SMiLE Sessions box set!

[tansen]

One other very important aspect: adding effects to the tracks. Brian had a great ear for shaping his tracks, and there are a few occasions where you can actually hear it happening on various SOT takes and the like.

When Brian was at Western, he had the use of Bill Putnam's equipment, Universal Audio, some of which at the time was revolutionary. At Western, he had access to the 610 preamps, the LA-2A opto-compressor, and whatever echo chambers Putnam had, not to mention their tape delay possibilities. At Columbia, he had 8 tracks to work with - which was a big deal - but the rooms and some of the equipment never sounded as good for instrumental tracking as Western. Gold Star - when Brian could book it - had the best echo chambers around, and other various sonic quirks about the sounds bouncing around that small room that made those records sound different.

Brian's skill was using all of that stuff to his advantage. he took it as far as it could go with Good Vibrations, where he picked the best parts of each and spliced them together into one mono mixdown. A "greatest hits" of LA studio sounds available in 1966, perhaps on one record?

The point is in 1966 *especially* those details mattered more to Brian than maybe other producers, and when he was adding those sounds like the echo chambers and Putnams compression to a certain track on the fly, and printing that to tape, there was no way to 'remix" that kind of live recording ethic. What happened in that room was what you got.

"Wind Chimes" is a perfect example, in the way Brian added reverbs, echos, and EQ's to each one of those piano tracks as they were mixed down into one mono track. The effects and the timbres of each different piano makes that track special, and to mix something like that in stereo after the effects become vital to the performance is missing the point. Same with some of the "bicycle rider" piano sections, where the echos and reverb are all over the place. Some of those sounds cannot be duplicated after the minute they're recorded.

It had to be mono for Brian all the way to make all this work, whether he only had one good ear or not. His recording approach changed radically after Smiley Smile and I'll say it never felt as unique and as special as his peak in 66-67.

Great post! I love gear talk. I have worked a lot with UA's 1176, and it is one amazing compressor. Unfortunately I've only gotten to play with the plug-in version of the  LA-2A.

[D409]

By the way, I guess you all have heard this before, but figured it was time for a re-fresh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIJOTmWabcY

Surely, they must have paid royalties.

Never heard this before, one of the most blatant rip-offs I've come across !

[guitarfool2002]

My favorite song and recording of all time is "Wouldn't It Be Nice". One of the coolest, almost magical pieces of audio I've ever heard is on that session at Gold Star where Brian has the accordions play their parts and the sound just fills the room, and creates an aura in that small Gold Star room that would be impossible to recreate. It was one of those magical combinations of so many elements that allowed something like that to happen, and even if they had set up that same studio exactly the same way the next day, it probably wouldn't have been as good.

Those magical moments when it all just works: Brian was filled to the brim with them in 1966, but that one in particular with the accordions seemed to move him more than usual, judging from his reaction in the booth.

The way records are made in 2011...we're missing out on that kind of thing. Smile will shock people who haven't heard it, I'm confident of that.

[OBLiO]

One other very important aspect: adding effects to the tracks. Brian had a great ear for shaping his tracks, and there are a few occasions where you can actually hear it happening on various SOT takes and the like.

When Brian was at Western, he had the use of Bill Putnam's equipment, Universal Audio, some of which at the time was revolutionary. At Western, he had access to the 610 preamps, the LA-2A opto-compressor, and whatever echo chambers Putnam had, not to mention their tape delay possibilities. At Columbia, he had 8 tracks to work with - which was a big deal - but the rooms and some of the equipment never sounded as good for instrumental tracking as Western. Gold Star - when Brian could book it - had the best echo chambers around, and other various sonic quirks about the sounds bouncing around that small room that made those records sound different.

Brian's skill was using all of that stuff to his advantage. he took it as far as it could go with Good Vibrations, where he picked the best parts of each and spliced them together into one mono mixdown. A "greatest hits" of LA studio sounds available in 1966, perhaps on one record?

The point is in 1966 *especially* those details mattered more to Brian than maybe other producers, and when he was adding those sounds like the echo chambers and Putnams compression to a certain track on the fly, and printing that to tape, there was no way to 'remix" that kind of live recording ethic. What happened in that room was what you got.

"Wind Chimes" is a perfect example, in the way Brian added reverbs, echos, and EQ's to each one of those piano tracks as they were mixed down into one mono track. The effects and the timbres of each different piano makes that track special, and to mix something like that in stereo after the effects become vital to the performance is missing the point. Same with some of the "bicycle rider" piano sections, where the echos and reverb are all over the place. Some of those sounds cannot be duplicated after the minute they're recorded.

It had to be mono for Brian all the way to make all this work, whether he only had one good ear or not. His recording approach changed radically after Smiley Smile and I'll say it never felt as unique and as special as his peak in 66-67.

Good stuff.

Good Vibrations and the tail end of Vega-Tables come to mind immediately for what would have been recorded before the move to the new studio. I don't know what may have been re-recorded for Heroes and Villains, but all three could be used as the reference for what SMiLE would sound like. The whole album could be a "studio greatest hits". So the recording techniques would have changed with the new home studio... another thought I had regarding Smiley Smile... for instance, Vegetables and Gettin Hungry... it sounds like the bass may have been recorded at mix down... Smiley Smile doesn't have a whole lot of bass going on... The bass on Good Vibrations is round and there is air and a nice thump to it... the two bass thumps before the "gotta keep those..."  as an example for a studio sound.. listen to the bass on the tail of vegetables... same thing going on.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The home set-up that Smiley Smile was recorded on - and Wild Honey too, for that matter - was very much a makeshift operation, even compared with the console used for Friends, hence the results were less than Western standard. 

[Chris Moise]

And Austin, I agree that SMiLE would have been impossible to mix into anything but mono back in 1967, as Pet Sounds was the year earlier.

There is no reason why a stereo mix of Pet Sounds (or Smile) could not have been made in 1966-67. From a technical standpoint it wouldn't be any more difficult than mixing any other 60's album to stereo.

What wasn't possible (and is explained in the Pet Sounds boxset liners) is syncing the separate vocal multitrack with the instrumental multitrack. That requires a modern computer to sync the separate vocal and instrumental multitracks. A 1966 stereo mix of Pet Sounds would be have the instrumental track mono with stereo vocals, just like the stereo mix of Little Deuce Coupe for example. Not ideal but still stereo.

[Bean Bag]

One other very important aspect: adding effects to the tracks. Brian had a great ear for shaping his tracks, and there are a few occasions where you can actually hear it happening on various SOT takes and the like.

When Brian was at Western, he had the use of Bill Putnam's equipment, Universal Audio, some of which at the time was revolutionary. At Western, he had access to the 610 preamps, the LA-2A opto-compressor, and whatever echo chambers Putnam had, not to mention their tape delay possibilities. At Columbia, he had 8 tracks to work with - which was a big deal - but the rooms and some of the equipment never sounded as good for instrumental tracking as Western. Gold Star - when Brian could book it - had the best echo chambers around, and other various sonic quirks about the sounds bouncing around that small room that made those records sound different.

Brian's skill was using all of that stuff to his advantage. he took it as far as it could go with Good Vibrations, where he picked the best parts of each and spliced them together into one mono mixdown. A "greatest hits" of LA studio sounds available in 1966, perhaps on one record?

The point is in 1966 *especially* those details mattered more to Brian than maybe other producers, and when he was adding those sounds like the echo chambers and Putnams compression to a certain track on the fly, and printing that to tape, there was no way to 'remix" that kind of live recording ethic. What happened in that room was what you got.

"Wind Chimes" is a perfect example, in the way Brian added reverbs, echos, and EQ's to each one of those piano tracks as they were mixed down into one mono track. The effects and the timbres of each different piano makes that track special, and to mix something like that in stereo after the effects become vital to the performance is missing the point. Same with some of the "bicycle rider" piano sections, where the echos and reverb are all over the place. Some of those sounds cannot be duplicated after the minute they're recorded.

It had to be mono for Brian all the way to make all this work, whether he only had one good ear or not. His recording approach changed radically after Smiley Smile and I'll say it never felt as unique and as special as his peak in 66-67.

Great post! I love gear talk. I have worked a lot with UA's 1176, and it is one amazing compressor. Unfortunately I've only gotten to play with the plug-in version of the  LA-2A.

Totally digging the gear-talk too!

This is so cool...I have SONAR X1 --that I use to do all my home recording-- and after YEARS of futzing around with compressors and getting NO WHERE good, I've finally landed on this one compressor plug-in effect for my vocals.  I've been using it for the last few months -- and been ABSOLUTELY loving it.

I just checked it out...sho' nuff...it's called  "Vintage:  Teletronix LA2A"

NO SHEET!!!

[Custom Machine]

By the way, I guess you all have heard this before, but figured it was time for a re-fresh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIJOTmWabcY

Surely, they must have paid royalties.

If even if Brian is credited as a co-composer (which of course he should be), he wouldn't get royalties as the SOT publishing was sold by Murry. Anyone got the album know if there's any acknowledgement of the lift at all ?

I think we discussed this one before, a few months back.  Brain still gets composer royalties for the songs he has written.  It is not necessary to own the publishing copyrights to receive composer royalties.

[Andrew G. Doe]

By the way, I guess you all have heard this before, but figured it was time for a re-fresh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIJOTmWabcY

Surely, they must have paid royalties.

If even if Brian is credited as a co-composer (which of course he should be), he wouldn't get royalties as the SOT publishing was sold by Murry. Anyone got the album know if there's any acknowledgement of the lift at all ?

I think we discussed this one before, a few months back.  Brain still gets composer royalties for the songs he has written.  It is not necessary to own the publishing copyrights to receive composer royalties.

Correct of course. I overdid the meds yesterday. 

[tansen]

By the way, I guess you all have heard this before, but figured it was time for a re-fresh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIJOTmWabcY

Surely, they must have paid royalties.

If even if Brian is credited as a co-composer (which of course he should be), he wouldn't get royalties as the SOT publishing was sold by Murry. Anyone got the album know if there's any acknowledgement of the lift at all ?

I think we discussed this one before, a few months back.  Brain still gets composer royalties for the songs he has written.  It is not necessary to own the publishing copyrights to receive composer royalties.

Correct of course. I overdid the meds yesterday. 

Of course, songwriting royalties as opposed to mechanical royalties (MCPS).

[guitarfool2002]

It always amazes me how the finest pieces of musical gear and instruments are so well done, they can remain virtually unchanged for decades and still sound better (subjective, of course) then whatever high-tech items replace them.

In another thread there is talk of the Beach Boys circa 1962: They're playing Fender Strats and a P-bass, and both designs brand new off the rack in 2011 are for the most part exactly as they were in 1962. In this thread, the sound of the LA-2A: with originals being very expensive, both the reissues and the plug-in versions have made those same sounds which were revolutionary in 1966 available to 2011's modern age from home to pro studios, and the LA-2A and 1176 are still among the finest compressors available, in my own and a lot of others' opinion. As soon as you hear the difference, it's like the sun coming out from the clouds, either the plug in or the analog version.

My point in a roundabout way relates to Smile: I think Brian was at or near the pinnacle of what could be done in a studio in 1966 with Smile, and just like the timeless quality of the Fender Strat or the LA-2A, people not as familiar with this music will hear it and I doubt it will sound like 46 year old music to their ears.

Just like that LA-2A, what was made to sound amazing in 1966 will still sound amazing, no matter what the context. In my opinion.

[Shady]

This is getting mean

[tansen]

It always amazes me how the finest pieces of musical gear and instruments are so well done, they can remain virtually unchanged for decades and still sound better (subjective, of course) then whatever high-tech items replace them.

In another thread there is talk of the Beach Boys circa 1962: They're playing Fender Strats and a P-bass, and both designs brand new off the rack in 2011 are for the most part exactly as they were in 1962. In this thread, the sound of the LA-2A: with originals being very expensive, both the reissues and the plug-in versions have made those same sounds which were revolutionary in 1966 available to 2011's modern age from home to pro studios, and the LA-2A and 1176 are still among the finest compressors available, in my own and a lot of others' opinion. As soon as you hear the difference, it's like the sun coming out from the clouds, either the plug in or the analog version.

My point in a roundabout way relates to Smile: I think Brian was at or near the pinnacle of what could be done in a studio in 1966 with Smile, and just like the timeless quality of the Fender Strat or the LA-2A, people not as familiar with this music will hear it and I doubt it will sound like 46 year old music to their ears.

Just like that LA-2A, what was made to sound amazing in 1966 will still sound amazing, no matter what the context. In my opinion.

Definitely man. It's the same with certain Neve gear (1073 and 1064 come to mind), or classic Neumann microphones such as the U47 and U87. Classic equipment with a wonderful timeless sound. And I have to say, unfortunately the plug-ins can't compete with the real hardware. Sure, they emulate some of the gear well (and I'm darn glad we have this option), but analogue will always be analogue.

[Jonas]

Ooo audiophiles! My favorite kind of people!

[tansen]

Ooo audiophiles! My favorite kind of people!

Indeed! (and add sound engineer, songwriter, musician, etc :-)

[Wrightfan]

Another site saying July 12th...oh and check out that audio file:
http://kool.radio.com/2011/05/03/beach-boys-legendary-smile-album-set-for-july-12-release/

The first one...I don't think I've heard that before 

Second I've never heard in mono (was part of that stereo section track on Hawthorne.)

Third one I've heard but I don't think it's ever been officially released.

Fourth has been released on Pet sounds set

Fifth one same as the third.

Sounds like it was for some radio special.

[Chris Brown]

Another site saying July 12th...oh and check out that audio file:
http://kool.radio.com/2011/05/03/beach-boys-legendary-smile-album-set-for-july-12-release/

The first one...I don't think I've heard that before 

Second I've never heard in mono (was part of that stereo section track on Hawthorne.)

Third one I've heard but I don't think it's ever been officially released.

Fourth has been released on Pet sounds set

Fifth one same as the third.

Sounds like it was for some radio special.

I don't think I've heard the first or third part (the normal speed "gotta keep those" part with the fuzz bass).  The fifth part I've heard, but without that clip-clop percussion - damn cool stuff.  How he whittled all those recordings down to the amazing finished track still baffles me.

[pixletwin]

Sounds like a new cut of the same stuff.. It does sound slightly better in my ears.

[Catbirdman]

Another site saying July 12th...oh and check out that audio file:
http://kool.radio.com/2011/05/03/beach-boys-legendary-smile-album-set-for-july-12-release/

The first one...I don't think I've heard that before 

Second I've never heard in mono (was part of that stereo section track on Hawthorne.)

Third one I've heard but I don't think it's ever been officially released.

Fourth has been released on Pet sounds set

Fifth one same as the third.

Sounds like it was for some radio special.

I'm not much of a scholar when it comes to Good Vibrations sessions, but here's my reaction:

First one: hmm, it sounds VERY familiar to me, pretty sure I've heard it many times.
Second one: this was NOT in the Hawthorne mix; I know because it's my favorite GV outtake and I had missed it...
Third one: I think you're right - It was on Hawthorne but not unabridged
Fourth one: yep, the Pet Sounds-era version
Fifth one: I thought this one was on Hawthorne, but maybe truncated

Then there's some interview snippets...

The memory cheats, but I believe this was part of a radio special called the "Best Summers of our Lives" or something like that. It's on one of the Long Lost Surfing Songs CDs from the 1990s.

[Catbirdman]

No reason anyone should care, but -

So, I'm a member of a "music club" (as we call it), here in Baltimore, USA, hosted after hours at a very hip, insurgent bookstore in our fair city's most bohemian neighborhood (why they let me in the club I'll never know). It's just a bunch of musos getting together sharing mix tapes and swapping stories. Tonight was my night - it was my mix and my turn to host the proceedings. Near the end the subject turned to Brian Wilson, and I formally invited everyone over to my house for a listening party when and if the Smile Sessions box set is released. They pounced on it; they're all very excited about this.

No point at all to this story. Except maybe to remind people that there IS an audience for this music, especially amongst the hipster crowd. I myself am not a hipster - but some of my best friends are hipsters! - I'm simply a dork who has drunk one too much cheap beers for one night.

Cheers.

[rab2591]

No reason anyone should care, but -

So, I'm a member of a "music club" (as we call it), here in Baltimore, USA, hosted after hours at a very hip, insurgent bookstore in our fair city's most bohemian neighborhood (why they let me in the club I'll never know). It's just a bunch of musos getting together sharing mix tapes and swapping stories. Tonight was my night - it was my mix and my turn to host the proceedings. Near the end the subject turned to Brian Wilson, and I formally invited everyone over to my house for a listening party when and if the Smile Sessions box set is released. They pounced on it; they're all very excited about this.

No point at all to this story. Except maybe to remind people that there IS an audience for this music, especially amongst the hipster crowd. I myself am not a hipster - but some of my best friends are hipsters! - I'm simply a dork who has drunk one too much cheap beers for one night.

Cheers.

I love those kind of stories! I think there should be a dedicated thread to stories about turning people on to The Beach Boys....or stories about randomly meeting people who are Beach Boys nuts too. I know many here are personally connected to other Beach Boys fanatics, but a lot of us are hard-pressed to find anyone who likes even the fun-in-the-sun surf music....let alone SMiLE! It's nice to read about this kind of stuff.

[Runaways]

whoa...i've never heard that clarinet stuff.  WHAAOOOOAOAOAOAOAOAOAOA. but i haven't heard much.  it sounds greeeeaaat too.

[Mikie]

Another site saying July 12th...oh and check out that audio file:
http://kool.radio.com/2011/05/03/beach-boys-legendary-smile-album-set-for-july-12-release/

The first one...I don't think I've heard that before 

Second I've never heard in mono (was part of that stereo section track on Hawthorne.)

Third one I've heard but I don't think it's ever been officially released.

Fourth has been released on Pet sounds set

Fifth one same as the third.

Sounds like it was for some radio special.

All of those Good Vibrations outtakes were first heard on a radio special about the history of The Beach Boys, broadcast in 1976, called "The Best Summers Of Our Lives". It was narrated by Charlie Van Dyke and Wolfman Jack and was six hours long. This was also the first time I heard "Spiritual Regeneration" (Happy Birthday Michael Love) by The Beatles.

I taped it at the time and wore that Good Vibrations segment out. I still love it!

[OBLiO]

The home set-up that Smiley Smile was recorded on - and Wild Honey too, for that matter - was very much a makeshift operation, even compared with the console used for Friends, hence the results were less than Western standard. 

Yes... I do like the home studio sound too... it's different.. a different sound. Up close. You can still hear the roundness of the bass strings, just closer... for a makeshift operation, it's still pretty darn good. Is there any info on Wally Heider's gear at his home studio?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Another site saying July 12th...oh and check out that audio file:
http://kool.radio.com/2011/05/03/beach-boys-legendary-smile-album-set-for-july-12-release/

The first one...I don't think I've heard that before 

Second I've never heard in mono (was part of that stereo section track on Hawthorne.)

Third one I've heard but I don't think it's ever been officially released.

Fourth has been released on Pet sounds set

Fifth one same as the third.

Sounds like it was for some radio special.

All of those Good Vibrations outtakes were first heard on a radio special about the history of The Beach Boys, broadcast in 1976, called "The Best Summers Of Our Lives". It was narrated by Charlie Van Dyke and Wolfman Jack and was six hours long. This was also the first time I heard "Spiritual Regeneration" (Happy Birthday Michael Love) by The Beatles.

I taped it at the time and wore that Good Vibrations segment out. I still love it!

Like Mikie says, for those of us of a certain age, none of this is new, nor has it been for something like 35 years. You can't learn everything from the net. 

Also, I'm shocked that the OP didn't recognise #3 as parts of a 1990 2fer bonus track.