Wow, sure has been a long while, hasn't it? 

Recently a number of people have been hounding me about updating my SMiLE mix, the last one being five years ago.  So I finally did:
https://albumsthatneverwere.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-beach-boys-smile-upgrade.html

This time I've made it a three-disc set...

Disc 1 is my reconstruction proper-  SMiLE '67, which attempt to reconstruct the album as it could have been in 1967.  Included is both mono and stereo versions.  Notable updates include:
- Child following BW's 3-minute edit
- remix of Cabin Essence and OMP
- completely new edit of The Elements, meant as it's own self-contained suite, which does not need to "borrow" element from "Wind Chimes" or "Vege-Tables", etc.

Disc 2 contains an update of my stereo SMiLE reconstruction that follows the 2004 BWPS tracklist as close as possible.  As a bonus, it also has my remaster of a reconstruction of BW's 1966 December Comp Reel, and also his April Assembly of "Vege-Tables" tagged on the end.  I felt cleaned up versions of these were a historical necessity, not found on recent official releases (Brian's three--minute Child edit was supposed to be included, but I had to scrap it because of Wake The World lol). 

Disc 3 is called Behind The SMiLE, and is meant as an audio documentary for the making of the album.  Ive made an hour of custom edits and reconstructions, alternate versions, etc.  My favorites include three completely different alternate versions of "Good Vibrations", each using different modulations, which represents the progress of the song over time (which includes a new sync of the vocal and backing track of the March/Pet Sounds version).  I've also done that for "Heroes and Villains", making four different versions, each representing how the song sounded in November, January, late February and March.  Also has what I call a "chronological reconstruction", which assembles the segments in chronological order, so within the span of one listen, you can hear BW's thought process of how the song should go. 

Enjoy!

Great mix Sonic! My only question is this: why are the "wah wah oh wah" vocals on the mono mix of the elements (love to say dada) and not the stereo mix? Was this an accident, or intentional?

Used to think I Wanna Be Around/Workshop was part of the elements, but that doesn't really ring true to me. I think Carol Kaye saying it was the rebuilding after the fire is not correct, for a couple reasons.

1. That session was a day after the fire session. Could have been misinterpreted as what happens after the fire. Carol Kaye also says in the sessions, as a joke mind you, that "this is what happens after the fire". I think she was joking and misremembered (I think she honestly has a record of misremembering songs she played on).

2. David Anderle we were aware, or he made us aware of what fire was going to be, and what water was going to be; we had some idea of air. That was where it stopped. None of us had any ideas as to how it was going to tie together, except that it appeared to us to be an opera." Doesn't mention earth at all. I would think that the workshop would represent earth (you know wood and whatnot).

3. It was labeled as "Great Shape" on the tape box. This, to me, seems to imply that Wilson's quip about the barnyard suite is true. "Four songs in four short pieces, combined together, but we never finished that one. We got into something else." Since he excised Barnyard and I'm In Great Shape from Heroes And Villains, it seemed they would be combined into I Wanna Be Around/Workshop to make a barnyard suite, as soniclovenoize postulates. I agree with his theory.

I think smile was the best point to break up if you want the band to be viewed on par with the beatles, rolling stones, the who etc to the general public... smile is kinda their apex. They never reached the same heights again...

But at the same time, I will say sunflower. That album felt like their abbey road, and would have been perfect to end on that note.

It's a good question... who even knows if he is still writing!

I guess this release is just for casual people who want to hear beach boys xmas songs... besides that, it's inconsequential.

I think it's highly unlikely but definitely possible that if it was released in spring '67 at the latest (perhaps the double sided heroes and villains single like on the smile sessions box set) it had a shot of going number one... but that's just me.

Interesting concept... there are so many good songs to choose it's hard to narrow it down, imo. Anyone got any more ideas?

Excellent suggestion. Where would you put them in the tracklist? I can't seem to find a spot for them.

This is awesome. Have you ever thought of posting your double album tracklist? I am curious to see what would be included. I have created one out of Friends and 20/20. Let me know what you think.

Side A:
1. Meant For You (Made In California)
2. Friends
3. Wake The World
4. Be Here In The Mornin'
5. When A Man Needs A Woman
6. We're Together Again (Made In California)
7. Passing By
Side B:
8. Anna Lee, The Healer
9. Little Bird
10. Be Still
11. Busy Doin' Nothin'
12. Diamond Head
13. Transcendental Meditation
Side C:
14. Do It Again (Made In California)
15. I Can Hear Music
16. Bluebirds Over The Mountain
17. Be With Me
18. All I Want To Do
19. The Nearest Faraway Place
Side D:
20. Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)
21. I Went To Sleep
22. Time To Get Alone
23. Never Learn Not To Love
24. Can't Wait Too Long (Made In California)
25. Break Away (Made In California)
26. Celebrate The News (Made In California)

Is this song (Lei'd In Hawaii Version) officially available in stereo? Thanks.

Thank you!

I heard Do It Again was put on the Japanese tracklist of Friends. Anyone have the full tracklist of the Japanese version? Thanks.

Hey all. With being trapped in my house the past few weeks, I have decided to come up with a double album tracklist combining Friends and 20/20. This was inspired by the excellent alternate history essay "Tales Of An Alternative History". Let me know what you think and make some suggestions!

Side A:
1. Meant For You (Made In California)
2. Friends
3. Wake The World
4. Be Here In The Mornin'
5. When A Man Needs A Woman
6. We're Together Again (Made In California)
7. Passing By
Side B:
8. Anna Lee, The Healer
9. Little Bird
10. Be Still
11. Busy Doin' Nothin'
12. Diamond Head
13. Transcendental Meditation
Side C:
14. Do It Again (Made In California)
15. I Can Hear Music
16. Bluebirds Over The Mountain
17. Be With Me
18. All I Want To Do
19. The Nearest Faraway Place
Side D:
20. Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)
21. I Went To Sleep
22. Time To Get Alone
23. Never Learn Not To Love
24. Can't Wait Too Long (Made In California)
25. Break Away (Made In California)
26. Celebrate The News (Made In California)

I absolutely love this album. Especially the cover art for the back and front. My question is, does anyone know if the back cover art (the waves of the ocean with the sun setting) exist without the text and tracklisting? I love that picture so much. Thanks.

I saw from a previous thread on here that the aborted Lei'd In Hawaii had cover art made by Captiol Records. Is that true? Do we have an image of said cover? Thanks.

Thanks! The tracklist is exactly what I imagined it would be. Remove Sail On Sailor and have We Got Love end Side A.

As well all know, the original version of Holland included the song "We Got Love" but was removed because there was no hit single. It was replaced by "Sail On Sailor". My question is, what was the original tracklist of the album before they recorded "Sail On Sailor"? I heard "We Got Love" closed Side A. Can anyone verify or post a tracklisting? Thanks.

Really liked Brian's message at the beginning. Even if it was read off a script.

I have heard this second European tour did not go over well. Of course, with EMI's release of "Then I Kissed Her" and Carl's draft problems beforehand. Besides that, how did the tour go? Did people still love them as much as the first time. I did hear their performances were not good, but I don't know how true that is. But does anyone have any further details on this tour? I have always been curious about it. Also, were any of these performances recorded? I kinda doubt but figured I'd ask anyway.

Good Vibrations box set version.

Such a good song, why didn't they finish it...

I was reading some of the LLVS articles and I found something that interested me. In a few articles it said that The Beach Boys are planning on releasing a 24 minute film of their London tour in 1966. What happened to this film? Is it the same one that was released as a silent film on DVD a few years ago? Or is this one completely different and have sound? Can anyone shed any light?

The arguement between Van Dyke and Mike om December 6, 1966 has cited as the beginning of the end for SMiLE (besides fire session). Was this argument between them caught on tape or recorded?

Ok, so I found a page in LLVS that said it was supposed to release on January 15, 1967. This is years after the fact however but they do cite a Phono Log Book in December of 1966. Don't know how true this is, but it is something...

There was a projected release date of Jan 15.

Source? I have heard that release date before but I'm pretty sure it was when Brian was supposed to deliver the completed album to them.

The single Heroes and Villains was supposed to come out on January 13, 1967. When would the album (if completed) had come out? I would think January 20th, 1967 (the week after the single came out) would be the ideal release date. They did it with Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) with California Girls coming out the week after the album was released. Can anybody shed any light? Did it even have a release date? Thanks!