| Title
of Work: |
Blue Smoke
|
Words
By:
|
John Woloschuk
|
Music
By:
|
John Woloschuk and Dino Tome
|
Lead
Vocal:
|
John Woloschuk |
Backup
Vocals:
|
John Woloschuk |
Instrumentation:
|
John:
|
Keyboards, bass, electric
guitar,
sitar, vibes
|
Dee:
|
Electric Guitar, mandolin
|
Terry:
|
Drums, trombone, percussion
|
|
Recorded
At:
|
ESP Studios, Buttonville, Canada
|
Recording
Period:
|
April through July 1981 (mixed
in
August 1981)
|
Initial
Release Date:
|
October 1981 ("Magentalane"
album) Canada only
|
Remarks:
|
An earlier incarnation of this
song had appeared on a June 1979 demo recording entitled, "The List of
Endangered Species". This previous version originally had been intended
as a possible candidate for Klaatu's fourth album, but was never
submitted to (producer) Christopher Bond for consideration during the
song selection process. A revised treatment of the song resurfaced on a
later demo which was recorded in October 1980 under the title, "Blue
Smoke". It is this latter version that Klaatu recorded for their
self-produced fifth album ("Magentalane").
The "rock 'n roll" style piano featured on this track was performed by
guest keyboardist, George Bertok.
The guitar solo that appears halfway through the track is actually two
guitars trading riffs back and forth. The guitars used were a Gibson ES
335 (played by John Woloschuk) and a Gibson "Les Paul" (played by Al
Walker, then lead guitarist with the Toronto band "Harbinger").
To enhance the snare drum's sound, gated white noise was simultaneously
triggered by and blended with the actual sound of the snare drum during
the mixdown process.
|