New Beach Boys release will make you 'SMiLE'

[?]

So what, now if the SMiLE set doesn't come out, you'll say 'AGD said it would!'

Please don't put words in my mouth.  I am saying that AGD's opinion has more value to me than a mastering engineer at a reissue label that has nothing to do with Smile.  That's all.

[PhilCohen]

You know why Mike Love relented in the end? Because Capitol had already distributed 1000 promo CD's that contained the entirety of the "Pet Sounds" stereo remix, many of the box set's best outtakes.

More than just that - I had the whole box (legally, and less packaging, natch) over a year before it was officially released, and I was far from alone.

If the bootleggers eventually get full fidelity sources for "Barnyard", "Child is Father to The Man" & the vocal version of "The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine", then the "Smile" genie will be out of the bottle too, and an official "Smile" set will become irrelevant and a moot point. As I've said, the idea of Mark Linett & Alan Boyd having found lost tapes, acetates etc. is probably wishful thinking and a fan fantasy. If no new material has been found, then, as the situation presently stands, are we really that far from having what we want? The existing bootleg sources for "Barnyard", "Child is Father to The Man" & the vocal version of "The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine" aren't full fidelity, but they aren't unlistenable either. In continuing to withhold an official "Smile" collection, Brian,Mike,Bruce & Al are not dealing from a position of strength. The only remaining issue is whether we get to hear those 3 tracks with full fidelity. And, of course, even Mike Love once explained the absence of an official "Smile" collection by saying "You've got it all already"
The anti-climax is that Love may be right.

Phil, you're making some unwarranted assumptions here. One, the market for Smile boots is small - the biggest run of the SOT boxes was 1000. Two, nothing we've got thus far, the released tracks aside, is properly mastered full fidelity. Three, lost/previously unknown tapes turn up all the time, e.g "Soulful Old Man Sunshine", "A Time To Live In Dreams". Granted the likelihood of unknown Smile songs is vanishingly remote, but previously unbooted mixes and takes ? I'd say the chance is reasonable to good. Finally, to me and many others, Mike's comment serves only underscore his lack of knowledge about the whole picture.

The various "Sea of Tunes" releases(from all of The Beach Boys' 1960's album sessions) are, inherently,clandestine one-pass-of-the-tape mixes that had to be made as quickly as possible, but their source is the very same 3-track,4-track & 8-track session tapes that Mark Linett would use if there is ever an official release, so while the mixes are not as precisely engineered and carefully crafted as what Mark could carefully create under relaxed circumstances, the "Sea of Tunes" mixes do meet most criteria of "full-fidelity" with respect to frequency response, distortion, tone quality & hiss.
                      And despite the limited quantities that were produced of the 3-CD & 4-CD "Sea of Tunes" box sets(I spent more than $2200 to obtain originals of the complete 1990's catalogue of "Sea of Tunes" & its' subsidiary label "Dumb Angel"), the more important thing is that tens of thousands of fans own CD-R clones of them, or other unofficial compilations derived from the "Sea of Tunes" discs. Once the material existed on CD(even in limited editions), it was a given that the material is here to stay. Digital is forever.
                      And let's remember, that "Smile" started as an attempt to create a 35 to 40 minute vinyl L.P.  /Fans may have fantasies of hours and hours of never before heard songs & versions being discovered, but there was never such large amounts of material in existence.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The various "Sea of Tunes" releases(from all of The Beach Boys' 1960's album sessions) are, inherently,clandestine one-pass-of-the-tape mixes that had to be made as quickly as possible, but their source is the very same 3-track,4-track & 8-track session tapes that Mark Linett would use if there is ever an official release, so while the mixes are not as precisely engineered and carefully crafted as what Mark could carefully create under relaxed circumstances, the "Sea of Tunes" mixes do meet most criteria of "full-fidelity" with respect to frequency response, distortion, tone quality & hiss.

At the risk of splitting hairs, very little of any of the SOT material is mixed - as you yourself just stated, they're sourced from the original session tapes 1962-69: checking the Smile box, out of the 109 listed tracks, only 14 (just under 13%) are mixes, or mix attempts. The rest are simply raw, unmixed multi-track recordings.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

So what, now if the SMiLE set doesn't come out, you'll say 'AGD said it would!'

Please don't put words in my mouth.  I am saying that AGD's opinion has more value to me than a mastering engineer at a reissue label that has nothing to do with Smile.  That's all.

Obviously, you don't know sarcasm.

[Wrightfan]

Never heard of this site but it claims SMiLE will come out in June:
http://www.60sgaragebands.com/newsnuggets/2011releasedates.html

Also, what is "Classic Albums?" (In March.)

[?]

So what, now if the SMiLE set doesn't come out, you'll say 'AGD said it would!'

Please don't put words in my mouth.  I am saying that AGD's opinion has more value to me than a mastering engineer at a reissue label that has nothing to do with Smile.  That's all.

Obviously, you don't know sarcasm.

No, what's sarcasm? 

[armona]

Maybe Alan's too busy doing... something ? Anyway, Jeremy contacted him (and Mark), and again, given an ideal opportunity to say a simple, two letter word, no-one did. This isn't the insider knowledge some folk assume I'm privvy to, it's published on the 'net. Alan's saying it was being released was convincing, his recantation was as clumsy as a tap dancing hippo.

I'll pretend I didn't hear that, but yeah it was clumsy.

Never heard of this site but it claims SMiLE will come out in June:
http://www.60sgaragebands.com/newsnuggets/2011releasedates.html

Also, what is "Classic Albums?" (In March.)

From that site:  "Below is a listing of announced (and some rumored) 1960's U.S. garage/rock band reissues, sorted by expected or announced month of release."

[PhilCohen]

Perhaps the surviving Beach Boys members think that within a few weeks, all of this "Smile" discussion on the internet will fade away, Al Jardine's "Smile" announcement will be forgotten, and it will be business as usual, until (a few years from now) when the idea of an official "Smile" release is again briefly floated, and dangled in front of the fans like a carrot, then just as quickly (again) withdrawn, but this time the displeased comments from the fans aren't going to go away any more than the protests in Egypt.

[Mikie]

So what, now if the SMiLE set doesn't come out, you'll say 'AGD said it would!'

Yep.  That's what I'll be saying!  Count on it!

[hypehat]

So what, now if the SMiLE set doesn't come out, you'll say 'AGD said it would!'

Please don't put words in my mouth.  I am saying that AGD's opinion has more value to me than a mastering engineer at a reissue label that has nothing to do with Smile.  That's all.

Obviously, you don't know sarcasm.

No, what's sarcasm? 

The lowest form of humour, dear.

[c-man]

Perhaps the surviving Beach Boys members think that within a few weeks, all of this "Smile" discussion on the internet will fade away, Al Jardine's "Smile" announcement will be forgotten, and it will be business as usual, until (a few years from now) when the idea of an official "Smile" release is again briefly floated, and dangled in front of the fans like a carrot, then just as quickly (again) withdrawn, but this time the displeased comments from the fans aren't going to go away any more than the protests in Egypt.

Wow, that's a pretty dramatic comparison. 

[Awesoman]

Can't help but feel somewhat skeptical about all this.  Jardine has made several comments in recent years that could be considered slightly inaccurate (*cough* reunion tours).  Honestly, if the Beach Boys version of SMiLE does indeed get released, just what kind of release would it be?  Although a lot had been recorded for it, I always thought it was far from completed.  Could Capitol compile something together that would be a satisfying release?  

Although I'd still welcome a SMiLE release, I'm still kind of hoping for a release that encompasses the group's entire 50-year career; not just one time period from it.  Would love to see a box set release of something similar to the Endless Harmony and Hawthorne, CA albums.  

If you want something created for the past 50 years, what goes in that set from the past 15 years?
Basically after Stars and Stripes Vol. 1

Well that's easy: a proper release of "You're Still A Mystery" and the Beach Boys' version of "Soul Searchin'". 

[Awesoman]

Perhaps the surviving Beach Boys members think that within a few weeks, all of this "Smile" discussion on the internet will fade away, Al Jardine's "Smile" announcement will be forgotten, and it will be business as usual, until (a few years from now) when the idea of an official "Smile" release is again briefly floated, and dangled in front of the fans like a carrot, then just as quickly (again) withdrawn, but this time the displeased comments from the fans aren't going to go away any more than the protests in Egypt.

Wow, that's a pretty dramatic comparison. 

I know, right?  Like anyone gives a crap about those Egyptians.   

[Awesoman]

To me the most exciting part of this release if it happens could be the liner notes - new interviews with Brian, Van Dyke, Alan, Mike, and Bruce about the Smile sessions, along with studio musicians, Anderle, Vosse et al?  Let me have it!

Could you imagine a massive, expensive deluxe edition with a 50 page booklet with unreleased photos, new interviews etc 

No.

[SG7]

Perhaps the surviving Beach Boys members think that within a few weeks, all of this "Smile" discussion on the internet will fade away, Al Jardine's "Smile" announcement will be forgotten, and it will be business as usual, until (a few years from now) when the idea of an official "Smile" release is again briefly floated, and dangled in front of the fans like a carrot, then just as quickly (again) withdrawn, but this time the displeased comments from the fans aren't going to go away any more than the protests in Egypt.

What other f^&*ing band pulls this crap??

[PhilCohen]

Perhaps the surviving Beach Boys members think that within a few weeks, all of this "Smile" discussion on the internet will fade away, Al Jardine's "Smile" announcement will be forgotten, and it will be business as usual, until (a few years from now) when the idea of an official "Smile" release is again briefly floated, and dangled in front of the fans like a carrot, then just as quickly (again) withdrawn, but this time the displeased comments from the fans aren't going to go away any more than the protests in Egypt.

Wow, that's a pretty dramatic comparison. 

I know, right?  Like anyone gives a crap about those Egyptians.   

I don't either, but it's an analogy. It means protesting without relenting until you get what you want.

[PhilCohen]

Perhaps the surviving Beach Boys members think that within a few weeks, all of this "Smile" discussion on the internet will fade away, Al Jardine's "Smile" announcement will be forgotten, and it will be business as usual, until (a few years from now) when the idea of an official "Smile" release is again briefly floated, and dangled in front of the fans like a carrot, then just as quickly (again) withdrawn, but this time the displeased comments from the fans aren't going to go away any more than the protests in Egypt.

What other f^&*ing band pulls this crap??

Crosby,Stills,Nash & Young(especially Young). Most of the archival projects they've announced in the past 5 years never came to be.

[Runaways]

why is philcohen taking this so personal

[PhilCohen]

why is philcohen taking this so personal

We (meaning Beach Boys fans) should all be taking this personal.

But to slightly change the direction of this discussion, I should note, Brian, Mike, Bruce & Al are all at(or within a year of) 70 years old. Since I'm 16 years younger than they are, I'll likely outlive them and I'll be here to see a posthumous release of "Smile", if there is still a Capitol Records(or a record industry at all) to release it. But this Gang of Four should consider the advantages of releasing the material within their lifetimes: they'll be able to have input into the mixing, mastering, sequencing, liner notes & packaging. But they'll have no input whatsoever if "Smile" has to become a posthumous project released after they're all gone. Some posthumous compiler might decide to re-edit or tamper with the musical content or record new instrumental tracks, just like the dreaded producer Alan Douglas did on the Jimi Hendrix "Crash Landing" & "Midnight Lightning" albums, under the premise that he is "completing the recordings as the artist would have".

[bgas]

Ahhh....  Justin Bieber Completes Smile.

[Runaways]

We (meaning Beach Boys fans) should all be taking this personal.

no we shouldn't, because what, al ran his mouth when he shouldn't have?  It's not like Capitol has just been sitting on this.  They haven't released it because they didn't have Brian's blessing.  You would prefer they had released this against his wishes?

They're working on it, they probably just started recently, they don't want to announce anything because they're taking their time to make it work.  Would you rather it was rushed?

What are you whining about exactly?  Because you don't already have it in your hands? 

[Awesoman]

why is philcohen taking this so personal

We (meaning Beach Boys fans) should all be taking this personal.

I suppose if a Capitol suit intentionally ran over my dog I'd take it personally.  But them sitting on an (alleged) release of an incomplete album?  Not so much. 

By the way, didn't they put out a good bit of SMiLE on the 1993 box set? 

[Awesoman]

I know, right?  Like anyone gives a crap about those Egyptians.   

I don't either, but it's an analogy. It means protesting without relenting until you get what you want.

[/quote]

Seriously, does anybody get sarcasm around here...?

[ukulelejesus]

I know, right?  Like anyone gives a crap about those Egyptians.   

I don't either, but it's an analogy. It means protesting without relenting until you get what you want.

Seriously, does anybody get sarcasm around here...?
[/quote]

I do, I I'll pretend like I don't so I can still be cool.

I'm not cool, but I can still pretend.

[Aegir]

QUOTING