The Beach Boys - SMiLE (1967)

The Beach Boys - SMiLE

(soniclovenoize 1967 Mix)

SIDE A:
(Our Prayer)
Heroes and Villains
Vege-Tables
Do You like Worms?
Child is Father of the Man
The Old Master Painter
Cabin Essence

SIDE B:
Good Vibrations
Wonderful
I’m In Great Shape
Wind Chimes
The Elements
Surf’s Up

You might say: What is this exactly? I already have SMiLE, don’t I? Well, this is a reconstruction of The Beach Boys' album SMiLE as if it had been released in 1967. SMiLE aficionados know that the album Brian Wilson released in 2004 was not what SMiLE would have sounded like. They also know the recently released 2011 SMiLE Sessions box set is not what it would have sounded like either.

But what WOULD it have sounded like?

Based on the evidence at hand, it sounded much like this torrent: It would be in mono, not stereo; it would be a two-sided LP and no longer than 40 or so minutes, not a 3-part suite; it would have been 12 pop songs with a lead single starting each side, as the norm was in 1967.

After over a decade of research, I have assembled what I believe SMiLE would have sounded like if it had been completed in 1967. I have used the best possible sources to achieve the best possible soundquality, using almost exclusively material found on the SMiLE Sessions box set (unless noted below). All mixes were modeled after vintage Brian Wilson mixes from 1966 and 1967, unless he had never made them (in that case, influence from the Mark Linett mixes were drawn).

This mix is the final upgrade to what was previously distributed as the soniclovenoize Authentic Mix. There were some historical inaccuracies that are rectified here. Also as previously stated, upgraded sound-sources are used here. No fly-ins from modern releases were used to complete a song, only 1967 source material (with the exception of Surf’s Up, Cabin Essence and Our Prayer, of course).

This authentic mix is all in mono (as it would have been released) but an alternative stereo mix is presented for you audiophiles. Artwork and md5 files is also included, as well as txt files explaining it's construction. 

 

THIS MIX HAS BEEN UPGRADED AS OF 9/22/13
GO HERE FOR THE UPGRADE

Track notes: 

SIDE A:
 
00.    Our Prayer
One thing we can be certain about is that “Our Prayer” was meant to open the album.  It is thus listed as track 00, an introduction.
 
01.    Heroes and Villains
Evidence shows that the 3 minute February 1967 mix of “Heroes and Villains” Brian completed was meant to be THE mix for SMiLE, commonly known as ‘The Cantina Version’.  Excluded are the ‘Bicycle Rider’ choruses stolen from “Do You like Worms”, as well as the many barbershop refrains used to create the theoretical b-side, “Heroes and Villains part 2”.  All we have is a 3-minute musical comedy, meant to be the lead single of the album.  The aforementioned “Heroes and Villains part 2” is left off of this SMiLE because if it had existed, it would have been a b-side only release and not a part of the actual SMiLE album.
 
02.    Vege-Tebles
Many fragments were recorded, but the track was never properly assembled by Brian, as “Vege-Tables” and the previous track were the last remaining hope of the project when his attentions were focused upon them for to create a hit single.  Since no finished vintage edit exists, the construction of my version is based on Mark Linett’s blueprint, although missing the inappropriate reprise of the 2nd verse, which disrupts the winding-down flow of the song.
 
03.    Do You like Worms?
My own edit, assembled together here for a finished song, including the ‘Bicycle Rider’ chorus, played twice.  

04.    Child is Father of the Man
This is the mono mix taken from The SMiLE Sessions CD1, as Linett based his mix upon vintage Wilson test mixes.  

05.    The Old Master Painter
Is it a coincidence that the last notes of “Child is Father of The Man” match up perfectly to the beginning notes of “The Old Master Painter”?  I think not.  The remake of the “Heroes and Villains Fade” was used here to end the song since the original fade was already used in trackm 1.  I’d say the bird calls here are much more appropriate, don’t you?

06.    Cabin Essence
When constructing the two sides of the album, you need to ask yourself: how would one end each side of an album?  With the epic song that could not logically be followed.  The answer is of course “Cabin Essence” for Side A.

SIDE B:

07.    Good Vibrations
Although never officially a part of the SMiLE project, Capitol wanted “Good Vibrations” placement on the album to ensure commercial success, and the Music Industry standard at the time would to have placed that ‘Cash Cow Single’ at the front of Side B.  Presented here is the 45 mix, as would have on a 1967 SMiLE album.  

08.    Wonderful
This mix is taken from The SMiLE Sessions CD1, replicating one of the few he completed in 1967.  

09.    I’m In Great Shape
Presented here is the proposed four-part ‘Barnyard Suite’ that Brian Wilson allegedly intended to create.  Although it is highly debated that this might not have existed, it is in my opinion fairly easy to postulate what it would have consisted of (if indeed it had existed).  Beginning, we have the obvious “Barnyard”, crossfading into the title fragment “I’m In Great Shape”.  From there an edit into “I Wanna Be Around” and “Workshop Song”, both labeled as pieces of “I’m In Great Shape” on their tape boxes.  If the ‘Barnyard Suite’ ever existed, it would have sounded like this.  

10.    Wind Chimes
This is the mono mix from The SMiLE Sessions, but re-edited without the ending reprises to match Brian’s original test mixes from 1967.

11.    The Elements
One of the most highly debated subjects of the SMiLE lore, no one is quite sure what it exactly would have consisted of, except for the Fire fragment (“Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”).  My mix postulates the previous tracks “I’m In Great Shape” and “Wind Chimes” represent the Earth and Wind elements respectively, and that the reaming two elements of Fire and Water are featured in the actual track entitled “The Elements”.  Here we begin with the “Intro to Heroes and Villains” used to introduce the Fire segment.  While not an authentic Brian Wilson intention (it’s placement into “The Elements” was by Mark Linett), it is used here because the fragment was not used in the “Heroes and Villains” track, and is thus fair-game.  After a crossfade into “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”, we go into “I Love To Say Da-Da”, a song that eventually evolved into “Cool Cool Water” (how obvious).  Missing is the “Water Chant” in-between the Fire and Water sections because it was not actually recorded during or meant for SMiLE.  Unique to my mix, I also synched the “Underwater Chant” and the flute and percussion flourishes from an alternate take of “I Love To Say Da-Da” from the SMiLE Sessions box set to finish the song, effectively replacing Mike’s rather uninventive and infantile “Wah-wah oo wow”.  

12.    Surf’s Up
Not only do sources claim this was always intended to finish the album, but where else would one of the greatest pop songs go, other than as the finale to one of the greatest pop albums?