About
Blue Smoke is the blog of Blue Smoke the book. It is a place to share new information, stories and tangents. Blue Smoke: the Lost Dawn of Popular Music in New Zealand, 1918-1964 is by Chris Bourke, and published by Auckland University Press in October 2010. To purchase the book on-line, try mightyape.co.nz
bluesmokebook.wordpress.com 
We think it is a beautiful book. Chris has spent many many hours researching and interviewing performers, or their families, and recording their voices, collecting photos, it has been a real pleasure working with Chris, and we commend him on the finished product.
Thank you Chris, and by the way, we met Ruru Karaitiana’s widow Joan Kennett, while entertaining at Woodville in December last.
Well, Max Merritt & The Meteors haven’t quite left the 60s behind yet.
The name of a new live album, never before released, is Max Merritt & The Meteors “Been Away Too Long”, and we are on the brink of release – digital around Feb 1st, and CD around March 1st. Fingers crossed please. If you want a full-length preview of every number on the album go to http://www.facebook.com/lostraxx and follow the links to the viinyl streams. Enjoy, and believe it or not, we may actually make regular radio station airplay on this one. Cheers.
We have just settled on release dates for Been Away Too Long. Digital Feb 15th, CD is April 15th.
Thanks Chris. Pleased to have found your blog – lots for me to explore! Like the Michael Collins logo too! Regards Thom.