The Smiley Smile Message Board

http://www.antimusic.com/news/11/march/16Beach_Boys_SMiLE_Release_Confirmed.shtml


"I'm thrilled that The Beach Boys' original studio sessions for SMiLE will be released for the first time, after all these years," says Brian Wilson. "I'm looking forward to this collection of the original recordings and having fans hear the beautiful angelic voices of the boys in a proper studio release."

"One of my favorite songs from the SMiLE sessions is 'Wonderful'," says Mike Love. "The song truly lives up to its title, as do many of the tracks on SMiLE. Cousin Brian was at his creative peak during those sessions. I'm unaware of anything that comes close in pop music."

"I recently played some of my personal acetates from the SMiLE sessions and they held up really well," says Al Jardine. "We would come home from touring and go straight into the studio to record. Brian couldn't wait to show us his latest ideas. We were recording SMiLE and Pet Sounds material simultaneously, so the tracks and vocals all have the same great quality. Most of the vocals were done at Columbia Studios in Hollywood, across the street from Western Studios, where most of the tracking was done."

"For me, it's always been about the way Brian Wilson brilliantly composed and 'voiced' his amazing chord progressions and melodies," says Bruce Johnston. "SMiLE really made me smile!"

"Personally, I loved it," the late Carl Wilson said in 1994 of the SMiLE sessions (from the Don Was-directed documentary, Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made For These Times).

"In my opinion it makes Pet Sounds stink - that's how good it is," the late Dennis Wilson told a journalist in 1966 of the planned SMiLE album.

Did we really need another thread about this?  ::)

Probably not, but we could post links to new interviews with the guys for the release in this thread. That way they don't get lost in the others

Good point.  ;D

Point of order - the last two comments are not about the new release.  ;D

Dang, I was hoping for more complete versions of the seance interviews if those were recent quotes.

Life sucks sometimes.

From Bruce on the BBB Board
http://www.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1300128127&user=bellagio

Re(2): Official SMiLE announcement from Capitol/EMI Records
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 07:42:07 PM by Bruce Johnston

I'm looking forward to having SMiLE recordings that are of the original high musical and sonic standard that they were recorded in instead of scratchy acetates from too many years ago that 'live' in my collection. The compilation producers are Mark Linett and Alan Boyd who both have a deep loyalty to the musical and historical value of 'everything Beach Boys.'
As the original creator and producer of this amazing recorded music is Brian Wilson, it gives Mark and Alan a wonderful opportunity to be involved in the restoration and packaging of a most important American pop music treasure.

Bruce Johnston
London
March 14, 2011

More from Bruce on the BBB Board

"Jasper:
I totally understand everyone's excitement about the possibility of 'officially' hearing Brian's original SMILE recordings but I suspect that Brian 'back in the day' never knew how it would turn out because he never finished recording and assembling his incredible recordings.
What we have all heard so far is truly a musical marvel and his fairly recent solo album SMILE re-recording was certainly of great interest to a lot true fans all over the world. FYI: My favorite solo SMILE 'recording' of Brian's is the Bristol, England, DVD bootleg!
It will be fascinating to see what Alan Boyd & Mark Linett uncover from a few acetates to full fidelity original SMILE tapes. I do not personally know Mark but I do know Alan and I expect the best possible SMILE release from their efforts as compilation producers (Brian Wilson is of course the overall original SMILE producer though that album was never finished or released).
Jasper, you should view me only as a devoted Brian Wilson & Beach Boys music fan that happens to be in the band and please realize that I have nothing to do with the musical composing or production of SMILE. I'm just waiting to see how it all turns out!

Bruce Johnston
London
March 15, 2011"

"J Hammond:
I am only an applauding bystander at this point.

Bruce Johnston
London
March 15, 2011 "

Bruce Johnston, promoting a bootleg? Now, why doesn't that sound right to me?  ::)

Have any of the Beach Boys say when this is gonna be released?

To me, this begs the question: Has Bruce decided that his acetates are too scratchy to use, no matter what is on them, and hasn't/won't let anyone else listen to them?

Bruce is such a Smile freak, he's worn those puppies out.

Yes, Al Jardine.  He said, "Capitol Records plans to issue a Beach Boys version of Smile sometime this summer..."

"This summer" could mean June to September.

Capitol hasn't confirmed that, but Al turned out to be right about the project happening, so I have no reason to doubt him on this.

If Al's speaking, "this summer" could very well mean a single cdr-only release in four years' time.


But I'm glad Mike has an opportunity and a public forum to praise SMiLE. It is great work and he should express his admiration after all these years. He's taken enough stick for Smile's downfall that he should bask in the praise for the stellar work he did actually do on the songs.

He's mentioned that particular DVD since about 4 days after the gig in question.

So what is/was Bruce doing in London this week?

Ummm... playing with his band ?

private band gigs....

"It will be fascinating to see what Alan Boyd & Mark Linett uncover from a few acetates to full fidelity original SMILE tapes. I do not personally know Mark but I do know Alan and I expect the best possible SMILE release from their efforts as compilation producers (Brian Wilson is of course the overall original SMILE producer though that album was never finished or released)."

What Bruce Johnston said.  Alan Boyd is an unsung hero in the Beach Boys' story for sure...if SMILE gets screwed up it will be in spite of his efforts, not because of them.

I just realized last night I had a dream where I had a beer with Bruce Johnston.  I REALLY need to not be on this board so much....

Pacifico, I trust.

A sequel to the Mickey Dolenz song, no? ;D

Carl; in 81'

Brian just couldn't thread it together, he couldn't make that full cycle and tie it all together. How finished was it? Half, I suppose. At that time, it just seemed inconceivable to spend two years on an album. Just think: two years before, they wanted three albums a year. If people heard the Smile tapes today, they'd hear a lot of themes that keep cycling back on each other. A lot of tunes were interchangeable; you could take a section out of one and put it in another.

To get that album out, someone would have needed willingness and perseverance to corral all of us. Everybody was so loaded on pot and hash all of the time that it's no wonder the project didn't get done. Brian was getting fragmented, starting to have difficulty completing things. And it was also a thing of, "What if it didn't turn out to be great, what if it had totally flopped?" That would have completely destroyed him. We would have lost him forever in terms of having any communication with him.

In the middle of all this, Brian just said, "I can't do this. We're going to make a homespun version of it instead. We're just going to take it easy. I'll get in the pool and sing. Or let's go in the gym and do our parts." That was Smiley Smile. I've always said that Smiley Smile was the bunt, and Smile was the home run. A lot of Smile songs were on Smiley Smile but they didn't sound the same at all. The melodies were similar, but the versions were more laid back. Maybe we'd do the melody, but nothing would be there of the original production. Brian had given up and didn't want to know about it. So we just had fun.

Very interesting to note that Carl called it a version of what Brian wanted Smile to be and not just a record with the same songs.

Thanks for posting that quote! It was new to me

Agreed, That is a really cool quote. Thanks for bringing it to the discussion.

LMFAO

I really have to say that scratchy acetates are not an excuse.  I too have scratchy acetates on occasion and I still enjoy a good tune.  A little Gold Bond Cream and soon I'm humming right along! :p