Spanish Guitar/Secret Smile "Untitled Instrumental"

[Sheriff John Stone]

Another quick question or two about this track...

I believe this track was identified (by AGD?) as being from the Friends sessions. Was it part of an existing Friends' song or another unreleased song? Due to the length (1:25) could it be the entire song? Those Friends' songs were very short.

Also, does anybody hear a similarity between the Spanish Guitar snippet and the spoken part by Brian on "In Blue Hawaii" from BWPS, where he goes, "Is it hot as hell in here or is it me; it really is a mystery...." I'm trying to hear the Spanish guitar over Brian's voice.

[Jay]

Another quick question or two about this track..

Also, does anybody hear a similarity between the Spanish Guitar snippet and the spoken part by Brian on "In Blue Hawaii" from BWPS, where he goes, "Is it hot as hell in here or is it me; it really is a mystery...." I'm trying to hear the Spanish guitar over Brian's voice.

Are you talking about the track that has the odd keyboard/harpsichord sounding instrument? If so, then I really don't hear much of a similarity to "In Blue Hawaii". But, to me the keyboard riff sounds quite a bit like the vocal melody for  "Stevie", albiet in slightly different embryonic form.

[Howie Edelson]

It's actually not a "Smile" track at all, but rather comes from the "Friends" sessions.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Recorded March 26th, logged as "New Song".

[runnersdialzero]

It's actually not a "Smile" track at all, but rather comes from the "Friends" sessions.

I believe this track was identified (by AGD?) as being from the Friends sessions.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

How was this finally verified? Also, how was it determined that 'Little Red Book' was from 'Friends' era? Was documentation found?  If this is in another thread, please direct me!

[Andrew G. Doe]

How was this finally verified? Also, how was it determined that 'Little Red Book' was from 'Friends' era? Was documentation found?  If this is in another thread, please direct me!

It was verified to me by someone who would know for sure, someone who I trust 100% in such matters.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

How was this finally verified? Also, how was it determined that 'Little Red Book' was from 'Friends' era? Was documentation found?  If this is in another thread, please direct me!

It was verified to me by someone who would know for sure, someone who I trust 100% in such matters.

Brad Elliott 

[Andrew G. Doe]

How was this finally verified? Also, how was it determined that 'Little Red Book' was from 'Friends' era? Was documentation found?  If this is in another thread, please direct me!

It was verified to me by someone who would know for sure, someone who I trust 100% in such matters.

Brad Elliott 

      

Oddly enough... no. 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Bwahahahahaha

I've been arguing that point for years, glad to get confirmation.

[Sheriff John Stone]

I always find it interesting how songs like this "Spanish Guitar" track and others - "Can't Wait Too Long" is another one - end up on SMiLE bootlegs. I'm sure it varies with each track/bootleg, but it still does make you wonder if there is any liknk to SMiLE when they show up like that.

[Jason]

It was none other than our good friend Alan Boyd who confirmed that "New Song" and My Little Red Book are from the Friends sessions. The latter should be obvious, listen to the piano sound.

[buddhahat]

It was none other than our good friend Alan Boyd who confirmed that "New Song" and My Little Red Book are from the Friends sessions. The latter should be obvious, listen to the piano sound.

No, my mind is blown! Always assumed Little Red Book was smile.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

It seems to me that whatever little ditty turned up was instantly attributed to SMiLE....

[Jason]

The fact that someone could mistakenly consider a Miles Davis/Gil Evans track a Smile recording is beyond my comprehension. It certainly adds fuel to the Beach Boys haters' fire when they claim Beach Boys fans have nothing better to do than listen to the Beach Boys.

[Steve Mayo]

The fact that someone could mistakenly consider a Miles Davis/Gil Evans track a Smile recording is beyond my comprehension. It certainly adds fuel to the Beach Boys haters' fire when they claim Beach Boys fans have nothing better to do than listen to the Beach Boys.

true..... in a 1985 phone call P.R. told me the following story....he was putting together a personal smile tape for his own pleasure. he did not have the "air" piece. so he put the miles davis song on as "air" because he liked it and it sounded "airy". just for his own listening pleasue. but that did not stop one person  who was given a copy from putting out the first smile vinyl boot (when he promised not to share the tape). on that boot it listed the piece as being air and the rest is history...

[Beach Head]

This constant villification of Brad Elliott is just obscene!

There's no other way to put this ... Peter lies.  I've known both Brad and Peter for many years, and they had a falling out way back when.  Since then, Peter's gone out of his way to paint Brad in the worst possible light.

The truth is that Brad was the go-between that landed Peter the biggest chunk of those early SMILE tapes (specifically, the ones that were described in Byron Preiss's book).  There was no reason for Brad to get SMILE tapes from Peter, as he already had them (having gotten Peter his copies).

The guy that Peter set up with the faked "Air" was Mark Plummer, who was a big Beach Boys and Jan & Dean fan back then, but hasn't been heard from in ages.  Any leak that led to the first SMILE bootlegs came from that direction, not Brad.  In fact, if anybody wants to go back and research the issue in old issues of the "Add Some Music" fanzine, they'll find it was Brad who broke the story that "Air" on that first SMILE bootleg was a fake.  That doesn't sound like something you'd do if you were the one who faked it.

[Andrew G. Doe]

This constant villification of Brad Elliott is just obscene!

There's no other way to put this ... Peter lies.  I've known both Brad and Peter for many years, and they had a falling out way back when.  Since then, Peter's gone out of his way to paint Brad in the worst possible light.

The truth is that Brad was the go-between that landed Peter the biggest chunk of those early SMILE tapes (specifically, the ones that were described in Byron Preiss's book).  There was no reason for Brad to get SMILE tapes from Peter, as he already had them (having gotten Peter his copies).

The guy that Peter set up with the faked "Air" was Mark Plummer, who was a big Beach Boys and Jan & Dean fan back then, but hasn't been heard from in ages.  Any leak that led to the first SMILE bootlegs came from that direction, not Brad.  In fact, if anybody wants to go back and research the issue in old issues of the "Add Some Music" fanzine, they'll find it was Brad who broke the story that "Air" on that first SMILE bootleg was a fake.  That doesn't sound like something you'd do if you were the one who faked it.

Brad is a proven fraudster. Fact. He has swindled people out of thousands of dollars over the First Wave project (and the Dailey photos... and the sessions book... and the BW productions 2LP set), reneged on a promisary note and evaded service processors. He's also spread some nasty rumors about some big-name BB fans. When I was doing some work for Capitol back in 2000, I was earnestly warned to distance myself from him, as his name at the Tower was mud back then. And still is.

In fact, if anybody wants to go back and research the issue in old issues of the "Add Some Music" fanzine, they'll find it was Brad who broke the story that "Air" on that first SMILE bootleg was a fake.  That doesn't sound like something you'd do if you were the one who faked it.

Sounds like a classic double bluff to me.

Tell me, why the constant championing of Mr. E. ?  I can think of just the one reason.

[Beach Head]

Hmmm ...  No "constant championing" from this corner that I know of.  I think I've said something about a very similar accusation against Brad on one other occasion.  Other complaints about him, I've said nothing.

As I said, I've known Brad for many years, and still consider him a friend.  I just find it ironic that so many who have benefited so much from his work (look at the credits on your own Bellagio website, AGD) are so quick to condemn him while taking Peter's word for something that none of them know anything first-hand about.  I mean, Peter's the one who deliberately sent somebody (whether you believe it was Brad or know it was Mark Plummer) a faked BB track.  That's somebody whose word we're supposed to accept as gospel?

Furthermore, Brad's condemned because he allegedly was involved with the first SMILE bootlegs (which he, in fact, wasn't), but we're okay with Peter's having done the original Beach Boys Collectors Series of bootlegs -- including ripping off Frank Holmes by doing the first reprints of the SMILE cover?  25 years later, when Brad marketed the remaining copies for Peter's wife, he sought and obtained Frank's permission and paid him a cut of the proceeds.  Did Frank make anything off the many copies Peter sold?  I don't think so!  So how hypocritcal are we being?

[A Million Units In Jan!]

?

Furthermore, Brad's condemned because he allegedly was involved with the first SMILE bootlegs

No, he's condemned because he took thousands of dollars from people, and hasn't been heard from.  I'm not doubting that he has done alot in getting the word of the BB's out, and he's done his fair share of research. That's not the issue. The issue is that he's a thief. Plain and simple, and there's no defense. Unless you find it acceptable to take money and never offer to give it back when things don't work out.

[Beach Head]

Unless you find it acceptable to take money and never offer to give it back when things don't work out.

Definitely not saying I do.  But I don't think those mistakes should completely undercut all that he did that was of value.  And it certainly shouldn't leave him being blamed for things he wasn't responsible for.  (I mean, I've seen him tagged as being responsible for the Sea Of Tunes releases, when he never even came close to having that kind of access to the BB's tape vault!)

FYI, when I last talked with him (admittedly, a couple of years ago), Brad was sporadically sending out reimbursements as he was able.  He got saddled with over $40,000 in legal expenses when Bruce Morgan and Original Sound sold him a bill of goods when he licensed the Hite Morgan tapes for release and then got him sucked into The Beach Boys' lawsuit against them!  At the time I talked with him, the damn case was still bouncing around the court system and still racking up lawyers' fees for him!

As to why he's not heard from, his wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor about six years ago.  After two unsuccessful brain surgeries and extensive radiation treatments, she's disabled, and he's responsible for caring for her.  Sadly, I don't think it leaves him much time for anything else.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I just find it ironic that so many who have benefited so much from his work (look at the credits on your own Bellagio website, AGD) are so quick to condemn him

Oddly enough, I don't need to look at those credits - because I wrote them. You'll notice I gave him fair and due credit for his outstanding pioneering work in this field - without that essential groundwork, my site would be a sorry place. But that doesn't ameliorate the fact that the man is a crook who has stolen thousands of dollars from people under false pretences, and who has also smeared the names & reputations of other fans. He's also broken promises concerning information & documentation supplied to him on a 'no disseminating' basis, which caused people professional problems. Hardly a glowing resume, or cause to presume his innocence in this matter, it being clearly established that he has a history of, shall we say, shady dealings ?

As for the Smile boot questions, I put that to him more than once, in writing and during a phone conversation. He could have easily refuted them, but he didn't. Nor did he confirm them. He just ignored the question. Make what you will of that. All I know is, you're the only person who's ever linked the leak to Mark Plummer (who is, perhaps conveniently, MIA and thus unable to give us his side of the matter).

[Beach Head]

Mark Plummer (who is, perhaps conveniently, MIA and thus unable to give us his side of the matter).

As is Brad.  Which is my point.  You don't know anything for certain about the source of that first SMILE boot, so why disseminate innuendo?  You're just a second- or third-hand (or worse) source.  I've heard you rail against such "second hand" information in regard to BB history; why is it acceptable when it comes to something else?

[Andrew G. Doe]

Mark Plummer (who is, perhaps conveniently, MIA and thus unable to give us his side of the matter).

As is Brad.  Which is my point.  You don't know anything for certain about the source of that first SMILE boot, so why disseminate innuendo?  You're just a second- or third-hand (or worse) source.  I've heard you rail against such "second hand" information in regard to BB history; why is it acceptable when it comes to something else?

First hand, actually. I asked him. Twice. He declined to comment. I think I'm entitled to form an opinion from that. Would it have broken his heart to have said "no, wasn't me" ?

Plus, Brad is not MIA -  there's a contact address on the Surf's Up site, one page of which was updated just over a year ago.

[Beach Head]

He declined to comment. I think I'm entitled to form an opinion from that.

Then be upfront and indicate that it's simply you're opinion, not fact.  He didn't say he did it.  There could have been lots of reasons that he didn't respond.  I wasn't there, so I don't know.  But neither were you in his head at the time to know what he was thinking.

Brad is not MIA -  there's a contact address on the Surf's Up site, one page of which was updated just over a year ago.

Well, I'm sure Mark Plummer is alive and well somewhere, too.  For all I know, he has a webpage out there as well.  But both of them are MIA from fan circles in general and this message board in particular.