Up in a Puff of Smoke

"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.)
Recorded	1974
Genre	Pop
Length	3:20
Label	GTO 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)

"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.

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]

Canadian blue-eyed soul singer Charity Brown turned down the chance to cover "Up in a Puff of Smoke" for the Canadian market,[2] but 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 Brown's 1975 album release Rock Me, the track was released as a single, reaching #61 on the Canadian singles chart in February 1976.[3]

Chart history

"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.[4] However, the track became a hit in several English speaking countries: Australia (#22),[5] Canada (#11),[6] New Zealand (#13),[7] and the US (#16).[8]

Weekly charts Chart (1974–75) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 22 Canada RPM Top Singles[6] 11 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[9] 36 New Zealand [10] 13 UK (The Official Charts Company)[11][12] 43 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[13] 16 U.S. Billboard Easy Listening 29 U.S. Billboard Dance/Disco 3 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 [14] 16

Year-end charts Chart (1975) Rank Canada [15] 112 US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[16] 147

Cover versions

• 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.[17]

References

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

External links

• Listen to "Up In A Puff Of Smoke" on YouTube