Cost $$$ of recording Good Vibrations and Smile

[The Song Of The Grange]

I have heard from many sources that it cost around $50,000 to record Good Vibrations.  It took 22 sessions to finish GV.  So I am wondering if I can estimate the cost of the Smile album (except GV), using the GV cost as a rough guide. From what I can tell there was around 85 sessions (plus a hand full of canceled sessions were the musicians were paid).  Some sessions would have cost more than others, depending on the number of musicians.  So I'll just round down to 80 sessions to (very roughly) account for this discrepancy.  So if 22 sessions cost about $50,000, then 80 sessions would cost about $181,800. Does this look like a good ballpark figure?

I used an online site (http://www.measuringworth.com/ppowerus/) to convert this into 2008 dollars.  $181,800  in the year 1967 has the same "purchase power" as $1,171,918.72  in the year 2008.  No wonder Brian started working out of his home studio.  With this kind of cost for an unreleased album, maybe they forced him to work at home?

[Chris Brown]

In an interview in LLVS, Brian said that it cost $15,000 to record Good Vibrations.  I would think that in 1966-67 dollars, $50,000 is quite high, but that's just my unfounded speculation.

[hypehat]

i've heard the cost for Good Vibes fluctuate from $35,000 to $90,000. Unless there's a few miles of tape we haven't heard, $50,000  sounds a bit pricy.... Plus, some of those 80 sessions were just the Beach Boys, or maybe the Vosse Posse (The lifeboat tape was done at a studio, wasn't it?). Actually.... did the BB's get paid for studio work? i presume not, but i'm not sure of the facts

[Andrew G. Doe]

i've heard the cost for Good Vibes fluctuate from $35,000 to $90,000. Unless there's a few miles of tape we haven't heard, $50,000  sounds a bit pricy.... Plus, some of those 80 sessions were just the Beach Boys, or maybe the Vosse Posse (The lifeboat tape was done at a studio, wasn't it?). Actually.... did the BB's get paid for studio work? i presume not, but i'm not sure of the facts

If you're listed on the AFM sheet, that is, as a musician, you get paid union scale (double if you're listed as 'leader') per hour, rising to scale plus a half for 'overtime'  (which apparently kicked in after three hours). Vocal sessions, I've no idea, but I suspect the band didn't get paid for those. These costs were borne by the record company, as were studio rates and instrument hire when required.  I'd say $50,000 for "GV" sounds about right.

Union scale in 1966/67 seems to have been just over $27 an hour, if my calculations based on the AFM payments are accurate (clarification welcomed).