Brian has signed off on Smile Sessions......

[guitarfool2002]

"I listened to all the tapes, and I approved some of them and I disapproved some of them. But they're bringing out the tapes that I approved."

I sure hope there is a consensus between Brian and the fans concerning the stuff he disapproved of!!  I would hate to know about good material that was left off this set because it brought back bad memories or for some other minor reason(s) other than artistic or sound quality. But after all, it is his call and we need to trust his judgement. We have no choice!

Well, if the multi-disc set is reduced to three CDs, we'll know he objected to quite a bit! I'm going to hope that Brian was in a logical frame of mind that day and rejected just the drug talk and "party" recordings.

Some of the chants are compelling - other spoken word pieces like the "lifeboat" sketch are kind of pointless.

With this kind of material, you can almost pick out what will and what won't be included from what we've already heard, and since we've already heard it to some degree it's no big deal. But I personally think certain parts of the spoken word material are compelling, but unlike a lot of fans I suppose, I love hearing audio verite recordings where they just let the tape roll and capture everything that was going on in the room, good or bad.

Now if drugs and drug references are going to be edited out or left off, say good bye to a clean recording of the "Our Prayer" session as we know it on this box set. Unless they edit out words like "acid" and "hash joints" from the tape.

[drbeachboy]

Actually, I'm glad that Brian is involved. I hope that maybe he gave some insight (upon hearing this 4 hours of music) to piece the puzzle together.

[juggler]

He's heard something... but not the finished product, as four hours would fit neatly on three CDs, and we know the box is at least four.

What if not all 4 CDs are maximum length?  Suppose, hypothetically, that Disc 1 presents a stand-alone "finished" Smile album, and it only runs, say, 40 minutes .  That leaves 200 minutes, just about the right amount of material for the other 3 discs.

[The Shift]

Actually, I'm glad that Brian is involved. I hope that maybe he gave some insight (upon hearing this 4 hours of music) to piece the puzzle together.

… or maybe even said "Hey, why'd ya leave THIS off?…" (rummages in box under his piano and pulls out a hitherto-unknown tape box. "THIS was gonna be the centrepiece, not that Heroes stuff!"

[guitarfool2002]

Actually, I'm glad that Brian is involved. I hope that maybe he gave some insight (upon hearing this 4 hours of music) to piece the puzzle together.

… or maybe even said "Hey, why'd ya leave THIS off?…" (rummages in box under his piano and pulls out a hitherto-unknown tape box. "THIS was gonna be the centrepiece, not that Heroes stuff!"

And what if that "centerpiece" turns out to be "He Gives Speeches"? 

[MBE]

I just want vinyl

[bgas]

I just want vinyl

Sorry, all my good stuff is metal backed

[Andrew G. Doe]

So now that the key players have signed off on this we know the sequence must be in place. We know from VDP's comments that the packaging is finished. Maybe the July date is a possibility after all!?

No, we actually know nothing of the sort: read Van Dyke's interview again and it's very clear that he's just repeating what others have told him, and that he's seen - and heard - nothing. Thus:

"I hear the box set is going to be absolutely beautiful. It will be very comforting to see that it's finally commercially available."

As for reverting to the originally reported July date ? No.

Actually Andrew if you listen to this VDP interview he says he HAS seen it - something about a Faberge egg http://near90leftofthedial.podomatic.com/ - go to 12.40 is

Thanks for that - obviously a very recent development. His 3 album comment is somewhat confusing, but I think I know what he means.

[Mikie]

I really wish they would leave in the drug references. "Denny, you got any hash joints?" would definitely add a sense of ambiance and an intimate 'fly on the wall' look inside the studio during the Smile sessions.  

[Andrew G. Doe]

Why the skepticism about the July date? I'm clueless about the process here - what might be left to do if (big if, granted)  packaging, sequence, mix and signatures are in the bag?

I'm skeptical about the July 12th date - which btw has been supplanted by an August 9th date for some time now - for a few reasons. I'll be astonished if it's out by then, or indeed August 9th.

[desmondo]

So now that the key players have signed off on this we know the sequence must be in place. We know from VDP's comments that the packaging is finished. Maybe the July date is a possibility after all!?

No, we actually know nothing of the sort: read Van Dyke's interview again and it's very clear that he's just repeating what others have told him, and that he's seen - and heard - nothing. Thus:

"I hear the box set is going to be absolutely beautiful. It will be very comforting to see that it's finally commercially available."

As for reverting to the originally reported July date ? No.

Actually Andrew if you listen to this VDP interview he says he HAS seen it - something about a Faberge egg http://near90leftofthedial.podomatic.com/ - go to 12.40 is

Thanks for that - obviously a very recent development. His 3 album comment is somewhat confusing, but I think I know what he means.

Me too but lovely Faberge egg comment I think - some indication that it might be pricey

[drbeachboy]

The Faberge Egg comment tells me that we will be peeling back layers of sound. Finding gems inside of gems. That we will be on the inside as all the music is created. A great way to describe Smile.

[desmondo]

The Faberge Egg comment tells me that we will be peeling back layers of sound. Finding gems inside of gems. That we will be on the inside as all the music is created. A great way to describe Smile.

A very nice way of describing it

[guitarfool2002]

The July 12 date stuck in my mind for some time and I couldn't remember why until I remembered this:



The Heroes And Villains single first appeared anywhere (IIRC) as a "hitbound" single on this KHJ survey from July 12, 1967! I remembered the date because there is a tape of a KHJ DJ giving a lukewarm (some might say puzzled) response to the record after he played it later that same week. This date is within a week or so of the famous incident at KHJ where the night-shift DJ Tom Maule wouldn't play the record on air after Brian organized a caravan to the station for an exclusive premiere.

Damn, how I would love to hear a tape of that night but chances of that are basically nil since hardly anything was recorded and saved.

July 12  - coincidence. 

[Mike's Beard]

That guy is the spitting image of Reg Presley.

[guitarfool2002]

That guy is the spitting image of Reg Presley.

 

That guy is Robert W. Morgan, one of the best DJ's in American radio history. He worked the morning drive-time shift at KHJ and other LA stations for years, and is still considered one of the best ever. From what I've heard of his 60's KHJ airchecks he was a terrific morning DJ.

[Jason]

I have a few recordings of his "Special Of The Week"; he did a few for the Beach Boys and he did one for the Moody Blues. He's done a bunch of others, of course, but I only have the previously mentioned ones!

A little addendum - for those of you who get into radio interviews with the Beach Boys, try and find any of Pete Fornatele's interviews with any or all of them. His 1988 interview with Brian is probably the best Brian interview of all time.

[guitarfool2002]

Not to get too far off track on this topic, but...

Robert W. Morgan and the other original KHJ on-air guys set one of their first commercial promos to the music of "Little Deuce Coupe", and featured the backing track with vocal harmonies by Bruce and Terry, and featured Morgan, Roger Christian, Don Steele, etc. singing their own lines over the LDC track.

The Beach Boys, especially Brian, had a close relationship with KHJ, and according to Ron Jacobs it was Christian who helped that relationship after he left his old station for the upstart KHJ. At least they say that's how the station was able to use and rewrite a Beach Boys song to promote their new station format!

So it must have been all the more crushing when KHJ refused to play heroes that night, since Brian had been very, very good to them in the past 2 years when they needed him. Sort of sad they had to appear when a brand-new DJ was on the air instead of Steele or Morgan who would have devoted the full show to a Brian Wilson exclusive.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

What's the deal with eggs? I don't quite get the reference.

[Jason]

Those promos are actually available on the M&M Productions Bruce and Terry CD from 1994. You might remember M&M as the same company who put out the Still I Dream Of You CD of Brian's outside productions.

"This is Fabulous FAM, number one in the West!"

[Jason]

What's the deal with eggs? I don't quite get the reference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faberge_egg

[guitarfool2002]

Those promos are actually available on the M&M Productions Bruce and Terry CD from 1994. You might remember M&M as the same company who put out the Still I Dream Of You CD of Brian's outside productions.

"This is Fabulous FAM, number one in the West!"

Oh yeah, I have the original KHJ track with Morgan and Steele and the rest of the original gang doing their raps as Bruce and Terry harmonize. An unusual track for sure since the DJ's don't really "sing", but it got played in the rotation of records as a full track lasting just under 2 minutes.

They sent the backing track around the country to their other network stations so they could add their own local on-air voices and use it as KHJ had used it to promote the station.

An interesting footnote in the whole KHJ-Brian Wilson connection for sure! 

[Jason]

It's a clever little ditty. You can tell that Terry Melcher produced it as it has that trademark sound of his.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

What's the deal with eggs? I don't quite get the reference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faberge_egg

Ahhh...okay. I was thinking something about Barnyard and chickens lol

[buddhahat]

Why the skepticism about the July date? I'm clueless about the process here - what might be left to do if (big if, granted)  packaging, sequence, mix and signatures are in the bag?

I'm skeptical about the July 12th date - which btw has been supplanted by an August 9th date for some time now - for a few reasons. I'll be astonished if it's out by then, or indeed August 9th.

But what are the reasons?!!!

To be honest I'm confused as to which date to believe. IIRC David Beard posted shortly after that August 9th date was announced to point out that no date had been confirmed at that point. Is Direct Current Music a source to be trusted or is it just a case that the furthest date into the future is the most feasible? Hoffman somewhat cryptically poo pooed the August date, although I accept his word re smile is of little value after his original impressive 'forecast'. Then there's VDP's September claim. Finally, let's not forget Al Jardne told fans at the RSD signings that it would be out in July. I'm getting good vibes from Al with this whole thing: reckon he's the man to back!