Look (I Ran) a.k.a. 'Song For Children'

[SmileySam]

I read that vocals had been recorded for that tune. I wonder who sung lead for that little section. I guess apparently the tape with the vocals had been lost or something. Does anybody know any further information on the vocals?

[wiggbuggie]

I would love to get my hands on this myself and let someone mix the track to form a song oh well it's probably lost cause it would of been booted by now...

[Amazing Larry]

Another reason why we should hear the Durrie Parks acitates

[wiggbuggie]

why whats that?

[juggler]

why whats that?

Van Dyke Parks' ex-wife, Durrie, supposedly was (is?) in possession of a stack of acetates (i.e., 45 rpm demonstration records) from the Smile sessions.  To my knowledge, the contents of Durrie's acetates have never been publicly revealed.   However, Beach Boys fans are an imaginative bunch and there has been all sorts of guessing/speculating/fantasizing/wishful thinking that these acetates will contain previously unknown Smile music, lyrics, vocals, etc.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

I don't know if it was a 'stack' of acetates. She mentioned that she had 'some' in her garage. rumor has it that Brian's people were talking with her about those-but nothing, as far as I know, has come of it.
'Look' is one of my favorite pieces of SMiLE music. It's the first piece of 'unofficial'  SMiLE music I heard, and for whatever reason, when I heard it , it hit me just how special SMiLE was. I assumed that it was going to somehow connect with GV because of the part that sounds like the vocals at the end of GV. I don't think that now, but at the time, early in my SMiLE education, I thought for sure they were going to be linked somehow.

[hypehat]

why whats that?

Van Dyke Parks' ex-wife, Durrie, supposedly was (is?) in possession of a stack of acetates (i.e., 45 rpm demonstration records) from the Smile sessions.  To my knowledge, the contents of Durrie's acetates have never been publicly revealed.   However, Beach Boys fans are an imaginative bunch and there has been all sorts of guessing/speculating/fantasizing/wishful thinking that these acetates will contain previously unknown Smile music, lyrics, vocals, etc.

She also mentioned that they're just lying in the garage somewhere, with no real impetus on her or anyone official to get them out of such an unsuitbale enviroment for incredibly fragile bits of plastic containing maybe-unheard fragments of the greatest music ever written...
Surely, however, anything on those acetates would be in the tape library somewhere and seeing as they've got everything smile related it doesn't seem much of a big fuss now.... does it?

[The Shift]

Well, it seems some SMiLE stuff was trashed - the Columbia vault vocal sessions tapes will always seem the biggest loss in my mind. Someone told me a few years ago too that the last takes of many Smile sessions had been trimmed off the tapes that were in the vault (just thinking of the implications of that are mind-blowing... either mind-blowingly good or mind-blowingly bad!) . Not sure of the accuracy or validity of that but the source is normally impeachable. So any acetates could be priceless.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I don't know if it was a 'stack' of acetates. She mentioned that she had 'some' in her garage. rumor has it that Brian's people were talking with her about those-but nothing, as far as I know, has come of it.
'Look' is one of my favorite pieces of SMiLE music. It's the first piece of 'unofficial'  SMiLE music I heard, and for whatever reason, when I heard it , it hit me just how special SMiLE was. I assumed that it was going to somehow connect with GV because of the part that sounds like the vocals at the end of GV. I don't think that now, but at the time, early in my SMiLE education, I thought for sure they were going to be linked somehow.

I'm the same way, with "Look" being the first SMiLE song I ever heard; it is special, I agree. And, I also thought it was somehow connected to "Good Vibrations". I'm allowed to be skeptical, right? Well, I'm still not totally sold on it turning into "Song For Children" or even related to childhood. If anything, it sounds more nautical/Sloop John B-ish to me, almost like "Look! There's land over there...."

I've mentioned this before, so, with this topic, I thought I'd throw it out again. Because Brian has enough resources for himself, his kids, and his kids' kids....I'm mildly surprised that his "team" hasn't pursued every avenue available to track down every possible snippet of SMiLE - audio, video or otherwise. Or, maybe they have...

[Andrew G. Doe]

She also mentioned that they're just lying in the garage somewhere, with no real impetus on her or anyone official to get them out of such an unsuitbale enviroment for incredibly fragile bits of plastic containing maybe-unheard fragments of the greatest music ever written...
Surely, however, anything on those acetates would be in the tape library somewhere and seeing as they've got everything smile related it doesn't seem much of a big fuss now.... does it?

FWIW, and this is some 30 years old, Alan used to have similar acetates stored in a wooden box in his barn studio.

[The Heartical Don]

She also mentioned that they're just lying in the garage somewhere, with no real impetus on her or anyone official to get them out of such an unsuitbale enviroment for incredibly fragile bits of plastic containing maybe-unheard fragments of the greatest music ever written...
Surely, however, anything on those acetates would be in the tape library somewhere and seeing as they've got everything smile related it doesn't seem much of a big fuss now.... does it?

FWIW, and this is some 30 years old, Alan used to have similar acetates stored in a wooden box in his barn studio.

...but given that that is a physically exceptional barn in an Einsteinian/Bohrian way, in which nothing ever happens, we don't have to worry, because there's no decay at all in there. So folks, don't mind the three decades. Nothing goin' on at all.

[buddhahat]

If anything, it sounds more nautical/Sloop John B-ish to me, almost like "Look! There's land over there...."

This is exactly how it sounds to me too! In its nautical feel, it reminds me strongly of Pet Sounds which also has several very nautical sounding songs: SJB obviously, but God Only Knows with its sea shanty intro and Caroline No with its submarine bottle type effects (the oceanic qualities of Pet Sounds really reveal themselves if you listen to the backing tracks imo).

I think in this respect the feel of the song does not necessarily relate to the lyrical subject matter as God Only Knows lyrically has nothing to do with the sea, but given Smile's travelog subject matter, there's a strong possibility that Look could have been some sort of water born song in the same way that Worms was.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

I agree with the nautical feel, too. It always felt to me like it was the beginning of something-like if SMiLE was some kind of concept album, Look would be the opening track, setting the tone for the album, with snippets of other songs in it-kinda like 'Overture' on The Who's 'Tommy'....

[Sheriff John Stone]

It always felt to me like it was the beginning of something-like if SMiLE was some kind of concept album, Look would be the opening track, setting the tone for the album, with snippets of other songs in it-kinda like 'Overture' on The Who's 'Tommy'....

Again I agree. With the piano intro unfolding into that cool melody, it does sound like an "opener" (I used to use it that way on SMiLE mixes ). In addition to the nautical feel, it also reminds me of a sunrise, like the beginning of the day. Sometimes when I imagine a SMiLE documentary, I can almost see opening credits and titles being played over it.

[sockittome]

What was the deal with that circus-like riff in Look just before the tune looped back into the main part?  Ya know, the little melody that sounds like some sort of intro?  Fortunately it wasn't used in Song for Children as I don't think it would've flowed well.

[hypehat]

What was the deal with that circus-like riff in Look just before the tune looped back into the main part?  Ya know, the little melody that sounds like some sort of intro?  Fortunately it wasn't used in Song for Children as I don't think it would've flowed well.

If you're talking about the bit i think you're talking about, it's a piece of music called 'Twelth Street Rag' (you must have heard it before somewhere...), which Brian didn't know was copyrighted in 66 when he recorded it, but to perhaps cut down on fees they chopped it out of SFC. I quite like it, it makes me chuckle

[LostArt]

I assumed that it was going to somehow connect with GV because of the part that sounds like the vocals at the end of GV.

It always felt to me like it was the beginning of something-like if SMiLE was some kind of concept album, Look would be the opening track, setting the tone for the album, with snippets of other songs in it-kinda like 'Overture' on The Who's 'Tommy'....

I always wondered about that part of Look that sounds like the vocal part of GV, too.  I'm not sure of the recording dates for that section of GV, but could it be that the part in question was actually a part of Look before it was a part of GV?  Did Brian scrap Look because he put that part into GV?

As for the Look vocals, it appears that there were vocals attempted, but we don't know if those were lead vocals or some wordless background vocal parts (maybe even the same type of vocal parts that are on that section of GV).  That's why it'd be great to hear any and all acetates.  Durrie's, Alan's, and Bruce has said that he has some recordings, too, but he wouldn't think of letting any of the stuff be heard against Brian's wishes.  Mike may even have some stuff from that period (7 minute H&V, Mike?).  We may have already heard a good share of Smile stuff, but I'm convinced that there is more incredible stuff out there somewhere.  Different Heroes and Villains mixes, Child Is The Father Of The Man with vocals.  Anybody remember what Al said when he heard the box set version of Worms?  He said "That's not Do You Dig Worms".  Well, if that's not Worms, Al, dig out the acetate that is Worms and let us hear it.  There's just gotta be a Smile box, hopefully in my lifetime, that will gather all of the known tapes and acetates that are out there.     

[juggler]

That's why it'd be great to hear any and all acetates.  Durrie's, Alan's, and Bruce has said that he has some recordings, too, but he wouldn't think of letting any of the stuff be heard against Brian's wishes.  Mike may even have some stuff from that period (7 minute H&V, Mike?).  We may have already heard a good share of Smile stuff, but I'm convinced that there is more incredible stuff out there somewhere.  Different Heroes and Villains mixes, Child Is The Father Of The Man with vocals.  Anybody remember what Al said when he heard the box set version of Worms?  He said "That's not Do You Dig Worms".  Well, if that's not Worms, Al, dig out the acetate that is Worms and let us hear it.  There's just gotta be a Smile box, hopefully in my lifetime, that will gather all of the known tapes and acetates that are out there.

Well, you're absolutely right.  If there is to ever be a Smile box, one would hope that Messrs. Boyd, Leaf, Linett et al. would make every effort to go beyond what's in the tape vault and track down all those stray acetates.  I mean, if you're going to do it, then for cryin' out loud, leave no stone unturned.  As much as any of us would welcome any sort of Smile Sessions box, it'd be frustrating to have it come out only to be greeted with comments from Bruce or whomever along the lines of "It's nice, but I have a better version of that at home that you're never going to hear."

[A Million Units In Jan!]

 

[/quote]

I always wondered about that part of Look that sounds like the vocal part of GV, too.  I'm not sure of the recording dates for that section of GV, but could it be that the part in question was actually a part of Look before it was a part of GV?  Did Brian scrap Look because he put that part into GV?

[/quote]

Well, the first session for 'Look', which was listed as 'Untitled Song #1' was done on August 12, 1966. After that date, Brian held 5 more sessions for GV. 'Look/I Ran' was attempted once more on October 13, 1966. So presumably, Brian did get that vocal part from 'Look'. although if he attempted the song once more in October, it doesn't appear that he was ready to scrap it after the August session. It seems odd that he would leave that section in 'Look' as it's pretty much identical to the GV vocal part.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

And yes, I apparently do need a refresher on how the 'quote' feature 

[Bicyclerider]

Well, the first session for 'Look', which was listed as 'Untitled Song #1' was done on August 12, 1966. After that date, Brian held 5 more sessions for GV. 'Look/I Ran' was attempted once more on October 13, 1966. So presumably, Brian did get that vocal part from 'Look'. although if he attempted the song once more in October, it doesn't appear that he was ready to scrap it after the August session. It seems odd that he would leave that section in 'Look' as it's pretty much identical to the GV vocal part.
[/quote]

October 13 was the vocal session, August 12 was the instrumental track which has given us the boot track - so Oct 13 was't a redo it was a vocal overdub.  I suspect the vocals were just background vocals, since no lyrics from 66 are known to have survived, but who knows . . . this is why we need BRI to collect all known and unknown acetates out there from the Smile sessions.  Especially if Brian hadn't gotten the lyrics yet, he probably would have had an acetate of the backing track with backing vocals cut for reference.

[Aegir]

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