Brian has signed off on Smile Sessions......

[18thofMay]

Just stick to your own stuff Phil, no doubt you'll bash it from pillar to post when it's released!!
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=702

[Mikie]

Just got a message from Dave at DirectCurrentMusic.com

"According to the EMI release schedule, August 9 is the most up-to-date street date. I guess you can call it "confirmed" but you never know. As of a couple of weeks ago, July 12 was "confirmed" too.

A lot goes into the decision to post (or move) a street date -- simply gathering up the materials for the package, actually manufacturing the discs and booklets, can be daunting. I used to work for the Sony Legacy group that handled a lot of the box sets and reissues for Sony/Columbia/Epic -- and it was always some issue or another...sometimes down to getting the rights to a photograph in the booklet.

Mike, I'll keep tabs on the Beach Boys product...if something changes, we'll update it."

[bgas]

Just got a message from Dave at DirectCurrentMusic.com

"According to the EMI release schedule, August 9 is the most up-to-date street date. I guess you can call it "confirmed" but you never know. As of a couple of weeks ago, July 12 was "confirmed" too.

A lot goes into the decision to post (or move) a street date -- simply gathering up the materials for the package, actually manufacturing the discs and booklets, can be daunting. I used to work for the Sony Legacy group that handled a lot of the box sets and reissues for Sony/Columbia/Epic -- and it was always some issue or another...sometimes down to getting the rights to a photograph in the booklet.

Mike, I'll keep tabs on the Beach Boys reissue...if something changes, we'll update it."

That's nice of him to send that to you; I wonder how it is that he's the only person in the world privy to the August 9th EMI release schedule.

[18thofMay]

Just stick to your own stuff Phil, no doubt you'll bash it from pillar to post when it's released!!
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=702

Read some of Phil's comments. Al Jardines announcement was a hoax and then retracted!!

[PhilCohen]

Just stick to your own stuff Phil, no doubt you'll bash it from pillar to post when it's released!!
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=702

Many people seem to think that this is a very good "Smile" indeed....assembled "by the book"(Domenic Priore's 2nd edition of "Look,Listen, Vibrate, Smile")

[stack-o-tracks]

Wait, if he signed off on it, does that mean 

[18thofMay]

Just stick to your own stuff Phil, no doubt you'll bash it from pillar to post when it's released!!
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=702

Many people seem to think that this is a very good "Smile" indeed....assembled "by the book"(Domenic Priore's 2nd edition of "Look,Listen, Vibrate, Smile")

Who really cares! The real SMiLE will be out soon and then you can find something else to deny or blow your cash on!

[Andrew G. Doe]

Is the glass(or box set) half-empty or half-full, now that Brian has approved a significantly truncated version of what the box set was going to be?

Phil, show me exactly where it says this - precisely this, that Brian has approved a truncated version of the originally announced box. Please, show me. Because I cannot find it, possibly because he's not said anything like that. Brian's listened to some - not all - of the available material, and vetoed some of it. Might have been 95% of it, might have been 15 seconds - I don't know and neither do you. My bet is,  they presented him with the peripheral stuff, not the likes of "H&V". "Worms" & "Fire" which have to be included, the potentially contentious bits such as the monumentally tedious studio parties and arguments. Like someone else said, Mark & Alan started off with 30+ hours of material, which had to be winnowed down, and was.

You don't know what you're talking about, and I state that with absolute confidence.

[buddhahat]

Just got a message from Dave at DirectCurrentMusic.com

"According to the EMI release schedule, August 9 is the most up-to-date street date. I guess you can call it "confirmed" but you never know. As of a couple of weeks ago, July 12 was "confirmed" too.

A lot goes into the decision to post (or move) a street date -- simply gathering up the materials for the package, actually manufacturing the discs and booklets, can be daunting. I used to work for the Sony Legacy group that handled a lot of the box sets and reissues for Sony/Columbia/Epic -- and it was always some issue or another...sometimes down to getting the rights to a photograph in the booklet.

Mike, I'll keep tabs on the Beach Boys product...if something changes, we'll update it."

Good work Mikie!

So August 9th is the best date we have at present. Let's hope that doesn't shift too much.

[vintagemusic]

I would think the fact that Brian Wilson said he was interested enough to sit and listen
for at least three hours, and say it was great is very positive.

I can't imagine EMI in their current financial condition, going to all the expense of hiring
people like Mark Linnett and the studio time, and the book and everything else for something
that wasn't in the bag.

EMI must have spent a pretty penny already, I would think so. EMI has also been involved
with reissues from The Beatles, Queen and Pink Floyd and all those are coming to pass exactly
as advertised. Why would SMiLE be any different? Who would spend all that money to get this
ready and make a big announcement if it wasn't happening.

Truncated? I haven't heard too many 40 minute albums lately with four discs and four hours
of program. Sounds pretty extensive to me. I can't wait I am looking forward to it. I might just
buy the two disc set depending how they lay it out.

[PhilCohen]

I would think the fact that Brian Wilson said he was interested enough to sit and listen
for at least three hours, and say it was great is very positive.

I can't imagine EMI in their current financial condition, going to all the expense of hiring
people like Mark Linnett and the studio time, and the book and everything else for something
that wasn't in the bag.

EMI must have spent a pretty penny already, I would think so. EMI has also been involved
with reissues from The Beatles, Queen and Pink Floyd and all those are coming to pass exactly
as advertised. Why would SMiLE be any different?

Because(in Pink Floyd's case) Roger Waters & David Gilmour were willing to briefly put aside their years of interpersonal hatreds and agree on creating superb products for the fans. Past history has shown that the situation between Mike Love & Brian Wilson is different, and they may not be able to so easily agree on the contents of archival product. And as for AGD, it is true that i don't know(and may not know, even when a "Smile" box set is released) whether the amount of material that Brian Wilson vetoed is miniscule or significant.......but you don't know either. It could be that the vetoed material is stuff that we already have on bootlegs.....or perhaps not.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Past history has shown that the situation between Mike Love & Brian Wilson is different, and they may not be able to so easily agree on the contents of archival product.

Why should past history inform this release ?  You could say exactly the same about the Floyd projects, but Roger & David are probably in a better place in their personal relationship than they've been since... oh... 1975 or so.

You're scrabbling around on the floor, trying to find any reason you can for this project not to happen, and you're going so far beyond playing Devil's Advocate (and trust me, I know a lot more about that role than you think) that we're entirely justified in thinking there's some other agenda.

One more time: short of EMI/Capitol going belly up, Mark and/or Alan suddenly vanishing from the face of the earth or Brian changing his mind and saying "no", The Smile Sessions will be released, in the format announced and by the end of the summer of 2011. This is not my supposition, or wish. It will happen, irrespective of how much you don't want it to. I know my history of past BB archive releases and abandoned projects. I have every reason to be skeptical, but I'm not. Think about it.

[The Shift]

I would think the fact that Brian Wilson said he was interested enough to sit and listen
for at least three hours, and say it was great is very positive.

I can't imagine EMI in their current financial condition, going to all the expense of hiring
people like Mark Linnett and the studio time, and the book and everything else for something
that wasn't in the bag.

EMI must have spent a pretty penny already, I would think so. EMI has also been involved
with reissues from The Beatles, Queen and Pink Floyd and all those are coming to pass exactly
as advertised. Why would SMiLE be any different?

Because(in Pink Floyd's case) Roger Waters & David Gilmour were willing to briefly put aside their years of interpersonal hatreds and agree on creating superb products for the fans. Past history has shown that the situation between Mike Love & Brian Wilson is different, and they may not be able to so easily agree on the contents of archival product. And as for AGD, it is true that i don't know(and may not know, even when a "Smile" box set is released) whether the amount of material that Brian Wilson vetoed is miniscule or significant.......but you don't know either. It could be that the vetoed material is stuff that we already have on bootlegs.....or perhaps not.

If anything I'd say the relationship between Brian and Mike will only help the SMiLE release - Mike has for months or even years seemed very keen not only to work with cousin Brian but also to socialise, and they have. They might have their differences but they still talk.  They're blood relations.

Mike's enthusiasm for working with Brian suggest to me that he'll avoid any disagreement he possibly can and if that means signing off on a Brian-authorised SMiLE release, that's what we'll get.

Let's have a little optimisim!  Let's wear SMiLEs through the summer!

[PhilCohen]

Just stick to your own stuff Phil, no doubt you'll bash it from pillar to post when it's released!!
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=702

Read some of Phil's comments. Al Jardines announcement was a hoax and then retracted!!

You're taking those comments out of the context of March 2011, when the comments were made. The comments were made in the context of the known realities of March 2011.

[PhilCohen]

I would think the fact that Brian Wilson said he was interested enough to sit and listen
for at least three hours, and say it was great is very positive.

I can't imagine EMI in their current financial condition, going to all the expense of hiring
people like Mark Linnett and the studio time, and the book and everything else for something
that wasn't in the bag.

EMI must have spent a pretty penny already, I would think so. EMI has also been involved
with reissues from The Beatles, Queen

Queen, who own their catalogue, took the recordings off of EMI last year. The U.S.A. license has long resided with Disney's "Hollywood" label, and the non-U.S.A. license is now with Universal Music.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Back in 1967, Brian never did finalise a running order for “Side One” of the album..."

Entirely true.

 "... but the group of selections from “Good Vibrations” through “You’re Welcome” are indeed Smile’s intended “Side Two”, and the sequence of tracks “Look/Vegetables/Holidays/Wind Chimes/Fire/Friday Night-I Wanna Be Around/Water-Love to Sat Da Da ARE “The Elements” in their intended running order."

Entirely bullshit. You don't know, I don't know, Dom doesn't know, none of the studio players knew and as far as can be ascertained, Brian didn't know. What do we know for sure about the sequence of either side of Smile ? That "Prayer" might have opened the album. That's all. Everything else is personal conjecture until a working TARDIS is developed.

Phil, you've committed the cardinal sin of any halfway decent researcher/historian - you've stated your own opinion and claimed it to be fact. You're totally misleading fans with your lies, and they are lies because you're claiming to know something that's beyond knowing. I really thought you were better than this. I was wrong.

[PhilCohen]

Just stick to your own stuff Phil, no doubt you'll bash it from pillar to post when it's released!!
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=702

I'm not saying that this "Smile" compilation is the best "Smile" that will ever be, but it is the best "Smile" available until and unless Capitol releases their version. And personally, I prefer the Priore running order to the BWPS running order.

[PhilCohen]

"Back in 1967, Brian never did finalise a running order for “Side One” of the album..."

Entirely true.

 "... but the group of selections from “Good Vibrations” through “You’re Welcome” are indeed Smile’s intended “Side Two”, and the sequence of tracks “Look/Vegetables/Holidays/Wind Chimes/Fire/Friday Night-I Wanna Be Around/Water-Love to Sat Da Da ARE “The Elements” in their intended running order."

...and ya' know when I wrote those words? Back in  2002 or 2003(8 or 9 years ago) when the last revision to my "Smile" compilation was made. Unfortunately, I believed some of the less-than-accurate ideas being put forth by Domenic Priore at the time. He was, after all, the "Smile" authority of those days.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"Back in 1967, Brian never did finalise a running order for “Side One” of the album..."

Entirely true.

 "... but the group of selections from “Good Vibrations” through “You’re Welcome” are indeed Smile’s intended “Side Two”, and the sequence of tracks “Look/Vegetables/Holidays/Wind Chimes/Fire/Friday Night-I Wanna Be Around/Water-Love to Sat Da Da ARE “The Elements” in their intended running order."

...and ya' know when I wrote those words? Back in  2002 or 2003(8 or 9 years ago) when the last revision to my "Smile" compilation was made. Unfortunately, I believed some of the less-than-accurate ideas being put forth by Domenic Priore at the time. He was, after all, the "Smile" authority of those days.

Well, seeing as you've evidently amended the text back in February to note the upcoming release, I have to ask why you didn't change those totally unfounded claims at the same time: it's not 2003 any more.  I started my BB site back in late December 2001, and since then it's been updated on a weekly basis.

Oh, and this, in the comments column dated 2/15/11 ?

"As it turns out, Al Jardine started a hoax, which he has now retracted. “Smile” is not going to be released officially."

Not a hoax, as you well know, and as I pointed out to you in a PM that you chose to make public... but at least now we know why you're hell-bent against the project being released. 

[Bicyclerider]

Brian apparently has made decisions on what to include and what not to include on the box set - my fervent hope is that any NEW finds (acetate edits, unbooted sessions or vocal attempts) were not amongst the tracks vetoed!  Hopefully Alan and Mark (and Melissa) were able to present the material in such a way as to influence Brian on what to include.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Melissa ?  Who dat ?

[Jason]

Yes, who IS this elusive Melissa? I'm thinking Lou might have meant Melinda, but y'never know these days. All this time Smile had a completed second side running order!

[PhilCohen]

"Back in 1967, Brian never did finalise a running order for “Side One” of the album..."

Entirely true.

 "... but the group of selections from “Good Vibrations” through “You’re Welcome” are indeed Smile’s intended “Side Two”, and the sequence of tracks “Look/Vegetables/Holidays/Wind Chimes/Fire/Friday Night-I Wanna Be Around/Water-Love to Sat Da Da ARE “The Elements” in their intended running order."

The page on the Big O website is no longer active(I.E. the download is no longer being offered), but my comments (that Jardine had retracted his "Smile" announcement) were (at the time) correct. Since the page on the Big O website is no longer active, there was no reason(or opportunity) to update it, when the situation changed from the retracting of (what then seemed to be) a hoax to Capitol's announcement of an actual "Smile" project.

...and ya' know when I wrote those words? Back in  2002 or 2003(8 or 9 years ago) when the last revision to my "Smile" compilation was made. Unfortunately, I believed some of the less-than-accurate ideas being put forth by Domenic Priore at the time. He was, after all, the "Smile" authority of those days.

Well, seeing as you've evidently amended the text back in February to note the upcoming release, I have to ask why you didn't change those totally unfounded claims at the same time: it's not 2003 any more.  I started my BB site back in late December 2001, and since then it's been updated on a weekly basis.

Oh, and this, in the comments column dated 2/15/11 ?

"As it turns out, Al Jardine started a hoax, which he has now retracted. “Smile” is not going to be released officially."

Not a hoax, as you well know, and as I pointed out to you in a PM that you chose to make public... but at least now we know why you're hell-bent against the project being released. 

[PhilCohen]

"Back in 1967, Brian never did finalise a running order for “Side One” of the album..."

Entirely true.

 "... but the group of selections from “Good Vibrations” through “You’re Welcome” are indeed Smile’s intended “Side Two”, and the sequence of tracks “Look/Vegetables/Holidays/Wind Chimes/Fire/Friday Night-I Wanna Be Around/Water-Love to Sat Da Da ARE “The Elements” in their intended running order."

...and ya' know when I wrote those words? Back in  2002 or 2003(8 or 9 years ago) when the last revision to my "Smile" compilation was made. Unfortunately, I believed some of the less-than-accurate ideas being put forth by Domenic Priore at the time. He was, after all, the "Smile" authority of those days.

Well, seeing as you've evidently amended the text back in February to note the upcoming release, I have to ask why you didn't change those totally unfounded claims at the same time: it's not 2003 any more.  I started my BB site back in late December 2001, and since then it's been updated on a weekly basis.

Oh, and this, in the comments column dated 2/15/11 ?

"As it turns out, Al Jardine started a hoax, which he has now retracted. “Smile” is not going to be released officially."

Not a hoax, as you well know, and as I pointed out to you in a PM that you chose to make public... but at least now we know why you're hell-bent against the project being released.  

The page on the Big O website is no longer active(the download is no longer being offered), nor is the page readily available to read. Those comments were made at a point when Al Jardine had retracted what then appeared to have been a hoax, and before Capitol's announcement. With that page on the Big O website no longer active or readily available to read, then was no reason to update the status of the offical "Smile" project, nor was there any possibility to update the information there.

Andrew, you say that I don't want an official "Smile" project to be released, but I do want it to be released. My true viewpoint, is that I'm irritated at all the secrecy. Why couldn't Capitol, The Beach Boys & Mark Linett toss the fans a few crumbs of information.? Given the 44 year on again/off-again promises of an official "Smile" release, giving the fans more information would shore up consumer confidence that this time, it is going to happen; that the project isn't going to falter and fall into long-term limbo. After all, Pink Floyd is giving their fans complete or near-complete information(and a photo of the products) for the three large "Immersion" box sets("The Dark Side of The Moon", "Wish You Were Here" & "The Wall"). Excepting the disc 3 & 4 contents for "The Wall" 7-disc set, Pink Floyd have given their fans complete information on these forthcoming projects, but The Beach Boys, Mark Linett & Capitol Records are taking the stonewall approach: no information, and of course, this leads many(such as myself) to doubt that this project will be completed and released.

[Bicyclerider]

Yes, who IS this elusive Melissa? I'm thinking Lou might have meant Melinda, but y'never know these days. All this time Smile had a completed second side running order!

yeah, OF COURSE I meant Melinda - I have Melissa on my mind today (never mind who she is!).