The SMiLE Collection

[kregan]

Hey Everyone!

For the past month, I've been busy gathering all the available bits of the SMiLE sessions that I have collected over the years. Using the "Session Inventory" from this board, as well as the new box to fill in the missing/better quality pieces, I wanted to assemble the Ultimate SMiLE Collection. I wanted to gather everything I could (sessions, master takes, mixes, etc.) in the best quality available to be able to add some coherency to my own collection. In the end, I am left with a 20 Disc collection made up of 501 tracks. It clocks in at over 22 hours altogether. The layout of the collection is as follows:

Disc 1 - The 2011 Album Approximation

Discs 2-4 - The "Good Vibrations" Sessions

Discs 5-14 - The "SMiLE" Sessions

Discs 15-16 - Misc. Sessions (1967-1971)

Discs 17-20 - Mixes And Edits (1967-2011)

I am attaching a link to the finalized tracklist to get some feedback from all of you. I would really love to hear your comments and thoughts. My aim is to have as complete of a collection as possible, without being redunant. I hope you like what you see! SMiLE on!

https://rapidshare.com/files/4238269212/THE_SMiLE_COLLECTION.doc

[Beach Head]

Quite an impressive list! The only thing better would be if you indicated the source for each track. Any chance you might be able to do that? It would be a great resouce for those of you us who might like to attempt to duplicate your undertaking.

[rogerlancelot]

Quite an impressive list! The only thing better would be if you indicated the source for each track. Any chance you might be able to do that? It would be a great resouce for those of you us who might like to attempt to duplicate your undertaking.

+1

I started to assemble my own compilation but ran out of steam everytime I kept running into something that was "unbootlegged". Any help with that would be greatly appreciated.

[kregan]

Hey guys!

Thanks for checking out the list! Piecing together this collection was quite an arduous task but well worth it in the end. I will get to work on a source list. I really should have kept one from the beginning but sometimes things like this can take away from your concentration when you're "in the moment" creating the project. Like I said in my previous post, the "Session Inventory" was an invaluable resource. I too got sidetracked by the "Unbooted" listings, however found most of those missing pieces by searching online. It gets tricky because, as far as I could gather, some of those pieces are in fact unbooted and not available anywhere, whereas some of them are available and were just not placed on a certain disc. In situations like these, I tried to find as much as I could while not getting too hung up in finding some of the tracks that seemed impossible to locate. I hope that helped a bit, guys! Thanks for replying and I'll try to get that source list up very soon! Take care!

[rogerlancelot]

This really does look like it could be fantastic! I have everything that circulates ("booted" if you will) but I still kept running into problems. Such as using SOT 15 for "Good Vibrations" sessions as a lot of them are untitled on the SOT set and in the wrong chronological order. Any help you can provide for a list of sources (i.e. disc #/track #, etc.) would be so gratefully appreciated.

 

[hypehat]

That looks incredible and time-consuming!

[zaval80]

This really does look like it could be fantastic! I have everything that circulates ("booted" if you will) but I still kept running into problems. Such as using SOT 15 for "Good Vibrations" sessions as a lot of them are untitled on the SOT set and in the wrong chronological order. Any help you can provide for a list of sources (i.e. disc #/track #, etc.) would be so gratefully appreciated.

 

This link
http://www.mediafire.com/?gsitcjbugd97a49

will be of help to you in configuring SOT15 for proper sequencing of GV sessions.

[zaval80]

Hey guys!

Thanks for checking out the list! Thanks for replying and I'll try to get that source list up very soon! Take care!

I can only join the queue of those interested in the inner works of your most worthwhile project! in the meantime, I have a question for you re: GV sessions - while making a research of SOT15 along the lines of your layout (please check it at http://www.mediafire.com/?gsitcjbugd97a49 ), I found out that you missed several tracks on SOT15 - two instrumental overdubs, one short recording which "Inventory" refers to the last session (0'55" of "jazz improvisation"), and a couple of other tracks marked in green in my document, which should refer IMO to "session clips" for 2 sessions. Did you omit these inadvertedly, or are they incorporated somehow? thank you!

[kregan]

Hey guys!

Hope everyone had a great holiday! Sorry it took me a few days to get back to you. This time of year is always very busy. Thanks for forwarding that list, zaval. I really appreciate it. As far as SOT 15 disc 3, tracks 30 and 31, I did not realize I forgot to add those. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will update my collection and list accordingly. As far as the Jazz Improv, that is at the beginning of "Good Vibrations (Session 9) (Bridge) (Version 1) (Session Clip) (Stereo)" which can be found on disc 4, track 10 of the collection. I encourage any and all feedback from everyone. Together, I really think we can create something both great and cohesive. I noticed you had made other notes in your posted list. I will try to address those soon. For now, I just wanted to reply back to let you know the state of those 3 specific tracks you mentioned. Again, thanks for pointing out the two missing tracks! My apologies for overlooking them. I will post the updated list when I get a chance. Take care, guys! Speak soon!

[hypehat]

Don't worry about the wait - it's christmas! Hope to hear from you soon

[kregan]

Thanks hypehat! I really appreciate it! Have a great holiday! Rock on!

[zaval80]

Hey guys!

Hope everyone had a great holiday! Sorry it took me a few days to get back to you. This time of year is always very busy. Thanks for forwarding that list, zaval. I really appreciate it. As far as SOT 15 disc 3, tracks 30 and 31, I did not realize I forgot to add those. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will update my collection and list accordingly. As far as the Jazz Improv, that is at the beginning of "Good Vibrations (Session 9) (Bridge) (Version 1) (Session Clip) (Stereo)" which can be found on disc 4, track 10 of the collection. I encourage any and all feedback from everyone. Together, I really think we can create something both great and cohesive. I noticed you had made other notes in your posted list. I will try to address those soon. For now, I just wanted to reply back to let you know the state of those 3 specific tracks you mentioned. Again, thanks for pointing out the two missing tracks! My apologies for overlooking them. I will post the updated list when I get a chance. Take care, guys! Speak soon!

Thank you! we all will wait for your updated list, and I'm sure there'll be a lot of feedback!

[zaval80]

I am researching a compilation like this, starting with the sessions for "Good Vibrations" and utilizing everything in circulation, widely available or not. So far, I'm about done with the GV segment, but there is one GV version on Kregan's list that I wasn't able to locate so far:

Disc 17 Track 3 - Good Vibrations (Vocal Overdubs) (Mono)  1966_09   track time 3:48

From the description, it must be something like the "finished" version, with organ bridge, that is - and yes, something like that can be found on "Linett's Rough Mixes". But, Kregan has included already both Linett's mixes of GV in his compilation, so that must be something else.

Also, in Stephen McParland's book "Our Favourite Recording Sessions" on p. 104 it is said that a 3:49 version of "different fragments" was issued on a 1989 bootleg "The SMiLE Era Outtakes". Lo and behold, I've got that boot - but the track duration there is 5:50 (different fragments, yes, from 1976 special), and there is no way to make something of 3:49 duration out of that. Sadly, it looks like that book is full of errors - even if the author meant 5:49, the playing time is 5:50-something. And if he meant another bootleg, I have no idea which one, I don't know any with a version close to 3:48 with "vocal overdubs".

Could some of the more knowledgeable folks come up with an idea, what source may exist for GV of roughly 3:48 - not just of an instrumental variety, but with vocals?

[Cam Mott]

Has anyone compiled all available bits to CD or playlist in chronological order (when the dates are known)?  I've thought for a long time that it might be enlightening but I'm too lazy to do it so far.

[zaval80]

I've prepared the "Complete GV session tapes" portion so far, am putting the finishing touches on it. It has stuff from sessions (sometimes stuff from the overdub sessions is incorporated as well, just like on UM and TSS). Everything else - variant mixes, remixes - will constitute the "Mixology" portion. Yes it's a helluva lot of work - I've slapped together a very rough version over a weekend, but had to redo this 3 times over to satisfaction (and even now, I am still fiddling with small things here and there). Will post the detailed tracklist when ready, so y'all would know what to look for

The track I am after is a perfect candidate for "Mixology", I think. I wracked brains trying to think what it may be.

[king of anglia]

Is this the 3:48 GV you're missing?

https://soundcloud.com/smileyhoneyfriends-1/gv-alt

[Mooger Fooger]

Interersting to read this thread. In 2011 I assembled as-complete-as-possible session tapes from the various sources. TSS had sections that were not on SOT and vice versa. I never got around to putting the finished tracks on CD, They still reside on the memory stick I was using during the obsessive project.

Some highlights of my efforts: Over 25 minutes of Fire with nearly every take accounted for, the remake H&V tag with Carl providing vocals. H&V and DYLW featuring much longer session running time.

[doinnothin]

Has anyone compiled all available bits to CD or playlist in chronological order (when the dates are known)?  I've thought for a long time that it might be enlightening but I'm too lazy to do it so far.

I did it for The Smile Sessions Box but not for bootleg stuff. It's a great listen. It made me start to think that Prayer was originally recorded as an intro to an album where Good Vibrations would be track one because I realized it was first recorded during a Good Vibrations sessions (I think, as always I bow to the powers that know)

[onkster]

This sounds very enticing!

Have you stumbled onto any lone odd bits we might not have heard or heard of? I keep thinking I have everything, but then things pop up...never knew of "Big Bag of Vegetables" had any bits I never heard, as it's impossible to find...

[Jason Penick]

I put together a "complete" set back in 2010, only to be greeted by the Smile Sessions a year later. Finally a few months back I had enough free time to chop up the meticulously edited Smile Sessions and mix them in with the boot-sourced stuff. This was not an easy task as Boyd/Linnett would often splice in studio chatter from unrelated takes amidst the takes themselves. Coupled with the chronology bit it became arduous after a while, but I had already worked so hard on it that I forced myself to finish. Happily that day came, and I can now enjoy having all the available sessions at my fingertips, organized chronologically and with the best possible sound.

[zaval80]

Is this the 3:48 GV you're missing?

https://soundcloud.com/smileyhoneyfriends-1/gv-alt

Thank you for sharing. This is exactly what I had in mind - a half of a Linett's rough mix, and the complete track is on Kregan's set already (Disc 18 Track 10). But obviously the track you posted fits his description the best. I was wondering, is there anything else like it? maybe a different mix of this track, on some ancient bootleg? must be something like 3:48, must be mono, must have vocal overdubs (so a track on "Good Vibrations" 2006 CD single is out of question, as it is an instrumental of 3:48), must not be an early version with the fuzz bridge but the later one with a "churchy organ".

Equally, I'd like to know of any other track circa 3:48 on any ancient bootleg (a pity McParland made an error ascribing a 3:48 take to "The Smile Era Outtakes", but what if there is indeed something interesting of 3:48 time?)

[zaval80]

I put together a "complete" set back in 2010, only to be greeted by the Smile Sessions a year later. Finally a few months back I had enough free time to chop up the meticulously edited Smile Sessions and mix them in with the boot-sourced stuff. This was not an easy task as Boyd/Linnett would often splice in studio chatter from unrelated takes amidst the takes themselves. Coupled with the chronology bit it became arduous after a while, but I had already worked so hard on it that I forced myself to finish. Happily that day came, and I can now enjoy having all the available sessions at my fingertips, organized chronologically and with the best possible sound.

I am well aware of your set from browsing another board, but it was too hard or impossible in some instances to compare tracklist with that for sources as I remember. Hopefully they'll issue more of good stuff by 2017 for us to redo the comps again

So far, I've researched only the GV portion in order to be able to implement the reverse edit of tapes in practice. I can't vouch for non-GV stuff, but regarding GV, I did not notice too many cases where they strayed from the chronological sequence (it is also possible that I did not notice some). Most of the times, they just took stuff out so they'd be able to put it on a single CD, and sometimes they used crossfades. Right now I am tying up loose ends, making liner notes, etc., and obviously at this finishing stage each and every case of straying from chronology needs to be considered most attentively, like, why did they have to do it when usually they just took things out.