Durrie Parks Smile acetates up for sale for $10,000

[Cam Mott]

I thought I heard rumors that TTGA was an early inclusion for the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE tour. Maybe it was Peter Reum who confirmed that, but I cannot remember.

Otherwise, it's musically, lyrically and thematically different from SMiLE, and I really don't hear the connection.

Was that the odd song out that was included? Seems like it was something else. Something that some people in some circles had sort of speculated for a long time prior might be a SMiLE era Friends era song.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I thought I heard rumors that TTGA was an early inclusion for the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE tour (maybe because Bubba Ho-Tep just mentioned it three posts above but nobody can be bothered to read his knowledgable posts). Maybe it was Peter Reum who confirmed that, but I cannot remember.

Otherwise, it's musically, lyrically and thematically different from SMiLE, and I really don't hear the connection.

Was that the odd song out that was included? Seems like it was something else. Something that some people in some circles had sort of speculated for a long time prior might be a SMiLE era Friends era song.

Diamond Head & Times To Get Alone were listed.

[Cam Mott]

I thought I heard rumors that TTGA was an early inclusion for the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE tour (maybe because Bubba Ho-Tep just mentioned it three posts above but nobody can be bothered to read his knowledgable posts). Maybe it was Peter Reum who confirmed that, but I cannot remember.

Otherwise, it's musically, lyrically and thematically different from SMiLE, and I really don't hear the connection.

Was that the odd song out that was included? Seems like it was something else. Something that some people in some circles had sort of speculated for a long time prior might be a SMiLE era Friends era song.

Diamond Head

Bingo!

I agree with DonnyL, I imagine Danny Hutton shared an acetate with Van Dyke from his [DH's] time with Brian.

[runnersdialzero]

The initial idea was to perform Smile tracks along with some other Smile-era stuff (i.e. "Time To Get Alone") or Smile-like material (i.e. "Diamond Head"). They wisely decided to just do the former.

[Bicyclerider]

So the early version of Heroes would go Verses to town full of Heroes and Villains/ a Capella/ IIGS/ children were raised/ 3 score and five/ whistle bridge/ "true" Barnyard fade?  That follows the cantina structure, but since The November demo didn't include the a Capella part, I wonder if it would come after 3 score and five.

[runnersdialzero]

Worth noting that while this is infinitely interesting and is worth more than any fan guess, much like the Cantina version, it's probably just a work in progress structure that Brian felt worked one day of his life and should not be angrily argued for as the definitive end-all-be-all of "Heroes And Villains" structures.

[andy]

I thought I heard rumors that TTGA was an early inclusion for the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE tour. Maybe it was Peter Reum who confirmed that, but I cannot remember.

Otherwise, it's musically, lyrically and thematically different from SMiLE, and I really don't hear the connection.

It seems strange that Van would have an acetate of this as he wasn't working with Brian at this time-although he was friends with Danny who may have given it to him.

Could the alternate Wind chimes be the fabled mix Brian played repeatedly for Vosse as he described in his Fusion interview?  The one thing he mentioned that stood out was a different mix on the vocals in the second section, they faded in and out to give a percussion like effect.

I didn't notice anything special about WindChimes.

[andy]

In two clearly spliced edits (speaking of which, I can't remember if IIGS had the tape distortion effect the earlier takes had, but if it did it was much, much more subtle), IGGS went directly into the harpsichord playing that's underneath "my children were raised, you know they...",

Can you describe these "two clearly spliced edits", please? I don't know how to imagine these.

What I mean is that some acetates have song fragments that are 3 or 4 seconds apart.

The IIGS/My Children/3 Score piece was definitely edited together, before making it to acetate (I'd imagine).

[andy]

...As for WindChimes, it's not the August version with celeste. It's the more used backing track with marimba. I can't remember if the vocals were there or not, and I'm not sure why it's labeled alternate version. I think this version has been in circulation.

Did the acetate version hard edit into the multiple piano fade as on the GV box set version or did it just end?

At any rate, as has been noted a couple of times in earlier posts, this feels like pretty conclusive proof that "I'm In Great Shape" started life as the bridge following the the first two verses in "H & V" (just like in the Humble Harv demo) and was eventually replaced by the similar sounding "Cantina" bridge.

Yes - it certainly seems to precede 'my children were raised' in the same way cantina did. Amazing that this edit has materialised. I'm fascinated by andy's description of it sounding fuller with similar instrumentation as false barnyard. Desperate to hear this!

Yes - the fuller instrumentation means that either this section was rerecorded with different instrumentation after the October session that produced the box set version OR Brian held a session to overdub over the box set track.  Either way I assume this was done at a session booked as Heroes and Villains - we're missing a fair amount of tapes for Heroes sessions listed in the Smile Sessions booklet in November and December.  Too bad there aren't dates on the acetates!  Andy does the acetate start with IIGS - what precedes it?  In other words is it edited in to the Heroes verses as Brian played it on the HumblenHarv demo in November, or differently?

I wish I could remember where it started. IIGS was either at the beginning of the acetate or just the start of a new fragment (meaning nothing was edited in beforehand).

[Iron Horse-Apples]

So the early version of Heroes would go Verses to town full of Heroes and Villains/ a Capella/ IIGS/ children were raised/ 3 score and five/ whistle bridge/ "true" Barnyard fade?  That follows the cantina structure, but since The November demo didn't include the a Capella part, I wonder if it would come after 3 score and five.

Your guess is as good as mine. Whistling bridge was done in January I think, so this could have been an entirely different structure. People described a version of H&V with Barnyard and IIGS. This would have been the late '66 version(s) which Brian supposedly erased. In any case they're gone. If anything from that period of H&V comes to light, any tiny snippet, it will be very exciting.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

Too bad there aren't dates on the acetates!

Not counting TTGA, the other tracks were all recorded before Nov 66, I think the acetates date from around then. Remember that by January he was pretty much only working on H&V. IIGS was recorded in October '66, so any of this Heroes stuff should date from that period.

[Cam Mott]

Isn't one of the H&V acetates dated "2/15/" something, something? Presumably 1967, a session VDP attended.

[Iron Horse-Apples]

Oops, I didn't see that! OK, some are later.

I do still maintain though that because IIGS had been dropped from Heroes before Jan '67, this IIGS / Children were raised edit surely dates back to Oct - Dec

[Cam Mott]

Oops, I didn't see that! OK, some are later.

I do still maintain though that because IIGS had been dropped from Heroes before Jan '67, this IIGS / Children were raised edit surely dates back to Oct - Dec

I agree.

Edit: I probably should have checked some dates before I agreed.  Someday. Maybe.

[Bicyclerider]

I assume the IIGS acetate is the one pictured with the writing "Part II" on it -  i.e. part II of Heroes which at this point is section 2 and not side 2 which came in Feb 67?

[Cam Mott]

A disc marked "Worms" has "Part II" written on the sleeve in andy's pictures. Does one of the H&V disc have "Part II" on it?

[Peter Reum]

I had the chance to talk with Brian at the hotel one night during the premiere run of Smile. I told him I thought it was the most beautiful music I had heard from him. H e said back to me "That is the best work I ever did." The reasons he shelved Smile were multifaceted. The reason he finished Smile was that he wanted some peace about it.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I had the chance to talk with Brian at the hotel one night during the premiere run of Smile. I told him I thought it was the most beautiful music I had heard from him. H e said back to me "That is the best work I ever did." The reasons he shelved Smile were multifaceted. The reason he finished Smile was that he wanted some peace about it.

Now Peter, Peter, Peter... we all know that anything done with The Beach Boys cannot possibly eclipse the work he's done since 1998 because it's a scientifically proven pact that they stifled his creativity for decades. I think he was joshing you.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I thought I heard rumors that TTGA was an early inclusion for the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE tour. Maybe it was Peter Reum who confirmed that, but I cannot remember.

Otherwise, it's musically, lyrically and thematically different from SMiLE, and I really don't hear the connection.

It was indeed on a very early setlist that someone showed to me pre-RFH (not in Brian's handwriting, btw) but so was "Diamond Head" and a few more non-Smile titles. That was evidently the first working rough and was very soon considerably refined. Why Durrie has a Redwood acetate is a mystery, although it may be germane that VPD worked on a lost song for them ("Sunflower Maiden")... or, given that the LA muso scene back then was of an incestuous nature and everyone knew everyone else, she somehow acquired it.

[rn57]

Well, I'd figure the reason Durrie had the TTGA acetate was that Danny Hutton gave it to Van Dyke. The two of them have been close friends since about 1965 - the flipside of Van Dyke's debut record, a 45 on MGM, was a Hutton composition, "Do What You Wanta."  I recall at least one interview where Van Dyke claimed to be the person who suggested the name Three Dog Night to Hutton (though this distinction has been generally accorded to Hutton's onetime girlfriend June Fairchild).

[Micha]

In two clearly spliced edits (speaking of which, I can't remember if IIGS had the tape distortion effect the earlier takes had, but if it did it was much, much more subtle), IGGS went directly into the harpsichord playing that's underneath "my children were raised, you know they...",

Can you describe these "two clearly spliced edits", please? I don't know how to imagine these.

What I mean is that some acetates have song fragments that are 3 or 4 seconds apart.

The IIGS/My Children/3 Score piece was definitely edited together, before making it to acetate (I'd imagine).

OK, I think I got it now - you mean to say the three pieces were not a continuous recording (now that would have been sensational!) but went something like IIGS (unknown arrangement) - audible splice/short gap - harpsichord "children were raised" with older vocal arrangement - audible splice/short gap - three score and five. That's the two "clearly spliced edits" you mentioned?

Thanks for the clarification andy , I hope it wasn't a dumb question.

[ash]

sold.
1. looking forward to hearing these on beach boys central.
or
2. now we know whats holding up the box set
or
3. i don't want to think about it.

[The Shift]

sold.
1. looking forward to hearing these on beach boys central.
or
2. now we know whats holding up the box set
or
3. i don't want to think about it.

Hmmm… just tried buying and it allowed me to put them in my basket*. I'd've checked out but the $40 shipping costs to the UK put me off…


*  Maybe there's more than one set!

[The Heartical Don]

sold.
1. looking forward to hearing these on beach boys central.
or
2. now we know whats holding up the box set
or
3. i don't want to think about it.

Hmmm… just tried buying and it allowed me to put them in my basket*. I'd've checked out but the $40 shipping costs to the UK put me off…


*  Maybe there's more than one set!

You mean they multiplicated it with a 3-D printer?   

[Andrew G. Doe]

sold.
1. looking forward to hearing these on beach boys central.
or
2. now we know whats holding up the box set
or
3. i don't want to think about it.

Hope you didn't bet the farm on that... jus' sayin'.