SMiLE rarities

[tearsinthemorning23]

Doe's anybody know if the beach boy's(not 2005 Brian Wilson recording) Smile outtake of Surf's Up(song) commercially available.  I'd read that there was a finished recording made during the Smile session, before the Surf's Up album track was produced.  Is this true???  I have this strange feeling that when Brian Wilson dies, we are going to hear a lot of previously unreleased songs...   Unless they really did burn up in a fire...

[Chris Brown]

As far as anyone knows, there is no completed version of "Surf's Up" from the original Smile sessions.  The track was not completed until the "Surf's Up" album itself.

All that exists (again, as far as we know anyways) from the Smile sessions is the instrumental track for the first movement and Brian's demo (both of which are commercially available, btw).  There have been rumors at various times about a second movement sessoin/tape, but so far nothing has turned up, and it seems unlikely at this point that anything ever will.  Chances are the second movement only existed in Brian's head, and was never committed to tape. 

[Sam_BFC]

Chances are the second movement only existed in Brian's head, and was never committed to tape. 

I wonder how similar it was in his head to how it was re-created for BWPS...I guess we'll never know.

Cheers

By the way this is my first post...you may recognise me from occasionaly posting on the BlueBoard .

[LostArt]

Yep, there is Brian's solo piano with doubled voice from December, '66, which can be found on the Good Vibrations box.  That is the only full version of the song from the Smile sessions that we know of.  There was recording done in '66 for the instrumental backing track for the first part of the song (up to the 'dove nested towers' part), and that is what Carl used for the first part of the song in '71.  There were no lead vocals from '66-'67 on that instrumental backing track, so Carl tried to get Brian to sing it in '71.   However, Brian was unwilling or unable to do it in '71, so Carl did it.  As the posters above mentioned, some folks claim that there was recording done for the instrumental backing track for the second part of the song in early '67 ('dove nested towers' to the 'Child' tag), but I won't believe it until I hear it.  Since Carl didn't have a vintage backing track for this second part, they simply used Brian's solo piano/vocal version from '66, augmented with '71 moog bass.  As for the 'Child' tag, no one knows for sure whether Brian intended the song to end this way or not in '66-'67.  It is said that he came down from his bedroom to instruct the Boys on how to put the tag together. 

[tearsinthemorning23]

Is there a decent recording of the Leonard Bernstein special Surf's Up available, in possibly mp3 or wav, or do I have to rip it from youtube somehow?  And why doesn't anybody post the entire documentary? Legal issues?

[Bicyclerider]

As LostArt mentioned, the "demo" is more than a demo and is probably an attempt at a complete, new "solo" version (aka Caroline, No) since the vocal is doubletracked.  Brian may have been contemplating further instrumental overdubs on this version but soon was sidetracked by Heroes and his disintegrating mental health.

[the captain]

As LostArt mentioned, the "demo" is more than a demo and is probably an attempt at a complete, new "solo" version (aka Caroline, No) since the vocal is doubletracked.  Brian may have been contemplating further instrumental overdubs on this version but soon was sidetracked by Heroes and his disintegrating mental health.

Double-tracking a vocal doesn't mean it isn't a demo. John Lennon double-tracked demos. Brian did on Awake, at least, as well as S.U.

[Shane]

There is a fan-created mix of "Surf's Up", from the old Anne Wallace website.  It sychs the piano demo to the backing track of part one, then has the 1971 version of the song for part two.  It is extremely well done, and in my mind, I consider this to be the definitive version of this track.  That is, until I find the original session tape of part two at a yard sale somewhere....

[Glenn Greenberg]

I consider this to be the definitive version of this track. 

You and me both, Shane!

[Chris Brown]

There is a fan-created mix of "Surf's Up", from the old Anne Wallace website.  It sychs the piano demo to the backing track of part one, then has the 1971 version of the song for part two.  It is extremely well done, and in my mind, I consider this to be the definitive version of this track.  That is, until I find the original session tape of part two at a yard sale somewhere....

Agreed!  The Anne Wallace version is about as close to an authentic Smile era version of "Surf's Up" as we're ever going to get.  I wish there was a way to fly in the strings from the BWPS version (without the piano) into the Anne Wallace version...maybe it's possible, I don't know.  I think that would sound really cool though.

[Cam Mott]

"Doe's".   [giggle]

[Bicyclerider]

It was rare for Brian to doubletrack a demo vocal - multitrack yes (i.e. to show the different harmony parts) but not doubletrack.  Haven't heard the Awake demo but that was in 1972-3, right?  Was Brian's deno vocal for Breakaway double tracked in 1969 (I can't remember)?At least up to 1967 this is Brian's  first double tracked vocal.  What's also odd is that he had already recorded at least the first movement - if he was going to use that and not replace it with this new version, why not demo the vocal on the already recorded first movement?  I can't help but think he had some plan for this December piano recording other than a demo.

[XY]

Brian double tracked his guide vocal for "Break Away", although there's only one vocal on the 'Endless Harmony' mix.

Don't forget that the "Surf's Up" demo aka "Surfin' Take 1" was done for the cameras. The recording process is very well described in Siegels Goodbye Surfing article. Brian first played in on the piano and when he added the vocal, everyone in the room was blown away. They talked a bit about the song and then he sang it again for the visitors.

[Zack]

There is a fan-created mix of "Surf's Up", from the old Anne Wallace website.  It sychs the piano demo to the backing track of part one, then has the 1971 version of the song for part two.  It is extremely well done, and in my mind, I consider this to be the definitive version of this track.  That is, until I find the original session tape of part two at a yard sale somewhere....

I agree too.  I have it on the "Millenium Smile," and everything-but-the-kitchen sink mix that also put the demo Barnyard vocals over the backing track.

[Bicyclerider]

I'm not sure if the "Surf's Up demo" was done for the cameras or if it was just done while the cameras were there.  It's clear that neither the piano track or the vocal was done in just one or two takes - it was stop and start with redos all the way, which made the performance useless for the TV show - which was why Brian did the later take with the candelabra in his house that ended up on the show.  Brian recorded Wonderful and Cabinessence backing vocals with the Beach Boys earlier at the session, and I don't think they were done "for the cameras" - they were for Smile!

[wiggbuggie]

so what about those "bygone bygone" verses was that on the surf's up album only or was brian planning that in 66-67? I know the purple chick mix uses the verse ann wallace doesn't

[Shane]

I seem to remember things happening this way, from discussions on various BB boards:

Cameras were rolling on the double-tracked vocal sessions, but something went wrong with the filming.  If I remember correctly, the footage was too dark.  This footage is now lost.  So, a few days later, he sang it again for the cameras, and that's the version that made it onto the TV show.  Notice this version is not double-tracked.


The bygone bygone vocals were added in 1971 for the Surf's Up LP.  As they are not available (legally) aside from the 1971 version with Carl's vocal, Anne Wallace's version didn't use them.

I'm curious to know a few things... where was the double-tracked version (aka Surfin take 1) version recorded?  I don't recognize the engineer's voice.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm curious to know a few things... where was the double-tracked version (aka Surfin take 1) version recorded?  I don't recognize the engineer's voice.

Columbia studio A

[Andrew G. Doe]

The impression I get from the article is that after the BB vocal session not going well, Brian either realised that Oppenheim need something better to shoot, or possibly was asked to do something more accessible. Hence "Surf's Up". I've not got the text to hand, but doesn't Siegel say that he played for something like three and a half minutes, indicating few/no stops & starts ? Granted there's a very obvious edit in the track as per the box set, but the raw tape, if memory serves, has just one halt.

[Boiled Egg]

"OK, let's go," he said, and then, quickly, he was in the studio rehearsing, spotlighted in the center of the huge dark room, the cameramen moving about him invisibly outside the light.

"Let's do it," he announced, and the tape began to roll.  In the control room no one moved.  David Oppenheim, the TV producer, fortyish, handsome, usually studiously detached and professional, lay on the floor, hands behind his head, eyes closed.  For three minutes and 27 seconds, Wilson played with delicate intensity, speaking moodily through the piano.  Then he was finished.  Oppenheim, whose last documentary had been a study of Stravinsky, lay motionless.

"That's it," Wilson said as the tape continued to whirl.  The mood broke.  As if awakening from heavy sleep the people stirred and shook their heads.

"I'd like to hear that," Wilson said.  As his music replayed, he sang the lyrics in a high, almost falsetto voice, the cameras on him every second.

"The diamond necklace played the pawn," Wilson sang, "...a blind class aristocracy, back through the opera glass you see the pit and the pendulum drawn.

"Columnated ruins domino."  His voice reached upward; the piano faltered a set of falling chords.

In a slow series of impressionistic images the song moved to its ending:

I heard the word:
Wonderful thing!
A children's song!

On the last word Brian's voice rose and fell, like the ending of that prayer chorale he had played so many months before.

"That's really special," someone said.

"Special, that's right," said Wilson quietly.  "Van Dyke and I really kind of thought we had done something special when we finished that one."  He went back into the studio, put on the earphones and sang the song again for his audience in the control room, for the revolving tape recorder and for the cameras which relentlessly followed as he struggled to make manifest what still only existed as a perfect, incommunicable sound in his head.

-------

that's Siegel, verbatim.

as for SU part two, wasn't there an AFM sheet that listed strings and - i remember this because it doesn't fit the description of any known SMiLE outtake - an oboe?

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm not aware of any AFM/session sheet that refers specifically to a 2nd movement of "SU".  The existance of this tape had been hotly debated for over 20 years. Current concensus seems to be - it was never recorded.

Thanks for posting that text - glad to know part of my memory still functions.

[Boiled Egg]

is there any consensus, agd, on the two sessions from 23 jan 1967?

the first - drums, bass, two guitars, trumpet and three (probably) saxes;

the second - 'sixteen musicians (mostly strings)' - including jesse ehrlich (cello), ralph schaeffer (violin) and robert hardaway (oboe/english horn). 

certainly nothing resembling the second line-up has ever surfaced on boot.  and, if they are saxes, there's nothing matching the first one out there, either.  any clues?

[Andrew G. Doe]

OK, the AFM for the first session doesn't list instruments and the assumption of saxes for Jim Horn & Jay Migliori is just that - an assumption: both men could also have played clarinet or flute.

[Boiled Egg]

thanks, agd.  i was going to say something pithy about the plot thickening, but, frankly, the SMiLE plot has always been thick enough to stand a spoon in.

as fred waring's pennsylvanians sang, "ah, sweet mystery of life..."

[Chris Moise]

I'm not aware of any AFM/session sheet that refers specifically to a 2nd movement of "SU".  The existance of this tape had been hotly debated for over 20 years. Current concensus seems to be - it was never recorded.

Thanks for posting that text - glad to know part of my memory still functions.

You just broke my heart. How did the fabled "2nd Movement" session get tied to that 1/23/67 session? Do you think something else was recorded or that session never took place?

While I'm at it are we sure the group vocal sessions for Look/I Ran and IIGS took place?

Thanks in advance!

Chris