Smiley Smile Magazine Ad, Fall 1967

[guitarfool2002]

You've seen the famous back-cover Smile ad from the March 1967 issue of Teen Set...compare it to the Smiley Smile page ad from the December 1967 issue of Teen Set! Nothing earth-shattering, but I saw this in color and it's something you don't see reproduced too much, and thought it would be of interest.

December 1967 issue? Smiley was released in September 1967...but Teen Set at that time seems to have been post-dated three months from when it would have been released. The "Look Listen..." Smile ad appeared in March, and going back three months would be December 1966, assuming the "target" date was still a possibility for that release. And the other big news of the 12/67 issue was the death of Brian Epstein, which was late August 1967.

Notice the list of hits...Good Vibrations, naturally, though the single was a few months shy of a year old at the time of the ad. Heroes, again naturally included in the ad. Gettin Hungry? Wasn't that released as a "Brian and Mike" single, b/w "Devoted To You"? Typical of the confusion around this era perhaps.

A pretty bland ad, overall, and one which doesn't jump off the page like its Smile counterpart. The novelty of this for me is viewing it in color...

[bgas]

And following behind by probably a couple of months , we get this glorious 2 page ad, the "Young Swingers Selection of the Month" from the Capitol Record Club: 




and then again in the February 1968 issue: 

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm guessing "swingers" meant something else back then... 

[18thofMay]

Either way me and the mrs are in!!!

[Sam_BFC]

Where might I see a picture of the March 1967 Smile ad? (I did try a google search).

[Christian]

Where might I see a picture of the March 1967 Smile ad? (I did try a google search).

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1967-rare-beach-boys-smile-ad-in-teenset-magazine

[Cam Mott]

I tried that link and got involuntarily directed to that  "we found a virus on your system" fake scan thing. Anybody else?

[Steve Mayo]

link worked fine for me....

[Myk Luhv]

I still think Smiley Smile has awesome cover art and I would wear a T-shirt of it, haha. What other endorsement could you want!

[bgas]

I had no problem with the link, either; but to simplify, here's a nice scan:

[Don_Zabu]

Never would've thought this kind of stuff would be so...square.

[Roger Ryan]

Comparing "Fall Breaks..." with "Let's Go Away For Awhile" and "Pet Sounds" is a stretch, and I've never thought of "Little Pad" as a parody of their earlier surf songs, but I pity the guy who had to assess this album and figure out a way to sell it to "young swingers".

[Rocker]

Thank you very much for the scas. Never saw any SmileySmile-promotion, so this is really great....

[guitarfool2002]

I felt the exact same way about whoever was given the job of writing the copy for that "Young Swingers..." record club promotion. How do you describe Smiley Smile at that point in time? I didn't understand the Little Pad/surf parody reference at all, but realizing what a shock the rest of the album must have been after the obvious singles, what else could a Capitol staffer write about it? They're still trying to write for the teen-pop market, but the music and artists they're writing about had already turned the corner...and mentioning the word "surf" in context with Smiley Smile just seems too desperate. It might be like using the words "Mop Tops" when writing about Sgt. Pepper.

One thing the scans do is put to rest any notions that, like the charge surrounding Pet Sounds, Capitol deliberately under-promoted the album. The materials on this page are in line with other print ad campaigns fellow Capitol artists including The Beatles would have received. At least in my opinion. Now my job is to search a few other publications for Smiley Smile promotional ads.

[juggler]

Interesting that the writer states that "all this time" [since Pet Sounds] "Brian and the boys have been working on their new record, Smiley Smile."  The writer also indicates that Brian "teamed up with pianist Van Dyke Parks to write songs for the album."

In a sense, these statements are true, but I can't help but think that they set fans up for disappointment.  "A year and a half of work, and we get THIS?!" Might have been better if they'd been a bit more honest...  Something like "Brian and the boys worked on Good Vibrations and some other projects for the better part of a year before slapping most of Smiley Smile together in a few weeks at Brian's house. Enjoy!"

[Rocker]

Interesting that the writer states that "all this time" [since Pet Sounds] "Brian and the boys have been working on their new record, Smiley Smile."  The writer also indicates that Brian "teamed up with pianist Van Dyke Parks to write songs for the album."

In a sense, these statements are true, but I can't help but think that they set fans up for disappointment.  "A year and a half of work, and we get THIS?!" Might have been better if they'd been a bit more honest...  Something like "Brian and the boys worked on Good Vibrations and some other projects for the better part of a year before slapping most of Smiley Smile together in a few weeks at Brian's house. Enjoy!"

Yeah, and the strings he mentions are also nowhere to be found on SmileySmile

[Chris Brown]

Interesting that the writer states that "all this time" [since Pet Sounds] "Brian and the boys have been working on their new record, Smiley Smile."  The writer also indicates that Brian "teamed up with pianist Van Dyke Parks to write songs for the album."

In a sense, these statements are true, but I can't help but think that they set fans up for disappointment.  "A year and a half of work, and we get THIS?!" Might have been better if they'd been a bit more honest...  Something like "Brian and the boys worked on Good Vibrations and some other projects for the better part of a year before slapping most of Smiley Smile together in a few weeks at Brian's house. Enjoy!"

Yeah, and the strings he mentions are also nowhere to be found on SmileySmile

Aren't there strings on Vegatables?  I'll have to go back and listen but I thought there was a cello in there.

[letsmakeit31]

And following behind by probably a couple of months , we get this glorious 2 page ad, the "Young Swingers Selection of the Month" from the Capitol Record Club: 




and then again in the February 1968 issue: 

This is amazing, Thanks for this!!!
Have to say that my first memories of listening to Smiley Smile for the first time back in late 90's, after I'd first really got into the Beach Boys via Pet Sounds. Was one of shock and horror. It seemed to me at the time that the album was one massive car crash!!. Where was all the beautiful music gone?? And what the hell happened between Pet Sounds and Smiley Smile??. When I heard Vegetables with the jug sound my first thought was to rip my headphones off, but I'd carried on and bits of it at that first listen I'd hated for the under produced sound, Others like Wind Chimes I thought had promise but needed more time for me to grow into. To be honest I'd felt relived when the album finished playing that first listen. But I still wanted to know more so I'd read the cd booklet which for me told of the missing link between Pet Sounds and Smiley Smile ( ), And the pressure that the group and esp Brian had at that time. And so I'd played Smiley Smile again a few more times, and started to really like it. To this day it's one of my fav Beach Boys albums as well as Friends, 20/20, Sunflower, Love You and of course Pet Sounds. Smiley Smile has a special place in my heart because if it wasn't for that first listen and my first reaction to it I wouldn't of got deeper into the Beach Boys music beyond Pet Sounds. So for that I salute you Smiley Smile for making me dive into the Beach Boys music.

[rab2591]

^ Fantastic post Letsmakeit31!

Interesting that the writer states that "all this time" [since Pet Sounds] "Brian and the boys have been working on their new record, Smiley Smile."  The writer also indicates that Brian "teamed up with pianist Van Dyke Parks to write songs for the album."

In a sense, these statements are true, but I can't help but think that they set fans up for disappointment.  "A year and a half of work, and we get THIS?!" Might have been better if they'd been a bit more honest...  Something like "Brian and the boys worked on Good Vibrations and some other projects for the better part of a year before slapping most of Smiley Smile together in a few weeks at Brian's house. Enjoy!"

"The romantic With Me Tonight and Wonderful...."

Who would have known that the words "don't lick your c***" could be so romantic!  

Though I have to agree with the assessment of With Me Tonight - that is a beautiful song.

Thanks for the scans/uploads! Nice to see something new.

[Andrew G. Doe]

"The romantic With Me Tonight and Wonderful...."

Who would have known that the words "don't lick your c***" could be so romantic!  

Flag on the play !  BB urban myth #104b - just as no-one says "son-of-a-bitch" during "Wild Honey", so the aforementioned phrase isn't uttered in the middle eight of "Wonderful". What a gently medicated Brian actually says is "don't you think you're God... vibrations".  Nothing like as amusing, but possessing the merit of being entirely accurate.

[harveyw]

Surely the oddest thing about all this is that, by December 1967, Smiley Smile wasn't even their "new" LP? Wasn't Wild Honey issued in December? Admittedly, only a couple of months after Smiley, but isn't it odd that Capitol are still promoting their previous LP?

[Myk Luhv]

Frankly at that point I think it's a blessing they bothered to promote them at all...

[Steve Mayo]

Surely the oddest thing about all this is that, by December 1967, Smiley Smile wasn't even their "new" LP? Wasn't Wild Honey issued in December? Admittedly, only a couple of months after Smiley, but isn't it odd that Capitol are still promoting their previous LP?

but smiley was still climbing the charts in november.  billboard's nov 18th issue still had it rising with a star. billboard's issue for december 9th had an ad for the wild honey lp. not to odd to still be promoting smiley. and a capitol ad for "new" lp's on capitol was in billboard for the christmas season with 2 beach boys lp's shown...smiley and wild honey.

[Wrightfan]

I had no problem with the link, either; but to simplify, here's a nice scan:

Wait a second...sketchbook 

[Andrew G. Doe]

I had no problem with the link, either; but to simplify, here's a nice scan:

Wait a second...sketchbook 

Sketchbook, as in by Frank Holmes.