The Smiley Smile Message Board

So, I've been thinking...

Beatles fans are spoilt! There are zillions of great Beatles resources, chronicling every snippet of their unreleased recordings.

And I came up with this (perhaps not exactly new) idea...

Would anyone be interesting in helping me put together a web site similar to the layout/contents of John C. Winn's excellent books on the Beatles unreleased recordings (http://members.aol.com/multiplusbooks/) and the Beatles Archives (http://www.bamiyanshiff.com/beatlesarchives/home.htm)?

I've already started sorting out my private stash of bootlegs and collecting information I've gathered during previous years of research, but I sure could need help with verifying recording dates, best available sources, etc.

Any comments, suggestions, or whatnot would be appreciated!

Great idea, and there are plenty of resources (and peoples brains) to pick on...good luck! I look forward to reading this...

Something like this could always be part of a Beach Boys Wikipedia (which I wish would exist already!!!)

It's a great idea, but there's one basic problem.

The Beatles recorded, as a group, from 1962-1970. The huge majority of those sessions were held in Abbey road, where the cataloging system is the envy of the British Museum library - if Paul farted during a take, it was noted on the relevant tape sheet, complete with duration and key. In triplicate.

The Beach Boys, on the other hand, recorded from 1961-1996, in studios, barns, swimming pools, hotel rooms, woods and rooftops all over the world, and the documenting of the sessions grew increasingly slip-shod, not forgetting that such documentation as exists isn't invariably unimpeachable. A lot of the documentation is down to later recollection, and time erodes memory. Plus, people (and fans) have agendas...

OK, now I've had my whinge, sign me up.

Andrew: As Homer Simpsons once said: "It's funny because it's true". EMI - the "Greatest Recording Organisation in the World" - and Abbey Road with their technicians in white lab coats and ties was a three-headed monster of paperwork and discipline. Once again, the Beatles fans are spoilt with, for the most part, 100% accurate tape sheets and documents.

I understand it's nigh on impossible finding this type of info when it comes to the Beach Boys, although I definitely feel it's worth a try.

It's a HUGE task cataloguing, organizing and analysing the Beach Boys unreleased recordings, but I'm up for it!

Now... Where do one start?!
   

I like the idea don't know how I could contribute, but I'd certainly support it.

As long as I get my Revolution In The Head style personnel line-ups too [and this is just the place to get it done].  ;D

I'm hijacking my own thread here, but I have a few questions:

* Does anyone know of a good resource for AFM session sheets? Preferably online, but book recommendations are also appreciated.

Er... It seems like I only had one question at the moment...

I'd be down to help out in any way possible.  PM me if interested.

Great idea ... I'd be very interested in seeing such a site ... but, and this is just a thought, isn't it worth hanging in there to see exactly what Alan Boyd and co are putting together over at BB Central ? Be a shame for you to spend countless hours only to be pipped at the post by the 'official' site !
Yes, we COULD argue that it may well be another twelve months before BBC eventually goes online - or even longer - but how about getting Alan's input in this aswell ? Mr Boyd ?? Are you there ??!  8)

Not sure if you're familiar with my site (www.beachboysarchives.com), but I've done an essay on the "Beach Boys Today!" outtakes to accompany an essay I did on the actual released album.  Most of those outtakes have seen official release, but I've got an essay on the "Summer Days" outtakes which is almost done and ready to post.  A couple of those outtakes are still firmly in the "unreleased" category.  With my essays, I try to pull together all available information and post it, then add to it as people present more useful information.  My intention is to evenually work my way through their entire (known) catalog (official and otherwise).  My problem is, it takes a good few months for me to prepare each essay (I work on them as my other commitments allow).  Is that kinda what you had in mind, or were you thinking something simpler, and devoted to JUST unreleased stuff? 

Greetings c-man!

Thanks a lot for your input! I'm familiar with your essays, and I've enjoyed them a lot. I'm thinking of just listing the unreleased stuff that's circulating on bootlegs and collector's tapes/CDR's, but I'd love to include brief descriptions on various mixes (mono, stereo, remixes, etc.) of the officially released recordings.

I put up a forum dedicated exclusively to this "project" over at http://bbguide.forumup.be/

Feel free to register and comment, add information or just hang out!

DO IT, DO IT, This has to happen.

Good luck guys.

There's a lot of information regarding unreleased tracks here on this site:

http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/unreleased.html (http://www.btinternet.com/~bellagio/unreleased.html)

Thanks,
Roland

Hi!
First post on the 'new' (how many years now?) board, since the smileshoppe, but a long time BB fan and longtime lurker.
A year or two ago, when BWPS was around the corner, I put together a document called 'Smile-Just the facts' for which I had to listen to the relevant SOT sets (and other blegs) and make notes about each tracks content (takes, in-between banter, etc). I actually found the experience quite interesting and rewarding.
So, I'd like to offer to do propper anotations for the SOT sets as part of a larger project about unreleased BB material.
humanoidboogie, let me know (pm or mail) and I'd be happy to get to work on them, I've got plenty of time on my hands at the moment and would appreciate a rewarding challenge that might benefit the BB comunity in some way.
lemme know.

darren

Darren, good to see you here.  Your JUST THE FACTS was and is an important part of the SMiLE info I was putting together for the main board. 

I believe documenting the unreleased recordings would be very interesting and useful to see, and if anyone involved would like the space/bandwidth necessary to preserve this information, please let me know.

Thanks!! That honestly means a lot to me!  :) I've been lurking constantly but I've never really got a lot to contribute to the discussions beyond 'I agree' or 'I disagree' so I just enjoy the rest of the passionate and informed posts. Still the best board on the net by far imo. Top people.

Darren