The Smiley Smile Message Board

I'm not sure if has been done before but I think it would be cool if the musicians on the board got together to do the friends album end to end (maybe even tack on an outtake or two like "we're together again". Would anyone be interested? I'm just putting out feelers for it would love to hear what people think!

Not sure if you were around for this but many of us got together and made a cover of 'Meant For You' following the melody of the MiC version a couple years ago.

https://m.soundcloud.com/hal2591/meant-for-you-the-beach-boys (https://m.soundcloud.com/hal2591/meant-for-you-the-beach-boys)

Niko played the trumpet (and a sweet mandolin at the end), Robert played a beautiful clarinet melody (these guys went on to make the PS forum so their involvement in any future Smiley Smile projects is questionable). Seltaeb (I think) did a background harmony. I sang the lead and many of the harmonies and put together the whole track.

I would love to collaborate on something like this. However my time is really limited these days so it would be a slow going project. There is so much talent here that definitely should be utilized!

I hadn't heard that before it's very well done, yeah I'm not looking for a quick project I don't care if it takes a long time. Just want to have some fun with it  :-D

I'll do 'Transcendental Meditation'

All of it??  ;D

If it's like that than I would like to start doing Anna Lee the Healer.

I honestly don't know haha. I'd like to be apart of it but I don't know how to share stuff or collaborate over the internet, I'm not very tech-savvy compared to most people on here I think.

I'll make a separate thread about this specific song because I would like to add some more stuff to it, and I might need some help (with percussion, especially).  Expect a thread later today.

I am sure we could help you out.  I guess you could tell us how you'd like to start it, and we can go from there.

Really sorry for the triple-speed posting, but I honestly think I could match the timbre of the falsetto vocals on the album, if anyone is going that route with their songs, message me.  Hopefully that made some sense...   :p

If I posted something on soundcloud could others add to it somehow?

So what we did before (we actually had Smiley Smile song collaborations often) was assign people certain parts that they'd be best suited for. The person mixing would make a simple backing track for others to follow (whether for instruments or vocals), then each person would record and send their parts back to the person mixing (usually through email or dropbox so the highest quality files could be sent).

If people want to claim songs that could work, but a collaboration I think would be more fun, the talent is definitely here

I'll take 'Be Here In The Mornin' but I will definitely ask those who want to help to pitch in!...be it vocals or any instruments. I play guitar, limited keyboard, and can do vocals. I'll probably sing lead on this but would love any vocalists to help with backing vocals.

I'll take Be Still just to practice to see how well I can pull off singing Dennis again and if it goes well I can lend my voice to others

I seem to be very good with *any* backing vocals.  I also have a real upright piano to record as well.

Here's a question, should we try to make each song different or should we try to match the style of the album?  It can go either way or be a mixture of both, but I am in the camp that thinks that going in a different direction would put a unique spin on the songs.  Sort of like that great Wild Honey cover recently.  :)

I think taking a twist on things is nice but kind of keep the same mellow vibe, if that works for people

That was a great cover!

I think we should try and do them differently like that. I think they'd be a little boring if they were exact replicas (no offense to any exact replicas who might read this).

And yeah, what the seagull said

I'd like to be involved in this vocally.

Billy, I would love your vocals on the BHITM track, especially for the low parts of "lit all my incense..." and "no calls from..."

@ForHerCryingSoul, an upright piano sounds like it would be amazing, so whatever tracks you want to put that in (as well as vocals) would be awesome.

And as for doing more unique versions of these songs I totally agree. I was thinking earlier that the songs on Friends are so perfect that it would be so hard to emulate...could be best to add our own flavor to them.

And Seagull Merlin, can't wait to hear your voice on Be Still. If you need any help with instruments or anything feel free to ask.

be still is going to be a quick one to do, just a matter of what I want to play with my voice. I'd love to do Passing By with a few people, it's always been a highlight of mine on that album

I'm just gonna say I'm probably not gonna like the cover of 'Busy Doin Nothin' because I love  :bw's version too much. Sorry in advance.

I sense a challenge brewing lol

I think it would be interesting to have a part of Passing By with the unused lyrics...  ;)

IMO, I think the thing we will all need to keep in mind is that Friends was a true group effort, and I think to keep the mellow vibe and relaxing nature, we gotta keep our projects open to collaboration and perhaps reinterpretations as they take shape.  It is ultimate Brian-ception!   :bw

We did Little Bird too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEqmj9Q0N6s

Is anyone opposed to doing another interpretation of Little Bird, etc. that has already been covered?  What is the consensus?

Not opposed at all!



Would work for me, although I'm used to doing the higher parts!

I'm not opposed. Especially since we aren't doing exact copies (and this means the Meant For You I spearheaded a couple years ago can be forgotten about for this project. So if anyone wants to tackle that too feel free!).

Thread for Anna Lee:
http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,24857.msg603581/topicseen.html#msg603581 (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,24857.msg603581/topicseen.html#msg603581)

I'd love to be involved in this project! Fun!

The stuff involved is way over my head (technically, if not musically) but I support it 100%. Really looking forward to the outcome!

I have heard some of your covers!  Love your voice and the spin you have put on these songs!

Recorded a quick and very rough demo of 'Be Here In The Mornin' - definitely of the style of my 'Wild Honey' cover and really different from the original tune. I tried to keep the same vocal melody for the most part, but I put in a whole different chorus (with mostly the same lyrics as the original song).

The instrumentation on the final version would be very different; if someone here plays a ukulele I think that would sound great for the verses. I think a timpani on the chorus would sound good - though I'm guessing that'll have to be done via MIDI instruments. Give me your ideas, suggestions, criticisms. I know this is miles away from being perfect so I'm open to any and all suggestions!

https://soundcloud.com/hal2591/be-here-in-the-morning-demo-beach-boys-cover (https://soundcloud.com/hal2591/be-here-in-the-morning-demo-beach-boys-cover)

May I have all the stems (parts) just to practice mixing?  I want to see what I could do with it.  I really like what you're going for here, and the change in melody is really interesting, and I am sure some of the original harmonies could somehow be incorporated in the background, while keeping your vision.  I'd have to think about that...  My only suggestion for how the song should play out is that I think the playing should reflect the waltz tempo a bit more.  I also have a timpani (midi) vst plug in I could use!  Good work, and best wishes mate!  Thanks for getting the ball rolling.

Damn, but you are a talented dude.   8) I love how you somehow turned it into a totally different song.  ;D

kick the dog and clean the barn you got my baggy trousers in a bind!  I would so buy a CD of your music.  WilsonArt is so darn proud.

Thanks so much for the compliments :) I promise when the final version comes out with all of us on it it'll be a heck of a lot better.

@ForHerCryingSoul, I will try to upload the different files to dropbox asap - sadly my internet sucks and there are 19 tracks in total (after double tracking each vocal and the guitars) so it'll take a while. That being said, what recording program do you use (and pardon if you've already answered this question, my memory is admittedly dreadful haha? I'm sure I could load up the Logic file to dropbox if you have that program.

I totally agree about getting some of that waltz tempo back - I don't think we'd have to stray too far from what I've done to get that, either. I have a timpani plug in (stock from Logic Pro) but yours may sound better so we can give that a shot. Thanks for listening and I'll get with you via PM about those individual tracks if I can find the time to export them.

I actually use Fruity Loops.  It can take flac files (or wav's if you prefer)!  Dropbox sounds good.  One thing that would make the upload faster is if you put all your stems (parts) into a zip folder and upload it that way. 

Hey Rab if you need someone to do ukulele still just PM me the chords and stuff and we can sort something out

Thanks, Seagull Merlin! I'm playing this with my capo on the first fret, but I was thinking about doing without the capo, so hopefully that makes the chords on the uke easier to play. I'll send the chords asap.

If you're amenable to vocal percussion rather than actual sticks & trap, I'm interested.
My style is more traditional than hip hop, might fit nice and give a cool twist. Your call...

Tim :drumroll

https://soundcloud.com/falklandrecords/be-still-sidh-session-mix-1/s-hyfqV


this is a very rough and I mean very rough idea for be still, I could have gone the organ route but I'm thinking guitar or ukulele. If anyone feels they can lend to this concept I'd love to hear!

Harmonies with Rab? ;)

I like this take and the general idea you are going for.  For some reason this song reminds me of A Time to Live in Dreams.  Was that written by Kalinch as well?  Anyway, harmonies in the following voices would sound nice.  Whatever I would do, I wouldn't make them too ornate, because we are going for humbleness in these songs, right?  My only criticism of the actual performance is I noticed some bum notes, but as you said, this is a very rough take.  I think you did a great job with it!

Yes for sure there was some bum notes! But yes this was just for a basic idea, I'd love some harmony with me as well but I'll have to get the actual track finished first. And thank you for the kind words!

ima do wake the world asap :P

Ack I want to do the top harmony block (if that is okay)!

back

Mine sucks anyway https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B64cWKmpdZP_OTU4dTVENEZ0bEU

"ack" was a reaction, not the word "back" lol.  Also I'll try to make a scratch vocal of the track, following your backing track's tempo, because I enjoy the direction this is going in.  I also like the "spooky" background voice!  I think one thing that could help vocals is to double everything.  I'll see what I can do and upload it tomorrow!  Good work!

Here is a question about Meant for You:

Should we do the whole thing?  If we do, we can always fade the song out early and have a sort of reprise at the end of TM?

Wake the World Structure:

Should we follow the original structure or the '69 London version?

Good work so far.  I'll post some stuff later this week and this weekend.

I can definitely do that and send it to whoever wants to do vocals or anything else on that.

I'll happily contribute if I'm welcome  :)

Could I possibly be a part of this? If anyone needs any extra vocal bits? I could try making a backing track for whatever's leftover... can't promise anything would be great but it'd be fun!

I have an acoustic guitar, a rhythm box and a Moog synthesizer. I could get my hands on a trumpet, mandolin or ukulele if needed.

Everyone is welcome! And Woodstock from the instruments you described it sounds like you could do a cool version of "passing by" but that's just my brain working haha  :afro

"mooging by" :afro

I love this. It'd be great to add things (I imagine an organ), but it's kinda perfect just like this.

You should get Zach/ "zatch" to play & sing in some tracks. He was in previous Smiley Smile e-collabs.

I don't know how much I loved this came across when I added the 'I love this' in with the rest of the sentence.

I love this.

It's phucking great.

If all the versions are as interesting and have the kinda character this one does (in my factual opinion), I think the album will be something really memorable.

.

This was wonderful, I see tons of potential. I'm so impressed by everything I've heard so far!!!!

Glad you guys like it! I'd be up for doing one more track if people want to do vocals on a certain song but want me to do a track

Hey, I was gonna do the 'Transcendental Meditation' track but I can't come up with something that I like so that songs free for anyone now I guess.

I loved what you had so far, to be honest. I hope you reconsider!

I'm going to be throwing my own contribution into the hat soon...haven't had a lot of free time lately

I did reconsider and I am gonna try again. Thank you for those kind words, Father.

So if anyone does their own version of it now, I'll sue them.

No, but really, if anyone wants to try it of course they can and if you wanna add to the version I'm trying lemmy know!

‍

I messaged you about it Zatch! How is everyone doing on their things?

Working on the instrumental to 'TM' right now, I'll post on here when that's done so whoever wants to help with vocals can do that

Can't help with this but I'd love to hear the finished product when it's done. And great to see you around again, Zach.

Hey guys haven't touched on this in awhile, how is everyone doing?

I am willing to provide any percussion, Love bass vocals or Brian falsetto. Let me know how I can help!

Ryan

I Want to be involved, what can I do?

if you see a song on the album hasn't been claimed yet you're welcome to it, or if you have something to offer in way of vocals, instrumentation etc etc let everyone know  :-D happy to see your interest!!

I'm not doing Transcendental Meditation anymore.

The song that was not claimed is When a Man Needs A Woman, that is pretty cool.