Smile at You: New Edit

[Netter75]

Hi everyone! Not sure if anyone is interested/if this is the place to put this but here it is for anyone looking for a slightly different take on an old song.

I'm a big fan of Smile at You in all forms, but particularly the one from the Tusk sessions. I like how Stevie's in good vocal form and it starts feeling "fragile" before escalating into "angry" with the dueling vocals (depending on the take you're listening to).

The problem is it very much feels like an early outtake and more studio polish would be needed for it to reach its potential. The levels of the backing vocals on the choruses always bothered me a bit, and it doesn't feel like the song reaches the intensity that it should (like it does in the Mirage outtakes). After listening to the different versions I decided to take a crack at it.

Obviously I don't know anything about professional audio mixing and haven't attempted something like this before... but here's what I threw together:
1. Compiled using the various 1978 takes of "Smile at You" I found here on The Ledge. I did not slap them over each other and tried to add backing vocals where I thought they added to the effect and messed with their levels to varying degrees.
2. Added rain effect for the first 30 seconds and the last minute, with some thunder cracks in rhythm with the drums to add intensity. Can't decide whether this adds to the song or makes it super cheesy.
3. Added extra vocal samplings in various spots around the song, including some from Christine (though they're really light).
4. Messed with the EQ levels and erased the tape hiss.
5. Added reverb on the backing vocals to add to the witchy-ness.

Anyway, here's the link: http://www.mediafire.com/file/pv629b...20Remix%29.mp3

Hope you enjoy! I'd love to hear what you think, good or bad .