It gave us Good Vibrations and we will soon hear the rest of the lost Beach Boys album, SMiLe, which is being released on November 1st as "SMiLE Sessions" in various formats. With the full participation of original Beach Boys Al Jardine, Mike Love, and Brian Wilson, Capitol/EMI has, for the first time, collected and compiled the band's legendary 1966-'67 sessions for the never-completed SMiLE album. Rolling Stone magazine recently called SMiLE "the most famous unfinished album in rock & roll history."
In several sessions between the summer of 1966 and early 1967, The Beach Boys recorded a bounty of songs and drafts for an album, SMiLE, that was intended to follow the band's 1966 album, Pet Sounds. The master tapes were ultimately shelved, and The Beach Boys' SMiLE has never been released. Drawn from the original masters, SMiLE Sessions presents an in-depth overview of The Beach Boys' recording sessions for the enigmatic album, which has achieved legendary, mythical status for music fans around
the world.
SMiLE Sessions physical and digital configurations include an assembled collection of core session tracks, while the box set delves much deeper into the sessions, adding early song drafts, alternate takes, instrumental and vocals-only mixes, and studio chatter. SMiLE Sessions invites the listener into the studio to experience the album's creation, with producer, singer and bassist Brian Wilson's vision leading the way as he guides his fellow Beach Boys, singer Mike Love, drummer Dennis Wilson, lead guitarist Carl Wilson, rhythm guitarist Al Jardine, and newest member Bruce Johnston (who'd replaced Brian Wilson in the touring group during 1965), through the legendary sessions.
Artwork for all of the SMiLE Sessions physical and digital configurations has been created with and inspired by Beat-Pop artist Frank Holmes' original 1967 LP sleeve art and booklet designs intended for the SMiLE album. With its three-dimensional shadowbox lid, The SMiLE Sessions box set offers a whimsical peek inside the storied "SMiLE Shop."
Box Set Content
- 5 CDs / 2LPs / 2 7" singles
- Three-dimensional shadow box lid featuring the original artwork of Frank Holmes.
- The Box Set measures 13" x 13" x 2.5"
- 60 page case bound book features liner notes by:
Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Frank Holmes, Peter Reum, Tom Nolan, Domenic Priore
Anecdotes by:
Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, Diane Rovell, Dean Torrence, Mark Volman, Michael Vosse, David Anderle, Danny Hutton
Timeline
Sessionography
Lyrics
Frank Holmes drawings
Producer's Notes
More than 60 previously unreleased photos
Box also contains:
- 6 panel folder holding 5 CDs and singles. Features photos of original session tape boxes.
- 7" vinyl singles
- "Heroes and Villians" in sleeve art
- "Vega-Tables" in sleeve art
- Gatefold 2 LPs
- Features full tracklisting of proposed unfinished album +
- Stereo mixes and session highlights (not available on CDs)
- 12" x 12" booklet created for original release features:
- Photos by Guy Webster
- Drawings by Frank Holmes
- 24" x 36" poster of Frank Holmes cover art