The “Cantina” version is essential, and in my opinion should have been released as a single.

Very interesting work, OMP. It feels to me like one could almost call this SMILE '66 (though it's not strictly correct to do so) but it is a snapshot of what could have been assembled at the tail end of '66 (with a few exceptions). Many folks spent many hours speculating about the transition from DUMB ANGEL to SMILE--to my ears there's still a lot of the former residing in these tracks.

Of course, there is no follow-up single to be found here, which makes one wonder what Capitol would have done if they'd heard this.

Looking forward to Side B to see if any of that gets addressed. "Wonderful '66" is a beautiful track, but I can't see it following up GV. Maybe Brian should have just completed something like this and finished H&V without trying to fit the "single" version onto the record, eh?

I feel it would have been wise for Brian Wilson to leave the album “Smile” and possibles singles arising from that project as seperate entities because his effort focused towards making “Heroes and Villains” the follow-up to “Good Vibrations” is ultimately what ended the project. On comparison, The Beatles were smarter in the sense that they focused their output solely on the album “Sgt. Pepper’s...” more than butchering that project to create singles. In a sense, “Strawberry Fields...” was already their “Good Vibrations”. Then they just diverted their attention to “Sgt. Pepper’s...”, and it paid off.

[There is an online resource called “Record Mecca” that auctioned contemporary acetates of The Beach Boys’ “Smile” sessions that once belonged to Durrie Parks. There are one or two sides that transition “Who Ran The Iron Horse” to the verse of “Heroes and Villains”.]

Awesome work and I love the sound of this! The lo-fi mix really adds a punch to the heavier parts (especially the chorus and outro of 'Cabin Essence').

So it has been AGES since I've read up on Smile and Brian's ideas for putting these "modules" of sound together from different songs. Can you explain the source(s) of your module edits, how much of this was your ideas vs how much is vintage? Pardon if that's asking too much, I know you explained your sources, but I'm just so out of the loop anymore with Smile stuff, I don't even remember hearing about the '66 tape compilation!

I really love the mix and I need to find some free time to really give the Side-A a good listen. Standout moments: 7:10 and beyond is just stellar, the transition at 11:25 feels like DYLW and Cabin Essence are part of the same song - you really get a good feel for the modular edit style Brian talked about.

I can't wait to hear side B!

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it! Side B is much wilder. There is an online resource called “Record Mecca” that auctioned contemporary acetates of The Beach Boys’ “Smile” sessions that once belonged to Durrie Parks. There are one or two sides that transition “Who Ran The Iron Horse” to the verse of “Heroes and Villains”. In January 1967, an experimental edit of the verse of “Heroes and Villains” was assembled that quickly transitioned to “Bridge To The Indians”. That edit was featured on “The Smile Sessions” box. Since “Bridge To The Indians” in title and key-change implies a transition to the first part of “Do You Like Worms”, that’s an area where I valued some creative liberty in terms of sequencing. Jules Siegel published an article about the “Smile” sessions called “Goodbye Surfing, Hello God” in October 1967 where he describes an October 1966 dinner party where Brian Wilson played guests some acetates of “Smile” material; with the first section of “Do You Like Worms” segueing into the “Grand Coolie” section of “Cabin Essence”, and then the “Who Ran The Iron Horse” section followed by “Barnyard” from “Heroes and Villains”. I sequenced the sections mostly in accordance with the information I have presented, but I n no way am I claiming my “Smile” fan-edit is the most accurate or most likely form “Smile” would have been realized towards in 1967, but I am fairly satisfied with it, as I hope you all are too.

So these acetates were made public? What year did that happen? I remember hearing about Durrie selling them in a garage sale at one point but never heard anything else about the matter. I guess they made it into some good hands?

A year or two ago I stored away much of my Beach Boys books, including Look Listen Vibrate Smile which includes the Siegel piece. I may have to dig those out soon and revisit those articles and books. Priore's book about the "Lost Masterpiece" is fantastic, though at times full of a lot of misinformation, it still sheds some amazing light on what zany things were going on with Brian and his crew during this time.

Thanks so much for the response! Every now and then there will be a SMiLE mix that rekindles my love of this album. Again, I can't wait to hear side-B! How will you be piecing together 'Wonderful'?

No, they haven’t been made public yet, but the site that auctioned those acetates described what was on each disc. Here is a link: https://recordmecca.com/item-archives/beach-boys-8-original-smile-acetates-from-the-collection-of-van-dyke-parks/
“Wonderful” is just the 1966 recording of the song; which in my opinion is complete enough.

Just something else I want to make note of: it is interesting how the “moo” in the coda of “Barnyard” foreshadows the next track.

Awesome work and I love the sound of this! The lo-fi mix really adds a punch to the heavier parts (especially the chorus and outro of 'Cabin Essence').

So it has been AGES since I've read up on Smile and Brian's ideas for putting these "modules" of sound together from different songs. Can you explain the source(s) of your module edits, how much of this was your ideas vs how much is vintage? Pardon if that's asking too much, I know you explained your sources, but I'm just so out of the loop anymore with Smile stuff, I don't even remember hearing about the '66 tape compilation!

I really love the mix and I need to find some free time to really give the Side-A a good listen. Standout moments: 7:10 and beyond is just stellar, the transition at 11:25 feels like DYLW and Cabin Essence are part of the same song - you really get a good feel for the modular edit style Brian talked about.

I can't wait to hear side B!

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it! Side B is much wilder. There is an online resource called “Record Mecca” that auctioned contemporary acetates of The Beach Boys’ “Smile” sessions that once belonged to Durrie Parks. There are one or two sides that transition “Who Ran The Iron Horse” to the verse of “Heroes and Villains”. In January 1967, an experimental edit of the verse of “Heroes and Villains” was assembled that quickly transitioned to “Bridge To The Indians”. That edit was featured on “The Smile Sessions” box. Since “Bridge To The Indians” in title and key-change implies a transition to the first part of “Do You Like Worms”, that’s an area where I valued some creative liberty in terms of sequencing. Jules Siegel published an article about the “Smile” sessions called “Goodbye Surfing, Hello God” in October 1967 where he describes an October 1966 dinner party where Brian Wilson played guests some acetates of “Smile” material; with the first section of “Do You Like Worms” segueing into the “Grand Coolie” section of “Cabin Essence”, and then the “Who Ran The Iron Horse” section followed by “Barnyard” from “Heroes and Villains”. I sequenced the sections mostly in accordance with the information I have presented, but in no way am I claiming my “Smile” fan-edit is the most accurate or most likely form “Smile” would have been realized towards in 1967, but I am fairly satisfied with it, as I hope you all are too.

"The password for the video is “smile”"

who'd've thunk?

Yeah. The point was to make it accessible and easy to remember. How did you like the mix?

Alright, Side A is now finished and uploaded onto Vimeo. The password for the video is “smile” https://vimeo.com/309413724

Apologies. The Vimeo link for Side A will now be defunct. I have to make slight adjustments to the mix, and am even considering discarding the “acetate” concept altogether.

This probably will be my last fan-edit of the unfinished Beach Boys album “Smile”, only using material from late 1966 to early 1967, with the exception of Carl Wilson’s vocals in “Home On The Range” which were recorded in 1968, and toothbrushing or dishwashing sounds from “The Gong” used in “Sleep A Lot” which were recorded in 1968. I have mixed the audio to mimick that of a vintage acetate disc like the sources of some of Brian Wilson’s contemporary edits.

The running order goes:

Side A-

1. Good Vibrations
2. Wind Chimes
3. Heroes and Villains
4. Cabin Essence
5. The Elements
6. Vega-Tables

Side B-
1. Wonderful
2. Child is The Father of The Man
3. The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine
4. Do You Like Worms
5. I’m In Great Shape
6. Surf’s Up

Here is a Vimeo link to Side A. The password is: “smile” https://vimeo.com/309212641

Thanks and acknowledgment to SonicLoveNoize, Lee Wall, and online resources providing information about The Beach Boys’ “Smile” sessions; including information about the Durrie Parks acetates, contemporary articles, and the December 1966 tape compilation edits—all of which heavily relied upon to create this fan-edit regarding sequencing choices. Most importantly, a thanks to Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks and The Beach Boys themselves.

It has been two or three years since I created this thread, and I took a break from visiting this forum a few months back. I was so surprised to see this thread come back. I do not believe “Wind Chimes” was conceived as the “Air” section of the “Elements suite.” “Vega-Tables,” before being re-recorded in April 1967, might have been. The concept of “Air” is also expanded on during the comedy-sketch session in November 1966 where the bulk of the “Psychodelic Sounds” bootleg originate from; including breathing chants and discussions about climate change and air pollution in Europe. “Water” included ‘water sounds’ found in “Bob Gordon’s Real Trip.” “Earth” might have also been “Workshop,” although that up for debate. I have been working on a ‘Smile’ compilation using only recordings from 1966-68 with a 12-track running order for a long time, partly due to the nature of Side Two and vocal isolations of the “Surf’s Up” piano demo. The running order is: “Our Prayer,” “Good Vibrations,” “Do You Like Worms,” “Cabin Essence,” “Wonderful,” “Child is The Father of The Man,” “Vega-Tables”/“Heroes and Villains,” “The Old Master Painter,” “The Elements,” “I’m In Great Shape,” “Wind Chimes,” and “Surf’s Up.”

Okay, this is the fourth time I’ve posted something like this, so if it’s ignored, that’s totally fine, but if you all have a moment to listen to my finished mix of the first side, that would be much appreciated. I scrapped the ‘duophonic’ concept, so it’s available in mono.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1L_YcrRzSMmlcMLAzIpOiRnh-SS5vWyAK

Edit

Edit

Edit

My fan mix will be out by December or January. Mixing “Vega-Tables” is going to take a while!

I was under the impression from interviews .. Our Prayer was the opening track on Smile and it went into H+V .. cantina version..

That sounds quite interesting there. I can’t recall an interview from that period in which Brian Wilson said that “Our Prayer” preceded that “cantina” version of “Heroes and Villains.” Would you mind going through the trouble to find that quotation? That would be very revealing information.

That looks great too. Honestly, I have nothing but respect for those who try and figure this all out. It doesn't surprise me that Brian himself struggled with this.

Personally, I am very much hung up on narrative of expansion. I also see Heroes and Villains as being an essential part of it. After all, in the frontier myth, California was the end point of the westward expansion - hence, it's special place in the American narrative. It is the land of dreams - the culmination of everything we were trying to get to (but the restless spirit of course has to continue and so the narrative went upwards into space - hence, the immortal words of James T. Kirk, "Space: the final frontier," a more American phrase there could not be). But the way people thought about space, the moon, and beyond in 1966 was the way settlers and travels once imagined California. And thus, for me, Heroes and Villains is the culmination of the trip that starts in Do You Like Worms? They reach California. But all along the way, the settlers had to confront the fact that this was not their territory or at least not solely their territory ("Bicycle rider, just see what you've done," "Who ran the iron horse?") and the same is at work in H&V as English meets Spanish.

Now is this theme only three songs long? Maybe but maybe not. I can't for the life of me see how I'm in Great Shape and Barnyard fit into this narrative - at least not without stretching really hard. To me, they fit in better with Vega-Tables and Eat a Lot. So this is probably why I'm in Great Shape is spun out of H&V into its own track by December.

So what does that leave us with? Most significantly, Surf's Up. I know - placing Worms, CE, H&V, and SU together is a real whammo and a better person would keep them separate so as not to give the lister all the classics at once. But Surf's Up plays so well within this narrative. We have seen the arrival, the expansion, the end of the expansion in California, and Surf's Up is when it all comes crashing down - we are now into the future of the great society that has been being built up over the previous three songs and it's all falling apart now. Appropriately, it would take us further west, right into the ocean where the surf is literally up - back on the water where Do You Like Worms appears to begin but instead of waving hello as the explorers arrive, we are waving goodbye to the columnated ruins.

What else? Well, what about Child is Father of the Man? It's been long assumed that the reference to it as a cowboy song is an error. I'm ok with operating under that assumption. However, it is worth noting that the title of the song takes us back to Wordsworth, the Romantics, and the beginnings of the 19th century, placing us within the time frame of Cabin Essence and Heroes and Villains. The title also happens to derive from the century that saw the emergence of cowboy culture. The downside? It's often paired up with Surf's Up (but this might not be a downside as we see above). Also, I really don't see how Wordsworth figures in as a British poet. With that in mind, though, Parks did refer to Cabin Essence as a Gothic trip and Gothic fiction does emerge in the Romantic era.

What about Wonderful? Well, it is a song about about the loss of innocence with references to liberty, religion, etc. Could be a preface to Surf's Up as well along with Child.

And if religious themes are being brought in then The Old Master Painter relates. And My Only Sunshine does connect thematically with H&V and the loss of a loved one.

So unless I'm forgetting something, that leaves us with Good Vibrations, Vega-Tables, I'm in Great Shape/Barnyard, Wind Chimes, and The Elements. Only five songs, but one was presumably made up of four tracks and who knows what that could have turned out to be. That leaves with a collection of songs that focus on both the material (the body) and the immaterial (elements, vibrations, etc).

After much consideration, I have created a track-list that is based on your explanation of prominent themes that are noticed in the music and lyrics of ‘Smile’, and with emphasis on migrant expansion throughout the progression of American history. I have only slotted Good Vibrations to be the first track on “Side One” because I believe it was meant to follow “Our Prayer.”

Side One:

1. Good Vibrations
2. Do You Like Worms
3. Cabin Essence
4. Wonderful
5. Child is The Father of The Man
6. The Old Master Painter

Side Two:

7. Heroes and Villains
8. The Elements
9. I’m In Great Shape
10. Vega-Tables
11. Wind Chimes
12. Surf’s Up

Of course, this track-list is a compromise between the prominent Americana/expansion theme and the elements/vibrations/cycle of life theme because I believe those themes were interrelated at one point before the focus shifted toward the “Heroes and Villains” single in 1967.  

It's good.

But my thinking is that chronologically speaking, Do You Like Worms is about the discovery of the New World - 1600s, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Rock. Cabin Essence, meanwhile is about frontierism - the 1800s, Westward expansion, the creation of the railroad. They are definitely connected. Together they tell a story of ongoing territorial expansion but I think the order needs to start with Worms then into Cabin.

I also came up with another track-list, but it isn’t based on any specific compilation reel as a guide. It goes:

Side One:
1. Good Vibrations
2. Do You Like Worms
3. Cabin Essence
4. Wind Chimes
5. The Elements
6. I’m In Great Shape

Side Two:
7. Vega-Tables
8. Heroes and Villain
9. The Old Master Painter
10. Wonderful
11. Child is The Father of The Man
12. Surf’s Up

What do you think?

It's good.

But my thinking is that chronologically speaking, Do You Like Worms is about the discovery of the New World - 1600s, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Rock. Cabin Essence, meanwhile is about frontierism - the 1800s, Westward expansion, the creation of the railroad. They are definitely connected. Together they tell a story of ongoing territorial expansion but I think the order needs to start with Worms then into Cabin.

I will consider that as well. Thanks!

I fully understand that this a topic that has been discussed exhaustively in this board, sometimes to members’ dismays.
In December 1966, Brian Wilson created a work-in-progress compilation reel of songs that were intended for The Beach Boys’ “Smile” album, which was slated for release later that month. This reel included tracks: “Cabin Essence, Do You Like Worms, Wonderful, Child is The Father of The Man, Vega-Tables, Heroes and Villains, and Our Prayer.”
Using this reel’s track sequence as a starting-point, I’ve created my own track-list featuring 12 songs:

Side One:
1. Good Vibrations
2. Cabin Essence
3. Do You Like Worms
4. Wonderful
5. Child is The Father of The Man
6. Vega-Tables

Side Two:
7. Heroes and Villains
8. The Elements
9. I’m In Great Shape
10. The Old Master Painter
11. Wind Chimes
12. Surf’s Up (w/ hidden track: Our Prayer)

I would like to call this the December 1966 track-list.
If you like the track-list, I could make a fan-mix around it. What do you guys think?

These posts, and this thread in general, revive an aspect of nostalgia that drew me deeply toward the music of The Beach Boys. I started frequenting this message board at the mere age of twelve, being fascinated by the music of 'Pet Sounds,' and the incomplete work of 'Smile.' I'm fifteen now, so the mystique surrounding the fabled 'Smile' project for me was a large part of growing up. I cannot hold a grudge against anyone or thing that contributed to what ultimately became 'Smiley Smile.' I have no basis to do so, but I surely regret the existence of 'Smiley Smile' in September 1967 over the 'Smile' album that was once being proudly advertised in January 1967, even if it means that The Beatles would have been so overwhelmed to the point of not even conceiving or completing the 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' that we all know and love today. Even though 'Smiley Smile' is underrated in its own right (in my opinion), 'Smile,' as incomplete or fractured as it exists, still sounds complete due to its sometimes inadvertently skeletal nature, and, in my opinion, largely better than 'Smiley Smile.' Creating these hypothetical track sequences to document or retell the unfinished concept that was once conceived in 1966 through the music itself was (and sort of is) a ritual of mine that I partake in when approaching this work since the music; specifically the modular composition standpoint, lends itself to fans heavily forming new narratives or concepts primarily based on the music, that results in still maintaining the music's relevancy.

My current SMiLE sequence is kind of a "what if Jan '67" list, factoring in the new importance of the Heroes And Villains single. Even though it was unlikely to have an "Americana" side and an "Elementals" side it wasn't unheard of at the time for albums to have themed sides so I've stuck with that. Granted, I'm using elements from post SMiLE, but I once heard a mix years ago (now gone as it was deleted from YouTube) that exclusively used pre '67 material and, although fascinating, I found it to be quite bare-bones. Still working on the finishing touches but right now it looks something like this:

Side 1: Americana

Our Prayer (Unlisted)

1. Heroes And Villains
2. Do You Like Worms?
3. Wonderful
4. Child Is Father Of The Man
5. The Old Master Painter / My Only Sunshine
6. Cabin Essence

Side 2: The Elementals

1. Good Vibrations
2. I'm In Great Shape
3. Vega-Tables
4. The Elements
a). Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)
b). Earth (I Wanna Be Around / Workshop)
c). Water (WH Water Chant, Dec '66 Dada piano pieces)
d). Air (Smog, Breathing Sounds, Wind Chimes V2 Tag)
5. Wind Chimes
6. Surf's Up

You're Welcome (Unlisted)

There we go; 2 sides, 12 songs, most having fadeouts. I'll report back once I'm done with a track-by-track breakdown.

I like your track sequence, especially the first side.

I would like to use this opportunity to explain some 'Smile' observations:

"The Old Master Painter" was implied by Michael Vosse in 1968 to have once been connected to "The Woodshed Song," (thematically or musically; that is up for debate). This detail branched from a discussion about "Heroes and Villains."

I am not sure if this counts, but Frank Holmes' recent artwork for "Wonderful" (completed in the 2000s) includes a cabin among other references to the lyrics of "Wonderful," possibly implying a thematic connection between the songs "Cabin Essence" and "Wonderful."

"Cabin Essence" and "Do You Like Worms" have long been correlated, by Michael Vosse, by Jules Siegel, by Tom Nolan. There even exist edits found on acetate discs (refer to the Durrie Parks acetate disc collection) that combine the two songs, and also the intro to "Heroes and Villains." We know that "Do You Like Worms" and "Heroes and Villains" were connected (January '67: "Bridge to The Indians," "Bicycle Rider vocal overdubs." February '67: "Heroes and Villains: Chorus." June '67: "Heroes and Villains: Chorus (vocals overdubs, incorporating lyrics of "Do You Like Worms.))

I am not sure if the '66 piano arrangement of "Da-Da" would have likely been the 'water' section to the planned 'elements suite' in 1966. If anything, it fits Brian Wilson's recollections of the 'air' section of the 'elements suite' in 1978. Either way, who knows definitively? Not even Wilson does (in present day).

Of course, there are Carol Kaye's remarks during a recording session for 'The Woodshed Song' possibly suggesting that the song was meant to follow "the fire." Those comments might have also been about how the sessions for "The Elements - Part One (Fire)" preceded the sessions for "The Woodshed Song."

"Holidays" *might* (I repeat, MIGHT) have been an earlier reworking of "Da-Da." Sounds strange, right? Some might have stopped reading this already. I suggest listening to the chord progression of the choruses of "Holidays," and then the chord progression of "Da-Da."

"Child is The Father of The Man" (the group vocal performance that was recorded with a sole piano accompaniment in April, '67) shares the same chord progression (and chords) with the few last seconds played by The Wrecking Crew after the tracking of "Love to Say Da-Da: Part Two."

The same chord progression (using the same chords) was being demonstrated and recorded on piano by Wilson during a post-'Smile' 1967 session for "Cool, Cool Water."

What does all this prove? Not much!

In the 1980s, I remember Brian calling Van Dyke Parks “an asshole” at a birthday party. I’m fine with that.

It also seems that Parks is somewhat dismissive of Wilson’s mental health issues.

More to the story but he deleted it

As far as I could tell, it seems as though Van Dyke Parks is bitter at Brian Wilson, “genius” being the archetype used to describe Wilson, alluding to Jules Siegel’s usage of the term to describe Wilson in his infamous article about the circumstances surrounding the rise and downfall of the projected Smile album: “Goodbye Surfing, Hello God,” (1967), and perhaps stipulating that he and his wife were not paid deservedly for their roles and involvement in Brian Wilson’s live renditions of material from the Smile era. That will be as far as I will go with these assumptions, despite having not dissected the altering of the word: “volumes” to “volumns[sic].”