Look! Listen! Vibrate! COMPiLE! Share Your SMiLE Tracklists and Stories Here

The announcement of "The Smile Sessions" box set has inspired a mini-reunion of the old "Smile Shop" message board over in the main thread, and with all the memories come references and allusions to the personal SMiLE comps we all made back in the day. Back then -- over a decade ago -- I left the historical debates to the "scholars" who knew (and continue to know) much more than I ever could about SMiLE. But a lot of the fun for me was the fan-made comps -- by the legendary Anne Wallace, by David Prokopy, by Jon Hunt and the Smile Shop folks, and on and on. Part of the beauty of SMiLE is that it WAS unfinished -- so we could mold it in our own images, as it were. Homemade SMiLEs were like snowflakes -- no two were alike, and I think we liked it that way. It made SMiLE into something organic and alive, ever-evolving.

Disc One of "The Smile Sessions" will attempt to end the debate, and present the most complete version of the 1966/67 SMiLE possible with the tapes they have been able to recover from the project. Mark Linett hints that they will probably try to use Brian Wilson's own "homemade" SMiLE -- Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE -- as a template, which may not be a popular decision for a lot of hardcore SMiLE scholars. There will be a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth if Linett decides to mimic the BWPS model TOO closely, with digitally-manipulated segues and (god-forbid) modern-day vocals adding the new lyrics.

The way I see it, though, Brian and the Beach Boys aren't going to stamp out the "DIY SMiLE" community -- they're just jumping into the sandbox to play along. The more the merrier, I say, and I'm sure I'm not speaking for only myself when I predict that most of us who buy the deluxe boxed set of "The Smile Sessions" will be diving into those bonus discs and re-compiling -- or even re-thinking altogether -- our own personal SMiLE comps.

With that in mind, I would like to present my own version of SMiLE, which I worked on for a little over a year, from Winter 1999 until I finished it (or gave up, take your pick) in January 2001. I imagined it as a CD reissue of the original album, meaning that it would be an LP-length "album" with bonus tracks. I wasn't strictly beholden to historical evidence, though, and used link tracks, demos and other things that some purists frown upon. My main objective was to put my absolute favorite bits of SMiLE onto ONE CD, rather than spread out on more than 20 official releases and bootlegs. And so, the tracklist:

SIDE ONE
01. Our Prayer (1:06)
02. Heroes and Villains (4:44)
03. Wind Chimes (2:57)
04. Do You Like Worms (4:20)
05. The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine (1:07)
06. Link: How I Love My Girl (1:33)
07. Wonderful (2:01)
08. Link: Heroes and Villains (1:14)
09. Cabinessence* (3:32)

SIDE TWO
10. Look* (2:50)
11. He Gives Speeches (0:58)
12. I’m In Great Shape (demo) (0:25)
13. Vegetables (2:40)
14. The Elements** (7:34)
15. Surf’s Up (4:10)
16. You’re Welcome (1:36)

BONUS TRACKS:
17. Good Vibrations (alternate mix) (3:39)
18. Heroes and Villains** (alternate) (4:20)
19. Barnyard (demo) (0:56)
20. Wind Chimes* (early version) (2:52)
21. Wonderful* (early version) (1:45)
22. Vegetables (early version) (2:37)
23. Child Is Father to the Man (0:47)
24. Fire* (take 2) (1:50)
25. The Old Master Painter* (sessions) (2:24)
26. Surf’s Up* (instrumental track) (1:37)
27. Surf’s Up* (Brian’s demo) (3:38)

*Stereo **Mono/stereo

Attached is a PDF with my nerd-tastically detailed liner notes from the CD booklet I made for my "finished" SMiLE. (Yes, I made a multi-page CD booklet with liner notes -- I DID say it was nerd-tastic"!) Also attached are the front cover and back jewel case tray card. Please use this thread to share your own track lists, artwork, and thoughts on what you chose to use and why.

Just please -- no talk of unauthorized SOURCES -- I don't want the thread to get closed! I just want it to be a fun place for a sub-discussion that doesn't really fit into the main "Smile Sessions" thread(s).

 

I'll have to look up my version. I do know it started with Heroes & Villains and went straight into "Look" - which anticipated the Good Vibes motif. Then side two was Good Vibes into "Do You Like Worms" which of course recalled the H&V motif. I also thought Worms' darkness was a nice counter to the pop of Good Vibes, and "Look" was nice and poppy up against the more serious Heroes. A little conceptional.

Last two songs were Prayer and Surf's Up.

 

I haven't compiled my own Smile in ages, to be honest. The "album" part wasn't much different than the tape version I had that some of you are familiar with, except for (as I mentioned on the other thread) replacing "Prayer" with "You're Welcome." It predates the 2004 version, so it doesn't use any of that as a blueprint either. It was also assembled post-Sea of Tunes, but before some of the more recent stuff has surfaced.

I boiled it down to a 2-disc collection, with some of my favorite session highlights. Not quite as comprehensive as the 3-tape version, but even I thought that got quite exhaustive to listen to after awhile!

DISC 1:
1. You’re Welcome
2. Heroes and Villians [my own edit of the "cantina" version, with the chorus and other elements from the single version]
3. Barnyard
4. With Me Tonight
5. Do You Like Worms?
6. The Old Master Painter
7. He Gives Speeches*
8. Wonderful
9. Child Is Father of the Man* [with synched-up "stereo" chorus]
10. Cabin Essence* [20/20 version]
11. Good Vibrations [single version]
12. Look* ["Earth"]
13. Vega-Tables
14. Holidays ["Wind"]
15. Wind Chimes*
16. Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow* ["Fire"]
17. I’m In Great Shape*
18. Love to Say Da Da* ["Water"; includes water chant at the end]
19. Surf’s Up [Surf's Up version]

Bonus tracks
20. Smile promo ad
21. Good Vibrations [session highlights]* [From Pet Sounds box, plus other sources]
22. Good Vibrations [early vocal version]
23. Good Vibrations [alternate version] [From Rarities]
24. Good Vibrations [instrumental version]*
25. Look [alternate take]*
26. Wonderful [early version]* ["Rock with me, Henry" version]
27. Wonderful [instrumental with backing vocals]

DISC 2:
1. Holidays [session highlights]
2. Prayer [session highlights]
3. Prayer
4. Wind Chimes [session highlights]*
5. Cabin Essence [instrumental version]*
6. Child Is Father of the Man [early instrumental version]*
7. George Fell Into His French Horn
8. Surf’s Up [session highlights]
9. Surf’s Up [1st section instrumental version]*
10. Surf’s Up [Brian solo version #1]
11. Surf’s Up [Brian solo version #2]
12. Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow [session highlights]*
13. Vega-Tables [session highlights]*
14. Vega-Tables [promo session highlights]*
15. Brian discusses smog
16. Heroes and Villians [demo]
17. Heroes and Villians [sections]*

(mono, except *stereo)

 

Darn you Sean. I had to pull out my Nakamichi BX 150 (retired) and dig through my cassette graveyard (also retired ) to FIND my SMiLE cassette comp, thrown together in 1989. There it was..right behind..Camper Van Beethoven.

The only thing I had to go by in 1989 was Byron Preiss's Beach Boys book , my Look! Listen ! Vibrate! and SMiLE! book, a two LP "alternate" SMiLE album set with blank black labels, a SMiLE CD with " All the finished recordings from Brian Wilson's 1967 Opus Magnum" and some help from Ken Shipley.

Anyway, I didn't try to create the ultimate complete SMiLE comp. I was just interested in putting together a consistent, pleasant sounding comp. I just listened to it for the first time in at least 20 years and I still like the flow of it.


I MAY have had a two sided SMiLE cassette, but at some point I taped a band rehearsal over one side of the cassette.

I only have my original notes for my remaining one side of SMiLE, so either it was always one sided or when I taped over the second side of the cassette I also threw out the notes.

I wasn't interested in writing down the proper versions or names of these tracks because it was only a cassette for me to listen to , but none of the versions on my comp were taken from SMiLE songs officially released later on other Beach Boys Albums.

Here's my original notes, meant just for me to keep track of, so they aren't very scholarly. Pretty primitive.

The Heroes and Villains Suite (with bicycle rider bits, Plymouth Rock Hawaiian bit, etc. (about 10 minutes)

Wind Chimes

banjo into

Who Ran the Iron Horse/ Cabin Essence

You Are My Sunshine

Our Prayer Laughing ending

banjo and clarinet

Mrs. O' Leary's Cow

Wonderful Brian vocal

Surf's Up Intro with trumpet and French Horns. Brian double tracked vocal over piano only

Cool Cool Water

You're Welcome

Tones

Vega- Tables w/ brush a lot etc.,

Child Is Father of Man with muted trumpet.

To this day, I have so many alternate recordings and bonus tracks on the two-fers etc., that I've probably heard the majority of tracks currently available for SMiLE but I've never really sat down and tried to make sense of them all. There's like a zillion different versions and pieces of "Heroes and Villains" for cryin' out loud. I could spend a month just sorting THOSE out, huh ? I know that I'll go crazy with this again when the deluxe version is released.

Listening to my comp again confirms for me that THESE versions are where the real SMiLE magic lies, nice as Brian's stage version is.

 

Last one I "made" was about a year ago with another SMiLE fanatic. Think it went something like:
"Side 1"
1. Our Prayer
2. Heroes and Villains
3. Old Master Painter/You are my Sunshine
4. Do You Like Worms?
5. Vega-Tables
6. Cabinessence

"Side 2"
1. Good Vibrations
2. Wonderful
3. Child is Father of the Man
4. Wind Chimes
5. The Elements (Fire/Da-Da/Water chant)
6. Surf's Up

 

I like this a lot!

 

I was never much into trying to create my own version. I like the eerie little , low-fi, individual tracks from my old personal cassette tapes. I'm pretty sure that the Smile tracks that are on this cassette (I've shown this before, with the custom cover!) are the first appearances Smile material. Andrew Doe will know for sure.

View attachment 177933

 

I kinda like this one that you may have heard before:

1: Our Prayer/Gee
2: Heroes And Villains
3: Roll Plymouth Rock
4: Barnyard
5: Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine
6: Cabin Essence
7: Wonderful
8: Song For Children
9: Child Is Father Of The Man
10: Surf's Up
11: I'm In Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop
12: Vega-Tables
13: On A Holiday
14: Wind Chimes
15: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
16: In Blue Hawaii
17: Good Vibrations

Very Unnecessary Bonus Tracks:

18: Vega-Tables (vocals only)
19: Our Prayer/Gee (mono)
20: Heroes And Villians (mono)
21: Roll Plymouth Rock (mono)
22: Child Is Father Of The Man (mono)
23: Surf's Up (alternate)
24: I'm In Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop (mono)
25: Vega-Tables (mono)
26: In Blue Hawaii (with mono sections)
27: Good Vibrations (stereo - original lyrics)

 

David, I just want to tip my hat to you and mention how influential you were in the Smile community back when I was obsessing over it 10-12 years ago. I never heard your tape(s), but people were always talking about them, and your Smile notes were worshipped by many. I have you to thank for a great deal of my Smile geekdom.

 

Time to transfer to CD and enjoy the nostalgia before you have to start from scratch with "The Smile Sessions"! Good to see you jumping into the sandbox, Glenn -- I didn't know you were a Smile fan!

 

My playlists varied over time, some were very traditional, some very out-there, (and most were by way of some fellow posters!

My crowning achievement was taking the Barnyard Billy bit that Brian sings in I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, throwing it in protools and syncing it with a bit of Barnyard. I never even pitch-shifted it because it was so close to sounding right. I was so proud of that. I listened to it today, and it needs a bit of pitch-adjustment, but I have no doubt at all that it is the bit of music Brian is referring to in the doc.

Most of my other mixes were a mess though -- Wonderful was six minutes long, incorporating He Gives Speeches AND the Hey Bop a re bah Smiley bridge, as well as the jazzy arrangement in the outro. Sometimes the way to learn that the kitchen-sink approach is not the way, is to take the kitchen-sink approach.

For me, most of the old playlists are stuck in the notion that Surf's Up would be the finale, but BWPS is so-ingrained in me now that I can't accept that as the right way to program it. Good Vibrations is a smash ending, indeed nothing can top it, so why try? (And I say that as a huge Surf's Up fan )

 

Hey, I like that -- nice and "clean", as it probably would have been in 1966.

 

Yeah, I like that one too -- I'd say it accomplished what it set out to with about 85% success. There's a couple of things that are a little clunky, but more than a few that are pretty awesome, too. The best part about it -- it saved me from trying to do it myself!

 

my favorite Smile story is about my friend Heather, who you'd have to know her hippie/flaky personality to really appreciate it.

but anyway, I was taking to her on the phone one time and she was saying "hey I just rehearsed with Brian Wilson - he has this new project they are being all secret about, but it's really good - they were wearing fireman hats and running around - it's called Smile"

that was the first time I heard that he was finishing Smile. Of course Heather had no idea what Smile was and had never heard any songs from it except for Good Vibrations (yeah, I know it's not REALLY from it).

Obviously my jaw dropped to the floor. I said something like "you really have no idea what you just told me, right?"

-s

 

I love that they were wearing fireman hats in 2003/04, too.

 

Sean, the back cover of your homemade CD artwork is brilliant.

 

I've had this artwork entitled "Sgt. Smile" on my computer since the Smile Shop days but I can't remember who created it:



I'm sure that someone here must know. Who was it?

 

I'm not sure the rest of the "Boys" would agree!

 

Do I hear vocals on Fire, then? As in "Fall Breaks" style vocals? Why doubt BWPS, hmm?

PS - Love the art, Sean.

 

I actually don't agree with the "Brian solo album featuring Van Dyke Parks and the Beach Boys," either, but the liner notes and artwork really capture the vibe of the period - that's all I was trying to say.

The Sgt. Smile album cover is pretty neat, too.

 

Hey, thanks -- as you can see, my "album" was released in a bit of an alternate universe!

Yeah, probably not!

I'll admit I was a pretty militant Brianista when I worked on my SMiLE; I've softened considerably in the last decade, and I can see the BB story from a wider perspective -- although I still think Mike Love is a jerk.

As for the back cover, since I didn't have any BB vinyl, I used my Capitol Beatles LPs for inspiration of the design and the PR blurb. I like it!

I like that one too!

 

Oh yeah. SMiLE has always been high on my list of musical favorites.
I've only posted a couple of times in the ongoing new release SMiLE thread though because I don't feel like I have much of interest to add to it.

Like I mentioned earlier, I have so much SMiLE material but I read the books about it so long ago that I don't really remember all the minutia concerning all the various versions anymore, and there are so many real SMiLE experts on the forum here that know every detail. I obsessed about SMiLE for quite awhile, and then I got burned out on it and had to give it a rest.

I'm really looking forward to the new SMiLE release, and I'll definitely pop for the super duper deluxe version of this one. I'll be really fascinated to see what we get and how it's presented.

I'm going to reread the Byron Preiss SMiLE section and Look! Listen! Vibrate! Smile ! before the new release to get me back up to speed, and I just picked up Priore's The Story of Brian Wilson's lost masterpiece Smile a couple of weeks ago. I'm hoping that it's a good read.

 

Boy...VERY nicely done!

 

Another 'Nicely Done'.

 

Thanks ... definitely a labor of love ... and I can't wait for it to be completely nullified by "The Smile Sessions"!