Up in a Puff of Smoke

"Up in a Puff of Smoke" is a song recorded in 1974 by Polly Brown, released as a non-album single to become an international Top 40 hit in 1975.

"Up in a Puff of Smoke"
Single by Polly Brown
B-side"I'm Saving All My Love"
Released
  • August 1974 (UK)
  • December 1974 (U.S.)
Recorded1974
GenrePop
Length3:20
LabelGTO Records
Songwriter(s)Gerry Shury, Phillip Swern
Producer(s)Gerry Shury, Phillip Swern
Polly Brown singles chronology
"Up in a Puff of Smoke"
(1974)		 "You're My Number One"
(1974)

Overview

The songwriting/production team of Gerry Shury and Ron Roker had admired Brown's voice from her Pickettywitch recordings: Shury, who had arranged Brown's 1972 self-titled album release, described her as a cross "between Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick".[1] In 1974, Shury and Roker had Brown record the neo-Motown number "Up in a Puff of Smoke": in the same session Brown, with Roker as co-vocalist, recorded a cover of the ABBA song "Honey, Honey", which was released under the name Sweet Dreams.[1]

"Up in a Puff of Smoke" proved to be a UK Top 40 shortfall although it did spend five weeks in the Top 50 peaking at #43.[2] However the track became a major hit in several English speaking countries: Australia (#22),[3] Canada (#11),[4] New Zealand (#13),[5] and the US (#16).[6]

Canadian blue-eyed soul singer Charity Brown turned down the chance to cover "Up in a Puff of Smoke" for the Canadian market:[7] however she did record the B-side song of the Polly Brown single: the mid-tempo Shury/Swern ballad "I'm Saving All My Love", as "Saving All My Love": introduced on Charity Brown's 1975 album release Rock Me, the track was a single release reaching #61 on the Canadian singles chart in February 1976.[8]

In 2018, Linda Martin remade "Up in a Puff of Smoke" with Nicki French on background vocals: issued in January 2018, the track was included on Martin's All Woman album released September 2018.[9]

Chart history

References
  1. "Gerry Shury". Alwynwturner.com.
  2. "up in a puff of smoke | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  5. "Polly Brown - Up In A Puff Of Smoke". Charts.nz.
  6. "Polly Brown". Billboard.com.
  7. The Ottawa Citizen "Charity Brown: singer tries to change 'cute, cuddly' image" by John Wolotko 18 June 1977 p.29
  8. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1981-09-05. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
  9. "CD Single: Linda Martin - Up In A Puff Of Smoke (Matt Pop Edit) (2018)". 45worlds.com.
  10. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1975-03-29. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  11. "flavour of new zealand - search rianz". Flavourofnz.co.nz.
  12. "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1974-09-14. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  13. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 82. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  14. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  15. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 15, 1976". Tropicalglen.com.
  16. "Image : RPM Weekly". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013.
  17. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.


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