Wind Chimes (song)

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“Wind Chimes”
“Wind Chimes” cover
Song by The Beach Boys
Album Smiley Smile
Released September 18, 1967
Recorded July 10 & 11, 1967
Genre Pop music
Length 2:36
Label Brother Records
Composer Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks
Producer The Beach Boys
Cover versions

Brian Wilson - Smile
Smiley Smile track listing
"With Me Tonight"
(7)		 “Wind Chimes”
(8)		 "Gettin' Hungry"
(9)


"Wind Chimes" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks for the American pop band The Beach Boys, and was intended to be on the aborted 1966 album Smile. The band completely re-recorded the song for inclusion on their next album, Smiley Smile. That version was released on the b-side of "Wild Honey", their 1967 single which charted at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

When Brian Wilson returned to finish Smile as a solo project in 2004, he would record the song again. This version was also used as a b-side, this time for Wilson's solo recording of Wonderful which charted at #29 in the UK.

Contents

[edit] Original version

"Wind Chimes" was orginally written and recorded for the Smile project. It is one of the few songs that was completely finished for the album and was included as one of the previously unreleased tracks on the Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys boxset released in 1993.

In its original version, "Wind Chimes" was in AAB form. The A sections feature Carl Wilson on lead vocals, singing over a backing track consisting of vibraphones, percussion, and bass guitar. The B section consists of variations on the bass line from the A section, first sung by the whole group over a full backing track, and then, much more quietly, by three pianos.

The song was recorded in three sessions. On August 3, 1966 at Gold Star Studios, Brian Wilson produced the backing track. Two months later, on October 5, the A sections of the backing track were redone with a much smaller band, and the band recorded their vocals on October 10. The October recording sessions were at Western Studios and were engineered by Chuck Britz.

[edit] musicians

[edit] Smiley Smile version

After Smile was abandoned, the group quickly recorded an album, to be released in its place. Smiley Smile would be released in September of 1967 and featured both new songs and new recordings of songs originally intended for Smile. The new version of "Wind Chimes" was recorded by the band on July 10 & 11 at Brian Wilson's home studio. It starts with 2 A sections, just like the original version, but the rest of the song is different, ending with a vocal tag based on a Smile track called "Holidays".

As with the other Smile songs that were re-recorded for Smiley Smile, the arrangement is much sparser than the original recording. Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Dennis Wilson all take turns on the lead vocals.

[edit] See also

Smiley Smile Track Listing
Heroes and Villains | Vegetables | Fall Breaks and Back to Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony) | She's Goin' Bald | Little Pad
Good Vibrations | With Me Tonight | Wind Chimes | Gettin' Hungry | Wonderful | Whistle In
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