All studio versions + studio evolutions of Surf's Up

[CenturyDeprived]

What does everyone feel is their favorite studio version of Surf's Up?  There have been many released...

I'd have to pick the un-f*cked-with (or so I think?) 1966 piano demo version from the 1993 Box Set. It just feels the most pure and proper version to me.  

Were any recorded portion(s) of the the Leonard Bernstein TV version ever grafted onto one of the future Frankensteined-versions of the song? And how was the Leonard Bernstein TV version recorded? One overhead boom mic for vocals and another mic for the piano?

[JK]

What does everyone feel is their favorite studio version of Surf's Up?  There have been many released...

I'd have to pick the un-f*cked-with (or so I think?) 1966 piano demo version from the 1993 Box Set. It just feels the most pure and proper version to me. 

Were any recorded portion(s) of the the Leonard Bernstein TV version ever grafted onto one of the future Frankensteined-versions of the song? And how was the Leonard Bernstein TV version recorded? One overhead boom mic for vocals and another mic for the piano?

I'm sure this has been done before, but it's the f*cked-with 1971 album version for me----hands down.

[pixletwin]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

[Wrightfan]

The TSS version.

[Rocker]

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

Never heard that. It's beautiful. Thanks for posting!

[ppk700]

My favorite version is the one from fall 1967. It's sublime... should have tacked that onto the end of the "Wild Honey" LP rather than "Mama Says."

[Mike's Beard]

I lived with the '71 version for so long before hearing any other that it's got to be that version.

[NateRuvin]

My favorites are the 71 version, and don't criticize me---
But I love the BWPS version.

[CenturyDeprived]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

Thanks for posting that. Super cool, alternate reality stuff.

[chaki]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

Thanks for posting that. Super cool, alternate reality stuff.

how'd they even do this?! howd they get the instrumental from bwps?

[bgas]

magic

[NateRuvin]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

That's incredible!

[RONDEMON]

This might be now be my favorite too.

[The Shift]

Surf's Up 1971 is the tops for me. Carl's delivery is right on the money, and the "Child" coda, overseen by Brian in his py-jim-jams is the very pinnacle of this group's multifarious vocal achievements.

I love the two (actually three) Brian solo versions - the one cut for the Bernstein doc, the one cut immediately after, and the Wild Honey era version.

The bootleg version live in Holland with Carl singing lead is ethereal; hope this gets an official release one day in deserved high quality.

My favourite cover is still that by Stephen Newcombe… is he still posting here? Lurking? His version captures the spirit of the piece, to my mind; magnifies some of it for wider understanding even.

The TSS disc 1 version, while fascinating, just doesn't have the same punch and integrity as Carl's definitive 71 version - how could it? One was finished 45 years after the original sessions began, the other just 5 years after.

Way I see it (shoot me down, please do…) is that those 71 sessions for the "Child"' coda were, effectively, the final recording sessions for the 66/67 Smile we all mourn. Hmmm…

[Phoenix]

I created a custom edit (now lost again, with the rest of my Smile).  I used the first half of the Purple Chick version, the second half from the released version, and the ending WITHOUT the "children's song" part.  It wasn't there when Brian wrote it so I don't want it on my version.  

[metal flake paint]

The "Surf's Up" LP version for me; sublime vocal by Carl. Thankfully they had the foresight to complete the track in '71. The centre channel extraction from the 5.1 mix on the Endless Harmony DVD is illuminating.

[Moon Dawg]

  The 1971 version, hands down.

[bossaroo]

Surf's Up was Brian's baby all the way... he's the one who should be singing it.

I pick the TSS version with the Wild Honey outtake in second place.

[seltaeb1012002]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

That's incredible!

Oh man that's great! Love hearing Al's vocal nice and loud at the end.

[The Shift]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

That's incredible!

Oh man that's great! Love hearing Al's vocal nice and loud at the end.

Yup, that is stellar. The BW solo vocal seems to work so much better with the BWPS backing track and the coda's wonderful! Assume some of that came from the Endless Harmony 5.1 mix?

[Emdeeh]

My preference is the 1971 version with Carl on lead for the first half. Then the Wild Honey era version.

[frightfulhog]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

Wow, this is a 100% different tone than any version I've heard before....so good

[groganb]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

That is beautiful. The two lost bits of Smile I regret not hearing most are the original lead vocals for Worms, and the strings for Surf's Up. This is great.

[Bill Ed]

My favorite version is from the album of the same name.

And for those of you have not heard/seen it, and I may be addressing no one, I really enjoy this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKx6t8T9iwY

[Shane]

I dislike Carl's overdubs in the 1971 version. Particularly the organ.

Of the officially released versions, Surf's Up from TSS is my favorite.

However my all time favorite version is the bruiteaur mix of the 1966 recording with the 2004 BWPS version.

https://youtu.be/XVENkH7s1eQ

That's amazing!  Thank you for sharing that.  Pay attention at 1:31 as the young Brian is actually harmonizing with himself nearly 40 years later.