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.)
Recorded	1974
Genre	Pop
Length	3:20
Label	GTO Records
Songwriters	Gerry Shury, Phillip Swern
Producers	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]

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]