering a stylized vocal, complete with accent.

CHIC2014 in the female vocal range features Deborah's amazing vocal and proves that she lives and breathes "Lola."

CHIC4014 is another version for calling patter with an extended arrangement and additional instrumentation included.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

All three are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

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Written by Shauna

New Release - "I Will"

 We had such a positive reaction to “’Til There Was You” last March, we are back in July with another beautiful love song from The Beatles. “I Will” was written by Paul McCartney and first heard on their “White Album.” Although the original cut was only 1:46 minutes long, it required 67 takes in the studio to get it just right. We loved Paul’s “vocal bass” and knew we had to include that effect in our version. A big thank you to Michael Haworth for his arrangement of the song. It stays as true to the original as we could possibly get. We invited Joe Saltel (courtesy of Royal Records) to record the male vocal, knowing his voice was a perfect fit, and discovered that Joe is a HUGE Beatles fan. The perfect fit was even more perfect than we knew. Joe delivered such a stellar vocal, one dancer had this to say: “So beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes. It's probably the best singing call ever made.” Okay, so it was Joe’s mother who said it, but she’s right…it IS beautiful. (And Joe didn’t require 67 takes.) The vocal for the female key (along with harmony) was recorded by Shauna with “vocal bass” and additional harmony support from Jimmy Mac.

CHIC1013 in the male vocal range features Joe Saltel (courtesy of Royal Records) on the lead vocal (as stated above). Jimmy Mac’s beautiful guitar work and “vocal bass,” along with Shauna Kaaria’s harmony complete the package for the male key.

CHIC2013 in the female vocal range was recorded by Chic's producer, Shauna Kaaria.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details
Written by Shauna

Ghost Riders are Chic!

 The awesome Ghost Riders Square Dance Band added three Chic songs to their playlist! All three songs were debuted on Thursday, June 23rd at the National Square Dance Convention in Des Moines, IA. Hunter Keller was the first to join the popular square dance band as they rocked his latest Chic release, “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.” Next up was Patty Greene with a passionate performance of Chic’s inaugural tune, “You’re No Good.” Last, but certainly not least, Tony Oxendine joined the band for his Chic song, “’Til There Was You.” Extra props to the Ghost Riders’ lead guitar player, Gary Bauman, for his stellar performance of George’s guitar solo on that one! The "Chic" Ghost Rider performances continued as the band switched keys on Friday night to allow Scott Bennett and Patty Greene to rock their versions of “You’re No Good” and “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.” It was amazing to watch the crowds dancing and singing along. Saturday night brought a final Chic performance of “You’re No Good” by Lottie Ainsworth.

 A massive Chic shout-out to Brad Barnett, Gary Bauman, Ron Pfisterer, Dave Zachry and John Moore for bringing the Chic music to "live" and going the extra mile to learn them in TWO keys! Another Chic shout-out to all of the callers who delivered such amazing performances at the National Convention! Be sure to click on each of their names above to see video of the live performances.

 It was a “pinch me, I must be dreaming,” surreal kind of moment for Chic Recordings!

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Written by Shauna

New Release - "Because"

 Chic's June singing call release, "Because" brings us back to the music glory days of the 60's. Written and recorded by The Dave Clark Five, "Because" was released in August of 1964 and quickly skyrocketed to #3 on the U.S. charts. We recruited Tom Miller (courtesy of ESP Recordings) to record the vocal on the male version of this song and his golden voice is bringing in rave reviews. One Facebook user said the following about Tom's recording, "the right music, the right song, and one of the best singers in this activity makes it so you just want to get up and dance." We agree!

CHIC1012 in the male vocal range features Tom Miller (courtesy of ESP Recordings) on the lead vocal (as stated above). Tom knocked the vocal out in one take. Background vocals were recorded by Chic's producer, Shauna Kaaria.

CHIC2012 in the female vocal range was recorded by Shauna Kaaria, who also recorded the background vocals for the female key.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details
Written by Shauna

New Release - "Home Sweet Home"

 Chic's May singing call release, "Home Sweet Home" is a fun, upbeat song from the hot new Canadian duo, The Lovelocks. The melody and rhythm track of this brand new tune will hook your dancers and they'll go home humming a song they had never before heard. It's THAT good! This awesome song was suggested on Facebook and we "answered the call" (literally, since we were called out and tagged multiple times to record it) and record it we did. Jimmy Mac had a blast playing the banjo, something he had yet to do for a singing call, and Michael Haworth added a nice harmonica touch. The legendary Wade Driver (Owner/Producer of Rhythm Records) provided an assist with a very tricky arrangement, and then made our day when he agreed to record the male vocal. We hope you'll love this song as much as we do!

CHIC1011 in the male vocal range features Wade Driver (courtesy of Rhythm Records) on the lead vocal (as stated above). Wade brought in another Rhythm artist, KO Jeanes, to record harmony. Mike Haworth rounded out the rest of the background vocal mix.

CHIC2011 in the female vocal range was recorded by Shauna Kaaria, who also recorded the background vocals for the female key.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details
Written by Shauna

Chic's Tenth Release - "Classical Gas"

 Chic celebrates its 10th release with our first patter, an adaptation of the Mason Williams iconic guitar hit, “Classical Gas.” Mason (who was a lead writer for the Smothers Brothers Show in the late 60’s) originally titled it “Classical Gasoline” because he envisioned it as “fuel” for the classical guitar. During a recording session, a music copyist inadvertently abbreviated “Gasoline” to “Gas” and it stuck. It is estimated that “Classical Gas” has had over six million airplays since its release in 1968, and has been covered by nearly every guitar great including Chet Atkins, Glen Campbell, and Tommy Emmanuel. We spent many hours in the studio finding just the right balance between the magic of the original song, and ensuring it would keep dancers moving. Of course, we have to include a huge shout-out to Jimmy Mac, who absolutely nailed the guitar on this!

CHIC4010 (4000 series identifies patters and hoedowns) is a milestone for Chic as we release our first piece of patter music.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

Click on the youtube link (to the left) for a preview!

Details
Written by Shauna

Chic's April Release - "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial"

 For April, Chic channels our inner Egyptian with a release co-written and recorded by country artist, Pam Tillis. "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial" is a high-energy song, with some very clever wordplay in the lyric, and a tagline that drips with drama.  The middle break and closer include a guitar solo with the well-known Egyptian "snake charmer" melody that will have your dancers channeling their inner Egyptian too!  The classic guitar sound on the solo is brought to you by a 1969 Gibson beauty, played flawlessly by our awesome engineer, Jimmy Mac.

CHIC1009 in the male vocal range features the return of Hunter Keller who delivers a killer performance.  Hunter had the privilege of meeting Pam Tillis, and he was so excited to record this song.

CHIC2009 in the female vocal range brings Patty Greene from Monroe, NC to Chic, who also delivers a killer performance.  I knew this was the right song for Patty to shine, and shine she did!  Both Hunter and Patty appear courtesy of Royal Records.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details
Written by Shauna

Chic's March Release - "'Til There Was You"

On February 9, 1964, the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan show for the first time. After opening their playlist with “All My Loving,” they followed with a beautiful rendition of Meredith Willson’s “’Til There Was You,” from Willson’s hit show “The Music Man.” (You can click here to watch that historic performance.) Chic’s release of this song was scheduled for an earlier release, but at the last minute, we opted to change up the arrangement and add George Harrison’s guitar solo to the middle break. In order to capture just the right guitar sound, Jimmy Mac (our amazing engineer) borrowed Vic’s 1963 Gretsch Tennessean, a guitar with a distinctive sound, and used by George for many of the early Beatles tunes. Jimmy’s guitar expertise shines through as he played the difficult solo in not one, but two, keys!

This beautiful ballad needed a beautiful voice, so we reached out to Tony Oxendine of Royal Records, who graciously agreed to record this vocal. He delivered a vocal that will give you goosebumps!

CHIC1008 in the male vocal range showcases Tony Oxendine’s amazing vocal.

CHIC2008 in the female vocal range (Paul McCartney has a high voice, this was his key too) was recorded by Chic’s producer, Shauna Kaaria.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details
Written by Shauna

Chic's February Release - "Just One Look"

We had such a great response to our inaugural release, "You're No Good," we have come back to Linda Rondstadt with our February release of "Just One Look." It's no secret that Linda is one of our favorites, and we have stayed true to her music style for this song with the keyboards, guitars, and background vocals.

Scott Bennett rocked "You're No Good" so well, we just had to invite him back to record the vocal for this one too! Once again, he delivered a killer cut. Must be all that practice he gets with his rock tunes over on Crest Recordings. Be sure to check out that Crest link for some awesome classic rock.

CHIC1007 in the male vocal range features Scott Bennett (as mentioned above), with background vocals by Shauna Kaaria.

CHIC2007 in the female vocal range features Shauna on both lead and background vocals.

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody/background vocals, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

 

January Release! 

Our release of "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher & Higher" adds an R&B groove to the Chic catalog. This arrangement was inspired by the Rita Coolidge hit and has dancers moving as soon as that bass line starts to play. We were so excited that Deborah Carroll-Jones and Hunter Keller agreed to lend their vocal talents to these recordings. Click on the youtube links (to the left) and you'll hear why!

CHIC1006 in the male vocal range was recorded by Hunter Keller who appears courtesy of Royal Records. Hunter has been a huge support of Chic Recordings, and been in the studio for much of the music production. It was about time we put him in front of the microphone!

CHIC2006 in the female vocal range was recorded by Deborah Carroll-Jones who delivered what could be the best vocal of her career. From the moment we chose to produce this song, we knew Deborah was the right choice for the female vocal and she certainly proved us right!

To purchase, visit the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, versions with only the male or female background vocals, and the vocal cut.

You can view the live debut of the male version here, and the female version here. No doubt, dancers love this song!

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Written by Shauna

December Release  - "Devoted to You" (With my favorite caller!)

Chic's December release marks the first appearance of my favorite caller (and husband) on the label. "Devoted to You" is a song we have talked about recording for quite some time so it was exciting to finally make it happen. Originally recorded by duet masters, The Everly Brothers, it was a perfect candidate for our "duets" series.

CHIC3005 is the second in the "duets" series with vocals by Vic and Shauna Kaaria, as stated above.  The music arrangement was inspired by the James Taylor/Carly Simon cover of the original Everly Brothers release.  

To purchase, visit the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, versions with only the male or female background vocals, and the vocal cut.

Click on the youtube link (to the left) for a preview!

Details
Written by Shauna

November Release - "It Feels Good"

"It Feels Good" is a "feel good, foot stomping, hand clapping" country hit from new country artist, Drake White.  About the song, Drake said, "if you can make kids, old people and middle-aged people all dance, then you've got something."  We agree!  And this song will make people dance!  True to our slogan, "You CAN have it both ways," Chic has recorded this song in two separate keys for both male and female callers. 

CHIC1004 in the male vocal range features a killer vocal by Jet Roberts, who appears courtesy of Rhythm Records. 

CHIC2004 in the female vocal range showcases a great vocal by Carrie Masters, of Beaumont, CA. 

To purchase, visit the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details
Written by Shauna

Chic's Third Release - "Let's Get Away From It All"

Chic's third release "gets away from it all" and throws back to a 40's jazz standard made famous by Frank Sinatra when he sang with Tommy Dorsey's orchestra.  We stayed true to the Dorsey sound and included some killer jazz guitar.  Once again, Chic has recorded the song in two separate keys for both male and female callers. 

CHIC1003 in the male vocal range features a great vocal by David Mee of Anaheim, CA. 

CHIC2003 in the female vocal range was recorded by Shauna Kaaria. 

To purchase, visit the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

Details
Written by Shauna

Fall Release - "A Summer Song"

"They say that all good things must end someday...Autumn leaves must fall." 

Chic Recordings welcomes Fall with "A Summer Song," a sweet tune that reflects on summer days (and love) gone by.  This is the first in the Chic "Duets" series and includes tracks that will allow both male and female callers to sing the duet along with the prerecorded vocals.  It is also a great song to sing with another caller! 

CHIC3002 features Michael Haworth of Lake Elsinore, California, on the lead vocal. Mike delivers a strong and pure vocal performance. Shauna Kaaria's harmony completes the duet.  

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody/background vocals, and the vocal cut.

Click on the youtube link (to the left) for a preview!

Details
Written by Shauna

Chic's Inaugural Release - "You're No Good"

After you hear our first release, we hope you won't be saying "Chic, You're No Good!"

We hope you'll be saying, "Chic, 'You're No Good' Totally Rocks!" We think it does, and we hope you'll agree! 

CHIC1001 in the male vocal range adds a little grunge rock to the flavor of the song in a nod to the Van Halen cover of the tune.  Scott Bennett gives a killer vocal performance! 

CHIC2001 in the female vocal range has a more bluesy feel in the style of Linda Ronstadt's mega hit. 

To purchase, just head on over to the Chic Boutique for fast and easy mp3 downloads.

Introductory price is $7.50 and includes the music with and without melody/background vocals, and the vocal cut.

The two keys are being sold separately since they were produced separately.

Click on the youtube links (to the left) for previews!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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