Middle.

[1)]

Bunch of stray thoughts, probably too many:

1) It's very odd to me that no vintage edits/mixes exist of Heroes & Villains that incorporate anything from the 1/03 session. I feel like there has to be an acetate out there somewhere that is a version of HV assembled after that date but before 1/27, one which is unsatisfactory to Brian and pushes him to hold the 1/27 session from which the Cantina version seems to stem. I'm interested if anyone has a suggested assembly for what this would be? Great Shape is probably out for this version as it appears as it's own track on the December track list.

maybe something like: Verse/Bridge To Indians/Bicycle Rider(1/05)/Mission Pak/Verse(Some early version of children Were Raised?)/Do A Lot/Pickup To Third Verse/Verse/Tag to Part 1? I'm at loss for this version.

2) I'm surprised I don't see more about Love To Say Dada being linked with Child is Father of the Man. "All Day", "Love To Say Dada (Part 2)", and "Cool, Cool Water (Version 2)" all feature a section that sounds very similar to the CIFOTM chorus. "Cool, Cool Water (Version 2)" also moves from that into a section somewhat akin to what Chuck calls the "verse" of CIFOTM (Version 1). Plus there's the talk of Love to Say Dada being written about a baby.

3) The only piece that is at all "clearly" a side 2 piece of Heroes & Villains, is the Bicycle Rider-esque chorus from the single recorded 2/27 as it is marked that on the tape box, which makes it seem to me like the idea of a Part 1 & 2 of Heroes & Villains could have been a fun heroes part followed by a scary villains part. Totally conjecture, but it kind of makes sense. Throw in one of the versions of the Chimes "Intro"/Bag of Tricks/Organ Waltz "Intro" piece, maybe even as the verse section of Side Two (which while it might sound crazy when you listen to it as in instrumental, it's not hard to imagine Brian filling it up with a bunch of voices (think Cabin Essence chorus) and Van writing lyrics to the ascending and descending melody that would fit as a great counterpoint to Side 1's descending heroic verse.

4) Is the TSS version of Our Prayer on Disc 2 Track 2 really from the 10/04 session? Maybe I'm mishearing, but I swear I hear Mike saying "We should be doing Good Vibrations anyway" at 1:43, and yet Good Vibrations is released on 10/10 just 6 days later. Plus Brian says (in reference to the boys wanting to record Wonderful) that they don't have any studio time until "Thursday & Friday" which would be 10/6 and 10/7 if this was on 10/04. Indeed, on 10/6 there is a vocal session for Wonderful, though there's a tracking session for Windchimes (Version 2) on 10/5, but I'd guess that wasn't at Columbia, where he would have been doing vocals. I don't know how quick the turnaround was back then for releasing a single, but if they're not done working on Good Vibrations (possibly even recording the vocals) by 10/6, could they actually get it out that quickly? If anyone has the final mix date and/or the delivery date to Capitol for Good Vibrations, that would be helpful in figuring out this little bit.

5) He Gives Speeches, featuring the lyric "he fell into her friendly persuasion", is recorded the same day as the Good Vibrations "Persuasion" takes. Don't know which inspired the other, but I hadn't recognized that connection before. Very speculatory off of that, but it got me thinking about the takes under "Inspiration", which are under a new master number (the first change since recording for the single started in earnest), and it made me wonder if it was a reference to Wasn't Made For These Times, "Every time I get the inspiration to go change things around". Obviously it could also just be that he was inspired, but the connection between HGS & Persuasion got me thinking ...

6) 11/04/67 was a crazy day. Surf's Up 1st Movement is tracked, Brian plays the Heroes & Villains demo to Humble Harv, and the Psycodelic Sounds tape is recorded. Just wow. I mean that runs that gamut from one of the most sublime moments of Smile to some of its most joyous to some of its most ridiculous.

7) In regards to the Heroes & Villains chants recorded on 2/20: I think they get labelled as different sections or parts too often, when the slates during the sessions refer to them as revisions/versions.

TSS's Part 2 (Gee) is slated as "Part 2, Revised Version", but which Brian refers to simply as Part 2.
TSS's Part 2 Revised is slated as "Part 2, Heroes & Villains, Revised Version" but features the Bicycle Rider music.
TSS's Part 4 is slated (I think) as "Version 4, Part 2" as heard on the boot Archaeology [Lost Smile Sessions] Disc 1 track 28, you hear Chuck call out Version 4, Part 2, Take 2 before a clip of a rehearsal for the background dum dum dums.
I don't think we have a slate for Part 3 (Animals), though my guess is that it would be some variation on Part 2, Revision/Version 3.

It seems like Brian's recording candidates for replacing the old Part 2 (Cantina), and Chuck, knowing that they already have a Part 2 is calling it Revised Version. But in Brian's mind, he's done with Cantina, and sees this as a whole new Part 2 for the HV Side A single. He then tries various versions of that new Part 2 idea which leads to it eventually being called Part 2, Version 4.

So really, Part 2 (Gee) would be New Part 2, Version 1. Part 2 Revised would be New Part 2, Version 2, Part 3 (Animals) would be New Part 2, Version 3, and Part 4 would be New Part 2, Version 4. Unless of course it's for an actual Part 2 (Side B) of a two sided single.

.

Just to return to Dada for a second, where did the labeling of the Dec 1966 piano and Rhodes tracks Brian recorded originate? Was "Love To Say DaDa" on the 12/66 tape boxes? Because I don't think they were slated, yet they're labeled and grouped with the Dada tracks on the box set. When it was slated in the studio, for a full session, it was late January 1967 and titled "All Day". It was first slated "Love To Say Dada" in May 1967 after it got a second part and full instrumentation.

I mention this too because in between the taped piano recordings for "All Day", Brian says "In those spots we're going to have a bunch of talking, all of us together..." which adds another layer to what this fragment may have been as of January 1967.

Want to return to this again and ask again, where did these titles/labels come from?

It would be great to have a list of both the slated names of all the different sessions as well as their labels in tape documentation where that information is available (I know there's plenty of stuff where the assemblers of TSS just don't have anymore info)

There is also a January 5 1967 session for H&V Part 2 master #57045 that is on disc 3.

Is there one other than "Do You Like Worms: Bicycle Rider Overdubs (Heroes and Villains Part Two)"? I'd love to fix my info if it's wrong!

Though the known recordings for H&V Part 2 #57045 are samples of other SMiLE album tracks, are they in different keys than the original SMiLE album tracks or their re-purposing for H&V #57020?

The only samples/repurposings of other tracks I see under #57045 are the fade to Old Master Painter/You Were My Sunshine which had already been used under #57020, and Do You Like Worms (Bicycle Rider) which had already been recorded under #57020. The other pieces recorded under it appear to only be sections original to Heroes & Villains (the Verse Remake and the Organ Waltz/Intro.

Maybe I'm explaining it worse or I'm wrong but I think it is pretty clear evidence of the two part H&V single. There was a time when the 2 part single was dismissed as just legend or false memory or some such.

I'm not saying there wasn't a proposed two part Heroes and Villains single, there's a lot of evidence for it, I just don't really see how the Master #s point in that direction.

To me it appears that master number #57045 represents an attempt at the end of February to start from scratch based on all the different experiments he'd made in #57020 (thus he re-records his verse -- which we could call Part 1, his latest version of Part 2 which is now the Bicycle Rider section that he toyed with on Piano Theme and Part 2 Revised Version, the fade that he'd taken from OMP as heard on the 2/10 Cantina version, and the so-called "Intro" which I think we really should stop referring to as an intro, because the only thing I ever hear that music called on any of the sessions I can recall hearing it called is "Part 3")

Here are the Heroes & Villains Sessions with master numbers of #57020 & #57045 (and their recording dates) according to the TSS book (I entered them into my iTunes tags, very helpful, but also DISCLAIMER: I may always have entered in something incorrectly). [not pictured, My Only Sunshine Part 1 & 2 has master numbers of both #56866 & #57020, presumably because Part 2 ends up as the fade in Heroes & Villains for a spell]



Not included in this image are the Heroes & Villains sessions with master numbers #56727 (Verse, Barnyard, and the June Smiley Smile version recordings), #56738 (Great Shape), and sessions with no known master number (such as "Intro [Early Version" which is slated as Heroes & Villains Part 3)

Who else thinks Brian would prefer this version?

Has anyone compiled all available bits to CD or playlist in chronological order (when the dates are known)?  I've thought for a long time that it might be enlightening but I'm too lazy to do it so far.

I did it for The Smile Sessions Box but not for bootleg stuff. It's a great listen. It made me start to think that Prayer was originally recorded as an intro to an album where Good Vibrations would be track one because I realized it was first recorded during a Good Vibrations sessions (I think, as always I bow to the powers that know)

At the Love & Mercy screening at the Arclight in Hollywood the other day, there was a great bit that went something like (this is my best guess):

Q: What was it like seeing your story told on screen?

Brian: Well, I couldn't really see it as myself, so I just tried to imagine that I was Paul Dano and watched the movie while thinking what it must have been like for Paul Dano.

(If anyone has a better recall, I'd love to read it!)

That interview mentions a bit I don't recall hearing about before of Brian trying to kill himself at the Chateau Marmont in the 70s. Is that new info or would I find info about that somewhere?

Just re-affirming, this interview is great:

http://collider.com/love-and-mercy-oren-moverman-on-making-a-cinematic-brian-williams-biopic/

2 Q&A's announced in Los Angeles so far:

6/6 7:15pm - Arclight Cinerama Dome (Hollywood) - w/Brian and Melinda Wilson, Actor Paul Dano, Director Bill Pohlad, and Producer Claire Rudnick Polstein
6/7 4:30pm - The Landmark (West LA) - w/Brian and Melinda Wilson, Director Bill Pohlad, and Producer Claire Rudnick Polstein

I'll be at 6/6 (refunded the ticket I had for 6/7)

I don't think there's a problem with Beach Boys + Disco, personally. I even looped up Brian's disco tag to Thinkin' Bout You Baby by Spring from 1972 cause I dug it so much. https://soundcloud.com/davesegal/spring-ooh-baby-loop-demo


I think Darlin' was a good candidate, hopefully better than this Flo + Eddie assisted version though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsQmzHeaE0w (not quite disco, but they're trying)

Sail Plane Song or Don't Talk would sound cool with a Giorgio Moroder "I Feel Love" type vibe underneath.

Forever would have been pretty perfect actually turned upbeat. Be With Me too. Actually, Dennis could have been a great disco writer.

The Night Was So Young, All I Wanna Do, and Don't Worry Baby would work

Wild Honey. I Can Hear Music though it's a cover. I'd check a remix album if someone made one for sure.

Christmasey too.

Not the BB, but here's a weird as it gets (but still pretty beautiful) commercial Van Dyke Parks did for Datsun. I dare someone to justify putting it in their SMiLE mix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UvwaB6Bx60

Thanks for listening and sharing Krabklaw!

I'm considering trying for a Lei'd in Hawaii fan mix next taking the best of the released rehearsals/concerts/studio sessions and trying to add crowd overdubs, and maybe include some of the stripped down Smiley Smile tracks for Wind Chimes and Wonderful since this would be an alternate world where SMiLE was released. Would love if there'd been Baldwin version of Surf's Up, I would love to use the 67 version but the piano might kill that Lei'd in Hawaii organ vibe.

[Heroes & Villains]

I have a few unique mixes that I ended up making for my fan mix that I thought I'd share here. Let me know what you think and if you have a better version of these structures or elements.

Heroes & Villains
Altered structure to Verse/Gee-Heroes Chant/Cantina/WooWoo/Under Arrest/Fast Heroes Chant/Pickup to 3rd Verse/Verse - Stand or Fall/Children Were Raised/Tape Explosion/Sunny Down Snuff/Prelude To Fade/False Barnyard Fade
The Smile Sessions Box Set
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/UlDUezUo/file.html

Vega-Tables
Altered structure to include Mono Mix Rehearsals’ reverb on end of verses, toy piano Instrumental Insert on 3rd verse with added reverb, and edit out second (fast) version of “I know that you’ll feel better …”
Unsurpassed Masters 17 - The Smile Sessions Box Set - Good Vibrations Box Set - Made In California Box Set
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/muKCnhVE/file.html

I’m In Great Shape
Altered structure to Mission Pak/I’m In Great Shape/Barnyard/Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine/Wanna Be Around/Friday Night
The Smile Sessions Box Set
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/vV8tLJq2/file.html

Do You Like Worms?
Altered structure to include isolated verse vocals from Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, extra chorus vocals on final bridge. Fade removed
The Smile Sessions Box Set - Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE isolated by Tilt Araiza
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/DVobW70w/file.html

Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow
Altered structure to include fire sound effects, and cut out middle section
The Smile Sessions Box Set
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/nY1v1eDW/file.html

Surf’s Up
Altered structure to include intro section from Child Is Father Of The Man, removed 1971 lyrics from tag
The Smile Sessions Box Set, Surf’s Up (2012 Remaster)
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/UwlwoPu5/file.html


Wind Chimes
Altered structure move version one bridge to after first chorus and ends with tag.
Good Vibrations Box Set - The Smile Sessions Box Set - Made In California Box Set
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/KbdjwAUL/file.html

made minor mixing/mastering updates to I'm In Great Shape, Vega-Tables, Welcome, Heroes & Villains, Cabinessence, Surf's Up, and Amen. link updated in original post.

[For those who have been through a lot of mixes, my most unique assemblies are:]

Very happy to share this. A rite of passage for me. Looking forward to your comments.
----
MP3: http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/EwF49VdF/file.html
FLAC: http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/obJxqShl/file.html

My aim with this mix were to make a single LP length mono SMiLE that flowed while maintaining distinct tracks (no cross-fades). To me, SMiLE is “an American trip”, meaning it couches the psychedelic trip in the context of the American journey; westward expansion = mind expansion. I tried to stay as historical as musicality would allow and vice-versa.

For those who have been through a lot of mixes, my most unique assemblies are: Heroes & Villains, Vega-Tables, Wind Chimes, Surf’s Up, and Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow. I’m In Great Shape and Do You Like Worms also have some twists. All tracks feature at least minor mastering or editing differences than released versions (some unnoticeably minor)

# indicates unique assembly

Side 1 - 19:08
1. (Prayer)
2. Good Vibrations
3. Wonderful
4. Wind Chimes #
5. Holidays
6. I’m In Great Shape #
7. Vega-Tables #

Side 2 - 18:57
1. (Welcome)
2. Heroes & Villains #
3. Cabin Essence
4. Do You Like Worms? #
5. Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow #
6. Surf’s Up #
7. (Amen)

———
track info/sources
———

All tracks are in mono

(Prayer)
The Smile Sessions Box Set

Good Vibrations
Single version
Smiley Smile (2012)

Wonderful
The Smile Sessions Box Set

Wind Chimes
Altered structure move version one bridge to after first chorus and ends with tag.
Good Vibrations Box Set - The Smile Sessions Box Set - Made In California Box Set

Holidays
The Smile Sessions Box Set

I’m In Great Shape
Altered structure to Mission Pak/I’m In Great Shape/Barnyard/Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine/Wanna Be Around/Friday Night
The Smile Sessions Box Set

Vega-Tables
Altered structure to include Mono Mix Rehearsals’ reverb on end of verses, toy piano Instrumental Insert on 3rd verse with added reverb, and edit out second (fast) version of “I know that you’ll feel better …”
Unsurpassed Masters 17 - The Smile Sessions Box Set - Good Vibrations Box Set - Made In California Box Set

(Welcome)
The Smile Sessions Box Set

Heroes & Villains
Altered structure to Verse/Gee-Heroes Chant/Cantina/WooWoo/Under Arrest/Fast Heroes Chant/Pickup to 3rd Verse/Verse - Stand or Fall/Children Were Raised/Tape Explosion/Sunny Down Snuff/Prelude To Fade/False Barnyard Fade
The Smile Sessions Box Set

Cabin Essence
Made In California Box Set

Do You Like Worms?
Altered structure to include isolated verse vocals from Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, extra chorus vocals on final bridge. Fade removed
The Smile Sessions Box Set - Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE isolated by Tilt Araiza

Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow
Altered structure to include fire sound effects, and cut out middle section
The Smile Sessions Box Set

Surf’s Up
Altered structure to include intro section from Child Is Father Of The Man, removed 1971 lyrics from tag
The Smile Sessions Box Set, Surf’s Up (2012 Remaster)

(Amen)
from Prayer
The Smile Sessions Box Set

———
track sequencing notes
———

We open with what would have been an unlisted (Prayer) as Brian states his intention to be on the original session for it. It also gives a taste of the unexpected which seems like a major focus of Brian’s at the time. We follow with Good Vibrations because Prayer is recorded in the midst of the Good Vibrations vocal sessions, it was featured heavily on the cover design, it gives us a single to start with, it starts a side on Smiley Smile, and it sets us off on a positive journey.

Wonderful’s focus on purity and innocence suggest placement early in the tracklist, followed by Wind Chimes as a mellow track with a fun surprise. It also features a lyric suggesting drifting off into another place which sends us off on what I’d call the SMiLE trip.

Holidays fills the role of Side 1 instrumental. Also feels like sailing away from our world to another world. I’m In Great Shape serves as the "Barnyard Suite" comprised mainly of unused pieces of Heroes & Villains to paint the picture of a day in the life of an early American farmer. I’d also like to point out that “You were my sunshine” may function as both the sun setting and our first subtle drug reference (sunshine being a term for LSD that I believe was already in usage as Donovan’s “Sunshine Superman” is a hit single at the time).

Vega-Tables ends Side 1 with a single and has connections to the agricultural themes from Great Shape as well as references to drugs.

We open Side 2 with an unlisted (Welcome), and follow it with the delightfully epic western single Heroes & Villains which started a side on Smiley Smile. Cabin Essence is yet another song that seems to be an American gothic trip with drug references intertwined and feature the topic of westward expansion.

Do You Like Worms? caps off the lyrical American gothic journey with a look at the negative effects of expansion from Plymouth Rock to Hawaii. Essentially a warning of what psychedelic drugs can do to your mind. (Albert Hoffman, the inventor of LSD, as the bicycle rider has created a highway to the spiritual world once reserved for things like tribal peyote ceremonies). It’s followed immediately by the great American fire with Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow which serves as a psychedelic freakout, climax to our journey, and ascension past the world we’ve come to know.

Surf’s Up is the ultimate enlightenment of SMiLE, the growth, the end of the old civilizations the beginning of the new.

(Amen).

- Wave / doinnothin

Not my preferred format for sessions, but hey, good to see it come out.

Various Artists
Sessions 64!!

DETAILS
Format: 10" Colored Vinyl
Label: OMNIVORE RECORDINGS
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release

Produced by Jimmy Bowen and Brian Wilson - 9 tracks from The Honeys, The Castells and The Timers.  Featuring original mono masters, stereo mixes and backing tracks.  On 10" colored vinyl for Record Store Day 2015!

Track Listing

The Honeys:
"He's a Doll" (mono master)
"He's a Doll" (stereo mix)
"He's a Doll" (stereo backing track)
"The Love of a Boy and a Girl" (mono master)
"I Can See Right Through You (Go Away Boy)" (stereo backing track)

The Castells:
"I Do" (stereo mix)
"I Do" (stereo backing track)

The Timers:
"No Go Showboat" (stereo mix)
"No Go Showboat" (stereo backing track)

10" gold vinyl limited to 1,500 copies.

http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/7750

When/where does the "teenage symphony to god" description of SMiLE first appear?

I've been looking for a few pieces to make my own mix, and thought a thread to help connect people to the best current versions of fan mixes that are already out there would be helpful.

Looking for:

- Clean start Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine

- Barnyard track/backing vocals/demo vocals sync that goes all the way to through it's fade (NOTE: not talking about False Barnyard, I mean Brian's original mix of the Barnyard track that also fades)

- Vega-tables (Vegetables) with the toy piano insert and backing vocals on the "threw away my candy bar and I ate the wrapper" verse + an echo effect on the "burst into laughter" that matches the mono mix attempts on the first verse + integrated "tripped on a cornucopia" from the demo

- Best quality Great Shape backing track/demo sync (post TSS)

- Do You Like Worms with BWPS vocals for "Waving from the ocean liners ..."  and "Once upon the sandwich isles ..." integrated.

Thanks to anyone who can help connect me with these pieces!

Is this at all what the DJ Mic Luv version was like? I haven't been able to find a copy of that one.

Why was "I Wanna Be Around/Workshop Song" referred to as "Friday Night"?

My obvious guess was wrong ... it was recorded on a Tuesday.