It’s Smoke Time – THE SMOKE***

My Friend Jack/Waterfall/You Can’t Catch Me/High In A Room/Wake Up Cherylina/Don’t Lead Me On/We Can Take It/If The Weather’s Sunny/I Wanna Make It With You/Its Getting Closer/Its Just Your Way Of Lovin’/I Would If I Could But I Can’t

It’s Smoke Time was the only album release from the Yorkshire pop group The Smoke. More popular in Germany than at home their single My Friend Jack received a lot of airplay on pirate radio stations but was banned by the BBC for drug references.

“More than any other band, The Smoke epitomized the groove of Swinging London. Their sound fell somewhere between mod and The Beatles, their instrumental attack was somewhat Who/Small Faces like, yet they delighted in cheerful vocals and infectious harmonies and melodies. Only slightly popular on their home turf, and unknown in the US, their biggest success was in Germany.”

“When The Smoke turn out a good song like My Friend Jack or High In A Room, I found myself wanting to hear more hot lyrics and psychedelic music. While the music is good quality throughout the album, the lyrics are often awkward and uninspired. The album opens with My Friend Jack, and after hearing such sharp, surreal prose, the remaining lyrics are a let down.”

“The Smoke to my mind were the most talented and best sounding groups of the psych world. I love every track they made in the 60s. They definitely had a lot more talent than they were given credit for.”

“The Smoke where best known for their hit in Germany My Friend Jack, but the rest of the album is right up there with some killer songs. These guys sounded a bit like The Who did from 66 to 68.”

“Their great single, My Friend Jack from early 1967, should have been their big breakthrough, but because of the controversial lyrics it was banned by BBC, and therefore never became the big British hit it deserved. Besides being very much in the style of early Pink Floyd the song had everything a hit single needed; a great melody, a catchy riff, solid production and a modern sound. It was in fact a hit in several European countries, and the band became relatively big in Germany. This, was their only album, though there are several fine songs, it seems rushed with many tracks sounding like demos.”