Al Jardine: Everything You Wanted To Know About SMiLE interview.

[Pretty Funky]

Posting it here before settling in for a read myself. Enjoy!

http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2013/04/02/al-jardine-smile-beach-boys-interview/

[EgoHanger1966]

"I’ve got a pile of acetates down in my home studio and I’ve listened to them over the years and I really enjoyed what we did."

Discuss. 

[Pretty Funky]

He says they tried burning tape after hearing the stories of Brian destroying the original SMiLE tapes.

Can't be done! Classic

[Alan Smith]

   Smile out takes even!

Cool article, thanks for posting and nice work by Al slipping in a plug for Postcard

[Cabinessenceking]

RIP The Surf's Up Sessions

[D409]

Here we go again...everything you thought you knew about SMiLE debunked again ! 

[Jim V.]

Cool little interview. Here's a few things I took from it:

• Al still seems to think that "Do You Like Worms" isn't really "Do You Like Worms". Odd.
• He always seems to say they recorded Pet Sounds and SMiLE simultaneously. Which I guess is somewhat true, cuz they did Pet Sounds and "Good Vibrations" at the same time. But not really.
• Although seems to think "Barnyard" had no lyrics. Odd once again.

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

The last point, it's probably because the only vocals are from the demo. None (as far as we know) were recorded.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Claims that Pet Sounds and Smile were recorded simultaneously, and Pet Sounds was extracted 'out of the majority of the material and left the rest of it unfinished.'


Quite.

[Ian]

This is a great interview-I am happy that they addressed Brian's state of mind in 67.  Obviously a very confusing period.  I find it very interesting that he discussed the Smiley version of Heroes being one of the great disappointments of his career.  The other BBs have never really discussed this topic at length.  The Smiley Smile period had to be a very pressure filled period.  You wonder if there were a lot of heavy subjects being discussed or if everything was just left unsaid.  I mean was there a big discussion about Monterey?  About labeling the album as "produced by the Beach Boys" rather than Brian? About Brian's decision to re-record Smile tracks in radically different form?About drugs?  About Redwood?  Why was Bruce basically absent the whole summer it was recorded? Perhaps the BBs just didn't really address all these issues and just let things lie...but one wonders.

[Jim V.]

Also interesting:

Al thinks "Heroes And Villains" flopped as a single. I don't get it. How is a number 12 single a flop?

It's also amusing that he thinks the official SMiLE version of "Heroes..." is so much better than the Smiley Smile version, since in reality the version released on SMiLE has a great deal of elements from the Smiley version.

[Cam Mott]

That sounds about right. Boys liked, cooperated. Brian was on task and organized. None of the Boys were fighting with or against Brian or Van Dyke. They didn't want Brian to scrap SMiLE. The Boys didn't really know why Brian did what he did.

[urbanite]

I remember Mike Love saying in an interview that Brian was never the same after his work on Heroes and Villains.  I can see where Al is coming from when he says H&V was a flop compared to GV, but then again how do you follow up a masterpiece.

[Jim V.]

 

I remember Mike Love saying in an interview that Brian was never the same after his work on Heroes and Villains.  I can see where Al is coming from when he says H&V was a flop compared to GV, but then again how do you follow up a masterpiece.

I still think that Brian considered (and still considers) "Heroes And Villains" to be one of his top pieces and when he brought it to that radio station he was hoping it would be a huge hit. I know a few people (like Al for instance) feel like he purposely underproduced it, but I don't. I think he got it the way he wanted it after all that time, and the fact that it "only" got to number 12 really got to him. Apparently Jack Rieley even wrote something about how much the  perceived "failure" of "Heroes" bothered Brian. I think that's a shame. Because I'm pretty sure "Wouldn't It Be Nice" got to number 8, I don't think that's a failure. Or "Do It Again" at number 20. They seemed (and still seem) pretty happy with that. Start of their concerts with it. I understand that "Heroes" followed up "Good Vibrations", but still, it's a great, super artistic, musically and lyrically amazing piece. And it got to number 12. Not bad at all.

[Bill Tobelman]

Thanks for posting this link.

Outsiders (outside of the basic 3 creative smile people) never seem to get it right, but Al is both honest & diplomatic which is always a welcome commodity in Beach Boys land.

[Shady]

Nice interview, but the award for most misleading headline of the year goes to...

 

[Mikie]

There's not much here that Al hasn't addressed in previous interviews. Sometimes I think he's full of crap and/or has a bad memory. His recollections are miscombobulated. He's always felt that way about Heroes & Villains. In this interview (like others) he's said that it sounds too muddled. While I can't disagree with him there, for him to say it was a disappointment is just nuts. For many years, he sang lead on it in concert. It was a mainstay in the Beach Boys setlist. Pet Sounds was extracted from the Smile sessions? What the hell is that? Maybe it seemed like that to him after the intermittent on and off touring/studio schedule in '66 - '67, but the material between the two albums is just so different! But Al feels like it was a continuous run of sessions. Al is the one who said he was made to crawl around the floor and make "embarassing" animal noises and he felt used and humiliated by it. but he sure didn't mention that here.....

I like Al. He's a nice guy. Willing to talk. Both times I shook hands with him in 2010 he made sure he held a pen in the palm of his right hand. And my hand was clean! Not sanitized, but clean! But.........Keep it clean with Al Jardine. Here's a Beach Boy who never listened to the Smiley Smile album until late 1973. I sh*t you not!

[runnersdialzero]

I remember Mike Love saying in an interview that Brian was never the same after his work on Heroes and Villains.  I can see where Al is coming from when he says H&V was a flop compared to GV, but then again how do you follow up a masterpiece.

I still think that Brian considered (and still considers) "Heroes And Villains" to be one of his top pieces and when he brought it to that radio station he was hoping it would be a huge hit. I know a few people (like Al for instance) feel like he purposely underproduced it, but I don't. I think he got it the way he wanted it after all that time, and the fact that it "only" got to number 12 really got to him. Apparently Jack Rieley even wrote something about how much the  perceived "failure" of "Heroes" bothered Brian. I think that's a shame. Because I'm pretty sure "Wouldn't It Be Nice" got to number 8, I don't think that's a failure. Or "Do It Again" at number 20. They seemed (and still seem) pretty happy with that. Start of their concerts with it. I understand that "Heroes" followed up "Good Vibrations", but still, it's a great, super artistic, musically and lyrically amazing piece. And it got to number 12. Not bad at all.

It's not about numbers, though, it's about impact, legacy, sh*t like that. "Heroes" was to be this advanced new take on pop music, this huge adventurous single among a sea of huge adventurous music, the next logical step after the huge achievement of "Good Vibrations. I think Brian, Van Dyke, and apparently even Al and some of the other guys really thought this could rock the boat, so to speak. And then... nothing. It's not finishable, it comes out in compromised form (in a sense, not the the single mix isn't awesome as is) but that's okay, it's still good, right? Right? Van Dyke leaves the project, Smile can't be finished, Brian can't see his ideas through, "Heroes" is viewed as a commercial and creative disappointment in light of being the follow-up to "Good Vibrations", it sells but doesn't do nearly as well as "Good Vibrations" or anticipated, the album tanks, etc. etc. etc.

Brian probably ended up thinking he was wrong. Like... really, really, really wrong. It's no wonder the guy got uneasy about the song and subject of said song for a few decades after. See Darian's "inappropriate music" comments.

[monicker]

What’s this dissonant train whistle chord? Is he talking about the H&V siren before you’re under arrest? And is Al just playing the sh*t out of his acetates??

[leggo of my ego]

Cool little interview. Here's a few things I took from it:

• Al still seems to think that "Do You Like Worms" isn't really "Do You Like Worms". Odd.
• He always seems to say they recorded Pet Sounds and SMiLE simultaneously. Which I guess is somewhat true, cuz they did Pet Sounds and "Good Vibrations" at the same time. But not really.
• Although seems to think "Barnyard" had no lyrics. Odd once again.

Al is justified in saying that. Lots of time the initial slate isn't the finished song title. "Worms" is on the box but its just an early production title.
Brian could come up with interesting stuff, probably off the top of his head and not premeditated. He had a lot of practice. 

Fer instance, "California Girls" didn't stay "You're grass and I'm a Power Mower" like Brian slated it in the 8th take. 

[runnersdialzero]

I think the "Worms" title made it beyond just a "for fun" title, really. It's world's more interesting than "Roll Plymouth Rock", at least. I think Al's just upset/confused because the song literally has nothing to do with worms, but there's no rule that your title has to be consistent with the lyrics.

[Kurosawa]

I remember Mike Love saying in an interview that Brian was never the same after his work on Heroes and Villains.  I can see where Al is coming from when he says H&V was a flop compared to GV, but then again how do you follow up a masterpiece.

I still think that Brian considered (and still considers) "Heroes And Villains" to be one of his top pieces and when he brought it to that radio station he was hoping it would be a huge hit. I know a few people (like Al for instance) feel like he purposely underproduced it, but I don't. I think he got it the way he wanted it after all that time, and the fact that it "only" got to number 12 really got to him. Apparently Jack Rieley even wrote something about how much the  perceived "failure" of "Heroes" bothered Brian. I think that's a shame. Because I'm pretty sure "Wouldn't It Be Nice" got to number 8, I don't think that's a failure. Or "Do It Again" at number 20. They seemed (and still seem) pretty happy with that. Start of their concerts with it. I understand that "Heroes" followed up "Good Vibrations", but still, it's a great, super artistic, musically and lyrically amazing piece. And it got to number 12. Not bad at all.

Brian's reaction to the "failure" of Heroes and Villains sort of reminds me of Pete's reaction to the "failure" of "I Can See For Miles".

[Mikie]

It's interesting what Van told Al - apologizing to him for "ruining his career". 

[Pretty Funky]

What’s this dissonant train whistle chord? Is he talking about the H&V siren before you’re under arrest? And is Al just playing the sh*t out of his acetates??

Thats what I am picking. 2.40 in on the sessions disc 1.

[Puggal]

He's always felt that way about Heroes & Villains. In this interview (like others) he's said that it sounds too muddled.

I don't understand what's wrong with the Smiley version of Heroes and Villains. It's essentially the "Smile" version of the track minus the cantina section...

Edit:
No wait. The Smile version is essentially the Smiley version plus the cantina section.