"Pure Smokey" is a song by English musician

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

, released in 1976 on his debut album for Dark Horse Records, ''

Thirty Three & 1/3 ''Thirty Three & ⅓'' (stylised as ''Thirty Three & 1/ॐ'' on the album cover) is the seventh studio album by English musician George Harrison, released in November 1976. It was Harrison's first album release on his Dark Horse record label, th ...

''. The song was the second of Harrison's musical tributes to American

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

, following " Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You)" in 1975. Harrison frequently cited Robinson as one of his favourite vocalists and songwriters, and Robinson's group

the Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups ...

had similarly influenced

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

during the 1960s. In the lyrics to "Pure Smokey", Harrison gives thanks for the gift of Robinson's music, while making a statement regarding the importance of expressing appreciation and gratitude, rather than forgetting to do so and later regretting it. The song title came from the name of Robinson's 1974 album ''

Pure Smokey ''Pure Smokey'' is Smokey Robinson's second post-Miracles album, released in 1974. It features the single "Virgin Man." Several songs were written by Robinson with fellow Miracle Marv Tarplin, who left the group a year after Robinson's departure ...

''. Harrison recorded "Pure Smokey" at his Friar Park home studio in Henley, Oxfordshire. Jazz musician Tom Scott provided production assistance and the song features musical contributions from Scott, Richard Tee, Willie Weeks and Alvin Taylor, together with a pair of highly regarded guitar solos from Harrison. Several reviewers recognise the song as superior to "Ooh Baby", due in part to its more authentic musical setting; Harrison biographer Simon Leng views the track as its composer's most successful excursion in the soul music genre. "Pure Smokey" appeared as the B-side to the second single from ''Thirty Three & 1/3'' in the UK, which was Harrison's cover of the

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

standard " True Love".

Background and composition

During

' career, according to author Ian MacDonald,

had served as the band's "scout" regarding new American music, particularly

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...

. In 1975, Harrison released ''

Extra Texture Extra or Xtra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper * ''Extra!'', an American me ...

'', his most soul-influenced album, with songs such as "

You In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from the Proto- ...

", " Can't Stop Thinking About You" and " The Answer's at the End" all demonstrating his adoption of the genre. Another track, " Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You)", was a homage to "

Ooo Baby Baby "Ooo Baby Baby" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore. It is a classic 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. The song has inspired numerous other cover versions by other artists over the years, including c ...

" by

' lead singer whose music had a considerable influence on Harrison and

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

during the 1960s.Clayson, p. 84. Among the frequent compliments he paid the American singer in interviews, Harrison often praised Robinson as a songwriter,George Harrison interview, ''Rockweek'', (retrieved 28 July 2013).Badman, pp. 164, 165. noting in his 1980 autobiography, '' I Me Mine'': "one tends to forget how many good tunes he has written."Harrison, p. 320. After coming up with the song's "nice chord changes", as he puts it in ''I Me Mine'', Harrison wrote a more personal musical tribute to Robinson in 1975,Madinger & Easter, p. 455. titled "Pure Smokey" after Robinson's 1974 album of the same name. In the lyrics to the song's first verse, Harrison acknowledges the tendency to forget to show appreciation for something: Smokey Robinson special 1970

He then refers to all those who have influenced and inspired him musically,Inglis, p. 63. in the line "Love that's filled my ears", before stating: "I want to thank you Lord for giving us Pure Smokey."Allison, p. 153. Harrison offers further praise for Robinson's music in the words "Now anyone who hears, hears that voice so free",Huntley, p. 148. and in the same

middle eight The 32-bar form, also known as the AABA song form, American popular song form and the ballad form, is a song structure commonly found in Tin Pan Alley songs and other American popular music, especially in the first half of the 20th century. A ...

he references the Miracles' hit song "

You've Really Got a Hold on Me "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, which became a 1962 Top 10 hit single for the Miracles. One of the Miracles' most covered tunes, this million-selling song received a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Award. It has als ...

". The latter was written by Robinson and, through the Beatles' 1963 cover version, which Robinson himself endorsed in a 1968 interview,. one of Harrison's earliest recorded lead vocals (as a duet with Lennon). In the song's final verse, Harrison compliments what he would describe in a 1987 ''

Musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

'' interview as Robinson's "effortless butterfly of a voice", as well as his willingness to experiment as an artist: Harrison biographer Simon Leng comments that musically the song reflects "many years' flipping of

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and Stax classics" by Harrison, as well as his work over 1969–70 with two soul/ R&B artists signed to the Beatles'

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

record label,

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

and Doris Troy.Leng, p. 196. Christian theologian

Dale Allison Dale C. Allison (born November 25, 1955) is an American New Testament scholar, historian of Early Christianity, and Christian theologian who for years served as Errett M. Grable Professor of New Testament Exegesis and Early Christianity at Pittsb ...

describes "Pure Smokey" as a "prayer of thanks to God for the music of Smokey Robinson".

Recording

Having fulfilled his contractual obligations to

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

-affiliated Apple Records with ''Extra Texture'', Harrison recorded "Pure Smokey" for his debut album on his

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...

record label, ''

''. Beginning in May 1976, the album sessions took place at FPSHOT, Harrison's home studio at Friar Park in

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buc ...

, Oxfordshire.Badman, p. 186. The musicians accompanying him on the track were

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

saxophonist and arranger Tom Scott, Richard Tee on

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

piano, bassist Willie Weeks and drummer Alvin Taylor.Leng, p. 195. The latter had recently played on ''2nd Resurrection'' by Chicago soul group the Stairsteps,Madinger & Easter, p. 453. one of a number of acts signed to Dark Horse Records since 1974. Together with the Taylor–Weeks

rhythm section A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The rhythm sec ...

, Scott's role as assistant producer on ''Thirty Three & 1/3'' gave the album a sound that was more authentic in the American soul genre compared with Harrison's self-produced ''Extra Texture''. Author Michael Frontani describes Taylor and Weeks as "one of the best rhythm sections to appear on a Harrison album". The released recording begins with a gradual fade-in, creating an effect that author Elliot Huntley describes as "shimmering". Over this introduction and during the mid-song instrumental break, Harrison overdubbed electric guitar solos that mark a rare departure from his traditional preference for

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...

soloing throughout his post-Beatles solo career. Overdubs on the track, including Harrison's backing vocals and Scott's various horn parts, were completed by 13 September 1976, after Harrison had been waylaid with

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...

for much of the summer.Madinger & Easter, p. 454.

Release and reception

''Thirty Three & 1/3'' was released in November 1976, with "Pure Smokey" appearing as track 3 on side two of the original LP format, sequenced between Harrison's remake of the

standard " True Love" and " Crackerbox Palace". As with "Ooh Baby" on ''Extra Texture'', the album cover included text dedicating the song to Robinson. In Britain, "Pure Smokey" appeared as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to the second single off ''Thirty Three & 1/3'', "True Love", issued in February 1977. Music critics praised ''Thirty Three & 1/3'' as Harrison's finest work since ''All Things Must Pass'',The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 188.Schaffner, p. 192. and noted the quality of the production after the more downbeat ''

'' (1974) and ''Extra Texture''.Woffinden, p. 104. In a review for ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'',

Ray Coleman Ray Coleman (15 June 1937, Leicester – 10 September 1996, Shepperton) was a British author and music journalist. Career Coleman was the former editor-in-chief of ''Melody Maker'' known for his biographies of The Beatles. Besides ''Melody Ma ...

listed the song among "plenty of high-spots" on the album and commented: "Interesting to observe from this how flexible George's vocal styles have now become: he handles Pure Smokey'with a black soul feeling, showing commendable understanding, but without resorting to embarrassing copying techniques."Ray Coleman, "Harrison Regains His Rubber Soul", ''

'', 27 November 1976, p. 23. Although he admired Harrison's guitar work throughout the album, the ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

''s

Bob Woffinden Robert Woffinden (31 January 1948 – 1 May 2018) was a British investigative journalist. Formerly a reporter with the '' New Musical Express'', he later specialised in investigating miscarriages of justice. He wrote about a number of high-profi ...

derided its lyrics and opined that a second Robinson tribute in as many years "serves to delineate even more his inability to find fresh material and themes".Bob Woffinden, "George Harrison: ''Thirty-Three & 1/3''", ''

'', 27 November 1976; available a
Rock's Backpages
(subscription required; retrieved 29 July 2013). Writing in ''The Beatles Forever'' in 1977, Nicholas Schaffner included "Pure Smokey" as an example of ''Thirty Three & 1/3''s standing as "the most varied and tuneful collection of Harrison melodies to date" and described the song as "similar to ''Extra Texture''s 'Ooh Baby' but better". Among other Beatles biographers, "Pure Smokey" is viewed as superior to Harrison's previous Robinson tribute. Simon Leng considers "Pure Smokey" to be both "the most successful, and succinct, summation of his attachments to the oulgenre" and "one of its author's most appealing songs". Leng praises Harrison's guitar solos for their understated, melodic approach – in which he detects "a nod to

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

, but with added

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

twang" – and concludes: "A fact often overlooked is that none of the other Beatles came close to offering convincing soul moods, whereas they were a fundamental part of the Dark Horse's musical vocabulary." Ian Inglis summarises "Pure Smokey" as "a wonderful example of Harrison's obvious affection for sweet soul, both as a singer and a songwriter", and includes it among lesser-known Harrison compositions such as " Your Love Is Forever", " Life Itself" and " That's the Way It Goes", all of which are "often overlooked" yet possess "great charm, energy, and beauty". In the 2005 publication ''

NME Originals The NME Originals is a collection of articles and reviews from the ''NME'' and '' Melody Maker'' magazines about one band or genre. The first issue was about the Beatles, published on 3 April 2002. Many issues in the series were produced by ''NME'' ...

: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980'', Adrian Thrills named "Pure Smokey" and " See Yourself" as two highlights of ''Thirty Three & 1/3'' and placed the former track seventh in his list of Harrison's "ten solo gems". Former ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' editor

Mat Snow Mat Snow (born 20 October 1958) is an English music journalist, magazine editor, and author. From 1995 to 1999, he was the editor of ''Mojo'' magazine; he subsequently served in the same role on the football magazine ''FourFourTwo''. During the ...

includes "Pure Smokey" and "True Love" among the "standouts" on an album that found its creator with "his groove back". Snow describes the track as "the soul fan George's second and best tribute to the Motown legend".Snow, p. 58. Speaking to the music website HazyRock in 2014, Robinson said that he had got to know Harrison in Los Angeles during the 1970s and he was still "very flattered" by the song.Something Else! staff
"Smokey Robinson still thrilled by George Harrison's long-ago tribute: 'A wonderful, flattering thing'"
, Something Else!, 17 December 2014 (retrieved 4 March 2015).

Personnel

– vocals, electric guitars, backing vocals * Richard Tee – electric piano * Tom Scott – saxophones, horn arrangement * Willie Weeks – bass * Alvin Taylor – drums

Notes

References

Sources

* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; ). * Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; ). * Roy Carr & Tony Tyler, ''The Beatles: An Illustrated Record'', Trewin Copplestone Publishing (London, 1978; ). * Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; ). * The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; ). * Michael Frontani, "The Solo Years", in Kenneth Womack (ed.), '' The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles'', Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK, 2009; ), pp. 153–82. * George Harrison, ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; ). * Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; ). * Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; ). * Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; ). * Ian MacDonald, ''Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties'', Pimlico (London, 1998; ). * Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; ). * Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; ). * Nicholas Schaffner, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; ). * Mat Snow, ''The Beatles Solo: The Illustrated Chronicles of John, Paul, George, and Ringo After The Beatles'' (Volume 3: ''George''), Race Point Publishing (New York, NY, 2013; ). *

Bruce Spizer David "Bruce" Spizer (born July 2, 1955) is a tax attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana, who is also recognized as an expert on the Beatles. He has published thirteen books, and is frequently quoted as an authority on the history of the band and ...

, ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; ). * Gary Tillery, ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; ). * Bob Woffinden, ''The Beatles Apart'', Proteus (London, 1981; ). {{Smokey Robinson 1976 songs George Harrison songs Songs written by George Harrison Song recordings produced by George Harrison Music published by Oops Publishing and Ganga Publishing, B.V. Dark Horse Records singles