The Smiley Smile Message Board

Hi everyone,
First - if you want an "authentic" stereo Smile reconstruction in a great quality, I refer you to soniclovenoize's excellent remix.
My mix is an attempt to re-creat the Disc 1 version in stereo, but:
1. No cross-fades (you can shuffle my mix and creat your preferred runnning order)
2. No pitch corrected fly-ins (I don't like the sound of these, sorry... however, they will be presented in the extended Smile project)
3. All songs have proper fades restored.
4. In a couple of places I put some surprises of my own, just to make you SMiLE...

This is the first part of a larger project which will include *every* Smile master take, in mono and stereo, for all fanmixers to use  :).
This version is 320kps mp3, the extended Smile project will be flac.

http://www.mediafire.com/?hwexk3pniol7ngd

(I don't know how legitimate it is to share it here, if there are problems I'll try to find some other way to share it).

Thanks! I'm downloading it right now, I look forward to listening to it.

Excellent! - Me too.

Many thanks, Barnshine.

Gonna listen to this later! Cool!

Neat!  I'll give it a try!  Interested how you got the stereo Barnyard... 

How bout a Flac of this edit?

I'm now working on an "Alternate Smile Sessions" set as a sort of a companion to the official one.
It will be in flac and include:
1. This stereo edit of Disc 1 (including cross fades and fly-ins)
2. A mono re-construction of an "historical" Smile (12 tracks, no cross-fades or fly-ins).
3. More "clean" stereo/mono mixes of other songs.
4. "Fanmixers toolkit" - Smile bits and pieces in stereo/mono.
5. Vintage BW mixes of songs/sections.

How does it sound?  ;D

Hey, it's pretty good Barnshine!  :)  What you did with Barnyard, yeah that's the only thing your could possibly do, and it's not so bad at all.

Also, you could maybe even add the animal noises from Swedish frog?  Just as idea!  :)  

Also, As for your suggestion of a Historical SMiLE (which you know I'm a sucker for), I'd still think many of the songs would still be crossfaded, you know? 

Sounds very good, for me especially 2, 3 and 5. These are actually some of the projects of which I thought I might try to do sometime. I already started doing some basic mono and stereo mixes of some tracks. I'm looking forward to hearing your versions!

The end of "Surf's Up" drops in quality....is that from vinyl??

Long time lurker, new member here.  I just wanted to say that I think this is a capital notion.  Like most fans, I'm over the moon about TSS, but this sounds like an ideal compliment to that set.  I'd love to get clean stereo mixes wherever possible, as well as some of Brian's vintage edits in the best quality.  I've done a few mixes in my day, but I'm a bit of a luddite when comes to the editing tools, so this toolkit sounds like just the ticket for rolling your own.    :hat

Downloading now, loving the Stereo mix's being made

if Capitol went the pet sounds route and released a stereo version i'd be pleased.  i sorta expect it eventually.  I know not all the multitracks are available, but you can get around that in some ways right?  some of this stuff just sounds better in stereo, and certainly more modern

I too would love a Capitol Mark/Alan stereo version.

If a track or two in has to be in mono then so be it.

(Also VDP often deliberately used the odd 'low-res' track on his albums to good effect.)

There's stereo for the sake of stereo with insufficient sources and then there's actual quality stereo mixing from multitracks. The two aren't always mutually exclusive, but often are in one way or another.

Also, can't really say I care about "modern" or not. I'm sure you weren't stressing that point or anything, but yeah, just sayin'.

A bit late.. but thanks Barnshine for sharing.

I've got a huge sentimental commitment to the BWPS sequence (saw the SMiLE concerts twice in London) even though I know some of the songs probably wouldn't have appeared in the hypothetical 1967 album. Holidays (one of my favourite tracks... not sure why) is better without the Whispering Winds section flown in. I seem to remember PurpleChick doing a reasonable job on this... but that could be rose-tinted memory! Those post-BWPS fan mixes seemed great at the time (with the resources available), but will sound increasingly creaky in the post-TSS world!

wouldn't it make more sense to stay true to the actual brian-approved smile for disc 1

Whatever became of this set? I was really looking forward to it!

I've been a bit busy for a while, plus I know P.J. is working on a similar set... but I'm pretty close to finish mine, so if you people are interested I'll take the time to complete and upload it.

I'm definitely still interested in this project.  I've been holding off on trying to 'roll my own' and in some respects, TSS doesn't make it as easy as it could have.  I'm not really an expert when it comes to the technical details, so I'd appreciate the assist.  That Fanmixer's Toolkit sounded like just the ticket for me.

What do people consider to be the best editing software for a PC, particularly for a relative novice like myself?

Hi, I'm also still interested in this project, especially the vintage BW mixes compilation.

Tristero: I agree there's some tracks that I still can't edit myself easily from TSS. I'm also trying to do a complete overview of Smile, a bit like this project:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,850.0.html

The problem with the sources is that we now have more complete versions from bootlegs, or better sounding but edited/incomplete versions from TSS. Which to include? Maybe I should just go for a compilation of everything essential not including anything from TSS, that leaves out that problem.
About simple editing software: I use Audacity, but I only do simple editing and fades, and sometimes a mono mix down. It works fine for that.

Absolutely! Bring it on! (Please)

Yeah, I haven't worked on any editing in over a week. The end of the semester is up and running so I am very busy.

I'm really liking the feel of your mixes with longer instrumental sections such as the intro to Wind Chimes and Da Da. In fact longer versions the better for me because I think the backing tracks are soo beautiful.

Also, I'm only interested in stereo and I can't help thinking that next year, they'll release stereo and 5.1 versions (as they did with Pet Sounds). It's probably already in the can.

I also love your idea of a toolkit, so mere mortals such as myself can fool around with the sequencing of a playlist or simple edit. I think the Boxset missed out on this trick… or maybe not, perhaps that's another release for another day along with more unreleased sessions…

Man, I hope you're right about this, but I doubt it.  Part of this comes down to some of the rough sources they needed to turn to for some of these tracks.  Hell, we can't even get a stereo version of GV at this point, so it's hard to imagine tracks like Child or IIGS sounding right in surround.  Beyond that, I just don't think that 5.1 market ever took off in a big way, unfortunately, so I'm not sure it would be worth the investment in these lean economic times.

I had heard that they actually prepared a 5.1 version of Surf's Up at one point, but it's still in the can.  What are you waiting for, guys?

If I or anyone of us can make a decent stereo mix, I can't see why Mark Linnett and Alan Boyd couldn't make a great one...

5:1 is impossible though for some songs.

Great Effort

I love how parts of it (especially the vocals) seem to wrap around your ears like candyfloss round a stick

not too into what you've done with Gee, and a few other bits go a little too off and go round a little deviation, it's your mix tho so fair play to you
i do like 'DYLW's thats great especially from 1.08 onwards, that is the 1st candyfloss moment for me, 2:17 onwards does the same, reeeaalllly nice phat and hush/whisper, great timpani(?) sound.
Barnyard with piano in or not - that is the question these days. eitherway great work, bv's a tad too subtle maybe?
OMP/YAMS - drum bit just b4 the singin sounds alittle gated or alittle abrupt on the reverb?nice where the sax comes in, wanted more of this on my ears with this tune from the off really?
CabinEssence -seems to loose vol/impact alittle at 0.43, also would be nice more stereo on over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield
Look 1.51 a teeny too sharp as edit for me?
CIFOTM - nice spread at the beginning, nice sound/spread on the instruments after the vocals, good work
Surf's up - a colossal tune if ever there was, really nice version - undecided on the 71 coda, such a great song tho, that ending is sooooo good - candyfloss moment defo!nice right at the end the harmonising na naaa na na, nana naaa lower bv - great to hear this bit
VegaTables - is this a little quieter up to 1:25? maybe bring it up a notch on that section
Holiday's one song i sooo wish wouldv had lead vocals on. can imagine it with 60s BB singin ala windchimes style. if only....
windchimes - great sound on the wood block, i duno but every edit ive heard of this on the 1.20 mark has always seemd like its choppd a little midg's dick of vocal off right at its beginning, tho 2.16 doesnt seem to have it? wierd, could be my ears but that take its from, i always notice it on dif mixes people have done -  must to be due to the source
Elements - nice and deep, couldv gone more shrill/spikey sounding too on the top end instrumentwise, great piece of audio imagery this tune
Love to Say Da Da, another i'd have loved to hear with lead vocal on, reminds me of some of the 'today' album with it's unusual musical pauses

really impressive piece of work. great effort! :serenade :serenade :happydance

Wow, thanks for the detailed review! I'll definitely consider some of the comments for the revised mix (which I hope to finish soon).

no worries man, was a pleasure to listen to tbh. only felt compelled to do this on yours, PurpleChicks & Fast Eddies all those years ago
some great work in here, the fades work well by the way, considering you've done this for primarily for yourself (hence the bits like Gee) i really enjoyed how you've thought about it
the mixing tho is a nice piece of work - if you could do this to TSS Disk 1 (seems abit cheap to ask really but heyho) i would be eternaly grateful to you

bring on the revised mix! out of curiosity are there any new SMiLE Stereo mixes you've enjoyed yourself? there's some ineteresting stuff, and some poor stuff but be great to see where your heads at on these if youknowwhatimean....