Smiley in the Night

[Les]

I took my Japanese import CD of the Beach Boys' Smiley Smile to work yesterday and as my mind began to wander I found myself gazing absent mindedly at the cover art. I'm not positive that this was the original art work intended for that LP, but if it was, and assuming Lindsey saw it, I was struck with the notion that perhaps this might have been a subconscious inspiration for the artwork that Lindsey selected for the Tango in the Night album cover.

What with Lindsey being such a big supporter of Brian's and such a big fan of Smiley Smile, it just seemed right to me.

Assuming I can attach this picture correctly, what do you think?

[Street_Dreamer]

hmmmm... yes... yes... yes, I can see how that connection could be made! VERY interesting!

Matt

[Skylark]

:wavey: Hi Les,
You may be on to something symbolic there!:eek:
Except the Tango in Night album cover also has
a token Penguin for John's little friends!! A must!
Do you realize any album cover with John on
it has a penguin in it? Tattoed On John's arm!!:)

[wondergirl9847]

Yep, similar, but I like Tango's romantic look better than the jungle look to Smiley Smile, which I have never heard of, btw. :distress: I'm not a big Beach Boys fan.

[Karen]

Les -

I didn't know that this album was available on CD. I have it on vinyl and it was extremely hard to find. Unfortunately, it is in storage right now. Hopefully it will still be in one piece when we move in January.

That's a great observation of the album cover. I never connected the two together. It must have been the animals in the brush that through me off. ;)

-Karen :)

[Barbara]

Les,
The artwork looks very similar. Does it have information on the Smiley Smile cover about who the artist was or anything? The Tango liner notes credits the concept by Lindsey and Richard, the painting by Brett-Livingstone Strong and cover photo by Greg Gorman.
Barbara

[BellaDonnaGypsy]

Hmm... yeah, I definitely see the similarities. Strangely enough, both covers remind me of a Rousseau painting, so perhaps that's where the inspiration was drawn from.

Laura.

[Skylark]

:wavey: Hi Jessie,
Thanks for the information!!! ;) I just found my Tango
cd {purchased at the R&R Hall of Fame!} and it lists the
famous cover art work and the cover photographer!
Find the Penguin!
Lindsey attended ART College and one can see
his influences on covers for Tango and The Dance!!
LINDSEY RULES!!! Sky :)

[Les]

Originally posted by Barbara
Does it have information on the Smiley Smile cover about who the artist was or anything?

Unfortunately nothing. Maybe the original LP had some information, but the CD doesn't. There is an insert in the CD with substantial liner notes, but it's all in Japanese.

[David]

Look at the way those leaves are drawn in the lower left corner. They look like banana leaves with big veins. There's got to be some sort of intended similarity here.

Excellent find, Les!

[Skylark]

:wavey: Hi David! Do you see the flying saucer in
the SKY above the mountain??? :D This painting
has a dreamy etheral feel to it and fits the mood
of Creatures ;) Tango-ing In the Night! Luv, SKY:)

[LngPrmsdRd]

Hehe, gotta know this post would bring me out! :) Beach Boys and Lindsey, my 2 favorite topics!!! Dang it, I know who did the art for the Smiley Smile cover...his first name is Frank I think, and I can't for the life of me remember his full name, but I will! I can see the resemblance....awesome, I never thought of that before!! Entirely possible though, knowing Lindsey's devotion to Brian.. :) And Christy, no worries, it's not a terribly well known album!! Good though...very different. It was teh one that Good Vibrations was on...I'll shush now, I could go on a while... :) Thanks for bringing that up Les, that is cool!

[LngPrmsdRd]

LOL...yes...Vegetables is a classic!!! :laugh: I would SO love to know how many letters they got from that day on, due to the line: "I know that you'll feel better when you send us in your letter and tell us teh name of your...your fav-or-ite veg-e-table..." :lol: I'm still tryin' to figure out that guy's name...I could ask my best friend because she'd probably know the answer in her sleep, but somehow I'm determined to remember this on my own...LOL! Well it's officially not in the liner notes of the CD...haha, I'll probably wake up tomorrow morning and out of nowhere remember the name... :)

~Bree

[chiliD]

"Vegetables" with guest "celery & carrot muncher" Paul McCartney!! :blob2:

I think "Heroes & Villains" is my favorite track on "Smiley Smile". But, as Carl Wilson called it (the album), "...a bunt instead of a grand slam" when compared to the album that it replaced: the aborted "Smile" album that was to be released about a year earlier, except for legal entanglements between the Beach Boys & their label, Capitol helped put the "Smile" album forever "on the back burner"...although through the years a few songs ("H&V", "GV", "Vegetables" on "Smiley Smile", "Cabinessence" on "20/20" in 1969, and "Surf's Up" on the album of the same name, 5 years later) have seen the light of official release in altered forms.

Still, though, there's lots of examples of where Lindsey was influenced..."Fall Breaks And Back To Winter", "Wind Chimes", "With Me Tonight" just to name three.

But, I digress...I just got through reading through the fine print of the CD liner notes and not a mention of the artist.:distress:

[Karen]

According to the credit listing from Barnes & Noble, the artist is listed as Arny Geller. This person also did the cover design for "Wild Honey."

Here is the link with all the credits:

http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?userId=&pCount=&sRefer=&sourceid=&ean=724353186227

-Karen :)

[Karen]

Originally posted by LngPrmsdRd
Dang it, I know who did the art for the Smiley Smile cover...his first name is Frank I think, and I can't for the life of me remember his full name, but I will!

Is it Frank Holmes? It is definately quite possible. He was the one who did the cover design for the unreleased "Smile" album. Wasn't "Smiley Smile" released between the "Smile" and "Wild Honey" sessions?

The Barnes & Noble information may be incorrect. I haven't been able to confirm Arny Geller's credit on any other site.

-Karen :)

[LngPrmsdRd]

YES YES!!! I do believe that's it! I'm *pretty* sure it was teh same person for Smile and Smiley Smile... SS came out in 1967, from the remnants/sessions of Smile...and Wild Honey later on the same year, I believe. Arny Geller...the name sounds familiar...he may have done the cover *design* for the 2 and had someone else as an artist... I do think it was Frank Holmes though.

I love Heroes and Villains..that's probably my favorite song on SS as well, outside of Good Vibrations...I don't really count that, somehow, though..even as experimental as it is, it always sounded a bit out of sync with the rest of the album...more complicated and produced. I've heard some of the Smile bootleg outtakes as well...God, what an album..! "Surf's Up" is hands down my favorite Smile song, it is incredible. I can definitely see Lindsey being heavily influenced by SS...even though it was "a bunt instead of a grand slam", which Carl hit the nail on teh head by saying...it was still the most different, experimental thing around, and I can see Linds maybe picking up a thing or 2 with his love of manipulating the human voice from this too..!

~Bree :)

[wondergirl9847]

http://www.leski.com.au/catalogues/a197/TPAI.htm

Here is a link to a site auctioning the Tango in the Night cover. I really would love to have this painting, but 5-6 hundred bucks just for a print...eh. :eek:

[Karen]

Originally posted by BellaDonnaGypsy
Hmm... yeah, I definitely see the similarities. Strangely enough, both covers remind me of a Rousseau painting, so perhaps that's where the inspiration was drawn from.


Hi Laura -

The Henri Rousseau painting that you're thinking about was painted in 1907 and is titled The Snake Charmer. I didn't think anything about it until after I received a reply from Frank Holmes. He sells prints of his Smile Shop image on a Beach Boys website. He told me that he didn't do the art for the Smiley Smile cover and he doesn't know who did it. He did express his unhappiness about the unauthorized use of his image. He also said, "If Rousseau were alive he would have something to say also." I don't know if this is just his observation, or if the Smiley Smile cover is actually inspired by Rousseau.

We do know that the Tango in the Night cover is definately inspired by this famous artist. I'm surprised that the Homage a Henri Rousseau prints are so expensive considering that it's almost identical to the The Snake Charmer.

-Karen :)

Additional comment: I found another Rousseau painting that is a closer match to the Smiley Smile cover than the one above. It's titled Virgin Forest at Sunset. Look for it in one of the various poster or print shops on the net.

[wondergirl9847]

http://artprintoncanvas.com/Templates/frmTemplateP1.asp?SubFolderID=1&SearchYN=Y

WOW, it IS very similar, "Isn't that wierd?"..."That is pretty weed."

[Karen]

Hi Christy -

Could you repost the link? I wasn't able to pull up the image. Here's another one of Rousseau's paintings that closely resembles Smiley Smile, but without the nude lady. It's called Dream. An appropriate title, don't you think? ;)

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/rousseau/rousseau.dream.jpg

-Karen

[wondergirl9847]

http://www.artprintoncanvas.com/

No problem!! Hope this one works for ya, Karen!! It won't work right, so, just click on this and type in snake charmer in the search box, it should pop up!

[Karen]

Originally posted by wondergirl9847
[url]It won't work right, so, just click on this and type in snake charmer in the search box, it should pop up!

Thanks Christy! I just wasn't sure which picture you were posting. I got it this time. :D

Thanks again,

-Karen :)