SMiLE music for the first time

[The Real Barnyard]

When were available for the first time the SMiLE sessions that previously appeared on bootlegs?
I mean unofficially, between 1967 and the SMiLE vinyl from 1983.
Is it possible that any radio station broadcasted some of the SMiLE music? Or the casual fan had to wait 15 years (from 1967 to 1983) to hear any SMiLE music?
I'm just intrigued...

[hypehat]

Don't know - Surf's Up on Bernstein is the only instance, I think. And that's not unofficial.

Certainly a fan had heard a fair portion of (admittedly altered) Smile sessions by 1983 - Heroes & Villains, Cool Cool Water, Cabin Essence, Surf's Up, Prayer. You also heard Wonderful in the original arrangement if you turned up to the right gigs at the right time, and some of them were broadcast on radio iirc (however, I don't know if Wonderbill was ever played on radio). But I find it hard to believe a radio station would be able to access bootlegged material.

Another question - was the first SMiLE bootleg also the first Beach Boys bootleg?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Another question - was the first SMiLE bootleg also the first Beach Boys bootleg?

Not by a long chalk - first BB boots were Live at Madison Square Gardens November 1972, Resurfin' USA and California Surfin' Music (all were actually the 11/13/71 Princeton NJ show) in the mid 70s. Anaheim '76 was the soundtrack of the TV special from the same year.

First Smile boot appeared in 1983, and was upgraded in 1985. First Smile CD boot was The Smile Era Outtakes in late 1988/early 1989, the quality of which was dire. The second CD boot, just entitled Smile (T 2580-2) was stunning: this was the one sourced from the so-called "Linett tape".

But tapes of Smile material were circulating amongst collectors from 1978 (the Preiss tape - in extremely limited circles) and more generally in the early 80s.

[WWDWD?]

It musta been so much more rewarding to get your hands on this stuff back then. I mean, any music fan can find it on the net almost instantly, which is good for those who want it NOW... but it's almost too easy. Less rewarding to just download a crumby set of mp3s. It would've been quite exciting to get a new SMiLE boot back in the 80s or 90s. I read one of your recent posts AGD about traveling to a mate's place just as a box of SMiLE cassettes arrived. You guys must've shat your pants listening to new stuff coming in dribs and drabs.

[Andrew G. Doe]

It musta been so much more rewarding to get your hands on this stuff back then. I mean, any music fan can find it on the net almost instantly, which is good for those who want it NOW... but it's almost too easy. Less rewarding to just download a crumby set of mp3s. It would've been quite exciting to get a new SMiLE boot back in the 80s or 90s. I read one of your recent posts AGD about traveling to a mate's place just as a box of SMiLE cassettes arrived. You guys must've shat your pants listening to new stuff coming in dribs and drabs.

It was entirely different back then... and yes, in a way more rewarding.

[ghost]

It musta been so much more rewarding to get your hands on this stuff back then. I mean, any music fan can find it on the net almost instantly, which is good for those who want it NOW... but it's almost too easy. Less rewarding to just download a crumby set of mp3s. It would've been quite exciting to get a new SMiLE boot back in the 80s or 90s. I read one of your recent posts AGD about traveling to a mate's place just as a box of SMiLE cassettes arrived. You guys must've shat your pants listening to new stuff coming in dribs and drabs.

Well I remember before I knew how to work internets good, our eternal pal Greg Larson sent me some CDs with musical content on them. It was very pleasing to receive the envelope and to read his note and to look at the printed tracklist and begin wading through the CDs, marveling at the strange sounds.

It just makes it all feel more real when you're sharing something with others and communicating about it. If you download there's none of that good feeling. Just a quick theft of bread from the market stall.

[Andrew G. Doe]

When I got my first Smile cassette - yes, cassette - I sat there for maybe ten minutes just looking at it before I even considered playing it.

[The Heartical Don]

When I got my first Smile cassette - yes, cassette - I sat there for maybe ten minutes just looking at it before I even considered playing it.

Hehe. I had that too, with the 1985 LP and the 1989 Jap ST2580-2 CD.

[Cliff1000uk]

Well, it may not have been a cassette but finding Sea of Tunes 001LP in a tiny record shop off Oxford St amongst all the official LPs completely made my day

Was there a 3LP set before this on Sea of Tunes? I get confused of what came out in what order

If only there was BB site which could tell me this sort of information.....

[Andrew G. Doe]

Well, it may not have been a cassette but finding Sea of Tunes 001LP in a tiny record shop off Oxford St amongst all the official LPs completely made my day

Was there a 3LP set before this on Sea of Tunes? I get confused of what came out in what order

If only there was BB site which could tell me this sort of information.....

That would be the Vigotone red, blue & green vinyl Smile set (ST-9002) from 1993.

[The Real Barnyard]

Ok, thanks for the answers.
That's what I thought, almost no one had listened to SMiLE music in the 70's. It all began with the 1983 vinyl.
I've started this thread because I know some guy who claims that he's been listening to SMiLE boots since 1968, thanks to some contacts and friendly radio stations.
Of course, I think he's wrong or he confused the date. Or maybe he had some very close friends directly related with the original tapes...

[Andrew G. Doe]

I've started this thread because I know some guy who claims that he's been listening to SMiLE boots since 1968, thanks to some contacts and friendly radio stations.
Of course, I think he's wrong or he confused the date. Or maybe he had some very close friends directly related with the original tapes...

As it's my birthday, I'll be magnanimous and say that he's mistaken about the date. By 15 years. 

[onkster]

Smile #2 vinyl was the one that got me going. And the liner notes were my first real education in Smile history (and BB history too...I was only discovering them for myself through this boot.)

I don't suppose anybody here knows (or would tell) who did those liner notes? There was a dash of wit to them...

(And don't say Nancy Reagan!)

[Andrew G. Doe]

Smile #2 vinyl was the one that got me going. And the liner notes were my first real education in Smile history (and BB history too...I was only discovering them for myself through this boot.)

I don't suppose anybody here knows (or would tell) who did those liner notes? There was a dash of wit to them...

(And don't say Nancy Reagan!)

Probably the same dude as pressed the LP up. Currently residing in Texas. Again. 

[grillo]

My first SMiLe boot was the one that had that Miles Davis song on it. I bought it for 35 dollars at 2nd Hand Tunes in Evanston IL in 1986 when I was just gettin into the beach boys. Actually my mom gave me the money so I could get it since I was thirteen. I think collecting boots back then, especially of the BB, was a real adventure and I damn myself for having sold most of them in the nineties when I was hard up for rent money!!