SMiLE Mysteries Continued (or, Heaven Preserve Us, Bee's Back)

[The_Holy_Bee]

Hi all, nice to be back. Sorry for creating yet another Smile thread in the context of the recent chats on various aspects of the album. I lurked back in a few days ago and, having had a read or two, had a question and a few consolidated thoughts on ideas I've previously posted about.

The question: I've seen in several recent threads the mention of a newly documented 'I'm in Great Shape' session from - I think - December '66. I can't find my copy of the Smile Sessions book with c-man's excellent Sessionography, but I don't recall this being included. Can anyone please elucidate in terms of musicians/BBs involved etc? This sounds like an an intriguing little window snapping open.

And now, the suppositions:

Wilson's Razor, or, If the simplest answers were the correct ones, we'd all have world peace:

1. What was the original (post-May) 1966 structure of 'Heroes and Villains'?
From the hands and mouth of BW himself, in mid-Nov '66: H&V Verse (up to 'she's still dancing... and hook) /I'm in Great Shape/(something else, possibly, then 'another section now': /'Barnyard'

2. What was 'I'm in Great Shape'?
The section containing the lyrics 'I'm in Great Shape', tracked under at least one session logged as 'I'm in Great Shape'. The IIGS tracking being a 40 second snippet, it almost certainly would not have been a named track on the Capitol memo/cover listing if it remained that one short section. Logic suggests, then, that it stayed connected to its fellow orphaned H&V section demoed for 'Humble Harv', 'Barnyard'. ('Barnyard' being tracked as an H&V session, as well as being connected to IIGS in that runthrough). Going by the surviving documentation, 'Workshop/I Wanna Be Around', the notation for which includes the parenthetical (Great Shape), might well have been a late-Nov attempt to fill out the song - which, by December, had become a full track according to the cover slicks and 'Capitol Memo'.

[Further: this gives us four individual compositions, including 'Barnyard', running to approx 2.45 - a not unusual track length for the mid-sixties - matching up with the description Brian (allegedly) gave in the Priess 'autobio' as 'a four part Barnyard suite.' In short: IIGS/BY/IWBA/WS (not necessarily in that sequence) constituting, in essence: 'I'm in Great Shape' (from the LP cover), some kind of 'Heroes and Villians (Part Two)' (being an expanded medley based around two original sections of that song), and a four-part 'Barnyard Suite' (from the Priess 'autobiography'.)]

3. What were 'The Elements'?
According to VDP through the auspices of AGD, this was going to be a collection of unbanded tracks linked by crossfades. We have two parts that a fair case can be made for from surviving documentation: 'Fire' (actually logged as 'The Elements (Part One)') and the '66 'cornucopia' version of 'Vega-Tables' (attributed by Frank Holmes, from VDP's lyric sheets, as 'The Elements' in the LP booklet). Which leaves, presumably, 'Air' and 'Water'. (I'd also accept arguments for 'My Vega-Tables' being either of these, considering no direct documented connection to the 'Earth' element exists). Maybe one of the remaining two parts is indeed 'Wind Chimes' (short version) or Mike Vosse's 'water sound' tapes, which he recalls Brian spoke about editing into a full musical composition. Maybe they were never fully conceived or recorded. What we do have are two 90-120 second tracks directly attributed to this suite, which indicate an approach in terms of section length if not overall style. (Note: it's quite possible the April-May 'Dada' sessions were an attempt to add to the track after an overall change in album conception occurred in Dec '66-Jan '67.)

4. Where was 'He Gives Speeches' meant to fit in?
As an insert/middle eight to the first tracked version of 'Wonderful', obviously. We know that at least one version of 'Wonderful' included either a 30-second(ish) insert recorded on a) the same day or b) actually cut into the song. The first version of 'Wonderful' and 'HGS' appear to have been tracked on the same day, have clearly VDP-esque lyrics, [orginally] a Brian-only vocal, and connect with the same themes of man/woman dichotomies and childhood turning into parenthood. My intuition: Brian knew it didn't work as an insert, so HGS was (rightfully) discarded before any rough assemblies were made. Still: later versions of 'Wonderful' - 'Rock Me Henry', certainly, but also possibly the remake recorded on the same day as the 'Child is Father' April piano-and-voice session - had an insert of about the same length, with similarly stripped down instrumentation, at about the same point. (Sidenote: There's an interstitial bass riff, incidentally, that links 'Wonderful', 'CFOTM' and 'He Gives Speeches', very nicely indeed. And OMP, as a matter of fact.)

So. You'll notice I've avoided any conjecture on internal Beach Boys strife (real or retrospectively imagined) or the inner workings of Brian or Van Dyke's psyches at the time. Just wanting to throw the last few month's thoughts on the subject open to argument, expansion, elucidation or inquisition. I don't pretend to be any kind of expert or eye-witness (being born in New Zealand in 1982 doesn't help your chances of being a fly-on-the wall in 1966 LA) but I do believe the above makes some kind of basic logical sense.

Of course, I could be wrong on that - would really love to hear your thoughts if so. And it is, genuinely, nice to be back.

[thorgil]

Welcome back, Bee!
Soniclovenoize addresses some of your points here and I find his reasoning very convincing, let alone the excellent mix resulting from that:
http://albumsthatneverwere.blogspot.it/2013/09/the-beach-boys-smile-1967.html

[Summertime Blooz]

Hi all, nice to be back. Sorry for creating yet another Smile thread in the context of the recent chats on various aspects of the album. I lurked back in a few days ago and, having had a read or two, had a question and a few consolidated thoughts on ideas I've previously posted about.

The question: I've seen in several recent threads the mention of a newly documented 'I'm in Great Shape' session from - I think - December '66. I can't find my copy of the Smile Sessions book with c-man's excellent Sessionography, but I don't recall this being included. Can anyone please elucidate in terms of musicians/BBs involved etc? This sounds like an an intriguing little window snapping open.

And now, the suppositions:

Wilson's Razor, or, If the simplest answers were the correct ones, we'd all have world peace:

1. What was the original (post-May) 1966 structure of 'Heroes and Villains'?
From the hands and mouth of BW himself, in mid-Nov '66: H&V Verse (up to 'she's still dancing... and hook) /I'm in Great Shape/(something else, possibly, then 'another section now': /'Barnyard'

2. What was 'I'm in Great Shape'?
The section containing the lyrics 'I'm in Great Shape', tracked under at least one session logged as 'I'm in Great Shape'. The IIGS tracking being a 40 second snippet, it almost certainly would not have been a named track on the Capitol memo/cover listing if it remained that one short section. Logic suggests, then, that it stayed connected to its fellow orphaned H&V section demoed for 'Humble Harv', 'Barnyard'. ('Barnyard' being tracked as an H&V session, as well as being connected to IIGS in that runthrough). Going by the surviving documentation, 'Workshop/I Wanna Be Around', the notation for which includes the parenthetical (Great Shape), might well have been a late-Nov attempt to fill out the song - which, by December, had become a full track according to the cover slicks and 'Capitol Memo'.

[Further: this gives us four individual compositions, including 'Barnyard', running to approx 2.45 - a not unusual track length for the mid-sixties - matching up with the description Brian (allegedly) gave in the Priess 'autobio' as 'a four part Barnyard suite.' In short: IIGS/BY/IWBA/WS (not necessarily in that sequence) constituting, in essence: 'I'm in Great Shape' (from the LP cover), some kind of 'Heroes and Villians (Part Two)' (being an expanded medley based around two original sections of that song), and a four-part 'Barnyard Suite' (from the Priess 'autobiography'.)]

3. What were 'The Elements'?
According to VDP through the auspices of AGD, this was going to be a collection of unbanded tracks linked by crossfades. We have two parts that a fair case can be made for from surviving documentation: 'Fire' (actually logged as 'The Elements (Part One)') and the '66 'cornucopia' version of 'Vega-Tables' (attributed by Frank Holmes, from VDP's lyric sheets, as 'The Elements' in the LP booklet). Which leaves, presumably, 'Air' and 'Water'. (I'd also accept arguments for 'My Vega-Tables' being either of these, considering no direct documented connection to the 'Earth' element exists). Maybe one of the remaining two parts is indeed 'Wind Chimes' (short version) or Mike Vosse's 'water sound' tapes, which he recalls Brian spoke about editing into a full musical composition. Maybe they were never fully conceived or recorded. What we do have are two 90-120 second tracks directly attributed to this suite, which indicate an approach in terms of section length if not overall style. (Note: it's quite possible the April-May 'Dada' sessions were an attempt to add to the track after an overall change in album conception occurred in Dec '66-Jan '67.)

4. Where was 'He Gives Speeches' meant to fit in?
As an insert/middle eight to the first tracked version of 'Wonderful', obviously. We know that at least one version of 'Wonderful' included either a 30-second(ish) insert recorded on a) the same day or b) actually cut into the song. The first version of 'Wonderful' and 'HGS' appear to have been tracked on the same day, have clearly VDP-esque lyrics, [orginally] a Brian-only vocal, and connect with the same themes of man/woman dichotomies and childhood turning into parenthood. My intuition: Brian knew it didn't work as an insert, so HGS was (rightfully) discarded before any rough assemblies were made. Still: later versions of 'Wonderful' - 'Rock Me Henry', certainly, but also possibly the remake recorded on the same day as the 'Child is Father' April piano-and-voice session - had an insert of about the same length, with similarly stripped down instrumentation, at about the same point. (Sidenote: There's an interstitial bass riff, incidentally, that links 'Wonderful', 'CFOTM' and 'He Gives Speeches', very nicely indeed. And OMP, as a matter of fact.)

So. You'll notice I've avoided any conjecture on internal Beach Boys strife (real or retrospectively imagined) or the inner workings of Brian or Van Dyke's psyches at the time. Just wanting to throw the last few month's thoughts on the subject open to argument, expansion, elucidation or inquisition. I don't pretend to be any kind of expert or eye-witness (being born in New Zealand in 1982 doesn't help your chances of being a fly-on-the wall in 1966 LA) but I do believe the above makes some kind of basic logical sense.

Of course, I could be wrong on that - would really love to hear your thoughts if so. And it is, genuinely, nice to be back.

I go along with a lot of what you say. As a 4 part 'day on the farm' barnyard suite my IIGS choices would be: IIGS (sunrise), Barnyard (morning/getting to work), Do A Lot (afternoon), With Me Tonight (sundown/evening). For the Elements I use LTSDD (Second Day) for Air, then Fire, then LTSDD for Water, the IWBA/Workshop for Earth (the rebuidling after the fire).

[jiggy22]

Regarding point #3, I recall David Anderle stating that they knew what water was gonna be, and they had some idea of what air was. I always believed that air was gonna be some instrumental piece with the Breathing/Moaning Laughing track on top of it (from the Psycodelic Sounds sessions). If we had the water recordings bootlegged, then I'm sure I'd be able to come up with something that was relatively similar to what Brian had in mind. But the next question is how would it be sequenced? We obviously know that Fire was to be part one, and Vega-Tables (Earth) is a good contender for the closer. So then would the Water section come second so it could put out the fire? Or would the Wind section blow the fire away, with the Water section renourishing the ravaged land so life could grow there once again? Personally, I'd go with the latter. So what we have is an Elemental Suite in the form of Fire/Air/Water/Earth, with "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow", "Breathing/Moaning Laughing", "Water Sound Effects", and "Vega-Tables" as the pieces.

I've really been obsessing with SMiLE over the past few days. I'm actually rewriting the entire wikipedia article in a separate word document to reflect an alternate scenario where Brian is able to finish the album. The Elements suite is eventually scrapped due to running time and track listing issues, although "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" and "Vega-Tables" appear on the album as separate tracks (concerning "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow", Brian claims in a later interview that he heard voices telling him to keep it on the album). The Air and Water segments would then appear as one track on the follow-up album, Smiley Smile, retitled to "Dumb angel".

I've actually got another question. Is anyone aware of what structure the May 1966 version of "Heroes and Villains" used? I thought I read somewhere that it had only two verses before seguing into "Your Only Sunshine", but I might be wrong.

[Bicyclerider]

He Gives Speeches - not convinced this was meant as an insert into Wonderful, for a few reasons:

1. It was on a tape with Wonderful titled something like (don't have my Smile primer with me) "Nu Songs by Brian and Van Dyke" - note the plural.

2. The August Wonderful doesn't have a break for an insert, and neither does the January one - it's a continuous piece of music.  Wonderful 3 in April does, however, as does the Smiley version.  Jan Wonderful has a vocal tag.  So there's no evidence musically that a break was contemplated in August for the song.

3. I don't think the Speeches lyrics go with the lyrics of Wonderful, although I respect the fact that you do.  The probable insert for Wonderful 3, recorded the same day, was the piano/group vocal Child is Father of the Man, which is a much better thematic fit to Wonderful.

[Bicyclerider]

BTW the Great Shape session - Dec 19?  - is listed in Craig's sessionography but it was recorded as a Heroes session.  The only way we know it was a Great Shape session is because the instrumentation matches up perfectly with the Great Shape section on one of the Durrie Parks acetates of Heroes - I described the Great Shape piece (secondhand, I've never heard it) and Craig identified the session it had to come from.

[soniclovenoize]

Regarding point #3, I recall David Anderle stating that they knew what water was gonna be, and they had some idea of what air was. I always believed that air was gonna be some instrumental piece with the Breathing/Moaning Laughing track on top of it (from the Psycodelic Sounds sessions). If we had the water recordings bootlegged, then I'm sure I'd be able to come up with something that was relatively similar to what Brian had in mind. But the next question is how would it be sequenced? We obviously know that Fire was to be part one, and Vega-Tables (Earth) is a good contender for the closer. So then would the Water section come second so it could put out the fire? Or would the Wind section blow the fire away, with the Water section renourishing the ravaged land so life could grow there once again? Personally, I'd go with the latter. So what we have is an Elemental Suite in the form of Fire/Air/Water/Earth, with "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow", "Breathing/Moaning Laughing", "Water Sound Effects", and "Vega-Tables" as the pieces.

The classical elements have a specific order: Fire, Earth, Water, Wind. 



If Brian intended to go in the correct order in classical thought, that's another story! 

[soniclovenoize]

3. What were 'The Elements'?
According to VDP through the auspices of AGD, this was going to be a collection of unbanded tracks linked by crossfades. We have two parts that a fair case can be made for from surviving documentation: 'Fire' (actually logged as 'The Elements (Part One)') and the '66 'cornucopia' version of 'Vega-Tables' (attributed by Frank Holmes, from VDP's lyric sheets, as 'The Elements' in the LP booklet). Which leaves, presumably, 'Air' and 'Water'. (I'd also accept arguments for 'My Vega-Tables' being either of these, considering no direct documented connection to the 'Earth' element exists). Maybe one of the remaining two parts is indeed 'Wind Chimes' (short version) or Mike Vosse's 'water sound' tapes, which he recalls Brian spoke about editing into a full musical composition. Maybe they were never fully conceived or recorded. What we do have are two 90-120 second tracks directly attributed to this suite, which indicate an approach in terms of section length if not overall style. (Note: it's quite possible the April-May 'Dada' sessions were an attempt to add to the track after an overall change in album conception occurred in Dec '66-Jan '67.)

I have been bouncing a theory back in forth here (to admittedly dismal results) that Air could have been the 10/5/66 Tag to Wind Chimes that was re-appropriated from Wind Chimes proper into The Elements.  What we've been told by Brian was that Air was a piano piece that was never finished.  Well, the tag is a piano piece (a conceptual one at that, as it audibly represents air through interweaving piano notes) and it was certainly never finished (because the finished version of Wind Chimes was the version found on Smiley Smile).  And of course, the connection between Air and Wind.  If we are to go by the "Unfinished piano piece" as the descriptor for Air, then in my mind  the Wind Chimes Tag is the lead suspect. 

[The_Holy_Bee]

He Gives Speeches - not convinced this was meant as an insert into Wonderful, for a few reasons:

1. It was on a tape with Wonderful titled something like (don't have my Smile primer with me) "Nu Songs by Brian and Van Dyke" - note the plural.

2. The August Wonderful doesn't have a break for an insert, and neither does the January one - it's a continuous piece of music.  Wonderful 3 in April does, however, as does the Smiley version.  Jan Wonderful has a vocal tag.  So there's no evidence musically that a break was contemplated in August for the song.

3. I don't think the Speeches lyrics go with the lyrics of Wonderful, although I respect the fact that you do.  The probable insert for Wonderful 3, recorded the same day, was the piano/group vocal Child is Father of the Man, which is a much better thematic fit to Wonderful.

Righto! I did think I might be stretching with conclusion #4. Thanks, BR, all points noted and I suspect I stand corrected.

I have been bouncing a theory back in forth here (to admittedly dismal results) that Air could have been the 10/5/66 Tag to Wind Chimes that was re-appropriated from Wind Chimes proper into The Elements.  What we've been told by Brian was that Air was a piano piece that was never finished.  Well, the tag is a piano piece (a conceptual one at that, as it audibly represents air through interweaving piano notes) and it was certainly never finished (because the finished version of Wind Chimes was the version found on Smiley Smile).  And of course, the connection between Air and Wind.  If we are to go by the "Unfinished piano piece" as the descriptor for Air, then in my mind  the Wind Chimes Tag is the lead suspect

Soniclovenoise - in the absence of any other contenders for 'Air' from the 'primary Smile period', really, and considering how neatly the WC tag slots meets the few criteria we do have for 'Air', I am inclined to feel you have a point. I use it in that spot in my own '66 mix, though I'm not sure I was quite so reasoned as you about why!