Rangi Ruru Wananga Karaitiana was the composer of the popular song 'Blue Smoke'. He recalled, ‘We were on the troopship Aquitania in 1940 off the coast ofAfrica when a friend drew my attention to some passing smoke. He putthe song in my lap. It was a natural’. Within a day or two Karaitianahad completed the lyric and melody in his head, and performed the songfor a shipboard concert. Although it was performed at various troop concerts during the war, ‘Blue smoke’ was rejected by London publishers.

Back in New Zealand in 1947, Karaitiana assembled a quintet, and in October 1948 theyrecorded a version of ‘Blue Smoke’ in Wellington with singer Pixie Williams. Thebacking music was Hawaiian-style, and instruments included guitars,ukulele and lap-steel guitar. The 78 rpm disc was the first recordwholly produced in New Zealand from composition to pressing, andprovided a début hit-seller for the New Zealand-owned TANZA (To AssistNew Zealand Artists) record label. Although Karaitiana considered it ‘apoor first effort’, ‘Blue Smoke’ topped New Zealand radio hit paradesfor six weeks, and sold more than 20,000 copies within a year.