"Wind Chimes", in its original form, was first tracked on August 3, 1966 at Gold Star Studios. The occasion marked the unofficial start of the "Smile" sessions. Another version of the track was recorded on October 3, which was later followed by further overdubs on October 5 and 10 at Western Studio. Writing in "The Wire", Mike Barnes remarked of the "Smile" version of the song, "'Wind Chimes', with its exquisite tuned percussion, seems certain to have been influenced by Steve Reich's "Drumming", but then you realise it was recorded five years before Reich's minimalist masterpiece was even composed."