Our collective wait for SMiLE

[Fall Breaks]

Just short of 15 years, all since I got the 1993 box set for Christmas 1996.

[LostArt]

Since 1988 (when I was 32 years old), when a co-worker gave me a cassette with Brian Wilson ('88) on one side and Smiley Smile on the other.  I was hooked immediately.  So, 23 years for me.

[CosmicDancer]

I was aware of the Beach Boys as a child but it wasn't until 1994 at the age of 14 when I saw the American Band doc that they became an obsession.  After viewing that, I bought Pet Sounds the next day and began my obsession with SMiLE.  It was such a mystical and mysterious story that it totally drew me in.  A few years later, I owned every Beach Boys album and several SMiLE bootlegs.  Even still, I wanted more.  I couldn't get enough!  11/1/2011 will be the day I have waited 17 years for.  

I'm pretty sure my wife thinks that this day is more important to me than our wedding day.  It isn't, but it's the next best thing!

[Mooger Fooger]

For me since circa 1982 when I first read about the album in a rock history book. I also first heard snippets of the music in the same year and remember wondering what the hell it was all about. So began a quest to hear as much of it as possible. The Smile File was written along the way. I think the journey will be complete come November. So that is 29 years.

[Quincy]

1n 1969 when I was 19.. heard some tracks on 2020 were smile tracks... 42years

[Iron Horse-Apples]

I'm pretty sure my wife thinks that this day is more important to me than our wedding day.  It isn't, but it's the next best thing!

Hi Cosmic Dancer's wife, of course he means it!

[MaxL]

Only a couple of years. I'm only 19, so I only learned about SMiLE relatively recently.

Ditto, but I was aware of Smile shortly before I became a BB fan. Still not that long though, compared to most here.

[The Heartical Don]

I'm pretty sure my wife thinks that this day is more important to me than our wedding day.  It isn't, but it's the next best thing!

Hi Cosmic Dancer's wife, of course he means it!

Well spotted. Women have superb intuition. If she thinks that, it is so. Just sayin'.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

See, my wife knows where she stands when it comes to SMiLE. She knows I'll be locking her in the shed for three days when the box arrives.

[The Heartical Don]

See, my wife knows where she stands when it comes to SMiLE. She knows I'll be locking her in the shed for three days when the box arrives.

And that's how a true American male should do it. No weak 'compromising', blech. Lock her in at gunpoint and have your fun. Oh, don't forget to serve her a can of white beans in tomato sauce every day, that'll be appreciated.

[Roger Ryan]

35 years for me.

While I am old enough to remember the release of SGT. PEPPER (loved that cover as a four-year-old), I wasn't consciously aware of the Beach Boys as a group until 1974. However, by 1976 I owned most of the albums and had read enough to suspect this SMiLE thing was supposed to have been a big deal. My favorite "album" at this time was the Reprise "Best Of..." because it contained "Good Vibrations", "Heroes & Villains" and "Surf's Up" (plus PET SOUNDS highlights). As soon as I realized that "Our Prayer" and "Cabinessence" were from the same sessions as my favorite "Best Of..." tracks, I was hooked. I created my first fan mix in 1982 after gaining access to reel-to-reel tape machines in college. My love of the Beach Boys went into hibernation during the mid-80s, but was reawakened by the release of BW '88 and the two-fers. Hearing the "cantina" H & V for the first time brought all of the excitement back and I hadn't let go of my hope since.

[send me a picture and i'll tell you]

Coming up on 22 years.  In 1989, my college roommate had CDs of PS and Smiley, which I dubbed to cassette.  Instantly Smiley was da bomb, and PS sat unlistened-to for years.

He also had an early Japanese CD boot of Smile.  DYLW, with the backing vocals and horrible sound quality, blew my mind.  It was my Be My Baby of sorts.  All those ghostly-sounding sections of music that were just strung together...Rock, Rock, Roll, Plymouth Rock, Roll Over...and what the hell was a Who Ran The I Run Horse supposed to be?  I was in love.

[Aegir]

7 or 8 years. I first heard Pet Sounds in 2003 when I was about 15/16. I found out about Smile sometime in early 2004, after Brian's live performances but before the album came out. I didn't know any of that was in the works though. Then in summer '04 I was flipping through the channels on TV and stumbled upon a Brian Wilson interview on TV where he said that the album was coming out in a few months. I got BWPS and SS/WH for Christmas. Yes, I heard BWPS and Smiley Smile within a few hours of each other.

[Steve Mayo]

since 1967 for me, when i was 14.

makes 44 years for me.......


damn...

[GoinBald]

So far, Steve and I hold the record: 44 years. In January 1967 was 16 at the time. That was the time we were going to sell a million units.

[Chris Brown]

About 9 years - as ashamed as I am to admit it, I first heard of Smile via Brian's "autobiography."  Having already started becoming obsessed with Pet Sounds, reading about Smile intrigued me to no end, and I went out and found as many of the tracks as I could.  Naturally, I was blown away, and I still get the same feeling listening to those songs today as I did back then.

[anders wyller]

Since 1982, when meeting up at Lars' place here in Oslo, and his friend Tor had brought his small, delicate tape suitcase - wich contained, among various serious rarities, cassettes with loads of Smile stuff -- I was 17 and already deep into the Smile fandom - lit by reading about it in Leaf's BB and the California Myth -  the greatest Smile moment so far: - running over to the local postoffice and picking up the first LP -boot edition of Smile shipped from a New York based record store in 1984 ---   Smileomanic for at least 30 years ---

[Mikie]

since 1967 for me, when i was 14.

makes 44 years for me.......


damn...

Yeah, but c'mon, you didn't first hear about SMiLE in 1967, did you Steve?  When did you first hear/read about it?

[Steve Mayo]

yep...1st heard about it when good vibrations was out. remember dj talking about the lp it was to be on. the dj was my friend's older brother. started buying 45's with fun fun fun in 64. lp's in 67 when i had a paper route and had some spending money. remember reading about smile in 67 and buying (finally) heroes. then suddenly that fall no smile. and out of the blue my friends kidding me about liking the group. read in more detail about smile in 68. in 69 i loved 20/20 and it's smile linkage. 69 is when i really got bit by the beach boys collecting bug, same time as being kidded by my friends about liking them hit its peak.

[lance]

I've been waiting since 2007. 4 years of agonizing pain.

[SG7]

7 years

I remember hearing about Brian doing the shows in London a few months before I was a fan. I thought "oh nice" and forgot it. Oh little did I know...

[The Shift]

See, my wife knows where she stands when it comes to SMiLE. She knows I'll be locking her in the shed for three days when the box arrives.

S'funny how folk react differently. I've decided to let my wife out of the shed for three days to mark the release of the box. After that, she's going back in.

[oldsurferdude]

Same story as Steve Mayo-waited for Smile to finally hatch and was totally bummed by SS (at that time). Was just 20.

[willy]

1980 at 14 years old.

[hypehat]

See, my wife knows where she stands when it comes to SMiLE. She knows I'll be locking her in the shed for three days when the box arrives.

S'funny how folk react differently. I've decided to let my wife out of the shed for three days to mark the release of the box. After that, she's going back in.

See, me and my wife are more understanding. She's buying me a Smile box out of the kindness of her heart. I'm buying her a shed.