The Smiley Smile Message Board

Question: on the Japanese Capitol Friends/Honey vinyl twofer that I originally purchased and idiotically gave to my sister when the thing came out on CD in the late 80's, "TM" has the weirdest fadeout I believe I've ever heard on a "pop song".

It goes from full volume to maybe one-quarter volume within the course of....ONE BEAT. Then after another few measures (I think...haven't heard it in years) of one-quarter volume, it just cuts off. Snip. Like they ran out of tape. Coming after those harmonies, which are weird even for a jazzy piece, this is jarring beyond all reason.

On the CD, "TM" instead features a standardish fade, followed by bonus tracks. I should have done the "Indian giver" routine on my sister as soon as I heard this, but the bonus tracks distracted me, I guess.

Could any of you people shed light on the disparity between vinyl and CD? I'll bet y'all can!

I have no clue, but I like that song a lot. The snare drum has a really unique sound to it.

By the way, it just occurs to me that the snipped ending on side two of Friends could have been an "inspiration" for the similar ending of side one of Abbey Road, provided this was the original "fade" on the original Friends, and not just an inadvertant quirk of that Japanese twofer release. Also, as I think of it, "I Want You (Heavy)" was originally intended as the end of the whole album, but at some point in the process the sides of AR were flopped.

Has Paul EVER mentioned the Beach Boys albums AFTER SMiLE? And with that question asked; How about the albums Pre-Pet Sounds?

Gee, I thought this would be the title for the Reunion-tour.... ;D

Sorry, but I don't have an answer to your question....

I noticed the same thing yesterday when i was listening to the Friends vinyl! never noticed before

The end of "I Want You ( She's So Heavy)" wasn't inspired by anything; the tape just ran out there.  Sadly, it was the last performance of all four Beatles together, so their absolutely final moment wasn't caught on tape.

Actually, "The End" was the last time all four played music together in the studio...there were subsequent overdub and mixdown sessions that they all probably attended, and according to the Lewisohn book, the mixdown session for "I Want You" was the last time they were all together at Abbey Road...

The vinyl copies Capitol put out in about 1981 and 1994 both have a normal fade. The 68 original has the odd dip in sound.

Thanks, c-man- been about fifteen years since I read the Lewisohn book, and I hate to be the source of bad info.  I trust my memory a little less every day...