The Mike Vosse 1969 interview from Fusion

[The Song Of The Grange]

The version on the thesmileshop.net has an unreadable first page of the interview (resolution is too low).  Anyone know of another source for the Fusion interview, either on the web or in book form?  It is a great interview--full of insights.

I guess a follow up question would be: how much do we trust the Mike Vosse version of things?  I tend to give some thought to what he says because he was a first hand witness to the Smile era.

[Shane]

The main thing that makes me really highly regard this interview is the time frame in which it was conducted.  These aren't the hazy memories of someone 40 years removed from the events.  This is the leader of the Vosse Possee, just a year or two after everything happened.  Fascinating reading.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The thing that most caught my attention when the interview came to light was what he doesn't say regarding certain subjects.

Well, that and the revelation that Nick Kent lifted a lot of it wholesale for his 1975 NME three-parter on Brian (the single item that spurred my interest in the BB - now you know who to blame).

[grillo]

The version on the thesmileshop.net has an unreadable first page of the interview (resolution is too low).  Anyone know of another source for the Fusion interview, either on the web or in book form?  It is a great interview--full of insights.

It's in both versions of Dominic's  magazine/book about SMiLE; Look,Listen,Vibrate, which I see at used book stores fairly often.

[The Song Of The Grange]

The version on the thesmileshop.net has an unreadable first page of the interview (resolution is too low).  Anyone know of another source for the Fusion interview, either on the web or in book form?  It is a great interview--full of insights.

It's in both versions of Dominic's  magazine/book about SMiLE; Look,Listen,Vibrate, which I see at used book stores fairly often.

You mean the big yellow Look, Listen, Vibrate book?  I looked in there and didn't find Fusion interview.  I will have to look again.  Thanks.

[Cam Mott]

The thing that most caught my attention when the interview came to light was what he doesn't say regarding certain subjects.

Well, that and the revelation that Nick Kent lifted a lot of it wholesale for his 1975 NME three-parter on Brian (the single item that spurred my interest in the BB - now you know who to blame).

And what would that be, pray tell old friend? [eyebrow arched]

[Andrew G. Doe]

The version on the thesmileshop.net has an unreadable first page of the interview (resolution is too low).  Anyone know of another source for the Fusion interview, either on the web or in book form?  It is a great interview--full of insights.

It's in both versions of Dominic's  magazine/book about SMiLE; Look,Listen,Vibrate, which I see at used book stores fairly often.

Not in any version I've seen or got.

[mtaber]

Geez, Andrew, I thought you became a fan when you read my first issue...

[grillo]

The version on the thesmileshop.net has an unreadable first page of the interview (resolution is too low).  Anyone know of another source for the Fusion interview, either on the web or in book form?  It is a great interview--full of insights.

It's in both versions of Dominic's  magazine/book about SMiLE; Look,Listen,Vibrate, which I see at used book stores fairly often.

Not in any version I've seen or got.

Whoops,
Maybe I ought to pay more attention to exactly what we're talking about...

[buddhahat]

I printed the Vosse article from the Smile shop and don't remember any of it it being unreadable. Give me a day or so and  I'll dig it out and scan the 1st page, if it is clear enough.

I agree, it's a fascinating read.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Geez, Andrew, I thought you became a fan when you read my first issue...

Actually, doing that damn nearly turn me off the band forever. If not longer. 

[Dove Nested Towers]

I printed the Vosse article from the Smile shop and don't remember any of it it being unreadable. Give me a day or so and  I'll dig it out and scan the 1st page, if it is clear enough.

I agree, it's a fascinating read.

Please do, and thank you in advance, buddhahat! I'm not very computer-savvy, and if this was on the Smile Shop board, which was the forerunner of this fine board if I understand correctly, can the entire article be retrieved (or re-posted) without much computer knowledge?

I didn't know of its existence at all and would REALLY like to read it, as would many here I'm sure!

[Aegir]

I'm not very computer-savvy, and if this was on the Smile Shop board, which was the forerunner of this fine board if I understand correctly, can the entire article be retrieved (or re-posted) without much computer knowledge?

Even though this board was started by Chuck as a replacement for the Smile Shop, there's no administrative overlap, and the files that were on the Smile Shop can not be accessed on this site.

[Bicyclerider]

I printed the Vosse article from the Smile shop and don't remember any of it it being unreadable. Give me a day or so and  I'll dig it out and scan the 1st page, if it is clear enough.

I agree, it's a fascinating read.

If I remember you can click on the page (bottom right corner usually) to increase the size of the page so it's readable.

I put a lot of stock in the interview because the interview was conducted shortly after 20/20 came out, just two years after Smile collapsed, so his memories are fresh and he was in the "in" group that would have known what Brian was talking about doing with Smile and the Smile songs.  The fact that he doesn't mention three "movements" or movements at all to me rules out there being movements considered for Smile at the time, despite what some BB authorities may expound.

[Ganz Allein]

I printed the Vosse article from the Smile shop and don't remember any of it it being unreadable. Give me a day or so and  I'll dig it out and scan the 1st page, if it is clear enough.

I agree, it's a fascinating read.

If I remember you can click on the page (bottom right corner usually) to increase the size of the page so it's readable.

You can do that on every page of the article except for the first one.  Looks like the large version of that image has gone missing.  I'm looking forward to your scan, Buddhahat.

[XY]

Scans for 1024x768 monitors can be found here:

http://beachboys.freecp.net/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=587

[The Song Of The Grange]

Scans for 1024x768 monitors can be found here:

http://beachboys.freecp.net/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=587

Thanks Jasper!! And thanks to all others for throwing in their two cents.   What an amazing recourse this message board is.  I am damn lucky to have access to it.

[Dove Nested Towers]

Scans for 1024x768 monitors can be found here:

http://beachboys.freecp.net/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=587

Wow! That is an amazing, evocative, contemporary first-hand, down-to-earth account of
the complete Smile scene. It's so sad to read about how some band members started to
feel resentful that the music was "too complex for them", leading to non-participation, conscious or unconscious sabotage etc., and all the other elements (no pun intended) that contributed to the failure of the album to reach fruition.

Anderle and Siegel's memories and interviews are great too, but this goes into more
musical detail and is simply incredibly tantalizing. It conveys a palpable sense of what could have been. Great stuff and thanks for making it available!

[Smilin Ed H]

Thanks.  You wonder if any animosity towards SMiLE from the group was less to do with musical direction and content than with the fact that the Beach Boys was becoming more of a business in some ways dominated by outsiders and Brian, himself, was moving further from them on a personal level.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I put a lot of stock in the interview because the interview was conducted shortly after 20/20 came out, just two years after Smile collapsed, so his memories are fresh...

Um... that he says Brian painted his house pink has to cast some doubt on his facility of accurate recall. 

[XY]

Um... that he says Brian painted his house pink has to cast some doubt on his facility of accurate recall. 

That's true! Lou Adler told the same thing in an interview on the Monterey Pop Festival DVD set.

The most revealing thing for me are the bells recorded at different speeds during the piano part in "Wind Chimes".

[Mahalo]

Thanx for the link Jasper...

[juggler]

Interesting comments by Vosse about the Smile Shop cover...

That's why they had something as dumb as the "Smile Shop" on the cover. And everybody who knew anything about graphics, and about art, thought that the cover was not terribly well done . . . but Brian knew better: he was right. It was exactly what he wanted, precisely what he wanted. And he stuck to it until they went into the Smiley Smile thing, by which time the whole idea had collapsed anyway.

It still bugs me a little that Frank Holmes' art wasn't really part of BWPS.

[Roger Ryan]

Interesting comments by Vosse about the Smile Shop cover...

That's why they had something as dumb as the "Smile Shop" on the cover. And everybody who knew anything about graphics, and about art, thought that the cover was not terribly well done . . . but Brian knew better: he was right. It was exactly what he wanted, precisely what he wanted. And he stuck to it until they went into the Smiley Smile thing, by which time the whole idea had collapsed anyway.

It still bugs me a little that Frank Holmes' art wasn't really part of BWPS.

Although it was a big part of the BEAUTIFUL DREAMER doc! I think going with Mark London's work was the right choice for BWPS - it compliments that album just fine. Frank Holmes' work is best saved for the BB SMiLE box set.

[The Shift]

Although it was a big part of the BEAUTIFUL DREAMER doc! I think going with Mark London's work was the right choice for BWPS - it compliments that album just fine. Frank Holmes' work is best saved for the BB SMiLE box set.

Very well put. Save the real art for the real music!