The Smiley Smile Message Board

Happy Halloween all! I enjoy listening to My Solution on this day and other than knowing it was apparently recorded on October 31st (1969 or 1970) I’m curious about this mysterious track. Does anyone know the personnel on it, was it intended for an album? Any other fun facts you can provide would be great!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NlBJq1W-pOw

Well, it was worked again in 1980 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G02sDTNUUpk) (probably for the "Keepin' the summer alive" sessions, I'd guess) and in '98 Brian used it for "Happy days (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCpb7rbJRqs)" from his Imagination album.

It seems that the lineup on the original version, from Halloween of 1970, amounted to just Brian on the instrumental track (playing synthesizers), and Brian, Carl, Mike, Al, and Bruce on the vocals. There's a photo from that session that includes Carli Munoz posing in a monster mask (not Billy Hinsche, as originally reported by David Leaf), but I'm not sure if he's playing on the track - it would be a couple of years before he joined their band. Dennis was reportedly absent, likely filming "Two Lane Blacktop".

The 1980 version (instrumental track only, no vocals) was recorded a couple of months after the release of Keepin' The Summer Alive - in a medley with a new version of "Shortenin' Bread" - under the title "Song Within A Song". Brian cut that at Western 3 with Chuck  and a few session guys, like drummer Earl Palmer.

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Billy Hinsche performed "My Solution" in his Live from Billy's Place show last night. The man in the monster mask was his trivia question too, so we'll get a definitive answer on that particular ID soon.

Thank you all for the input, great details! I recall Dennis wearing a similar monster mask in the Pet Sounds era promo film. 🧟‍♂️🤔

Billy has confirmed that it was Carli Muñoz.