The Smoke

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Michael Lloyds project, releasing 2 albums before he became an a&r head honcho at the age of 20(!) in 1969, but, i have never heard the 2 records. perhaps you have?

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm confused, this is a different Smoke from the northern English band, "My Friend Jack" etc., or the same one?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 13:44 (twenty-two years ago)

haha, no, not them!

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 13:44 (twenty-two years ago)

i should have clarified, i knew people would think of that one instead...

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Heh. So tell me more about this one, then; what's it supposed to sound like?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Is this the NZ garage band called The Smoke? Its just standard psych-y garage, good if you like that sort of stuff (which I do)...

― DougD, Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

no, not them either. perhaps a link is in order

the smoke

― gareth (gareth), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

also not to be confused w/Atlanta band of same name

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

(w/out "The")

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

This album is really good. I remember people telling me The Smoke was actually some retro band from the 80's or 90's and it made a lot of sense. A lot of it sounds VERY MUCH like The Beach Boys.

"Gold is the Colour of Thought" has an awesome cavernous 80's snare drum sound.

I remember one song (don't remember if it was "Hobbit Symphony" or "Daisy Intermission") sounded exactly like Fugazi.

― Adam Bruneau, Wednesday, 12 May 2004 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

im surprised this hasnt had a reissue, maybe it has and i missed it?

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 20 May 2004 08:20 (twenty-two years ago)

don't think it's been reissued. but it's not a great record. October country is a fantastic song; the rest is overly precious and twee.

― Dave Amos, Thursday, 20 May 2004 08:33 (twenty-two years ago)

don't know whether this smoke-related project is any good. the smoke are frustrating cos you feel so much potential for them to be excellent but they weren't.

― Dave Amos, Thursday, 20 May 2004 08:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Naah, the US Smoke LP is excellent stuff, one of my favourites of the era. It's actually closer in sound to the Beatles than the Beach Boys really. There are some total Pepper-isms on the LP; I'm sure at one point (Fogbound, I think) the backing vocals chime in with "Lucy in the sky with diamonds".
There's a grey-area reissue from like Korea or somewhere available in Minus Zero. Sundazed were all lined up to reissue it about 4 years back, but I believe it got caught up in Mike Curb-related red tape.
BTW, *2* albums? Are you including the October Country LP in that count?

― harveyw (harveyw), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

no, there are 2 smoke lps i think, plus the october country lp, plus the goodness & mercy lp if that counts too

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 20 May 2004 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm 99% sure there's only one. Tim (who wrote the article on the site you linked to) knows of only one. Do you have any info on a second LP? Sources? I'd be delighted to be proved wrong, as if there is a 2nd LP I absolutely need to hear it. But Lloyd/WCPAEB spin-offs are 10 a penny from round this time.

― harveyw (harveyw), Thursday, 20 May 2004 15:16 (twenty-two years ago)

No? Damn...

― harveyw (harveyw), Friday, 21 May 2004 07:35 (twenty-two years ago)

there are a couple of second hand stores on the web that list a vinyl lp by the smoke, called "at george's coffee shop", from 1969. its on the same label as the first one, but information is v sparse. it could well be something entirely different.

i might go check ebay actually, thats often the best source of info if something is actually being sold at that point, with sleeve scans and all. i have a feeling this nebuluous lp wont be there though:(

― gareth (gareth), Friday, 21 May 2004 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

ok, so i cant find anything. maybe its a ghost record

― gareth (gareth), Saturday, 22 May 2004 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

what do you think?

― charltonlido (gareth), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 09:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Fuzz Acid & Flowers indicates it's a different band to Michael Lloyd's combo (Texas-based, originally called The Nomads, 2 LPs on Uni, sound a bit dull...)

― harveyw (harveyw), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 09:14 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

i want to hear this, why no reissue????

― timmy tannin (pompous), Sunday, 10 September 2006 04:44 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.