New post on the Hoffman board:
Haven't been around for a couple of weeks… it's been mad in the office and B has had his work cut out with all the Liam Fox stuff this week, although we have had the odd look at this thread and a bit of a giggle-I mean, St Etienne?? People, get real. Who do you think you are?
Anyway we've all been round S's place all weekend, with some nice food, a few bottles of wine and some smokes (not for B, though, obviously, a man in his position), and we thought we'd break out Smile again (it seems to go well when youre in that kind of mood…). And B said he wanted to set a few things straight for you guys anyway. So we wrote this, and finished it tonight. I've spent most of it staring at Big Ben and the lights in the Houses of Parliament. S's flat has a brilliant view of the river, he's a lucky bastard.
You know the more I hear the 60s smile, the more I like it. There's something about those old Beach Boy voices. I think Wonderful is still my favourite, with Surf's Up right behind it, but the Beach Boys versions are starting to beat the ones on my Brian Wilson Smile CD the more I listen. Brett has offered to burn me a mix CD, so I can hear In Blue Hawaii with all the words but listen to the Beach Boys sing Wonderful.
Anyway I just thought I'd say hi really. B is the one who's really on the mike tonight. He's got a load of stuff he's wanted to say based on that notebook of his. Hes been typing away for hours, hope you enjoy it!
Leila x
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So here are some detailed notes for you all, starting at Disk 1 and going on through to the end of Disk 2. Some of this I wrote in between trying to save the ex-foreign secretary's arse this week (seven days of my life I won't see again), some of it I wrote last night while I was a bit loose and floppy. So dont set the spelling police on me.
Overall, the set sounds friggin great. Beautiful audio quality throughout. The mono mixes are tight and punchy, the stero thoughtfully panned. I feel like plug-in reverb is used a lot, and probably more than I'd like, but we'll get to that. Generally, though, this is way better quality than even the best quality boots. I bought round my silver copies of the Sea Of Tunes SMiLE disks with me so we could compare, and even those CDs, which I thought were release quality back in the day, sound quite faint and hissy compared to this. I can't wait to hear this set on vinyl!!
Disk 1 - all mono unless I say otherwise
Our Prayer. Not many surprises here. No high note at the end, I guess that was a 20/20 thing.
Gee. Nothing new here either, weve all heard this so many times. Ends on the fluttertone horn, like BWPS, but fades pretty much out before H&V starts properly.
H&V. Nothing to report here, youve all heard this right? Seems a bit weird to have the fluttertone _again_ at the end of the song tho. Pretty much fades out before Worms starts.
Worms: pretty much exactly like the box set mix from the 90s. No verse vocals. No full bicycle rider or conceret ribbon vocals on the first chorus. Tape warp vocals section, but the warp has been fixed - still no verse vocals here. You _do_ get the full Bicycle Rider vocals on the second chorus, with 'to the church of the American Indian' then the usual Wahala lu lay part, followed by the final Rock Roll bit, but instrumental only. Oh, another difference - like BWPS, the track stops after the music box 'breaks down', but doesn't start up again like it used to. Instead, you get the woo-woos again (so thats twice we've had that part now too) and it's straight into Great Shape.
IIGS: This sounds a little bit different from the takes that leaked a few years ago, but it might just be re-edited. I still don't like the vocals flown in from the demo. You really notice the piano dropping out when the vocal stops. And the tape echo explosion is a bit weak. Like I said before, this doens't really crossfade into Barnyard, just fades after the 'echo explosion', and then Barnyard starts.
BY: The flown-in vocals stand out even more on this one, because there's only piano playing (from the demo) while the vocals are singing. Dead giveaway. Otherwise it's all there, sounding clean with all the animal noises, no dropouts. The ending sounded a bit funny to me, there's a short crossfade into Sunshine. Might just be S's version playing wierd.
TOMP/YAMS: Pretty standard. It's the version with Dennis Wilson singing. After the descending strings, you get the Barnshine fade with the faint extra words. They're just as hard to hear as they always were. I like that this is here, though. The Disk 1 version of H&V doesn't have False Barnyard on it to fade, so you get to hear it here on YAMS instead. Cool.
Cabin Essence. You've all heard this. I see some people at the Smiley board have spotted the extra vocals on the Truck Driving Man part now. Those vocals are not just on the Mojo single, their on this too.
Wonderful. You've all heard this from the Mojo single too, right? It's the same here, yodels and all. There is more reverb on the rising bass at the end to tie it into Look here though. Not sure I like the reverb.
Look: same as it ever was, except there's one second of 'Child, Child, the Child' vocals on each chorus. There's a proper fade on this version, no crossfade to CIFOTM like on BWPS.
CIFOTM: I described this one the other week. It's the Boys singing high Child vocals with the piano to start (like on Sea Of Tunes Volume 16), then the slow piano part with the bass, then the chorus, then the verse (with the echoed electric guitar), then the second chorus with a new high vocal, and then the track finshes with the bass notes. The word is this was from some acetate, but it doesn't sound like it. Maybe only a part of it is? But no part sounds worse than any other. As far as I can tell, the only new part is the high vocal on the second chorus… and Brian's three-minute mono mix is nowhere to be heard, and I do mean _anywhere_ on this set. Why leave out a perfectly good 1966 BW mono mix?
Surf's Up: Ive described this too-it's like the version on the Surf's Up album from 1971, only with Brian's vocals over the first section instead of Carl's. Everything else is there though, the "bygones" and also Carl sings the 'canvas the town…' line after verse 1 and 2. Section 2 is just Brain and the piano again, and this time there's no 70s Moog overdubs. The tag is the full vocal section with all the Beach Boys, but it sounds different here and there, I'm pretty sure it's a new mix.
IWBA/WS: pretty standard, just like on all the boots, no vocals anywhere.
Vega-Tables: you've all heard this, except workshop crossfades out on this version like BWPS! I will be editing the fade back out using the workshop sounds hidden track.
Holidays: Great to hear this in primo quality at last, but the ending crossfades into the Whispering Winds vocals at the end like BWPS, which drives me nuts. How come some tracks follow BWPS so closely, and others don't? Have to get the editing software out again here.
Wind Chimes: First two verses from Version 2 (October 66), choruses from Verrsion 1 (August 66), piano bridge and the rest of the track from Take 5 of Version 1. Otherwise all pretty much as we've heard on boots and official releases.
Fire: With the H&V intro stapled on the front. Thanks, David Leaf. And with Purple Chick Fall Breaks vocals that don't fit properly (because of where they come from, they fade out too soon). But at least this time it sounds like they have used Brian's mono mix, with the crackling fire, for at least part of it (I can definitely hear the crackling near the end of the track).
ILTSDD: with the Water chant on the front, like BWPS. ILTSDD is juts like the 1993 mix, except there's a jazz vocal flown in from 'Cool Cool Water' over the verses. Don't know _why_ that's there. The track ends exactly where the 1993 mix does, only there's loads more reverb on the piano to take the track into the reprise of Our Prayer, like on BWPS. Not sure I like all this plug-in reverb over everything. Why couldn't they use proper echo chambers or mix it at Western or Sunset or something? Even BWPS got that right
Good Vibrations: you've all heard this. Just like 1966 except for the hum-de-dums and the longer fade.
You're Welcome: exactly as on the 1990 twofer, mono as well.
H&V (Stereo mix): does what it says on the tin - this is a stereo version of the mono version on the Disc 1 'album' that you've all heard already.
H&V Sections: likewise, this is a stereo mix of all the sections in the track of the same name on the Good Vibratons box set, except for a few differences: the Prelude to Fade section finishes on a different take, featuring repeating whistles, snare and the descending strings. The swedish frog part misses out the person actually saying that phrase. And after all the heroes and villains choruses and the slow 'dut-dut-dut, heroes and villains' part, there are a couple of new bits, a version of "Tag To Part 1" with an extra piano overdub on it, the 'dumb whistle' section (although it fades out before the 'echo explosion'), and _then_ the False Barnyard tag to fade.
Vega-Tables demo: in stereo. Sounds pristine, otherwise like Secret SMiLE.
He Gives Speeches: in stereo, at the right speed, sounds great. Not too 'clappy', like some versions. Brain can be heard to say at the end of this track "this is going to be _so_ great… I'm not kidding."
SMiLE Vocal Montage: I'm not into vocal-only mixes, but if there your thing, knock yourselves out. Eight and a half minutes of SMiLE backing vocals in stereo, some wierd, some wonderful, all not sounding as cool as the full arrangements if you ask me. I hear multiple H&V sections, Wonderful verse BVs, Cabin Essence (all sections represented, but no leads… and no Truck Drivin' Man either), Worms, Wind Chimes and Vega-Tables (I never realised there was so much to those vocals on the fade. Leila loves this bit, and the slow "I know that you'll feel better…" section with all the harmonies).
Surf's Up 67: A, if not _the_, standout track. More "uncertain" than the delivery of the December 66 piano demo, but beautifully sung, and with _that_ detuned Wild Honey piano! Slightly different rhythmic emphasis here and there in the song. A great unexpected key change near the end, after the line 'mmm mmm mmm mmm aboard a tidal wave'. And although it's just the rising and falling wordless vocal at the end, there's such passion in it. After the final lyric line 'a children's soooooong', Brian sort of "miaows out" one of those little falling vocal melismas of his that will knock you off your feet, to lead in to the tag. Just incredible.
Brian Falls Into A Piano: If you've heard Psychedelic Sounds, you've heard this. It's as funny then as it was there. For the seriously baked only.
Disk 2
All of the sessions are heavily edited, so if you know the boots that feature extended session stuff, you'll find plenty missing. However sometimes the sessions feature chat and singing that wasn't ever booted, which is cool. Often you hear the group or musicians running through rehearsals or early takes for the sections, then the final take appears at the end of the track, sometimes with double-tracked vocal overdubs in stereo (if any were ever done). Most of these tracks are in stereo.
Our Prayer Sessions-The first (September 66) session features the group rehearsing, tripping and quite sloppy and off key. This is the booted session with the famous lines 'Denny, do you have any hash joints left? I know you do' and 'are you guys feeling the acid yet?' - both of which are included here, I thought theyd get cut! If you've wondered what a Smiley Smile version of Prayer might sound like, this three minute track shows you, although the excerpt doesnt showcase the band finishing all the sections.
The second session (from a few weeks later) was unknown to me before hand. Here the group are more together vocally (see kids, drugs are bad for your harmony…), and it seems this was the session that produced the final takes used in the master. Brian jokes with Al Jardine in the middle about breaking his leg on the football field back in the day.
Track 3 is the backing track for the first two H&V verses. Van Dyke is on this-Brian calls him in at the end. Great to hear this clean and in stereo.
Track 4-A clean master take of Barnyard! Backing and stereo BVs. Nothing new otherwise though.
Track 5-Lots of run throughs of I'm In Great Shape from October 66. The three booted takes of this come from this session, but this is much more complete. Van Dyke starts out playing celeste, but Brian says the overtones are 'uncool' and he switches to piano. Eventually Van Dyke's part is taken by a harpist for the master take and VDP switches to conducting. The tape echo explosion effect is mixed into the track live as it's played, but it's applied lightly to the final take.
Track 6-Called out as 'H&V Part 3', this dates from December 66 and is the chime-heavy version of the H&V intro that's been on the circuit for a while.
Track 7-A previously booted january 67 run-through of "Sleep A Lot, Eat A Lot, Brush Em Like Crazy", performed to a heavy piano backing. Brian threatens to "split" at the start of this track "if there isn't more cooperation". So perhaps he was going solo?
Track 8-Bag Of Tricks session. All the Boys and Bruce too! Brian talks about getting a "police officer friend of his" to play tunes on his electric siren, and mentions using touch-tone phone keys to play melodies. I didn't even know that _had_ those phones in the 60s. Anyway, we hear a couple of pretty crazy takes with duck sounds and scraping percussion. Brain encourages everyone by saying "there's no rules to this". Someone comments that the scraping percussion sounds like 'someone eating vegetables'. Perhaps this comment planted the seed of an idea (ha ha)? The track finishes up with the Bag Of Tricks take that's been booted a while.
Track 9-Mission Pak. Vocals for "Soul Made Beautiful". Brian asks everyone to smile as their singing! Previously booted.
Track 10-Bridge To Indians. The harmony passage used years later in "Goin' On" being tried out, first with a different ending chord, but eventually it's the take heard at the end of the new H&V. Previously booted.
Track 11-Tag To Part 1. This is the 'Do A Lot' theme, on two tack pianos, with no vocals. A third tack piano is overdubbed. Previously booted on H&V Sessions Part 2.
Track 12-Pickup to 3rd verse. This is just a shorter, much faster version of Bridge To Indians, missing the final chord. I don't remember hearing this before.
Track 13-this is the edited session for the early version of 'My children were raised', as used in the February Cantina version. We hear the final version get two sets of overdubs, including the lead vocals. Previously booted.
Track14-the session for the piano track to the Cantina section. Brian calls it out as 'Heroes & Villains Part 2', but there are lots of these part 2 sections to come. He was obviously making up a lot of this stuff as he went along.
Track 15-PReviously booted as "Dumb Whistle". This is the part with the "dum dum dum" vocals and the whistling that had the echo explosion added to it on the February 1967 Cantina mix.
Track 16-The edited Cantina section session, right through to the final version in stereo with the "woo-woos" and "You're Under Arrest". Previously booted.
Track 17-All Day session. Some takes of this circulate, but there's some stuff here I never heard before. Brian plays a bass-heavy piano middle eight, and after a few incomplete takes of the verse, mentions having "a bunch of talking" during the pauses in the music! Nobody actually does any talking though. Another idea that never got anywhere?
Track 18-a mono edit (presumably by Brian?) of the first and second verses going straight into "Bridge To Indians" with an "old phonograph" effect on the Bridge To Indians harmonies (and to think I thought they made that up for BWPS!). I think this used to circulate at the SMiLE Shop board years ago, but I always thought it was a fan edit… Sounds pretty good.
Track 19-Prelude To Fade Session. Previously booted. You get to hear the alternate takes they used for the new H&V, with the descending strings, as well as the one used on the Good Vibrations box set that lacks the strings.
Track 20 - multiple takes of the piano-only H&V/Bicycle Rider theme. I don't recognise a lot of these takes, although some of this is on the H&V Sessions Part 2 boot.
Track 21-Another section described by Brian as "Heroes And Villains Part 2", this was also on the H&V Sessions Part 2 boot and features Brian rehearsing a beautiful rag-time style section with occasional accapella rehearsal harmonies from the assembled group, though. We never hear a finished version of the section, though. Such a shame, this sounds like it might have been brilliant.
Track 22 is the "Gee" session and master take, previously booted.
Track 23-this is announced as Heros and Villians, Part 2 (revised version), and eventually becomes the section with Mike Love grunting 'a-heroes, a-heroes, a-heroes and a-villains' in the background, but the session reveals something new - Bruce Johnston and Brian messing around with some musical comedy on the piano. Bruce (whose playing the piano here) hits a big old piano chord that isn't in the final take and then asks Brian if it's 'villanus' enough for him. The final take misses that chord out, however.
Track 24 sees all the final vocals put on to the piano recorded in track 23.
Track 25 is the H&V section that leads into the Swedish Frog grunting. The actual words Swedish Frog have been mixed out of every other version of this section on the box set for some reason, but they are included here at least.
Track 26 is the session for the slow 'dum dum dum' section with heroes and villains vocals over the top. Nothing amazingly new here, although it is credited as Heroes and Villains part 4.
Track 27 is also called Heroes And Villains PArt 2, but is the section that became the chorus in the single version of H&V. This is the original recording with the metallic percussion and the heavy base playing scales though.
Track 28 is the session for the re-recorded fade, the one where Carl is singing along live in the studio with the session players. This was circulating years ago, but I don't think all of the musical takes were included, just the in-between take studio chatter. Some include a strange whistling, wheezing sound that I don't remember before, which Brian calls 'the bird' at one point.
Track 29-an attempt to re-record the verse as well. This was previously booted and is the session where Brian asks Chuck Britz about changing the pitch of the track with an "asilator".
Track 30 is the previously booted session for the H&V Intro, as glued to the start of Fire on Disk 1 and BWPS. The Organ Waltz is a creepy part played by Van Dyke during the session that eventually gets dropped out of the arrangement.
Tracks 31 to 35 are apparently all Smiley Smile sessions, from mid-June 1967. 31 is the H&V chorus vocals used in the single and Smiley Smile version. 32 is for Sonny Down Snuff, and is the previously booted session where somebody asks for a drunken or stoned Mike Love to be bought a dildo and bag of money. They _have_ cut that part, although you can hear that Mike is either drunk or baked. 33 is the electric harpsichord track for the slower version of "My Children Were Raised" heard on the Smiley Smile version of H&V. 34 then lets us hear the first layer of vocal overdubs and Baldwin chords for this section, and then 35 presents the final vocals acapella.
The Heroes and Villains-fest finally comes to an end on Track 36 with the unedited demo for Humble Harve with H&V, Great Shape and two runs at Barnyard.
Tracks 37 and 38 are more edited excerpts from the Psychedelic Sounds tapes. These aren't even as funny as the one on Disk 1.
Oh and lastly, S let me hear H&V Parts 1 and 2 tonight for the first time, too. Part 1 is just the Cantina version, exactly the same as the twofer was in 1990, even down to the woo-woos being edited out after "dance margarita… dance". It cuts straight to "your under arrest". Part 2 is mostly like the Sections mix on the Good Vibrations set from the early 90s, it starts with Gee and runs through all those H&V choruses, including swedish frog (but again, the person actually _saying_ swedish frog is mixed out!) It goes all the way through to the slow "dut-dut-dut, Heros and Villains" section, but then instead of the False Barnyard fade, you get a couple of bars of "Tag To Part 1", then Prelude To Fade (the country and western theme) and finally, after the fluttertone horn, the re-recorded version of the fade, the one with Carl doing jazzy scatting live in the studio. I'm not sure how real this is, and how much it's a bit of a 2011 fan mix. What's "Tag To Part 1" doing near the end of Part 2?
That's it for Heroes And Villains. I wrote notes up on Disks 3 and 4, but it's too late tonight to post those. I'll message them to Leila tomorrow and she can put them up then.
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More from me tomorrow then! I'm going to bed, or I'll never get to work in the morning.
Leila x
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