Smile as a solo album in 1967

[Dancing Bear]

Reading that whole thread instead of just a few excerpts might give some perspective, maybe not.

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,2688.0.html

Here it is. There's indeed a reason why this group meeting theory hasn't been talked much about since 2006.

[The_Holy_Bee]

Very interesting. Missed the original thread in '06, so have just gone through that with much interest.

With all due respect to Cam and others, the idea of an (early - my hypothesis) December meeting in which SMiLE, as originally planned, was voted down makes sense of several parts of the story. Not specifically the rejection of a 3-movement concept (which is actually difficult to physically reconcile with the LP format), but whatever record it was that Brian and VDP had in mind in the first part of that year and right through, probably, until October or November.

A hypothetical timeline:

Early-Mid '66 - While GV is being recorded, PS is being readied for release, Brian and Van Dyke write the songs for SMiLE.  The Boys continue to periodically tour and perform. H&V tracked in March and wiped. Full speed ahead.

August-Oct '66 - Sessions begin in earnest. "Brother Records" floated. "Vosse Posse" take their roles in the scene in earnest. At this stage, BW seems totally in command of the recordings (source: session tapes) and structure of the tunes being recorded (source: CBS Surf's Up, Humble Harv H&V demo, Child is Father mono mixdown, Wind Chimes rough mix et al). Whatever reservations the Boys have at this stage on the basis of the original tracking sessions they've heard or participated in, on their English tour at least they are generally positive about SMiLE and the new sound Brian is working on when quoted in the press.

Nov - Dec '66 - Things start to fall apart. Much conjecture has been made over why, of course - to a large extent that question is why we're all here. Problems with Capitol appear on the Horizon. The album's due date is right around the corner and then suddenly past it. There are so many good, if brief, musical ideas that working out how to combine them - and deciding what to leave out - starts competing for precedence with the actual sessions. The Beach Boys, their leader unwilling or unable to explain anything very clearly about what they're doing here and why it's taking so long, turn their doubts onto Van Dyke, who also chooses not to, or can't, answer them. The CBS-filmed Wonderful vox session "goes very badly". And then Murry hires private detectives. Seigel's girlfriend's a witch. Phil Spector starts producing movies to mess specifically with Brian Wilson. In other words: Brian's finally being overwhelmed by his emotional and addiction problems. This seems to be Mr Reum's thesis in any case - that the pressure and chemical intake was causing long-repressed (or at least hidden) psychological problems to start making themselves more apparent - and Brian, before anyone else, knew it. (Apologies if I have misunderstood this.)

Which brings us up to crunchtime. The heart of my conjecture is that perhaps the Capital memo is more important than we give it credit for being.

Here are two alternate histories, both leading to the same result (I understand there is no official record of the meeting at which the vote occurred, or whether given the amount of time now passed, any witnesses could be expected to specify a date, so I'm not sure we can actually quantify now which if either of these is closest to the historical truth):

1. Memo, then meeting.

As pressure mounts to complete the record and make the cover art, either Carl or Diane (presumably with reluctant input from Brian) have to draw up a tracklist. Ten or eleven of the songs are discrete and self-explanatory, but a couple need to be covered vaguely. Is Vega-Tables part of the Elements, which they know to include Fire, but that's only an instrumental...? Throw 'em both on the list. "Open Country Song" isn't part of Heroes anymore, but it's been recorded, along with its intended fade, Barnyard. Call it "I'm in Great Shape", which is the name of that first section. "Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine" could really be a part of anything, a link track, fade or its own banded item. There's some consternation about including it, but once again our phantom author errs on the side of caution. And so, clearly, as a result of some pressure, a list is sent to Capitol and the back of the slick designed.

The point being: setting a precedent for much of the next twenty years, this is one of the first instances of someone - usually Carl - having to step into finish what Brian started. The difference is at this point no one has come to expect it, and it's worrying that with all the time and expense already committed, someone else has to say what tunes are going to be on the album because - and I'm guessing here, but give me another alternative - Brian simply won't.

So a meeting is called - it may not have seemed particularly major at the time to those calling for it - to discuss whether Brian is actually going to be able to make this '66 version of SMiLE, and do it in time. Brian, suffering increasingly from his illnesses but endeavouring - and largely succeeding - to hide them and get the job done, needs support from the Boys and from the label. They, in turn, need his assurance he has sufficient idea of what the album's going to be to get it done quickly. This he can't give, so a vote is called and it's decided to scrap SMiLE, at least for now, and do something simpler in order to meet their demands to the label and stay in the public eye. Brian, as quoted in BD, knows he needs another six months to finish up and work out how it's all going to go together, and they just don't have that time to give him.

There is always the intention to return to the tapes (it'd be a massive investment, in all senses, to just decide to junk the whole thing forever so easily), hence Taylor's description of "scrapped", but they'll just do something else while Brian "cools out" and is ready to finish SMiLE up. We know how this turns out.

2. Meeting, then memo.

Same stimulus, essentially, only the first deadline is likely to have already been missed and the rest of the band want to make sure they have an album ready for the next one. They ask Brian how long he'll be and, more crucially, to start making some decisions about what will actually be on the record so they can start finishing off pieces and not endlessly reworking old ones and beginning new ones. Brian is utterly unable to articulate his ideas. In desperation, it is voted on and decided that Carl will take responsibility for collating a track listing and they will complete SMiLE as a far more orthodox pop LP than originally planned. Brian, who though none of them realise it, is slipping further and further into his illness, either tries but fails to comply - or his confidence shattered, abrogates responsibility almost entirely to the rest of the band, particularly Carl. (Hence the sessions for "Tones" and "I Don't Know", and the bizarre distraction of the Dailey recordings.) Finally, he decides to try and do with the Heroes single (up till then, NOT one of the record's more problematic or complicated tracks) what he wanted to do with the whole album, and the endless grunting-doo doo doo-ing-seemingly pointless re-recording-fragmentary H&V sessions begin. We know how this turns out.

**********

Either way, this all seems to tie in with all the other info we've received over the years, and if anything clarifies much of it. The most interesting part of this version of history, if true, is that SMiLE as originally conceived was actually dead in '66. The '67 sessions are specifically singles; H&V re-recorded and held off in the battle with Capitol, Vega-Tables as an alternate release on their own label, Da Da for reasons we just don't know. But SMiLE, as conceived, written and almost entirely recorded by Brian and Van Dyke, dies in December. And, removed from those increasingly formless and manic '67 sessions, doesn't the project as a whole seem so much more focussed, so much more understandable, so much closer to a final reality?

Almost all the songs, up until December, have a pretty relatable and documented structure. (Lead vocs and sequencing seem to be the big absences from a practical viewpoint.) Perhaps this is part of the problem - SMiLE wasn't proving to be as avant garde as Brian had hoped. But all this "twenty seconds of stuff we couldn't put together" stuff Brian's been saying lately is pretty hard to accept considering we have '66 rough assemblies, mix downs, edits and mixes by Brian of H&V, CE, Worms, GV, WC, Wonderful, CE, VT, OMP, CIFOTM and the demo of Surf's Up - that's got to be well over 80% of the record.

And, with the exception of the changing structure of H&V/"Great Shape" - at least after November, as all indications are the Verses/IIGS/Barnyard structure (with YAMS around in March to boot) was pretty solid right through till the Humble Harv demo - none of these contradict each other. I mean, there isn't an edit of Child with Bicycle Rider or one of Wonderful with "Grand Coullee Dam" interspersed. Yeah, "Iron Horse" may not have been part of Cabin Essence originally, but it works and we have a rough assembly of these sections together - while we don't have a version of Worms or Wind Chimes with "Iron Horse" inserted.

That's not revisionism or reductionism; it's entirely borne out by all contemporary (1966) recording, comment and quotation. Perhaps there were to be "Three Movements", but - and I utterly believe Mr Reum and his sources there was a vote in December - if the death blow came then, it must have been a result of Brian's genuine, medical inability to get the last few yards across the finish line; not because the album itself was so far away from completion or comprehension.

In short, SMiLE was following Brian down the rabbithole, and not the other way round.

But if this meeting happened and SMiLE abandoned in December, and the '67 sessions stricken from the record, I would argue that we're actually closer to a completed record than if we date the death of the album to the following year. Food for thought.

[onkster]

Boy, I can't wait to see how long the posts are gonna get once the box set actually makes it out!

[The_Holy_Bee]

*laugh* Sorry! I didn't actually realise till posting quite what an epic that was. Will happily retire from the thread for the moment. 

[Micha]

It's easy to look back 40 years and view Brian as a martyr for his art - remember that Mike wrote the lyrics for GV and contributed to the hook.  These guys weren't obligated to be Brian's robots and just do what he told them - Mike has co-responsibility for several hits that made a lot of money.  If Brian wanted to be in The Beach Boys then to some degree he was obligated to consider their desires, needs, and tastes - otherwise he should have made a solo LP, left the band, or both.

Not to diminish the significance of Mike's contributions in any way, but when you have a guy writing material like "Surf's Up," Wonderful," etc., why wouldn't you want to be his "robot"?  Of course everyone wants to be heard, but I can't imagine hearing music like that and then having the audacity to question the man who is responsible for its creation.  Brian earned the right to do things his way without being questioned.

No I wouldn't. I have my own opinions. As much as I love and admire Brian Wilson's music, there are many spots where I wish he'd done things a bit differently. And if I were with him in a group, I'd tell him what I think. In a group you have the right to do that and question people. Even if your leader is Brian Wilson. I think Chris is absolutely right.

[onkster]

Sorry, wasn't complaining about the length, truly! I was just thinking...here's a lonnnng post using info from before the box-set release...this must be just the prelude!

Hell no, don't retire!

[hypehat]

Don't, that's a fabulous post!

[Cam Mott]

It's easy to look back 40 years and view Brian as a martyr for his art - remember that Mike wrote the lyrics for GV and contributed to the hook.  These guys weren't obligated to be Brian's robots and just do what he told them - Mike has co-responsibility for several hits that made a lot of money.  If Brian wanted to be in The Beach Boys then to some degree he was obligated to consider their desires, needs, and tastes - otherwise he should have made a solo LP, left the band, or both.

Not to diminish the significance of Mike's contributions in any way, but when you have a guy writing material like "Surf's Up," Wonderful," etc., why wouldn't you want to be his "robot"?  Of course everyone wants to be heard, but I can't imagine hearing music like that and then having the audacity to question the man who is responsible for its creation.  Brian earned the right to do things his way without being questioned.

No I wouldn't. I have my own opinions. As much as I love and admire Brian Wilson's music, there are many spots where I wish he'd done things a bit differently. And if I were with him in a group, I'd tell him what I think. In a group you have the right to do that and question people. Even if your leader is Brian Wilson. I think Chris is absolutely right.

Type away without apology say I. Most of us have done our share of long postings.

Everything you say could have been. It's just the way I see the most contemporaneous evidence does not support it. Brian's recent revelations of the past few years have sort of swum around and don't trump what had gone before for me. Maybe something on the boxset will change that for even a hard head like me.

[The_Holy_Bee]

Thanks guys - was by no means hurt or offended, I'm just not much of a poster and have never been quite sure on the etiquette! 

Cam - not sure because of the posts quoted in your reply, but if you were responding to me, I'm very interested to know what the contemporaneous evidence is (sessions? Press quotes?) that makes a December vote unlikely. Incidentally, when I first got into SMiLE - in the early days of the 'net - your essay(s) on the Shop and message board posts were probably the most influential on me and my views of the project of all the "SMiLE scholars"; I like to think that like you I take a fairly historical/analytical view of events and my theories owe as much as possible to context and first hand sources. In fact, my recent swing to the "Veggies/Wind Chimes as part of The Elements" school has left me feeling vaguely traitorous! But that's a post for another time! 

Very interested to know how the evidence leans away from Mr Reum's suggestion of the end of the project proper occurring in December.

[Cam Mott]

Thanks guys - was by no means hurt or offended, I'm just not much of a poster and have never been quite sure on the etiquette! 

Cam - not sure because of the posts quoted in your reply, but if you were responding to me, I'm very interested to know what the contemporaneous evidence is (sessions? Press quotes?) that makes a December vote unlikely. Incidentally, when I first got into SMiLE - in the early days of the 'net - your essay(s) on the Shop and message board posts were probably the most influential on me and my views of the project of all the "SMiLE scholars"; I like to think that like you I take a fairly historical/analytical view of events and my theories owe as much as possible to context and first hand sources. In fact, my recent swing to the "Veggies/Wind Chimes as part of The Elements" school has left me feeling vaguely traitorous! But that's a post for another time! 

Very interested to know how the evidence leans away from Mr Reum's suggestion of the end of the project proper occurring in December.

Yep, I meant you. Not sure how I muffed the quote, that wasn't the post I wanted to quote. Thanks for the kind words.

I'm not sure I'm going to have time soon to make my case but generally it is based on the quotes from the time, an apparent misreading of Anderle's interview, session info, and stuff. I don't doubt there was a meeting of some kind, I just doubt the Boys or anyone cancelled any of Brian's plans for SMiLE. Maybe I'll be proven wrong before I even get around to it.

[The_Holy_Bee]

Hi Cam -

All I can see is my previous post quoted. Were you replying to it? 

[Cam Mott]

Hi Cam -

All I can see is my previous post quoted. Were you replying to it? 

I see a reply under your quote. Is it just me?

[The_Holy_Bee]

Can see it now, couldn't at all this morning. Very strange.

No problem, Cam - hopefully the accompanying book makes some of these things clearer!

Cheers
Will (The_Holy_Bee)

[CenturyDeprived]

This may have taken place after or around the session that went "badly" in December and "almost broke the band up".  Shortly thereafter VDP leaves.  It appears, however, that Brian didn't give up without a fight.  He directs his attention to a single to buy some time and gets Parks to come back for a short period of time.  It would explain why so many songs are so close to being finished waiting for the lead vocals - they were arguing over the words.

This is a good point; the words were still in contention, and probably Brian wasn't able/willing to just record vocals that were outright strongly objected to by Mike.

What's interesting to me is this question: why didn't Brian just go ahead and sing his own lead vocals, or at least lay down guide/rough vocals on at least some of the songs (that are currently left without any leads)? One album earlier on Pet Sounds, Brian sang the vast majority of lead vocals, more so than any other Beach Boys album (almost where he's in the Mike Love lead singer role of the earlier albums). (This also begs the side question - were Brian's leads on the early versions of "Here Today" and "God Only Knows" done just to get ideas down as a "scratch" track, or were they at one point in consideration for being the final version?)

I wonder, did Brian have in mind for the others to sing more leads on SMiLE than on Pet Sounds? I guess we won't know which band member(s) Brian would have had sing leads on the songs, or if he had even gotten to the point of considering such things. Maybe he only started thinking in terms of laying down leads once he had the backing tracks of a good collection of songs finished and refined - to the point where the decision of which band member that Brian chose to sing each song might have been a consideration of not just each song, but its place and "feel" on the album as a whole.

I suppose a number of the songs were just not pieced together fully enough yet to even get to the point of singing a lead. So frustrating.

[BillA]

To me it always gets back to "Smiley Smile".

The release of that has always shot down any argument that the other Beach Boys caused SMiLE to be abandoned.  If "SMiLE" was "f**king with the formula" than "Smiley Smile" was anally raping it with an ebola infected d***!

I have always ascribed to the theory that Brian did not finish it because he was not mentally able to - the vision had faded.  Group resistence might have played a part, but that speaks more to Brian's issues than anything else.  The Brian of 1965 would have been able to finish it.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

To me it always gets back to "Smiley Smile".

The release of that has always shot down any argument that the other Beach Boys caused SMiLE to be abandoned.  If "SMiLE" was "f**king with the formula" than "Smiley Smile" was anally raping it with an ebola infected d***!

I have always ascribed to the theory that Brian did not finish it because he was not mentally able to - the vision had faded.  Group resistence might have played a part, but that speaks more to Brian's issues than anything else.  The Brian of 1965 would have been able to finish it.

But then consider that between SMiLE being scrapped and Smiley being recorded, two things changed the face of popular music. Monterey and, much as it pains me to admit, Srgnt Pepper.

Autumn 66', when the group were (allegedly) voicing their concerns about SMiLE, was a far different landscape than Summer 67'. Any concerns were moot by then.

Also consider that by the sound of it, most, if not all of the band were now smoking dope by the time they did Smiley. This would also change your outlook and judgement.

There is truth in all the reasons given for SMiLE's demise.

But yes,  ultimately the decision rested with Brian

[Jason]

If "SMiLE" was "f**king with the formula" than "Smiley Smile" was anally raping it with an ebola infected d***!

 

Post of the year, decade, century, millennium, you name it!

[Keri]

But then consider that between SMiLE being scrapped and Smiley being recorded, two things changed the face of popular music. Monterey and, much as it pains me to admit, Srgnt Pepper.

She's goin bald and Gettin Hungry also have Mike Love credits, I get the feeling Mike preferred it when that happened.  Lyrically Smiley Smile might be a bit zany but regular folks can follow a lot of what's happening there is no "over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield" or "culminated ruins domino" instead "I'm gettin hungry for my kind of woman" and "sure would like to have a little pad in Hawaii".

Also there might have been a bit of panic by that stage the band might have had a taste of the idea of the retreat of Mr Wilson and been thinking something is better than nothing.

[Aegir]

but it still has Heroes and Villains and Wonderful on it, those are songs with strange words. 

[Keri]

but it still has Heroes and Villains and Wonderful on it, those are songs with strange words. 

Yep, but you get less songs with abstruse lyrics.

[Cam Mott]

She's goin bald and Gettin Hungry also have Mike Love credits, I get the feeling Mike preferred it when that happened.  Lyrically Smiley Smile might be a bit zany but regular folks can follow a lot of what's happening there is no "over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield" or "culminated ruins domino" instead "I'm gettin hungry for my kind of woman" and "sure would like to have a little pad in Hawaii".

Also there might have been a bit of panic by that stage the band might have had a taste of the idea of the retreat of Mr Wilson and been thinking something is better than nothing.

That's one of Brian's contemporaneously self-stated reasons for scrapping SMiLE even over the Boys' objections: Brian thought the words were "too arty". I'm sure Mike was happy to have his lyric on two songs [I would be] but apparently they are there because Brian preferred they have Mike's lyrics.

The Boys didn't want SMiLE scrapped, so I'm thinking their wishes aren't reflected much in what happened in that period. Judging by the session docu and the raw tapes, Brian seems the opposite of retreating with Smiley, he is more involved and working harder and more all over Smiley than anything previous.

[Aegir]

but it still has Heroes and Villains and Wonderful on it, those are songs with strange words. 

Yep, but you get less songs with abstruse lyrics.

Also, She's Goin' Bald may be about something realistic, but it's still really really weird. Just the fact that they're singing about it. I'll say that She's Goin' Bald is even more strange than Wonderful.

[ESQ Editor]

http://www.examiner.com/beach-boys-in-national/the-beach-boys-smile-review

[Wirestone]

People may have voiced concerns, but it makes basically no sense to imagine that at this time, at the height of his power as a record-maker, that the group would vote down Brian on anything.

For that matter -- and this is one of those contradictions that never ceases to amaze -- Mike sang his lines on Cabinessence. And well, too.

[Jim V.]

Brian's leads on the early versions of "Here Today" and "God Only Knows"

Where is this Brian lead on "Here Today" I've never heard of this? I have The Pet Sounds Sessions box, but I'm not familiar with this. Is it on there?