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"Lost" Albums
3a. Why is SMiLE often regarded as the greatest "lost album" by any band?
3b. Why was SMiLE not released in 1967?
3c. What is the SMiLE material that is now being performed and released?
3d. Was Landlocked another great "lost" album?
3g. What were the Paley sessions?
3a. Why is SMiLE often regarded as the greatest "lost album" by any band?
The short answer is that based on the quality of the material within SMiLE, and the originally planned timing of the release (just before the Beatles "Sgt. Pepper" album), there is a definite sense that the album could have changed rock and roll history. Remember, Brian and the Beach Boys were on a critical high after "Pet Sounds" and a commercial high after the release of "Good Vibrations" which should have been the "lead-off" single for SMiLE. The fact that the album was seen to have "burned-out" Brian (although he made some very high quality music in the years following the SMiLE sessions) added to the legend.
Although many of the main songs from SMiLE were released on subsequent albums, there was always the mystery of what the final track line-up and running order would have been, especially given the amount of material attempted at the recording sessions for SMiLE. You will find plenty of fan sites with "home-made" versions of the album, although this has lessened with the recent performances and studio release of the album.
3b. Why was SMiLE not released in 1967?
Basically there are many factors involved in "Smile" not being released in 1967. The Beach Boys filed a lawsuit for back royalties against Capitol at the time and formed their own record label, Brother Records. Brian Wilson was not receiving the support he needed from the band as he was trying to complete his masterpiece. Brian Wilson's lyricist for the project, Van Dyke Parks, left the project before it was completed. These factors combined with Brian's mental problems and heavy drug use undoubtedly played some role in the demise of "Smile", and it is probably a combination of these things, rather than one factor that stopped "Smile" being released.
3c. What is the SMiLE material that is now being performed and released?
SMiLE was performed for the first time on 20 February in 2004 in London by Brian Wilson. A studio version of this version of SMiLE will be released in September 2004. It has been made clear that this is a 2004 version of the album and some of the links and lyrics have been recently written to provide a coherent whole. It is clear that this version would have been different to the one released in 1967, however there is still uncertainty on exactly how much of "Smile" was completed in 1967, and it is very possible that Brian never had a complete vision on what the final album would be like. Fans seem to have generally accepted the 2004 version of SMiLE as a very effective completion of SMiLE. The tracklist for SMiLE as performed and released in 2004 is:3d. Was Landlocked another great "lost" album?
No, not really. A tape was made by engineer Steve Desper in late 1970 of some of the songs that the Beach Boys had completed but not released yet. As "Landlocked" was the working title for the "Surf's Up" album, some "experts" assumed that this tape was "Landlocked", another "great" lost album, although this was the intention at all, and the name "Landlocked" was simply a working title that was abandoned.
Many of the songs on the Steve Desper tape were released on subsequent albums, sometimes in altered form, and just about all of them have now been released in some form or other. A list of the songs and their subsequent fate follows.
Loop De Loop-released on 1998 compilation "Endless Harmony", slightly altered
Susie Cincinnati- released as a B-side in 1970 and on 15 Big Ones
San Miguel- released in 1981 on "10 Years Of Harmony" and later on Good Vibrations box set
H.E.L.P. Is On The Way - released on Good Vibrations box set
Take A Load Off Your Feet- released on "Surfs Up" album
Carnival -not yet released
I Just Got My Pay - released on Good Vibrations box set
Good Time- released on "Love You" album
Big Sur - somewhat different version released on "Holland"
Lady - released as Dennis Wilson single, released on CD on the 2009 Summer Love Songs compilation
When Girls Get Together - released on "Keepin' The Summer Alive
Lookin' At Tomorrow - released on "Surf's Up"
Til I Die- released on "Surf's Up."
3e. What was Adult Child?
Adult Child was a project that Brian was working with some of the other Beach Boys in the 1976/77 period, at the same time as the "Love You!" album was recorded. The original intention appears to have been to record a big-band style album, but only a few tracks on the projected album are of that style, and other titles on the projected line-up are retreads from previous sessions, or other styles of music. The projected line-up, and comments on their availability is listed below
Life Is For Living- Big band style, not yet released officially3f. What was Sweet Insanity?
Sweet Insanity was the title of the album that was intended to be Brian's second solo record to be released around 1990. It appears to have been completed, but was rejected by the record company. Three tracks from what was regarded as the final line-up for Sweet Insanity have been re-recorded for Brian's new album "Gettin' In Over My Head" (Rainbow Eyes, Make A Wish, Don't Let Her Know She's An Angel) while another two tracks from the Sweet Insanity sessions have been re-worked for the 2004 album (Fairy Tale, You've Touched Me). Darian Sahanaja, a member of the Wondermints, who have backed Brian Wilson in recent years, released "Do You Have Any Regrets?", a song from these sessions on a rare single.
3g. What were the Paley sessions?
Brian Wilson worked with producer and songwriter Andy Paley extensively in the 1994 - 1995 period. Quite a number of songs were worked on to what seems like a reasonable degree of completion. Some bootlegs of these sessions now exist, but there was no completed released as a result of the sessions. Some of the songs such as "Soul Searching" were also attempted by the Beach Boys.
Four tracks from Brian's studio album, "Gettin' In Over My Head" were attempted at these sessions ("Desert Drive", "Soul Searching", "Gettin' In Over My Head" and "Saturday Morning In The City") while "Where Has Love Been?" from the "Imagination" album may have also originated in these sessions. Another song from the sessions "This Song Wants To Sleep With You Tonight" was released as a B-side to the "Do It Again" single from the 1995 "I Just Wasn't Made From These Times" album. However, a number of songs from these sessions remain unreleased on authorised recordings.The Basics. The Records.Tours and Musicians
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