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'Smiley Smile'
After the relatively disappointing sales of Pet Sounds in May of 1966 and the subsequent release of the Best of The Beach Boys compilation a few months later. One would think Brian Wilson would have taken the advice of Capitol Records executives and return to churning out more hits about Surfing, cars and other creatively stifling teenage themed subject matter. Thankfully, That wasn't Brian's way. Instead he followed his muse into even more adventurous and unique sounds. He was at first very successful at this spending most of the summer of 1966 at various Los Angeles Studios recording what he called his "Pocket Symphony". Various sections of music were recorded at many different studios and assembled into a final piece. While Pet Sounds lyricist Tony Asher did attempt an early draft of lyrics for the song ultimately titled "Good Vibrations". Ultimately Brian's most frequent collaborator, Bandmate and cousin Mike Love dictated to his wife while driving to the studio one day the final lyrics. He also added the vocal hook of the song based on the songs bassline (A fact he will never tire of pointing out.) Carl Wilson would sing the ethereal verses of the song. The song featured extensive use of the Electro-Theremin instrument designed and played by Paul Tanner which had briefly appeared on the Pet Sounds track "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times." The outro features a thumping cello part suggested by Carl Wilson. The final song was finally edited together for release in October of 1966. It went on to become The Beach Boys second number one hit and a defining piece of 60s popular culture. At the end of the year a poll in a British music publication saw the Beach Boys top the Beatles in their home country as the biggest vocal band in the world. Unfortunately after this Brian and the Beach Boys winning streak would come to a bitter end following the non-release of their next planned album SMiLE originally slated to be released in January 1967 to follow Good Vibrations. Now the story of the SMiLE album will be featured in a separate future article because it is way more complicated than can be addressed here. Brian had been working with lyricist Van Dyke Parks on the songs for SMiLE during the fall of 1966 and spring of 1967. However due to a combination of the resentment of his fellow bandmates (Mike Love in particular.) and uncertainty about how to finish the final edit along with drug exacerbated mental health problems. Brian would abandon the project in the Spring of 1967. Still contractually obligated to deliver a new album. The band re-grouped at Brian's new house with his wife at the time Marilyn on Bellagio Road in Beverly Hills. The resulting album called Smiley Smile, whose name was suggested by Brian's young cousin Barry Turnbull, was recorded mostly by the band doing all the instrumental and vocal parts themselves as well as sharing the final production credit. This would be the first Beach Boys album since Surfin' USA not to feature Brian Wilsons credit as sole producer. It was released in the fall of 1967 to a world still in thrall from The Beatle's Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album earlier in the summer and the Monterey Pop Festival which the Beach Boys famously pulled out of at the last minute which would permanently taint their reputation with the burgeoning counterculture.
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Just a Peek. Content Warning.
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