Song:Up In A Puff Of Smoke
Album:Super Hits Of The '70s: Have A Nice Day Vol. 14
Though she had some success in England as lead singer of Pikkettywitch, Polly Brown's only US success was with this 1975 top twenty hit Up In A Puff Of Smoke. I guess it's perceived as a disco song though I don't think it is a disco song. She was born Polly Browne Apr. 18, 1947 in Birmingham, England. Pikkettywitch were on Pye Records and were produced by Tony Macaulay who was the guy behind hits like Build Me Up, Buttercup by The Foundations. Their big hit That Same Old Feeling reached #5 on the British Singles Chart. The song charted in the US but wasn't a hit. Polly recorded a solo album while with Pikketywitch in 1972. Ron Roker arranged it and he really liked Polly's voice. He convinced her to leave Pikketywitch and start a group with him. Roker started out writing children's music for TV and also produced the British pop singer Lynsey De Paul. The two formed the group Sweet Dreams and had a hit in 1974 with the Abba song Honey Honey. When Sweet Dreams soon stalled, Roker decided to use some of the songs recorded at the Sweet Dreams sessions and turn them into a Polly Brown solo album. Up In A Puff Of Smoke was the first single and it was released on GTO Records. It became a hit in clubs and reached #3 on the dance music chart and then it crossed over to the pop charts and reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Strangely enough, the song didn't chart in England. Because the song did well on the dance chart, it's perceived as a disco song. But I don't think it's disco at all. The song is certainly Motown influenced and it has a great hook. It's only labeled as disco because the dance floor made it a hit. I'm sure Roker was surprised. You can get Up In A Puff Of Smoke on this Rhino various artists comp. Polly's album Special Delivery didn't sell. Polly Brown participated in the 1976 A Song For Europe contest and recorded some singles with no success. She still performs in England today but hasn't recorded in years. Here's a video for Up In A Puff Of Smoke by Polly Brown.
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