Making a Smile mix.

[Jay]

I don't expect this topic to be here long, but I figured I'd just do it and hope a few people see it while it's still up. I have a few Smile ideas, but I don't have the technical know how to do it. If anybody can help, or if anybody wants to volunteer to spend some spare time, I'd appreciate a PM or two.

[Jay]

*ahem*

[Bill Tobelman]

I also don't have the ability to edit/mix stuff.

So I gave up and revisited the old way of doing things...like following David Leaf's box set advice & compiling a SMiLE out of what's there.

Basically following the Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE track order worked out okay with the limited material available.

Then, just the other day, I checked out iTunes & they had almost the identical compilation available for download.

After "Our Prayer" I throw in "Barbara Ann" which works surprisingly well.

[Sheriff John Stone]

It's very possible to compile a SMiLE mix, similar to the 12 song list submitted to Capitol Records in 1966, with minimal editing and "gadgetry". Between the boxed set, the 2fers, Hawthorne, and maybe even BWPS, you can compile and sequence a very satisfying SMiLE mix.

There's a couple of similar threads going on right now with overlapping themes regarding SMiLE. And that's great. I could read/talk about it all day. Is it possible that we could dedicate this particular thread to us nuts, like me, who are obssessed with making the perfect SMiLE mix? There are no wrong answers, anything goes. Just state your OPINION and your reason(s) for it. I'd like to throw something out there.

"Good Vibrations" has been discussed recently on the board, specifically about its inclusion on SMiLE. Assuming you elect to put it on, where do you put it? For years, I put it somewhere in the middle, usually around "Wind Chimes". But, recently, I've been toying with putting it first, or near the beginning. If it was to be included on SMiLE, obviously it was the first song to be recorded. Also, it ended up a boy meets girl song, so, assuming the lyrics would've stuck, on SMiLE, you could've started with it! I mean, lyrically, where else do you put it? What do you think about this?

1. Our Prayer
2. Good Vibrations
3. Look
 

[Jay]

There's a couple of similar threads going on right now with overlapping themes regarding SMiLE. And that's great. I could read/talk about it all day. Is it possible that we could dedicate this particular thread to us nuts, like me, who are obssessed with making the perfect SMiLE mix? There are no wrong answers, anything goes. Just state your OPINION and your reason(s) for it.

Ok, I'm up for it.  It's interesting that you would put Good Vibrations and Look back to back, considering that a portion of Look actually quotes a section of GV. It actually works quite well.  Personally, I'd skip GV from my mix. I always thought that it was a case of Brian giving in to Capitol and including the latest hot single on the current album, rather than an artistic decision.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I think that Kokamo fits well at the beginning of side B. Umm....

[TonyW]

... and as part of the Americana theme Amusement Parks USA sits perfectly between Heroes & Villains and Worms.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Now were talkin!

[Shane]

I was listening to the GV SOT's the other night... marveling at the sheer amount of unused sections that Brian recorded for that one single song, and I thought to myself....


"What would have kept Brian from using some of these unused sections of music as a part of Smile?"


Discuss.   

[Fall Breaks]

I was listening to the GV SOT's the other night... marveling at the sheer amount of unused sections that Brian recorded for that one single song, and I thought to myself....


"What would have kept Brian from using some of these unused sections of music as a part of Smile?"


Discuss.   

Exactly! I've been playing with the thought (not the music software, yet!) of putting GV sections, released and/or unreleased as link tracks on my Smile mix.

[Alex]

... and as part of the Americana theme Amusement Parks USA sits perfectly between Heroes & Villains and Worms.

Make It Big would be a perfect closer placed right after Surf's Up!
And Summer of Love would fit right in with the third movement!

[TylerB]

Audacity is an extremely easy program to use, it's what I'm currently using in my toilsome effort to make a good SMiLE mix.

[TonyW]

... and as part of the Americana theme Amusement Parks USA sits perfectly between Heroes & Villains and Worms.

Make It Big would be a perfect closer placed right after Surf's Up!
And Summer of Love would fit right in with the third movement!

Hhhhmmmmm (nodding of head in agreement) ..... yes, yes ... sometimes when I do a mix of post '04 BWPS - I add that little something extra by placing Smart Girls as a link track between Child Is Father Of The Man and Surfs Up ... it adds a certain ... um, charm which is lacking in Brian's original transition between tracks. Ofcourse I only use the original Smart Girls with the sampled tracks, not the shonky remake.

[Sheriff John Stone]

What's your SMiLE closer?

I still think "Surf's Up" is the best closing song, but I have toyed with my "Heroes And Villains Suite", mainly because of the "review" nature of the lyrics. Oddly enough, I've never used "Good Vibrations", which of course was chosen as the closer on BWPS....

[Jay]

In my mind, Surf's Up has always been the song to close it. It's the innocence before the westward expansion personified. The "hero" of SMiLE is looking back on everything, and reflecting on a more simple time, before it was nothing but "heroes" and "villians".

[Sheriff John Stone]

I'm at it again, I can't help it, it's neverending....

Yes or No question....I'm assuming there's no documentation, but, do you think "Diamond Head" had any - ANY - origin during the SMiLE sessions. Oh, how I want to put that after "I Love To Say Dada".

[Mr. Cohen]

I heard that some of the ideas in "Diamond Head" sound similar to some experimental tape comps Brian did during Smile. It's clearly has the spirit of Smile, and it was written less than a year after the Smile sessions ended. I think it works good after "Little Pad", or "Cool, Cool Water" (the opening section of "Cool, Cool Water", followed by the water chant, which is then interrupted by the booming thunder of "Diamond Head"). "Cool, Cool Water" was a song that Brian said he wrote in March of '67, so it's another song I like to include in my Smile mixes, mainly because there's a finished version from the 60s, while "I Love to Say Dada" was never finished until BWPS.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I think it works good after "Cool, Cool Water" (the opening section of "Cool, Cool Water", followed by the water chant, which is then interrupted by the booming thunder of "Diamond Head").

Ooh, I like that; I'm gonna try it.

I'm so used to going Mrs. O'Leary's Cow / Water Chant / I Love To Say Dada. I guess I was too influenced by BWPS (as I wash my mouth out with soap)....

[Alex]

I did a SMiLE mix a while back where I tried to include just about everything (except the smog monologue and some of the vegetable arguments). I threw a lot of the random sound effects, chanting, and alternate versions of songs into the mix. It went Our Prayer, Heroes and Villains (8 minutes long), Barnyard Suite (I'm In Great Shape/Barnyard/OMP/YAMS), Holidays/3 Blind Mice, Do You Like Worms (with Tones and He Gives Speeches), Cabin Essence, My Little Red Book, With Me Tonight, Wonderful, Child, Look, Good Vibrations (10 minutes), The Elements (Vega-Tables/Wind Chimes/Mrs. O'Leary's Cow/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop/Cool Cool Water/I Love To Say Da Da), Surf's Up/Outro (clips from various SMiLE songs in the left channel, Bicycle Rider theme in right channel, fades into You're Welcome, ends with Brian asking Denny for hash joints and asking if the guys are feeling the acid yet.).

[Sheriff John Stone]

I did a SMiLE mix a while back where I tried to include just about everything (except the smog monologue and some of the vegetable arguments). I threw a lot of the random sound effects, chanting, and alternate versions of songs into the mix. It went Our Prayer, Heroes and Villains (8 minutes long), Barnyard Suite (I'm In Great Shape/Barnyard/OMP/YAMS), Holidays/3 Blind Mice, Do You Like Worms (with Tones and He Gives Speeches), Cabin Essence, My Little Red Book, With Me Tonight, Wonderful, Child, Look, Good Vibrations (10 minutes), The Elements (Vega-Tables/Wind Chimes/Mrs. O'Leary's Cow/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop/Cool Cool Water/I Love To Say Da Da), Surf's Up/Outro (clips from various SMiLE songs in the left channel, Bicycle Rider theme in right channel, fades into You're Welcome, ends with Brian asking Denny for hash joints and asking if the guys are feeling the acid yet.).

I'll bet that's a quite enjoyable trip. Did you ever give it to somebody who didn't know about SMiLE and get feedback from them?

Dada, back to your idea for a minute....What do you think about this?

"Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" going into the "Water Chant (from Sunflower)" going right into "Cool, Cool Water (the 1:12 boxed set version)", and, as soon as that ends with the "wwwaaattteeerrrr" part, go right into Diamond Head.

[Mr. Cohen]

"Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" going into the "Water Chant (from Sunflower)" going right into "Cool, Cool Water (the 1:12 boxed set version)", and, as soon as that ends with the "wwwaaattteeerrrr" part, go right into Diamond Head.

Not bad, sounds like it would work. I always like putting "I Wanna Be Around/Workshop" right after "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow". There seems to be evidence that Brian intended that originally (wasn't it called "Elements pt. 2" or something like that?), and putting it after "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" makes the most use of the musical/lyrical pun of "I Wanna Be Around/Workshop". The singer wants to be around to pick up the pieces when somebody breaks his heart (pick up the rubble of everything that's broken?), followed by the sound of construction, which also fits in with the rebuilding that had to be done in Chicago after the fire. Putting it next to "I'm in Great Shape" is a kind of meaningless juxtaposition, except for the fact that you could consider the workshop noises to be physical activity. Of course, the "Water Chant" is also a great juxtaposition with "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow", so what can you do?

[Sheriff John Stone]

I always like putting "I Wanna Be Around/Workshop" right after "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow". There seems to be evidence that Brian intended that originally (wasn't it called "Elements pt. 2" or something like that?), and putting it after "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" makes the most use of the musical/lyrical pun of "I Wanna Be Around/Workshop". The singer wants to be around to pick up the pieces when somebody breaks his heart (pick up the rubble of everything that's broken?), followed by the sound of construction, which also fits in with the rebuilding that had to be done in Chicago after the fire.

I struggle with this one. There IS documentation to substantiate your theory (was it Carol Kaye who overheard Brian say it?). I guess I just prefer the water to put out the fire before I re-build the barn. I never liked to go from the "workshop" into water, assuming you put some water AFTER.

It probably wasn't Brian's intention (or maybe it was!), but I put "I Wanna Be Around/Workshop" right after "Cabinessence" I'll BUILD you a home on the range. Same theory as yours - using the hammers and saws on the barn; I just build it and you re-build it.

[Mr. Cohen]

It probably wasn't Brian's intention (or maybe it was!), but I put "I Wanna Be Around/Workshop" right after "Cabinessence" I'll BUILD you a home on the range. Same theory as yours - using the hammers and saws on the barn; I just build it and you re-build it.

I like that, never thought of that. It could work, playing off the romantic love hinted at in "Cabinessence".

I never liked to go from the "workshop" into water, assuming you put some water AFTER.

Well, here's a thought I had. What if you follow "Workshop" with "I'm in Great Shape", followed by "Vegetables/Do A Lot", and then go into water, creating a health theme? Wouldn't sound as cool on vintage Smile comps because the '66 "I'm in Great Shape" takes floating around are pretty shoddy and incomplete, but it could work. The whole elemental theme of Smile is something you can play around with a lot, because it seems like there just was no coherent plan for it all. "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" took place in Chicago, so it could be looked at as setting a scene for the Midwestern farming themes of the following songs. And you know that you need water to farm, right? The "Water Chant" is farmers praying for rain. Then you're whisked away to Hawaii, a logical ending point for Smile. I don't know, I'm getting imaginative here...

[Rocky]

just when i had sworn off driving myself bonkers with making endless smile mixes i read this and now i'm totally drawn back in. now my mind is racing with ideas. looks like it's off to go buy more CD-Rs!

[Sheriff John Stone]

just when i had sworn off driving myself bonkers with making endless smile mixes i read this and now i'm totally drawn back in. now my mind is racing with ideas. looks like it's off to go buy more CD-Rs!

That's great! I'd like to hear your ideas.

It's all harmless fun. You just get a chance to "play" Brian Wilson and assemble SMiLE. There's no right or wrong answers (unless Brian himself called me, and then I'd probably still argue with him ). It's just another way to enjoy the great SMiLE music.

Right now, I'm still debating whether to include "Tones". There's something about that track that is so "Brian". I know, I know, Carl's all over it....