My Different Versions of Heroes and Villains
Jun 23, 2020 13:11:58 GMT -5
pendlewitch, zebulan, and 1 more like this
Post by dumdangel (Lee) on Jun 23, 2020 13:11:58 GMT -5
Hi everyone! This is going to be another very, very long but completely necessary post in our journey of understanding the Smile material. Enjoy!
The time has come. We are finally discussing Heroes and Villains. Some argue this is the song that not only affirms the beginning of the Smile album, but also the end. Many have spent hours studying the sessionography, scratching their heads wondering how Brian could have known what he was doing working at a break-neck speed. However, thanks to an important interview with Mike Love or Bruce Johnston (I can't remember which), we now understand how Brian was forming Heroes and Villains in 1967. Unlike Good Vibrations, where each new version was a revision of the last, I predict each new version of Heroes and Villains was most likely a complete reimagining of the song. According to Mike Love (or Bruce Johnston), it would be only until the end when the best version would be picked out of the “other six versions”. However, complications arose with the beginning of the Beach Boys’ lawsuit with Capitol records, and according to Mike Love (or Bruce Johnston), Brian withheld the final and completed version of Heroes and Villains in March as leverage over the record company. As Brian held on to the record, his confidence in it began to dwindle, even telling Paul McCartney during his visit in April of 1967, that he’s “just not sure” about it. Unfortunately, once the lawsuit with Capitol Records ended, Brian had not only missed his window of opportunity with the Smile project, but he had also lost faith in the direction he was going with the project. A record titled “Heroes and Villains” was still due out, so in June of 1967, Brian created a truncated version of Heroes and Villains in under a week and released it. According to Al Jardine, this new version of Heroes and Villains was underproduced on purpose by Brian. It seemed that Brian no longer wanted the attention anymore, and wanted to retreat from the music scene entirely for a while.
In this post, there are 8 different versions of Heroes and Villains, the main song. We can assume that the first one was never heard by the Beach Boys, and at the time of Mike Love (or Bruce Johnston's) interview in early 1967, the 8th and final version had not been created yet. So that means in this post you will find 6 different versions of what I predict Smile-era Heroes and Villains would have sounded like, with completed vocals, never before heard. Regarding the B-Side for the single, this post shall name that “Heroes and Villains: Part 2” and refer to Side A as simply “Heroes and Villains”.
A note of caution: these mixes are based purely on the hunches and speculations of one man: moi. Only 3, and I REPEAT, only THREE versions of Heroes and Villains presented here, are correctly sequenced and historically accurate. Those mixes are Heroes and Villains Versions 2, 4, and 8. The rest, you should understand, are my own interpretations of the material. PLEASE understand that I am not here to report these as being the absolute definite versions of Heroes and Villains. Most of these are my own mixes, not Brian’s. All I am trying to do is figure out ways in which Brian could have assembled the material. And if there is a sequence I made in this post that you find displeasing, than I encourage you to take my material and better it for yourself! And it also should be noted, that I am most confident in the mixes for Part 1, not Part 2. I firmly believe we are missing key information about Part 2, which is why my mixes for Side B may be less convincing. Now that that’s all been said, I present to you, My Different Versions of Heroes and Villains.
1st Version
Recorded on May 11th, 1966 during the Good Vibrations sessions, this early version of Heroes and Villains remains lost to this day. What is most interesting about this version was the fact that it was completely recorded during one session. No other version of Heroes and Villains can claim this. It contained guitars, basses, drums, percussion and 5 different woodwind players. It was 2 minutes and 45 seconds long, and the master was Take 3. Brian pressed it onto an acetate at the time, and showed it to several guests at a party once, who were unimpressed with it. According to them, the song incorporated variations on “You Are My Sunshine”. Brian ended up taking over this version leaving it forever lost and gone and unknown. I personally have tried to recreate this several times on Logic Pro with all of the instruments, and I decided at last not to include that in this thread. This version can only exist purely in our imaginations.
2nd Version
The bulk of this version of Heroes and Villains was recorded on October 20th, 1966, in which the Verse and Barnyard sections were tracked on this date. Brian also attempted an earlier version of “I’m In Great Shape” on this date, but it was unused. The Great Shape track was finally recorded on December 19th, 1966. Most likely, vocals were recorded by Brian and the boys during and after the Christmas holiday of ’66. The sequence for this version comes from a piano demo by Brian for the Radio DJ “Humble” Harv. Whether or not this was Brian merely showing off various pieces at the piano, or actually revealing an earlier sequence of the song remains to be unknown. To this speculator, dear reader, I'm inferring it was the later. The sequence is as follow: Verses > Whistle Bridge > I’m In Great Shape > Barnyard. This version is around 2 minutes in length and did not have a Side B planned. There are 3 edits total averaging every 42 seconds.
Here you can find the Piano Demo and the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 2 (Piano Demo)
Heroes and Villains - Version 2
3rd Version
Based on evidence, attempts were made in late January of 1967 to assemble this version of Heroes and Villains. Compared to the previous mix, this version shakes up the Heroes and Villains format and finds ways to stuff more Verses into the song to make it feel more cohesive. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Whistle Bridge > All Day > Pickup to 3rd Verse > Children Were Raised > Verse > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina (Fadeout). This version alternates between the verses and different sections of unrelated music we can call “episodes”; these episodes being Cantina and All Day, a section based off of the Smile song “Love to Say Dada”. On the vocals for the Verses in this mix, Brian and Mike trade off for the lead. This was done because Brian had promised Mike the lead on Heroes and Villains, but found once the boys returned that Mike could not reach the higher notes required. This resulted in time spent perfecting Brian and Mike's vocals, which some of Brian’s friends thought wasted time during production. In this Version, Cantina is used to end Side A with a Train Whistle harmonization by the boys, making this the only version without a proper fadeout of some kind. This version is around 3 minutes in length, and there is a total of 9 edits averaging every 40 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 3
At the time this mix was somewhat assembled, Brian admitted to not knowing what would follow on the B-Side, and it wouldn’t be until late February until he did. Knowing that Brian was creating multiple mixes with the intent to evaluate all of them at the end, we can assume a version of Side B would have been produced for this version as well. This first mix of Part 2 is as follows: Gee > Animals > I’m In Great Shape > Barnyard. This mix is based off of the early mix where Animals does not transition into the Part 2 Vocal Bridge, but ends with “Ahhh” sound fx by the boys, implying a hard cut into something else. I assumed an early version of Part 2 existed with Great Shape due to the “Swedish Frog” sound fx being cut onto the end of the Animals reel. This mix is 2:30 and has a total of 3 edits averaging every 40 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 1
4th Version
Assembled in early February 1967, this is the famous Cantina version of the song we’ve all come to know and love. In this mix, Brian has scrapped the previous lead vocals with Mike Love, and replaced it with his own solo lead. The lead vocals for Children Were Raised were also redone for this mix as well. To transition from Cantina back into the Heroes and Villains verses, a sound fx of someone shouting ‘You’re Under Arrest’ was used by Brian for comedic effect. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina > Under Arrest Sound Fx > Children Were Raised > Verse > Whistle Bridge > Sunshine Fadeout. Brian switched the Whistle Bridge to the end of the song, acting as a closing motif for the Heroes and Villains theme, giving the song a sense of closure, although one could argue more is to be desired from this mix. This mix lasts 3:06 and has a total of 7 edits averaging every 27 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 4
My Part 2 for this Version has the following sequence: Gee > Animals > Part 2 Vocal Bridge > Clip-Clop > I’m In Great Shape > Barnyard. I assumed this was the only Part 2 mix that contained the Clip-Clop section due to the fact that Clip-Clop was later recycled in not only Vega-Tables but Wonderful as well; it must not have survived. This mix runs at 3:15 and has a total of 5 edits averaging every 39 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 2
5th Version
This mix marks the first appearance of the Bicycle Rider theme acting as a Chorus to Heroes and Villains. On February 15th, Brian recorded two versions of a piano chorus, which means he had 2 different ideas on how to implement the chorus into the song. This 5th version is essentially Version 4 of Heroes and Villains but with a Chorus added to it. It includes the longer piano Chorus, ending with a vocal bridge known as “Mission Pak” to transition the song back into the Heroes and Villains Scat Vocal Bridge. To transition from the Verses to the Choruses, Brian would later use a vocal bridge, so in this mix, I use the only one that existed at the time: Bridge to Indians. I moved the Sunshine Fadeout to Side B to pair with the Prelude to Fade, leaving a repeat of the Chorus to replace it on Side A. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Bridge to Indians > Piano Chorus 1 > Mission Pak > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina > Under Arrest Sound Fx > Children Were Raised > Verse > Whistle Bridge > Piano Chorus Fadeout. This mix is 3:48 long with 10 edits averaging every 23 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 5
My Part 2 for this Version has the following sequence: Gee > Animals > Part 2 Vocal Bridge > Prelude to Fade > Sunshine Fadeout. The Prelude to Fade section is the finale section to Heroes and Villains, and it’s placement of the B Side of the single means that this version of Heroes and Villains acts as a definite 2-parter, requiring the listener to hear both sides to experience the full song. I believe the Clip-Clop section was most likely removed for not only being too similar to the new Heroes and Villains chorus, but also because of it being too similar to the Animals section. This version of Heroes and Villains is the first to have each side end with the Heroes and Villains motif being played before a fadeout, through a whistle on Side A and a french horn on Side B. This mix is 2:48 long with 4 edits averaging every 42 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 3
6th Version
This is the first version of Heroes and Villains to unite all 4 verses onto the same side with the inclusion of Prelude to Fade. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Bridge to Indians > Piano Chorus 2 > Children Were Raised > Verse > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina > Pickup to 3rd Verse > Prelude to Fade > Piano Chorus Fadeout. A shorter Piano Chorus was used this time, leading into Children Were Raised being placed again in front of Cantina for the first time singe late January ’67. At the end of Cantina this time, a vocal bridge called Pickup to 3rd Verse is used to transition from Cantina to Prelude to Fade. This replaced the previous vocal sound fx transition to create a sense of poetry due to it’s musical similarity to Bridge to Indians. This mix is 3:25 long with 9 edits averaging every 23 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 6
My Part 2 for this Version has the following sequence: Gee > Animals > Part 2 Vocal Bridge > Part 4 > Whistle Bridge > Sunshine Fadeout. Prelude to Fade and the Whistle Bridge swap places at the end of each side to provide finality to the songs. This time, in order to transition to the Whistle Bridge on Side B, Brian came up with a brand new chant titled Part 4, which continues the scat vocal theme of Heroes and Villains contained on Side B. This mix is 3:01 long with 5 edits averaging every 36 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 4
7th Version
This version of Heroes and Villains is what I believe the March version would have sounded like. Most notably, this version contains a recreation of not only the Chorus section based on an encounter Brian had with burglars at a Police Station, but also the Sunshine Fadeout now located on Side B. This version of Heroes and Villains decides to omit the flutter horn motif from Prelude to Fade, instead interrupting it with the new Chorus Fadeout now in the key of D#. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Bridge to Indians > Chorus > Children Were Raised > Verse > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina > Pickup to 3rd Verse > Prelude to Fade > Chorus Fadeout. This mix is 3:49 long with 9 edits averaging every 25 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 7
My Part 2 for this Version has the following sequence: Gee > Animals > Part 2 Vocal Bridge > Part 4 > Whistle Bridge > Fadeout Remake. A new fadeout was recorded by Brian on the 28th of February to replace the Sunshine Fadeout. Extra vocals were supposed to be overdubbed onto the new Fadeout, but they were either unrecorded or became lost. This mix is 2:53 long with 5 edits averaging every 35 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 5
8th Version
Assembled in June/July of 1967, this version of Heroes and Villains was released by the Beach Boys on July 24th, 1967. This version differs vastly from the previous versions assembled months prior, and represents a distinct change in musical style. Al Jardine claimed that this version of Heroes and Villains was underproduced by Brian to disengage the Beach Boys from the popular music scene. Brian had been gifted a Baldwin Organ at the time, and uses it extensively in this new version, even replacing the flutter horn motif with a new organ motif. Also present are brand new vocals recorded for this final version. Instead of having a Part 2 present on Side B, Brian opted to use the final track from Smile titled “You’re Welcome”, now available for use due to the album’s cancellation. The sequence for this version is as follows: Verses > Smiley Smile Vocal Bridge > Chorus > Verse > Scat Vocal Bridge > Children Were Raised Remake > Prelude to Fade Remake > Chorus Fadeout. The structure of the song was altered drastically. Cantina was removed and replaced with a new version of Children Were Raised, and the Prelude to Fade was remade into an acapella only section. Reactions to this song at the time of it’s released were mixed to disappointed to say the least. Heroes and Villains had been hyped up for almost a full year at this point, and many were unprepared for the underproduced quality this final version had. Most notably, Van Dyke Parks found this new and final version to be vastly different to what he and Brian had originally envisioned. This mix is 3:39 long with 6 edits averaging every 37 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 8
In my opinion, Brian was indeed designing the perfect follow up to Good Vibrations in early 1967. Heroes and Villains was turning into an epic song in terms of production, and would have amazed listeners at the time of it’s release. Unfortunately, due to multiple problems such as the lawsuit with Capitol, the demands of the record business, and ultimately the development of Brian’s Schizoaffective Disorder, Heroes and Villains became a lost cause and defeated Brian’s creative ambition as not only a producer, but as the leader of the Beach Boys. What we can hear in between Versions 7 and 8 of Heroes and Villains, are the sounds of an artist being defeated by the insurmountable pressures he was experiencing at the time. Brian Wilson collapsed under his own creative ambition. History would have been vastly different had Brian not held onto the single in March of 1967. If released, Brian would have finished Smile, and moved on to more creative projects, and the Beach Boys would not have become unpopular to the average consumer in the late 60s. Whether we like it or not as fans, this song was a turning point in the careers of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. This song was destined to either save the band, or destroy it, and unfortunately, the later happened. But now, it is up to us to determine which versions should be the final song. I have laid out 8 different versions before, and just as Mike Love (or Bruce Johnston) said, it is time to choose the best one out of all of them! I encourage all of you to decide for yourself which mix would make the best Heroes and Villains!
I hope everyone has enjoyed listening to these different versions I have compiled, and I look forward to reading the comments and your replies in this thread!
Coming soon: The Different Versions of Teeter Totter Love
The time has come. We are finally discussing Heroes and Villains. Some argue this is the song that not only affirms the beginning of the Smile album, but also the end. Many have spent hours studying the sessionography, scratching their heads wondering how Brian could have known what he was doing working at a break-neck speed. However, thanks to an important interview with Mike Love or Bruce Johnston (I can't remember which), we now understand how Brian was forming Heroes and Villains in 1967. Unlike Good Vibrations, where each new version was a revision of the last, I predict each new version of Heroes and Villains was most likely a complete reimagining of the song. According to Mike Love (or Bruce Johnston), it would be only until the end when the best version would be picked out of the “other six versions”. However, complications arose with the beginning of the Beach Boys’ lawsuit with Capitol records, and according to Mike Love (or Bruce Johnston), Brian withheld the final and completed version of Heroes and Villains in March as leverage over the record company. As Brian held on to the record, his confidence in it began to dwindle, even telling Paul McCartney during his visit in April of 1967, that he’s “just not sure” about it. Unfortunately, once the lawsuit with Capitol Records ended, Brian had not only missed his window of opportunity with the Smile project, but he had also lost faith in the direction he was going with the project. A record titled “Heroes and Villains” was still due out, so in June of 1967, Brian created a truncated version of Heroes and Villains in under a week and released it. According to Al Jardine, this new version of Heroes and Villains was underproduced on purpose by Brian. It seemed that Brian no longer wanted the attention anymore, and wanted to retreat from the music scene entirely for a while.
In this post, there are 8 different versions of Heroes and Villains, the main song. We can assume that the first one was never heard by the Beach Boys, and at the time of Mike Love (or Bruce Johnston's) interview in early 1967, the 8th and final version had not been created yet. So that means in this post you will find 6 different versions of what I predict Smile-era Heroes and Villains would have sounded like, with completed vocals, never before heard. Regarding the B-Side for the single, this post shall name that “Heroes and Villains: Part 2” and refer to Side A as simply “Heroes and Villains”.
A note of caution: these mixes are based purely on the hunches and speculations of one man: moi. Only 3, and I REPEAT, only THREE versions of Heroes and Villains presented here, are correctly sequenced and historically accurate. Those mixes are Heroes and Villains Versions 2, 4, and 8. The rest, you should understand, are my own interpretations of the material. PLEASE understand that I am not here to report these as being the absolute definite versions of Heroes and Villains. Most of these are my own mixes, not Brian’s. All I am trying to do is figure out ways in which Brian could have assembled the material. And if there is a sequence I made in this post that you find displeasing, than I encourage you to take my material and better it for yourself! And it also should be noted, that I am most confident in the mixes for Part 1, not Part 2. I firmly believe we are missing key information about Part 2, which is why my mixes for Side B may be less convincing. Now that that’s all been said, I present to you, My Different Versions of Heroes and Villains.
1st Version
Recorded on May 11th, 1966 during the Good Vibrations sessions, this early version of Heroes and Villains remains lost to this day. What is most interesting about this version was the fact that it was completely recorded during one session. No other version of Heroes and Villains can claim this. It contained guitars, basses, drums, percussion and 5 different woodwind players. It was 2 minutes and 45 seconds long, and the master was Take 3. Brian pressed it onto an acetate at the time, and showed it to several guests at a party once, who were unimpressed with it. According to them, the song incorporated variations on “You Are My Sunshine”. Brian ended up taking over this version leaving it forever lost and gone and unknown. I personally have tried to recreate this several times on Logic Pro with all of the instruments, and I decided at last not to include that in this thread. This version can only exist purely in our imaginations.
2nd Version
The bulk of this version of Heroes and Villains was recorded on October 20th, 1966, in which the Verse and Barnyard sections were tracked on this date. Brian also attempted an earlier version of “I’m In Great Shape” on this date, but it was unused. The Great Shape track was finally recorded on December 19th, 1966. Most likely, vocals were recorded by Brian and the boys during and after the Christmas holiday of ’66. The sequence for this version comes from a piano demo by Brian for the Radio DJ “Humble” Harv. Whether or not this was Brian merely showing off various pieces at the piano, or actually revealing an earlier sequence of the song remains to be unknown. To this speculator, dear reader, I'm inferring it was the later. The sequence is as follow: Verses > Whistle Bridge > I’m In Great Shape > Barnyard. This version is around 2 minutes in length and did not have a Side B planned. There are 3 edits total averaging every 42 seconds.
Here you can find the Piano Demo and the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 2 (Piano Demo)
Heroes and Villains - Version 2
3rd Version
Based on evidence, attempts were made in late January of 1967 to assemble this version of Heroes and Villains. Compared to the previous mix, this version shakes up the Heroes and Villains format and finds ways to stuff more Verses into the song to make it feel more cohesive. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Whistle Bridge > All Day > Pickup to 3rd Verse > Children Were Raised > Verse > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina (Fadeout). This version alternates between the verses and different sections of unrelated music we can call “episodes”; these episodes being Cantina and All Day, a section based off of the Smile song “Love to Say Dada”. On the vocals for the Verses in this mix, Brian and Mike trade off for the lead. This was done because Brian had promised Mike the lead on Heroes and Villains, but found once the boys returned that Mike could not reach the higher notes required. This resulted in time spent perfecting Brian and Mike's vocals, which some of Brian’s friends thought wasted time during production. In this Version, Cantina is used to end Side A with a Train Whistle harmonization by the boys, making this the only version without a proper fadeout of some kind. This version is around 3 minutes in length, and there is a total of 9 edits averaging every 40 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 3
At the time this mix was somewhat assembled, Brian admitted to not knowing what would follow on the B-Side, and it wouldn’t be until late February until he did. Knowing that Brian was creating multiple mixes with the intent to evaluate all of them at the end, we can assume a version of Side B would have been produced for this version as well. This first mix of Part 2 is as follows: Gee > Animals > I’m In Great Shape > Barnyard. This mix is based off of the early mix where Animals does not transition into the Part 2 Vocal Bridge, but ends with “Ahhh” sound fx by the boys, implying a hard cut into something else. I assumed an early version of Part 2 existed with Great Shape due to the “Swedish Frog” sound fx being cut onto the end of the Animals reel. This mix is 2:30 and has a total of 3 edits averaging every 40 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 1
4th Version
Assembled in early February 1967, this is the famous Cantina version of the song we’ve all come to know and love. In this mix, Brian has scrapped the previous lead vocals with Mike Love, and replaced it with his own solo lead. The lead vocals for Children Were Raised were also redone for this mix as well. To transition from Cantina back into the Heroes and Villains verses, a sound fx of someone shouting ‘You’re Under Arrest’ was used by Brian for comedic effect. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina > Under Arrest Sound Fx > Children Were Raised > Verse > Whistle Bridge > Sunshine Fadeout. Brian switched the Whistle Bridge to the end of the song, acting as a closing motif for the Heroes and Villains theme, giving the song a sense of closure, although one could argue more is to be desired from this mix. This mix lasts 3:06 and has a total of 7 edits averaging every 27 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 4
My Part 2 for this Version has the following sequence: Gee > Animals > Part 2 Vocal Bridge > Clip-Clop > I’m In Great Shape > Barnyard. I assumed this was the only Part 2 mix that contained the Clip-Clop section due to the fact that Clip-Clop was later recycled in not only Vega-Tables but Wonderful as well; it must not have survived. This mix runs at 3:15 and has a total of 5 edits averaging every 39 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 2
5th Version
This mix marks the first appearance of the Bicycle Rider theme acting as a Chorus to Heroes and Villains. On February 15th, Brian recorded two versions of a piano chorus, which means he had 2 different ideas on how to implement the chorus into the song. This 5th version is essentially Version 4 of Heroes and Villains but with a Chorus added to it. It includes the longer piano Chorus, ending with a vocal bridge known as “Mission Pak” to transition the song back into the Heroes and Villains Scat Vocal Bridge. To transition from the Verses to the Choruses, Brian would later use a vocal bridge, so in this mix, I use the only one that existed at the time: Bridge to Indians. I moved the Sunshine Fadeout to Side B to pair with the Prelude to Fade, leaving a repeat of the Chorus to replace it on Side A. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Bridge to Indians > Piano Chorus 1 > Mission Pak > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina > Under Arrest Sound Fx > Children Were Raised > Verse > Whistle Bridge > Piano Chorus Fadeout. This mix is 3:48 long with 10 edits averaging every 23 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 5
My Part 2 for this Version has the following sequence: Gee > Animals > Part 2 Vocal Bridge > Prelude to Fade > Sunshine Fadeout. The Prelude to Fade section is the finale section to Heroes and Villains, and it’s placement of the B Side of the single means that this version of Heroes and Villains acts as a definite 2-parter, requiring the listener to hear both sides to experience the full song. I believe the Clip-Clop section was most likely removed for not only being too similar to the new Heroes and Villains chorus, but also because of it being too similar to the Animals section. This version of Heroes and Villains is the first to have each side end with the Heroes and Villains motif being played before a fadeout, through a whistle on Side A and a french horn on Side B. This mix is 2:48 long with 4 edits averaging every 42 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 3
6th Version
This is the first version of Heroes and Villains to unite all 4 verses onto the same side with the inclusion of Prelude to Fade. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Bridge to Indians > Piano Chorus 2 > Children Were Raised > Verse > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina > Pickup to 3rd Verse > Prelude to Fade > Piano Chorus Fadeout. A shorter Piano Chorus was used this time, leading into Children Were Raised being placed again in front of Cantina for the first time singe late January ’67. At the end of Cantina this time, a vocal bridge called Pickup to 3rd Verse is used to transition from Cantina to Prelude to Fade. This replaced the previous vocal sound fx transition to create a sense of poetry due to it’s musical similarity to Bridge to Indians. This mix is 3:25 long with 9 edits averaging every 23 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 6
My Part 2 for this Version has the following sequence: Gee > Animals > Part 2 Vocal Bridge > Part 4 > Whistle Bridge > Sunshine Fadeout. Prelude to Fade and the Whistle Bridge swap places at the end of each side to provide finality to the songs. This time, in order to transition to the Whistle Bridge on Side B, Brian came up with a brand new chant titled Part 4, which continues the scat vocal theme of Heroes and Villains contained on Side B. This mix is 3:01 long with 5 edits averaging every 36 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 4
7th Version
This version of Heroes and Villains is what I believe the March version would have sounded like. Most notably, this version contains a recreation of not only the Chorus section based on an encounter Brian had with burglars at a Police Station, but also the Sunshine Fadeout now located on Side B. This version of Heroes and Villains decides to omit the flutter horn motif from Prelude to Fade, instead interrupting it with the new Chorus Fadeout now in the key of D#. The sequence is as follows: Verses > Bridge to Indians > Chorus > Children Were Raised > Verse > Scat Vocal Bridge > Cantina > Pickup to 3rd Verse > Prelude to Fade > Chorus Fadeout. This mix is 3:49 long with 9 edits averaging every 25 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 7
My Part 2 for this Version has the following sequence: Gee > Animals > Part 2 Vocal Bridge > Part 4 > Whistle Bridge > Fadeout Remake. A new fadeout was recorded by Brian on the 28th of February to replace the Sunshine Fadeout. Extra vocals were supposed to be overdubbed onto the new Fadeout, but they were either unrecorded or became lost. This mix is 2:53 long with 5 edits averaging every 35 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains: Part 2 - Version 5
8th Version
Assembled in June/July of 1967, this version of Heroes and Villains was released by the Beach Boys on July 24th, 1967. This version differs vastly from the previous versions assembled months prior, and represents a distinct change in musical style. Al Jardine claimed that this version of Heroes and Villains was underproduced by Brian to disengage the Beach Boys from the popular music scene. Brian had been gifted a Baldwin Organ at the time, and uses it extensively in this new version, even replacing the flutter horn motif with a new organ motif. Also present are brand new vocals recorded for this final version. Instead of having a Part 2 present on Side B, Brian opted to use the final track from Smile titled “You’re Welcome”, now available for use due to the album’s cancellation. The sequence for this version is as follows: Verses > Smiley Smile Vocal Bridge > Chorus > Verse > Scat Vocal Bridge > Children Were Raised Remake > Prelude to Fade Remake > Chorus Fadeout. The structure of the song was altered drastically. Cantina was removed and replaced with a new version of Children Were Raised, and the Prelude to Fade was remade into an acapella only section. Reactions to this song at the time of it’s released were mixed to disappointed to say the least. Heroes and Villains had been hyped up for almost a full year at this point, and many were unprepared for the underproduced quality this final version had. Most notably, Van Dyke Parks found this new and final version to be vastly different to what he and Brian had originally envisioned. This mix is 3:39 long with 6 edits averaging every 37 seconds.
Here you can find the Completed Track:
Heroes and Villains - Version 8
In my opinion, Brian was indeed designing the perfect follow up to Good Vibrations in early 1967. Heroes and Villains was turning into an epic song in terms of production, and would have amazed listeners at the time of it’s release. Unfortunately, due to multiple problems such as the lawsuit with Capitol, the demands of the record business, and ultimately the development of Brian’s Schizoaffective Disorder, Heroes and Villains became a lost cause and defeated Brian’s creative ambition as not only a producer, but as the leader of the Beach Boys. What we can hear in between Versions 7 and 8 of Heroes and Villains, are the sounds of an artist being defeated by the insurmountable pressures he was experiencing at the time. Brian Wilson collapsed under his own creative ambition. History would have been vastly different had Brian not held onto the single in March of 1967. If released, Brian would have finished Smile, and moved on to more creative projects, and the Beach Boys would not have become unpopular to the average consumer in the late 60s. Whether we like it or not as fans, this song was a turning point in the careers of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. This song was destined to either save the band, or destroy it, and unfortunately, the later happened. But now, it is up to us to determine which versions should be the final song. I have laid out 8 different versions before, and just as Mike Love (or Bruce Johnston) said, it is time to choose the best one out of all of them! I encourage all of you to decide for yourself which mix would make the best Heroes and Villains!
I hope everyone has enjoyed listening to these different versions I have compiled, and I look forward to reading the comments and your replies in this thread!
Coming soon: The Different Versions of Teeter Totter Love