The Smiley Smile Message Board

Not specifically a Beach Boys film, but...Thanks to the licensing company "Reeling In The Years Productions", footage from an ABC program that aired in February 1967 called "The Songmakers" has been released to YouTube, FINALLY! I've been writing about this and waiting for it for years.

This shows a Mamas And Papas session in Western #3 (Brian's favorite room) that was held in either late 66 or early 67, and features the Wrecking Crew cutting tracks. What is amazing is to consider we can see the same room with several of the same musicians in action during a session at the same time Brian was in there cutting tracks for Smile. So we get to see the exact same equipment and how things were set up and run inside Western #3 at the same time Brian was there. And it also shows...which I didn't realize until the clip was released...the band writing the song at John and Michelle's house with producer Lew Adler. This is the SAME house and likely the same room just a few months removed from when Brian and Paul McCartney hung out there for a jam session in April '67. And it's also where Brian spent time there too, hanging out and doing whatever else.

It's rare to see these things in live action, full color film/video, so this is short and apparently less content (I think?)  than what was originally aired but still a treat to watch. And there is more of the show (including a Bacharach-David-Warwick session) which hopefully the company will preview on their channel as well. The only other clip is Simon & Garfunkel from the same "Songmakers" program. More, please!

Here it is in glorious color, with audio:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mspTGpiPzU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mspTGpiPzU)

Here are some of my previous posts and research about that Songmakers program, which at the time was not available for public viewing and which had only trickled out in brief clips on an old M&P documentary (scroll down for more info and vintage press clippings) :

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,27354.msg666314.html#msg666314 (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,27354.msg666314.html#msg666314)

The song being worked up became "Boys & Girls Together" on the "Deliver" album, released February 1967.

Shown in the video are the following musicians and staff, besides the M&P:
Hal Blaine drums, Tommy Tedesco guitar (with the Telecaster he smashed at a Mike Nesmith session later that year), Joe Osborn bass, "Doctor" Eric Hord banjo (the Doc was the M&P touring guitarist), Larry Knechtel on piano, Gary Coleman mallets/percussion, Bones Howe lead engineer, Bowen David assistant engineer, Lew Adler producer...and if anyone can spot any others in the film please add to the list! (Interestingly, Tommy is clearly shown playing guitar but is not credited on the album)

Enjoy!

Wonderful! ReelinInTheYears is a goldmine for all kind of rare stuff.

I continue to be amazed at how small that studio is.

Tedesco's got his name on his guitar - what a hombre  :afro

32 x 15

not sure if this is the Dionne Warwick footage you mentioned but it's great: https://youtu.be/iBUDjZxC4co

Such great clips.  Thanks for posting.
Warwick + Bacharach + David = pure magic.
 

That's it! Thank you! Yes, that's the Bacharach-David-Warwick segment from "The Songmakers". I hope someday we can see the full show as it aired on ABC in early '67. I think I have seen the Mike Bloomfield footage online as well from the same show.

That's Tommy's famous Telecaster which he literally threw up in the air during a session for Mike Nesmith's Wichita Train Whistle Sings sessions after Nesmith asked him to play something crazy, you can barely hear it crash down on the track. I know the answer is out there but I can't recall if Tommy got it fixed after that episode.

It's great to see these guys in action at Western, especially #3. Also consider there wasn't much footage shot because, until Nesmith blew the lid off the whole session player scene in a magazine interview, they didn't want it publicized in the biz that kids' favorite bands weren't playing their tracks on their albums.

If we could nail down the date of this Mamas & Papas session at Western #3, it would be neat to fit it into the Smile timeline because Brian was cutting Smile tracks there at exactly the same time.

FWIW, a comment on the Hoffman forum puts the date of that Mamas & Papas session as 1 December 1966.
A quick check of the Smile timeline puts the BBs' closest session as a vocal session for Old Master Painter/My Only Sunshine on 30 November 1966.

That's a really cool video!