The Smiley Smile Message Board

It seems that the Live DVD is primarily from another show, and while it does contain footage of the Royal Festival Hall show, based on the description it doesn't seem to be the full thing. I found a bootleg of a show from the 2/24/04 but is there a recording of the original performance of Brian Wilson's Smile?

Even if it's not perfect (which would be understandable) I think this show obviously has tremendous cultural importance, and I'd love to be able to see/hear it.

Legally ? No.  ::)

That premier show at RFH was nearly perfect. Just a couple of vocal flubs from Brian. Man, that performance had a lot of energy and the band played and sang with gusto. :)

That's quite disappointing :\

You're disappointed that the show was nearly perfect?  seems a bit negative to me...

Ah,  no, someone sent me the boot and it sounded amazing!!

It was disappointing when someone said there was no legal way to hear it.

The first four nights were filmed and recorded, but for whatever reason, Brian's management elected to reshoot the 'live' portion of the DVD at a closed/invited audience pair of shows in Burbank (9/26). The first night wasn't perfect, but the emotion in the hall that night was just incredible: grown men wept. I was one of them, not afraid to admit that.

If you shouldn't know it yet (or have forgotten) you can listen to a whole Smile performance (and also TLOS) on npr.

http://www.npr.org/artists/14999155/brian-wilson (http://www.npr.org/artists/14999155/brian-wilson)

What made you weep? 2nd movement? Was there a collective wave of awe to be felt when it began?

I STILL find it hard not to weep at the scene in Beautiful Dreamer where Parks comes onstage and stands on one foot. It just kills me.

Brian was wearing double denim and the pain, bewilderment, anguish and hurt caused by his fashion crime on this night, of all nights, could not be expressed in any other way.

Sorry to resurrect this thread two weeks early, but...speaking of VDP coming on-stage and standing on one foot....as we all know, the scenes from the "first night" were edited to kingdom come -- Paul McCartney and George Martin make a surprise appearance, Nick's shirt magically changes twice during "Good Vibrations," etc. -- and at the end of "Good Vibrations," they cut to VDP in the crowd, emotionally overcome. He's wearing a white polo shirt. When Brian invites VDP on stage, VDP is suddenly wearing a blue button-down shirt and a sweater-vest...so, what's the deal there? Which one is the REAL first night (if either)???

This thread really got me thinking about that first performance, I recall listening to it either on a stream somewhere or maybe it *was* shared/downloaded but I do recall wanting to hear that again especially once BWPS came out because there were some little details and touches in that performance that I don't recall ever hearing again.. It was a really special moment to sit down and listen to that, quality of the recording aside the magic still shone through, I understand why they would want to nip and tuck certain things before releasing a performance like that officially but it was historic, at least as far as music goes, it would be nice if there existed an intact performance somewhere exactly as it unfolded/looked/sounded.

A google search for this topic led to my discovery of this site, and while awaiting activation, I've been immersed in many of the threads.  Site is awesome.

But, back to the matter at hand... after exhaustive searches, I've been unable to find this concert in any format.  Would one of you kind souls mind sharing or leading me on the correct path?  I've worn out the show I saw in Chicago that October and I need a new fix!

Cheers!

I've been scowering the net for this as well to no avail. I'm impressed and bummed BriMel

Deadsville...