SMiLE: Bring It On, Fanmixers.

[tygerbug]

  At twoscore and five, SMiLE is very much alive.

   So what do you want to hear in a post-box set fanmix of SMiLE?

    Minor mastering errors and unique editing choices aside, the box set has really covered the 60s recordings and presented an excellent 60s edit of the album.

   Ideally, what I want to hear is a "2004 style" fanedit. I'd like to hear material from the 2004 version to flesh out the album, so that no major vocals or passages of music that appear in the 2004 recording are missing from the fanmix. I'm okay with some 60s music and even a vocal here and there being sacrificed to make this work. Hearing Brian Wilson's 2004 voice from time to time doesn't really detract and adds a certain poignancy.

   I was pleased with how the SMiLE sessions boxset used more passages in Vega-tables, My Only Sunshine, etc, so I'd like to hear those still included, but the general flow of the tracks and how they blend should be 2004-era. I might like to hear a finished-ish Good Vibrations with the alternate lyrics a la Purple Chick ... which the boxset nearly does at the end, but not quite.

   For bonus tracks, I'd like to hear other SMiLE-related songs fleshed out as much as possible. You're Welcome is fine as is, and I'm curious what can be done with He Gives Speeches/She's Going Bald and Cool Cool Water. I wonder if the very different versions of these songs can be reconciled in any way, but if not they can at least be included as is, adding to the "recurring themes" of the album proper. After that, I'd like to hear some editing experiments with the various unused passages and recordings from the album tracks ... the unused bits of Heroes and Villains, for example, assembled in a logical-ish way.


     More ambitiously, I'd love to hear some Beach Boys cover band attempt some of the vocal passages in a 60s style. But that's a taller order than a fanedit!

  So what do you want to hear?

[P.J.]

I know I am working on two different ones... A 66-67-sessions-only version; trying to stay true to what would have come out (in my opinion of course) in 67. My second mix is going to be a crazy, double album. Trying to add as many pieces as possible with a flow throughout. Kind of a fantasy no-holds-barred version.

[Jason]

I finished an edit yesterday using only material from the box set; I tried to avoid bootlegs to have the highest fidelity possible. It fits into the whole Americana/Cycle of Life/Elements idea that made up BWPS but instead of having three distinct movements, I basically put it in an order where each theme is repeated throughout the mix.

Our Prayer - from the box.

Cool, Cool Water - an edit of the most complete take of version 1 on the box set. Runs 1:12.

Heroes and Villains, Part One - First verse from the cantina mix, chorus/verse lalas from the H&V assembly, cantina section (no woowoowoo)/"children were raised"/"at three score and five"/tape explosion from the cantina mix, "prelude to fade", "chimes intro", "Do a Lot", "Bag of Tricks" (most listenable takes), "pickup to 3rd verse", and "false Barnyard" from the cantina mix. Runs 7:37.

I'm in Great Shape - from the box.

Barnyard - from the box.

My Only Sunshine - from the box.

Cabin Essence - from the box.

Do You Like Worms - from the box, but deleted the "woowoowoo" at the end and replaced it with the original fade-out, like on the Good Vibrations box set. Runs 4:09.

Heroes and Villains, Part Two - "woowoowoo", Part 2 piano rehearsal (edited from most listenable takes), piano theme, "Smiley chorus", "Mission Pak", "Bridge to Indians", "Gee", "Swedish frog", "Hold On", "version 4", "children were raised"/"sonny down snuff"/chorus from the H&V assembly, "part 1 tag", fade remake. Runs 10:12.

Wonderful - from the box.

Child Is Father of the Man - from the box, except appended at the beginning with the "verse" from the first version of Child. Runs 2:26.

Wonderful reprise - version 2 tag (most listenable takes) and version 3 (most listenable takes) spliced together. Runs 3:21.

Good Vibrations - from the box.

Look - from the box minus fly-ins.

Vega-Tables - from the box.

Holidays - from the box minus fly-ins.

Wind Chimes - from the box.

"All Day Dada" - "taped piano strings" Da Da, "Fender Rhodes" Da Da, "All Day" (most listenable takes). Runs 2:57.

Mrs. O'Leary's Cow - from the box, but appended at the beginning with the organ waltz and organ/piano duet waltz. Runs 3:27.

Love To Say Dada - from the box; Prayer reprise deleted and replaced with "Child" reprise from the session take on the box set, then spliced with "second day". Runs 3:47.

Cool, Cool Water reprise - an edit of the most listenable bits from the "version 2" assembly on the box set, including the "Child" refrain. Runs 3:13.

You're Welcome - from the box.

Surf's Up - from the box.

I Wanna Be Around/Friday Night - assembled by matching the track at the end of the session excerpt with the isolated workshop sounds as accurately as possible (this was the only way to avoid the assembly version); workshop noises continue long after the track itself fades and immediately cut to the Baldwin organ overdub from H&V. Runs 2:07.

Not historically accurate at all, but it definitely flows.

[monicker]

Can anyone think of a solution for Love To Say Dada without fly-ins but with the original vocal, other than the GV box set? The quality seems to be pretty inferior on the GV box. Roll your own, not quite.

[Jason]

Something that might be worth the effort (though I doubt it would happen) would be to put lossless versions of the non-fly-in material from the Smile box on the BB Central website.

[Paul2010]

Can anyone think of a solution for Love To Say Dada without fly-ins but with the original vocal, other than the GV box set? The quality seems to be pretty inferior on the GV box. Roll your own, not quite.

I think the only thing that can be done is an edit of both versions...Part 1 from the stereo sessions (folded down), Part 2 carefully edited after that. The fly in parts could be replaced with the GV Box Set, the last part can be used from TSS again (which is longer than the GV Box Set version as well).

[Bleachboy]

I've done a stereo mix for the end tag of Holidays, because the down pitched box version is painful to listen to.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I tried to make a mix of as many finished stereo things as possible.

Had to get my hands dirty for "Fire" (even put the crackle back). Same with "Be Around". Tried "Worms" but lack the "wha-halla-loo-lei" to get the job done.

Wanted to make a stereo Wonderful with the backing track and backing vocals but couldn't slow the track down to the right pitch to get it to work.

As much as I am a purist, on this particular set I think I enjoy the stereo versions even more than the disc 1 suite.

[P.J.]

Can anyone think of a solution for Love To Say Dada without fly-ins but with the original vocal, other than the GV box set? The quality seems to be pretty inferior on the GV box. Roll your own, not quite.

I simply took out the 2nd verse (with the fly-ins) and repeated the 1st verse. Works well. So: Part 1/Part 2 (Verse 1)/Part 2 (Verse 1)/Part 2 (End)

[monicker]

Excellent and so unbelievably obvious (doh!) Well, that's why i asked because i figured somebody would have thought of something that i might be overlooking. Thanks!

About Wonderful: Does anyone know what the story is with it being recorded faster and in a different key and then slowed down for the final version? Did Brian write it at the faster speed/original key and then decide to slow it down or what?   

[Music Machine]

I know I am working on two different ones... A 66-67-sessions-only version; trying to stay true to what would have come out (in my opinion of course) in 67. My second mix is going to be a crazy, double album. Trying to add as many pieces as possible with a flow throughout. Kind of a fantasy no-holds-barred version.

I just started doing this doing too. I just finished my mostly pure version (I mostly can't stand the Purple Chick version that adds in stuff from BWPS but I've got to hand it to them on their version of Cabin Essence, that added on ending sounds like it was always on there and has become my go to version. Next up I'll do another go at the 'what if Smile and Beach Boys late 60's material was edited by Frank Zappa'/ DJ Mic Luv-ish version.

The pure version;

“An intro to the album.... Feel the acid...” (This sounds much better now and was way easier to edit short soundbites from thanks to the box set. I'm glad they didn't try and whitewash the goings on of the Smile sessions.)

Our Prayer (20/20)

Heroes and Villains Suite (I modified a 7 minute version I already edited to include stuff from the box. Now it's 8 and half minutes.)

Great Shape/ Barnyard (I put the two tracks from the box back to back and then faded out Barnyard and used the “Let's hear the animals!” part from Brian's H&V demo with a full ending from the box.)

Old Master Painter (Linett '88 rough mix tweaked in Audacity.)

Child is Father of the Man (Starts with version with the box set but with the vocal intro removed, I then did a bit of creative editing with the cello part and went into the vibes piano and vocal version then used the last section of an older edit I made of the 'match strike percussion' outro where I use a stick click from Hal to switch between takes because it sounds similar to the match strikes, it has a full ending not a fadeout.)

Do You Like Worms (Smile box version with vocal tag at the end removed. The end section of Worms I like to call the 'music box' passage goes right into...)

Wonderful (Good Vibrations box set version in full, then a few bars of an instrumental mix of the jazzy version then I cut to a stereo mix of the same version but with the 'Rock with me Henry' vocals but I bounced the vocals down to just one channel.)

Cabin Essence (Purple Chick version.)

The Wonderful 'Mama mama mama' chant.

Fire (Smile box.)

Workshop (Vigotone)

Vegetables (Good Vibrations box set.)

Holidays/ Wind Chimes (Smile box.)

Water/ I Love to Say Dada (Smile box with the Our Prayer reprise removed.)

Can't Wait Too Long (5 minute version from Smiley Smile/ Wild Honey 2fer CD)

Look (Linett '88 rough mix tweaked in Audacity.)

Good Vibrations (Smile box.)

Surf's Up (A few bars of the original backing track on it's own then into the Smile box version.)

The whole thing comes to exactly an hour.

[Paul2010]

I am mostly interested in doing 'basic' or historical SMiLE mixes. So, for example, replacing the Holidays fade out with the version on the sessions disc, to avoid the fly ins. Or editing out the fly ins in Barnyard. I made these so far:

  Look - Mono, fly in parts replaced by master take session fold downs, missing 12th street rag replaced.
  Holidays - Like above.
  Barnyard - Like above, using the master take instead of the first fly in part.
  I'm In Great Shape - Stereo and mono mix from the session disc, fading out where the disc 1 mix stops.
  Cabin Essence - Clicks fixed, and 'Over and over' speed corrected.

Still planning to do:

  Gee - Edited from Part 2, without the horn at the end.
  The Old Master Painter (or My Only Sunshine) - First notes replaced by same take on sessions disc.
  Do You Like Worms - Fade replaced by standard, longer fade (from sessions disc or maybe from the GV Box Set).
  I Love To Say Dada - Edit from TSS and GV Box Set.
  Wind Chimes - Intro edited out, maybe a few bars/notes replaced by GV Box Set to avoid overlapping percussion sounds. Whole track after the chorus replaced by the standard fade, either by the GV Box Set fade or from the sessions disc.
  Wind Chimes - Stereo mix, first part from UM 16, chorus from TSS Vinyl, stereo tag from TSS CD 4.
  The Elements: Fire - Mono mix using the UM 17 mono mix. I don't think a stereo version exactly like the box set will be possible, since take 2 and 9 are not available from the same stereo source (take 2 from UM 17, Archaeology and UM 16 I believe, and take 9 only from TSS)
  HAV Part 2 - Stereo mix
  Child Is Father Of The Man - Mono edit like the instrumental mono mix from '66, or like the two rough mixes from that time.

I may make a CD collecting all these mixes..if anyone's intrested in the meantime, send a PM and I'll send you a download link.

Paul
  

[P.J.]

Just made a "Cabin Essence" stereo mix using the stereo takes and the stereo vocals (which match perfectly, except for the doing-doings on the first verse. I am assuming the vocals are from the second verse).

So far:
Cycle Of Life Suite (stereo instrumental)
Old Master Painter / My Only Sunshine (mono, clean intro using the session take)
Mrs. O'Learys Cow (mono, no fly-ins)
Love To Say Dada (mono, no fly-ins)
Child Is Father Of The Man (mono, verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus)

Working on:
Surf's Up (both stereo and mono, no fly-ins, just original Smile sessions)

[monicker]

Am i missing something?...In DYLW, the first bicycle rider chorus ends with a chord that rings out...where is that chord on the sessions? I'm trying to extend the long rest between the first chorus and the second verse but i need that chord isolated, though i can't seem to find it anywhere.

[grooveblaster]

I guess I'm going to be boring and make a historically correct mix using the mono TSS mixes of the 12 songs from the original cover listing. Makes a nice realistic for 1967 vinyl 38 minute long mix.

[Barnshine]

I am making now the mother-of-all-fan-mixes, which is actually not a fanmix but a complete fanmixers toolkit.
I am assembling a collection of all known Smile fragments/songs/test mixes (only master takes in the most complete form and best quality available), neatly indexed and labelled, in mono and stereo (wherever possible).
I hope to find a way to share it, as it's mostly officially released material (on the box set).
See me in about two weeks (if I survive) 

[Bleachboy]

I am making now the mother-of-all-fan-mixes, which is actually not a fanmix but a complete fanmixers toolkit.
I am assembling a collection of all known Smile fragments/songs/test mixes (only master takes in the most complete form and best quality available), neatly indexed and labelled, in mono and stereo (wherever possible).
I hope to find a way to share it, as it's mostly officially released material (on the box set).
See me in about two weeks (if I survive) 

Count me in!

[P.J.]

I guess I'm going to be boring and make a historically correct mix using the mono TSS mixes of the 12 songs from the original cover listing. Makes a nice realistic for 1967 vinyl 38 minute long mix.

Oh I am doing that too. It'll be in the can once I get my "Surf's Up" mono finished.

[Barnshine]

If you want a taste of my project, I can PM you my stereo Barnyard which sound quite nice IMHO.

[P.J.]

I am making now the mother-of-all-fan-mixes, which is actually not a fanmix but a complete fanmixers toolkit.
I am assembling a collection of all known Smile fragments/songs/test mixes (only master takes in the most complete form and best quality available), neatly indexed and labelled, in mono and stereo (wherever possible).
I hope to find a way to share it, as it's mostly officially released material (on the box set).
See me in about two weeks (if I survive) 

Yeah, let me know when that is finished. I had started doing this sometime ago in preparation for The Smile Sessions!

[Barnshine]

I am making now the mother-of-all-fan-mixes, which is actually not a fanmix but a complete fanmixers toolkit.
I am assembling a collection of all known Smile fragments/songs/test mixes (only master takes in the most complete form and best quality available), neatly indexed and labelled, in mono and stereo (wherever possible).
I hope to find a way to share it, as it's mostly officially released material (on the box set).
See me in about two weeks (if I survive) 

Yeah, let me know when that is finished. I had started doing this sometime ago in preparation for The Smile Sessions!

Wow, your list looks like great, a really well done job! But how wierd is that now most of those bootlegs became redundant at once... It's a whole new world in SMiLE land!

[P.J.]

Wow, your list looks like great, a really well done job! But how wierd is that now most of those bootlegs became redundant at once... It's a whole new world in SMiLE land!

Oh yeah, this job definitely needs to be redone in a major way.

[jeffcdo]

Here's mine, only very minor changes:

Our Prayer - same
Gee - same
Heroes And Villains -same
Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock) -same
Barnyard -same
My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine) -same
Cabin Essence -same
Wonderful -same
Look (Song For Children) -same
Child Is Father Of The Man - intro portion removed, it feels tacked-on to me (first 24 secs)
Surf’s Up -same

I’m In Great Shape - instrumental intro cut off (start at 6 second mark with vocal), just think it doesn't fit in the "Americana" section in the TSS version
In Wanna Be Around/Workshop - wanted to just cut this but the transition between Shape/Vega doesn't flow otherwise
Vega-Tables -same
Holidays -same
Wind Chimes -same
The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow) -same
Love To Say Dada -same
Good Vibrations -same

He Gives Speeches - "bonus track" after a pause, a'la the Sgt. Pepper or "Who Sell Out" run out grooves (I realize it doesn't loop, but it's repetitive and a bit of an earworm for me so I didn't want to leave it out, the backing vocals towards the end sell it to me as a "reprise"

[Chris Brown]

I guess I'm going to be boring and make a historically correct mix using the mono TSS mixes of the 12 songs from the original cover listing. Makes a nice realistic for 1967 vinyl 38 minute long mix.

Oh I am doing that too. It'll be in the can once I get my "Surf's Up" mono finished.

That's my plan at some point as well, using a lot of the edits people have already mentioned here:

--  "Heroes" Part 1
--  Replace "woo-woo"s at the end of Worms with the fade from the GV box
--  No "Look" or "Holidays," as much as I dig them
--  Edit "Child" to match Brian's '66 mono mix sequence (definitely using the new chorus though)

It'll be a few months before I can start, most likely, but the box has certainly made the job a hell of a lot easier.

[monicker]

I'm putting the hard edits and dynamics--two key elements that are absent on this release--back in Smile.