Any ideas on when a SMiLE box set will come out?

[nobody]

It's bound to happen so ... any guesses on what year we can expect such a glorious release?

The Pet Sounds Box Set is great ... although I've only heard it on Rhapsody , I don't actually own it.

But I'd buy a SMiLE box set if it was done well and had EVERYTHING and no silly edited material. Also , it would HAVE TO HAVE the original Smile Shop artwork by Frank Holmes and poster sized prints of all the work he did for it - integral to the music! 

Let's make some bets, and for every year it's not released we'll double our bets. Actually, I am totally broke, I have $0.37 in the bank, so I'll just bluff my bet money and hope to win yours.

[nobody]

When Mykluv gives up the ghost?

[Aegir]

There's a "special announcement" coming soon, and most people are thinking it's either:

A) a Smile boxset
B) a Beach Boys reunion
C) TLOS deluxe edition autographed bedsheets

[nobody]

There's a "special announcement" coming soon, and most people are thinking it's either:

A) a Smile boxset
B) a Beach Boys reunion
C) TLOS deluxe edition autographed bedsheets

Is there any other conceivable thing that it could be? if not, sounds pretty promising, ay? 

[Aegir]

I'd say it's probably C or something equally disappointing.

[juggler]

I'd say it's probably C or something equally disappointing.

Yeah, Brian has probably cut a medley of "Smart Girls" and "Shortenin' Bread."

[runnersdialzero]

lawl @ folks thinking it's a Smile box set.

Regardless of the fact that it's extremely unlikely, it's even more unlikely as I don't think anything of the sort will ever come out in Brian's lifetime, sadly.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

Probably when the surviving Beach Boys have reunited with Dennis and Carl

[SG7]

Bedsheets FTW 

[Chris Brown]

lawl @ folks thinking it's a Smile box set.

Regardless of the fact that it's extremely unlikely, it's even more unlikely as I don't think anything of the sort will ever come out in Brian's lifetime, sadly.

I agree, Brian would never allow this while he's alive.  I do, however, think that when Brian passes on, something will come to fruition regarding Smile.  It may not be exactly what we want (I'm sure all of us would buy a 20-disc set if they made one), but this music is too good to stay officially unreleased forever.  Something along the lines of the Pet Sounds box set would be great.

[nobody]

lawl @ folks thinking it's a Smile box set.

Regardless of the fact that it's extremely unlikely, it's even more unlikely as I don't think anything of the sort will ever come out in Brian's lifetime, sadly.

I agree, Brian would never allow this while he's alive.  I do, however, think that when Brian passes on, something will come to fruition regarding Smile.  It may not be exactly what we want (I'm sure all of us would buy a 20-disc set if they made one), but this music is too good to stay officially unreleased forever.  Something along the lines of the Pet Sounds box set would be great.

Right. My theory is that they already have the basic thing planned out - what they will release, what they won't release, how they will package it, the extras they will include like interviews and session info, etc., and it's probably a project sitting around waiting to happen. The idea has probably been proposed to all the main players and they turned it down for the time being, so now it's just waiting for its time. If the Pet Sounds Box Set sold well (I've not read any numbers on this) then it's almost a sure thing - I think the SMiLE Box Set (doesn't it look great to see that?) would be easier to sell and gain more attention. If they remaster the tracks well and maybe provide something the bootlegs don't have it will definitely sell. The artwork will be key, I think. Frank Holmes' drawings stand out and if they're used for the actual packaging then it could be a great eye-catcher. If they really wanted to they could probably make the best band box set that's ever been done with the whole SMiLE thing. Just depends on how much funding and effort goes into I guess.

[buddhahat]

Not holding my breath for this supposed 'announcement'. Think signed bed sheets is probably about right. Or another Brian doll, or some-such.

However would the fact that Brian is now signed to Capitol, grease the wheels of a proposed Smile box release a bit, or have no bearing (scuse the pun) on it?

Edit: Have to throw this in here though: How would one sequence a Smile box?

Chronological sequencing is just too dry imo. You'd have to have at least a portion of the box set out as a playable sequenced album, for the fans like me that don't want to drag through endless session material (after all 80% of the smile stuff seems to be un-edited session material if you discard Mark Linnet's GV Box edits).

Personally I think you can't disregard BWPS if you are to now to include non 66 edits in a Smile Box release, as whether you like it or not, BWPS is Brian's last word on the subject and is the most he has been involved in the sequencing of Smile since 67. My point is, BWPS has now rendered an edit such as Heroes Sections redundant, as we now have a Brian (or at least partially involved Brian) sequence of Smile. Surely if there's a disc set aside as a playable Smile what-might-have-been on a smile box (not at all inconceivable) the compilers of this box could not ignore BWPS - to do so would be historically dubious. The obvious solution is just to keep the sessions as pure un-edited sessions, and include the 66/67 edits where they exist, but I really think this would make for quite a dry box that would have zero appeal outside of the hardcore such as ourselves, and I suspect many of us die-hards would crave more than for example: a fragmented Worms or Vegetables. You could just use the GV box mixes of these tracks, but I think post BWPS these edits have to be reconsidered. Or to look it another way - had the Smile tracks on the GV box been released post BWPS, would Mark Linnett have considered the BWPS sequencing to create his edits? I think he definitely would have.

Oops - I've managed to make a very simple point in a very long-winded way - sorry about that!

[Jason]

The Capitol signing was TLOS only. Note that Brian has never been able to keep a record contract as a solo artist for more than one album, except for GIOMH/BWPS, which was the "you want BWPS, you gotta release the turd".

[Dr. Tim]

Again I defer to the historians but I believe Brian's benediction of a Smile box was along the lines of "over my dead body."
 
The longer time marches on, kids, the more niche such a project becomes, and thus much more unlikely beyond a Rhino Handmade-type mail-only release (and now that label is vanishing too).  Think:  who besides us music heads would buy it?  Are there enough real BB fans to justify that?  Who'd want to plow through 4 CDs of unfinished out-takes instead of another repressing of greatestshits?  Don't hold up the Beatles box sets as examples - a better comparison is the Anthology volumes, which did OK but weren't zillion sellers, and that was right after the TV doc had aired, with a lot more interest from us boomer-types.   And even those box sets are limited editions - yes they're selling, but they're not flooding the market with them either.

I mean, I'm a fan, but I live in the reality-based world too.

[Jason]

"Over my dead body" indeed, yet Brian's almost like Night Of The Living Dead anyway, so...

It'll happen because, as always, his wife and managers will think it's a good idea.

[LostArt]

I remember some round-table discussion or something with Brian and David Leaf around the time BWPS came out, and David Leaf spoke of a Beach Boys Smile box.  Anyone remember that?  Didn't Leaf say that a box would come out, and then he turns to Brian and says, "Right, Brian?"  It was something like that, if I remember correctly.

Maybe this is one of the reasons that Mr. Leaf is no longer on the Wilsons' Christmas card list?  Andrew?

[Chris Brown]

Budda, I'm not sure I completely agree with your take on BWPS impacting the sequencing on a Smile box.  I agree that you do have to have some sort of playable "album" on there, not just endless session outtakes.  I wouldn't have a problem with using some of the BWPS sequencing, since a lot of it is pretty logical and similar in parts to what it was probably meant to be all along.  But at the same time, I think that leaving out all the Heroes sections that were on the 1993 box just for sake of keeping in concert with BWPS would be very wrong-headed.  We all know that there was far more recorded during the original sessions than appeared on BWPS, and it would be criminal to leave it off of a Smile box set based on BWPS.  I would be inclined to keep the basic structure in place, but to include as much music as possible on any new edits, whether it jives with BWPS or not.

Tim, I agree with you to an extent, but I think that Brian's departure from the world would garner a fair amount of interest in a Smile box...enough to at least make the project economically feasible.  Of course it would only appeal to a niche market, but if marketed correctly, I think it could do okay.  Something along the lines of "hear the legendary sessions of Beach Boys genius Brian Wilson's abandoned Smile project."  After Brian is gone, such a project may have more commercial viability (like a mini Michael Jackson effect).  I'm not 100% counting on it, for the reasons you state, but I certainly won't rule it out somewhere down the line.

[Bicyclerider]

It will come out October 2012.

So it has been written.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I remember some round-table discussion or something with Brian and David Leaf around the time BWPS came out, and David Leaf spoke of a Beach Boys Smile box.  Anyone remember that?  Didn't Leaf say that a box would come out, and then he turns to Brian and says, "Right, Brian?"  It was something like that, if I remember correctly.

Maybe this is one of the reasons that Mr. Leaf is no longer on the Wilsons' Christmas card list?  Andrew?

Nope.

The proposed sequence was as follows:

1996 - Pet Sounds Sessions
1996 - Good Vibrations Sessions (single disc)
1997 - Smile Sessions (3 discs)*

* as follows:

1 - Heroes & Villains sessions
2 - 'best of the rest'
3 - attempt at a coherent album using only the original recordings

[buddhahat]

Budda, I'm not sure I completely agree with your take on BWPS impacting the sequencing on a Smile box.  I agree that you do have to have some sort of playable "album" on there, not just endless session outtakes.  I wouldn't have a problem with using some of the BWPS sequencing, since a lot of it is pretty logical and similar in parts to what it was probably meant to be all along.  But at the same time, I think that leaving out all the Heroes sections that were on the 1993 box just for sake of keeping in concert with BWPS would be very wrong-headed.  We all know that there was far more recorded during the original sessions than appeared on BWPS, and it would be criminal to leave it off of a Smile box set based on BWPS.  I would be inclined to keep the basic structure in place, but to include as much music as possible on any new edits, whether it jives with BWPS or not.

My point about Heroes Sections was that, on the original GV Box Linnett does an edit where he fits all these sections together so that they flow: More a kind of medley of odds & sods to show-case the misc Heroes bits. Now post BWPS, I believe such an edit would be redundant as Brian has (as far as the general public is concerned) incorporated many of these sections into a version of H&V. So it would be quite logical for the hypothetical editors of a smile box to create an edit of Heroes that closely follows the BWPS version incorporating Gee, Cantina etc., but if this is followed to its logical conclusion and they try to replicate the whole of BWPS using the original sessions I think problems arise: not least of which is that lots of cool bits were left out of BWPS which I think is what you're saying. Maybe one solution is to have all the known session material in the box, and then try to create a playable Smile 'album' that follows the BWPS sequence where possible but is also sympathetic to the original structure (or implied structure) of the 66/67 songs. But then this is a sort of halfway house - neither one thing or another, so is it more sensible to disregard BWPS entirely? Personally I think that would be weird, as BWPS is a significant part of the Smile story. I think compiling a Smile box now that BWPS has occurred, is actually more complicated (ironically enough) than if Brian had never revisited the project.

[Sheriff John Stone]

2016 or 2017 - 50th Anniversary - Capitol Records will push for it, and succeed - whether Brian is still with us or not....

[nobody]

re a listenable playlist of the album ... we are entering the age where these things should at least offer some interactive possibility ... "create your own mix" with the tools and program necessary, something like that

everyone and their cat has a computer these days, so it's not that novel or strange to seriously consider

especially since SMiLE has such an immensely rich history of fans creating and sharing their own ideas and mixes of the album

[Dr. Tim]

Todd Rundgren, Radiohead and Prince tried the interactive U-Mix-it CD-ROM approach - EPIC FAIL

Though NIN is trying it now, but that's really aimed more at home recordists/mashers.  Would the non-gamer yupster folk go for something like this?  Like a bonus interactive DVD game you get with some movies?

Point being: the interactive thing is not a bad idea, but maybe I want this package as a musical accompaniment, not something I have to pay attention to  and PLAY, like Rock Band, or WORK AT, like Digital Performer.  If these elements are to be combined, a lot more thought needs to go into this.

Understand:  I'm not saying the Smile box set should be killed.  If somebody wants to front the simoleons to stamp 'em out, hooray for us.

But standing in my back yard awaiting the rapture in 2012, I'm not.

[The Heartical Don]

Todd Rundgren, Radiohead and Prince tried the interactive U-Mix-it CD-ROM approach - EPIC FAIL

Though NIN is trying it now, but that's really aimed more at home recordists/mashers.  Would the non-gamer yupster folk go for something like this?  Like a bonus interactive DVD game you get with some movies?

Point being: the interactive thing is not a bad idea, but maybe I want this package as a musical accompaniment, not something I have to pay attention to  and PLAY, like Rock Band, or WORK AT, like Digital Performer.  If these elements are to be combined, a lot more thought needs to go into this.

Understand:  I'm not saying the Smile box set should be killed.  If somebody wants to front the simoleons to stamp 'em out, hooray for us.

But standing in my back yard awaiting the rapture in 2012, I'm not.

Let's face it, people: we are a cargo cult, barking mad. All of us should be institutionalized. 

[Mr. Wilson]

i agree buddhahat... With what you posted..especially the part about it.. NOW..being harder to release a smile box set..