| "The Smoke" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Smile | ||||
| from the album A Light for Attracting Attention | ||||
| A-side | "You Will Never Work in Television Again" (double A-side 7" single) | |||
| Released | 27 January 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:39 | |||
| Label | XL | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Nigel Godrich | |||
| The Smile singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "The Smoke" on YouTube | ||||
"The Smoke" is a song by the English rock band the Smile. It was released on 27 January 2022 as the second single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention .
Both Uproxx [3] and The Fader [4] noted the song was more in line with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's main band Radiohead's later work than the Smile's previous single, "You Will Never Work in Television Again", with Uproxx calling the song "a groove-driven single". Earmilk favourably compared to a demo by the Doors or Dizzy Gillespie from the early 1970s, [1] while Resident Advisor likened it to Fela Kuti. [5] Uncrate said Tom Skinner's drumming "showcases some funk/jazz-infused stylings". [6]
The video for "The Smoke" was shot on 16 mm film and directed by BAFTA Award-winning writer and director Mark Jenkin. [7] Rob Ulitski of Promonews said Jenkin's video "doesn't conform to traditional narrative or promo logic, existing instead as a conceptual form to accompany the music". [8] Raphael Helfand of The Fader called the video "a loose interpretation of a 'lyric video'" with "largely unintelligible" words. [4]
"The Smoke" was released on 27 January 2022 as the second single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention . [9] A remix by Dennis Bovell was released on 3 March. Greenwood told The Quietus: "Dennis's work runs like a thread through so much of the music I love. I'm more proud than I can say that he's done a dub mix of our song 'The Smoke'." [10]
Credits adapted from album liner notes. [11]
The Smile
Production
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone.
Thomas Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. Rolling Stone described Yorke as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.
"Paranoid Android" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997), on 26 May 1997. The lyrics were written by singer Thom Yorke following an unpleasant experience in a Los Angeles bar. The song is over six minutes long and contains four sections. The name is taken from Marvin the Paranoid Android from the science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Nigel Timothy Godrich is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He has worked with acts including Radiohead, Travis, Beck, Air, Paul McCartney, U2, R.E.M., Pavement, Roger Waters, Arcade Fire, and Idles.
"Karma Police" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 25 August 1997 as the second single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997). It reached number one in Iceland and number eight on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, it reached number 14 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was included on Radiohead: The Best Of (2008).
"Follow Me Around" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 1 November 2021 as the second single from their compilation album Kid A Mnesia. It features the singer, Thom Yorke, on acoustic guitar, with lyrics expressing paranoia and dread.
"No Surprises" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the fourth and final single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997), in 1998. It was also released as a mini-album in Japan, titled No Surprises / Running from Demons.
"Pop Is Dead" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released as a non-album single on 10 May 1993, several months after their debut album, Pablo Honey. The music video features the singer, Thom Yorke, in a coffin. "Pop Is Dead" reached number 42 on the UK singles chart and received mixed reviews. Years later, members of Radiohead said they regretted releasing it.
"FeelingPulledApartByHorses" and "TheHollowEarth" are songs by Thom Yorke, produced by Nigel Godrich. The songs were self-released as a limited double A-side vinyl in September 2009 and as a download on 6 October 2009.
Tom Skinner is an English drummer, percussionist and record producer. He co-founded the jazz band Sons of Kemet and the rock band the Smile. He has released two albums under the name Hello Skinny. His first album under his own name, Voices of Bishara, was released in November 2022.
The Smile are an English rock band comprising the Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Tom Skinner (drums). Critics likened them to Radiohead, with more jazz, krautrock and progressive rock influences and a looser, wilder sound.
"You Will Never Work in Television Again" is a song by the English rock band the Smile. It was released on 5 January 2022 as the debut single from their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention. The Smile first performed it in the 2021 Glastonbury livestream Live at Worthy Farm.
"Skrting on the Surface" is a song by the English rock band the Smile. It was released on 17 March, 2022, as the third single from the Smile's debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.
"Pana-vision" is the fourth single by the English rock band the Smile, released on 3 April 2022. It is included on their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.
A Light for Attracting Attention is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Smile. It was released digitally through XL Recordings on 13 May 2022, with a physical release on 17 June.
"Free in the Knowledge" is a song by the English rock band the Smile. It was released on 20 March 2022 as the third single from the Smile's debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention, by XL Recordings.
"Bending Hectic" is a song by the English rock band the Smile, from their second studio album, Wall of Eyes (2024). It was released on 20 June 2023, one day before the Smile began the second leg of their debut North American tour.
Wall of Eyes is the second studio album by the English rock band the Smile, released on 26 January 2024 through XL Recordings. It was recorded in Oxford and Abbey Road Studios, London, with the producer Sam Petts-Davies.
"Friend of a Friend" is a song by the English rock band the Smile, released on 9 January 2024 by XL Recordings. It was the third single released from the Smile's second album, Wall of Eyes. The music video was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.