The Smiley Smile Message Board

Was this song ever recorded in a different form during the SMiLE sessions? I think it was mentioned in the Hawthorne double cd that with me tonight was first attempted during the SMiLE era. Anyone have more info?

I know there's a different version on the Good Vibrations boxset called "You're With Me Tonight".  Sounds more like a complex production, so that might be it.

Sure was. Many years ago, in a high, cold place I was listening to a bunch of "H&V" sessions when in the middle thereof appeared what I can only describe as a fully realised "bells & whistles" version of "WMT" with much more forceful vocals.

I think there's another one floating around,too, that was done around the same time. I maybe wrong, though.

From the Smile Primer:

With Me Tonight 1 (B.Wilson)
Recording date unknown.

There are no documented sessions for With Me Tonight during the Smile period, yet three different versions of the song have surfaced. This piano, bass and group vocal interpretation appears to be the first, probably recorded in February or March of 1967. The final take 12 is too long at three minutes to be a section of another song - it may have been under consideration for the B side of the Heroes and Villains single, and likely was recorded during those sessions.

With Me Tonight 2
Recording date unknown

This version has a fuller production style with harpsichord, bass, and handclaps. Probably also recorded Feb-March 1967, it’s shorter length (about 1:35) may mean it was planned to be a section of another song, perhaps Heroes or Vegetables – the only multipart songs Brian was working on at that time.

With Me Tonight 3
Recording date unknown, likely April 1967.

This brief version (take 13) has bass and backing vocals that are identical to a section of Vegetables, which would appear to date the piece to April 1967, although it appears on a Heroes and Villains comp reel (see below). Again, it may have been intended to be a section in Vegetables or in Heroes and Villains. It was released on Hawthorne.

And to that we should add the fourth version mentioned by Andrew, which although reported by him, has yet to appear on a bootleg or in the Beach Boys tape vault.  It sounds like it's a combination of Heroes Intro or Bag of Tricks with the With Me Tonight vocals - could this be what Brian intended to do with those pieces?  The With Me Tonight lyrics are in the same vein as "How I Love My Girl" which was part of the intro to Heroes Part 2 at one point - perhaps WMT was the replacement for that section?

The first two have appeared on several boots such as Archaeology.

>It sounds like it's a combination of Heroes Intro or Bag of Tricks with the With Me Tonight vocals - could this be what Brian intended to do with those pieces? 

erm... i'm hazarding a guess that agd isn't being literal about bells and whistles...

i'm sure he'll clarify.

As best I recall - hell, it was almost 20 years ago - the instrumentation was primarily percussive and yes, when I heard the 'bells & whistles' track on the box set, it reminded me powerfully of what I'd heard. It sure sounded like they were all having a complete blast !