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Title: When was the December 1966 comp reel actually done? Post by: The Song Of The Grange on April 15, 2012, 01:35:41 PM I am doing some hard core reading of the Smile box set book, which led me to wonder about the famous December 1966 Smile comp reel. Upon a search of the board I found the date 12/18/66 for Brian's December comp reels for Smile. This seems to jive with Keith Badman's book--he has Brian compiling the tracks on Dec. 17-18th. However, the updated Smile sessions inventory on our board here (which incredible--thanks to all who worked on it) has some material on the comp reel being recorded after Dec. 18th. Specifically: Worms mono mix done on 12/21/66, and a Cabin Essence vocal overdub done on 12/27/66. The Smile Sessions box set book seems to at least somewhat back up these dates, saying that Brian re-did the "Hawaiian" vocals at Columbia on 12/21/66. The book also says that Brian added more vocals to the chorus of Cabin Essence on 12/27/66. But it is still plausible that the comp reels could have been done before these 2 sessions, and might have even been instigated by Brian's review of the mixes. I also heard once that these comps were actually put together by Carl in 1971. It is interesting to note that according to the Smile box set book, Brian appears to have been in the studio by himself (or just with Van Dyke Parks) on:
12-19?-66 - tracking session, Western (Smile box set book doesn't know the exact date) Chimes intro (which Badman says was on comp reel #2) 12-21-66 - vocal session, Columbia (BBs possibly not there) Do You Like Worms (The box set book calls this a "various titles" session) 12-22-66 - vocal session, Columbia Da Da (The box set says that there could have been a full BBs session on this day also) 12-27-66 - vocal session, Columbia Cabin Essence (Brian added more vocals to Iron Horse part) 12-27-66 - vocal session, Columbia Heroes and Villains (Brian adding vocal overdubs) 12-28-66 - vocal session, Columbia Heroes and Villains (Brian adding vocal overdubs) I wonder if the comp reels could have been done at one or more of these sessions? Badman has a track list for 2 reels (though I have learned not to trust his data). I wonder how correct this info is? Reel #1 (according to Badman): Cabin Essence sections Do You Like Worms sections Wonderful Child Is Father of the Man Vega-Tables (cornucopia version) H&V chimes intro H&V verse H&V barbershop section Barnyard Suite(?) (maybe just Barnyard?) Prayer Reel #2: Prayer Wonderful Cabin Essence sections Child is Father of the Man Do You Like Worms Title: Re: When was the December 1966 comp reel actually done? Post by: Ptolemaios on March 11, 2021, 11:24:35 PM I was looking for info on this and found this unanswered topic. Is there somewhere where I can find the most current info on the "comp reel" of Dec 1966?
Title: Re: When was the December 1966 comp reel actually done? Post by: WillJC on March 12, 2021, 01:24:02 AM Badman is quite misleading here. The two reels described are two completely different things, and neither were assembled in December 1966.
One is a compilation of rough mono mixes began October 4 and added to throughout the month. In order (with dates), it contained: 1. Prayer (Oct 4) 2. Wonderful (Oct 6) 3. Cabin Essence (Oct 11) 4. Cabin Essence (Oct 12) 5. Child is Father of the Man (Oct 13) 6. Do You Like Worms (Oct 18) The original is missing, but a safety copy exists. The other mentioned is an 8-track compilation, with most of the important masters for the album collected to the same reel in a similar fashion to the way they worked on Sunflower. It appears to be chronological. That one contained: 1. Good Vibrations 2. Wonderful 3. Cabin Essence (3 sections) 4. Child is Father of the Man (3 sections) 5. Vega-Tables (original version) 6. Heroes and Villains (Verse edited into Bicycle Rider edited into another Verse copy) 7. Heroes and Villains (Barnyard) 8. Do You Like Worms (missing that Bicycle Rider section) 9. Heroes and Villains (Part 3) 10. Heroes and Villains (outtakes from either the Jan or June version of Children Were Raised, unsure) That only survives via a safety copy of an incomplete 4-track copy of the original, meaning half a multitrack. Most of the missing Smile vocals that were known to have once existed in mono mixes can be ascribed to this thing vanishing. Title: Re: When was the December 1966 comp reel actually done? Post by: thetojo on March 13, 2021, 12:46:06 PM Maybe Brian burned the other 4 tracks!
Title: Re: When was the December 1966 comp reel actually done? Post by: juggler on March 13, 2021, 09:10:29 PM Maybe Brian burned the other 4 tracks! Perhaps but FWIW Al Jardine has said that he doesn't believe that Brian ever burned any Smile tapes. Title: Re: When was the December 1966 comp reel actually done? Post by: Greg Parry on March 15, 2021, 07:52:16 AM Maybe Brian burned the other 4 tracks! That's some precise burning. Did he use some sort of quantum blowtorch? So much for hum losing his meticulous skills after Smile was shelved :lol Title: Re: When was the December 1966 comp reel actually done? Post by: Ptolemaios on March 16, 2021, 12:07:11 AM Most of the missing Smile vocals that were known to have once existed in mono mixes can be ascribed to this thing vanishing. Could you elaborate on this please? |