TCCDM Pulls One Out..."The Smoke" - The Smoke (1968)

"The Smoke" - The Smoke (1968)

    I'm really glad to have picked up The Smoke.  It was their only album, and it sounds so good.  The music is mostly softer psychedelic and baroque pop tracks that chill nicely and are too interesting to be boring.  Only one song kisses the four-minute mark. The music has a kind of Zombies presence with hints of Brian Wilson tossing psych dust around.  And there are vibes that make me think Chris Bell or Alex Chilton might have heard this album, as well.  Small moments, big footprints.  

    Michael Lloyd wrote all the songs, played most of the instruments, and was the sole producer.  The production feels specific and assured, and the Sidewalk label pressing sounds fantastic.  It's psych-pop, but not limp or lazy.  The songwriting is strangely darker than the music often implies.  The Smoke can be found in the pages of The Acid Archives, which is always a cool thing.  But as of this moment, the album has never been officially reissued.

"The Smoke" - The Smoke (back)

Favorites include:
"Cowboys And Indians"
"Hobbit Symphony"
"Gold Is The Color Of Thought"

    The Smoke was pressed on the rare yellow Sidewalk label, which quickly became a subsidiary of Capitol Records.  The IAM in a triangle in the deadwax identifies this as a Scranton, PA pressing.  The vinyl has no visible scuffs or marks and still has a nice sheen.  It's hard to believe the vinyl is this nice when the cover is so worn, but seeing is believing.  The cover has a taped top seam, ring wear, and spots of tape residue.  However, the spine is clean.  No crumbling whatsoever. 

    On the back cover, it reads, "Dedicated to Stuart Sutcliffe."  There is also a liner note from the notorious Kim Fowley.  The square sounds fantastic.  Michael Lloyd was barely out of his teens...maybe...when he made this recording, and it's a smile-maker.  Lloyd was once a member of The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and went on to produce numerous teen idol albums in the 1970s, as well as serving as executive producer for the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack.

Sidewalk label

Cat #
ST-5912
SIDE A  DEADWAX
ST-1-5912-A1  (IAM triangle)  
SIDE B  DEADWAX
ST-2-5912-A1  (IAM triangle)

"Cowboys And Indians" - The Smoke / "The Smoke" (1968)

TRACKS:
A1  "Cowboys And Indians" 2:37
A2  "Looking Through A Mirror" 1:45
A3  "Self Analysis" 2:47
A4  "Gold Is The Color Of Thought" 3:07
A5  "Hobbit Symphony" 4:05
A6  "Daisy Intermission" 0:23
B1  "Fog Bound" 2:22
B2  "Song Through Perception" 1:51
B3  "Philosophy" 0:45
B4  "Umbrella" 2:23
B5  "Ritual Gypsy Music Opus #1" 0:15
B6  "October Country" 2:40
B7  "Odyssey" 3:40

PERSONNEL: 
Michael Lloyd - vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, horn & string arrangements, production
Stan Ayeroff - guitar
Steve Baim - drums

Good stuff.

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Comments

Bloggerhythms said…
Love this! I'll have to go check them out.
June 14, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Casey said…
You do! Another cool square to take a place on the shelf.
June 14, 2025 at 8:47 AM
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