After shipping out with the Merchant Marine in 1940, he arrived in Chicago in 1943. In 1945 he started what he referred to as a "bebop" band. According to Rowe, it had 8 pieces plus blues singer Tiny Topsy (it is unlikely that Smith was able to carry all 8 pieces on some of his club engagements, however). Lists of contracts accepted and filed by Musicians Union Local 208 show that Smith and band were working on the South Side sporadically; presumably they were working outside of Local 208's territory the rest of the time. On August 15, 1946, Al Smith posted a contract for 2 days at the DuSable Lounge. On September 5, he posted a contract for a week at the Hurricane Lounge; on October 17, "Al. B. Smith" filed a contract for 2 weeks at the Quality Lounge. On March 6, 1947, Smith and band settled into a steadier gig at the Bonaire Lounge, filing for 8 weeks. On January 22, 1948, "Albert" Smith was at the Tradesmen's Lounge for 3 days; this led to a rare mention in the the Chicago Defender, whose January 24 issue ran an ad featuring Al Smith's Band during a Grand Opening at the New Tradesmen's Lounge. Another 3-day contract at the Tradesmen's was filed on February 5. On July 15, he posted another contract with the Bonaire Lounge, for 6 nights, and on August 5, he filed another, covering the nights of July 20 through 26. On October 7, "Albert B. Smith" posted a contract for 1 week at Club 21. On November 18, he filed for 3 nights at the Flamingo Lounge.
After that, he dropped off the contract lists for over 6 months. Another rare Defender sighting, on June 18, 1949, had Al Smith and the Band that Rocks playing at the Sawdust Trail. It was after the Sawdust Trail gig that Smith latched onto something steadier. He reappeared on the Local 208 contract list on July 21, 1949, with an "indefinite" deal with the Apex Club in Robbins, Illinois. On November 17, he filed another indefinite contract with what was now identified as the Apex Country Club. On December 15, he filed yet another with the Apex Show Club. On June 1, 1950, he filed still another indefinite contract with the Apex Country Club. On November 2, he posted a contract for another 2 weeks there.
In April 1951, Smith was back at the Bonaire Lounge, filing an "indefinite" contract on April 5. On July 5, he filed for a week at the Cork Club. On September 6, he posted a contract with El Morocco Lounge, for 2 weeks; this was followed by a 3-week contract on September 20, and a 5-week contract accepted and filed on October 4.
There are no known recordings from this period. In fact, Al Smith did not get on record until April of 1952, when he may have accompanied Johnny Shines on a famous blues session for JOB. Around that time the old Al Smith band broke up; in fact, Al Smith did not appear on the Local 208 list as a leader for 9 months, from December 1951 through August 1952. (His former vocalist, Tiny Topsy, went on to cut some singles for King in the mid and late 1950s.) Sensing how the commercial winds were blowing, Smith formed a smaller ensemble to play R&B.
From Fall 1952 through Spring 1959, Smith was most successful in the bandleading business. This was not on account of his instrumental prowess. Charles Walton said, "He held the bass... OK, he played the bass--but he didn't tune it first." Red Holloway agrees that Smith held the bass (in fact, when Al had to play on a record date he would ask Red to tune the bass for him!). By mid-1958, Smith had phased the studio bass playing out completely in favor of veteran Chicago musician Quinn Wilson, who had already appeared in many of his recording ensembles. Smith did continue to play the bass in bluesman Jimmy Reed's band through the early 1960s, but again other band members had to tune it for him.
Smith was well-liked by musicians; Tommy Hunter said that hardly anyone ever turned down a gig with him. His secret, according to Red, is that he got the gigs, and they always paid well. Lucius Washington recalls playing a dance with Al Smith and being told, "If they don't pay us on the first intermission, we don't play no more." Clearly Al Smith had little to fear from slow-paying promoters. (To put all of this in perspective, keep in mind that the fee for sidemen on Al's recording sessions was straight Union scale. That was $41.25--not always paid promptly, either.)
Among the better-known Chicago musicians who worked with Al Smith were Sonny Cohn, Booby Floyd, Red Holloway, Harold Ashby, Johnny Board, Leon Washington, Eddie Johnson, Lucius Washington (Little Wash), Von Freeman, Mac Easton, Horace Palm, Norman Simmons, Willie Jones, Sun Ra, Lefty Bates, Matt Murphy, Quinn Wilson, Vernel Fournier, Paul Gusman, and Alrock "Al" Duncan.
Between Fall 1952 and Spring 1959, Al Smith had recording sessions sewed up at four different independent labels in Chicago. He led house bands at Chance (1952-1954), Parrot/Blue Lake (1953-1955), United and States (1953-1956), and, most importantly, Vee-Jay (1954-1959). His primary employment in all cases was backing vocal groups, plus an occasional solo singer who didn't have a band. Instrumental tracks (except in the case of his valedictory session in 1959) were done during the studio time left over from vocal sessions.
Al Smith is a common name. At least two other Al Smiths were active in the world of R&B during "our" Al Smith's time. Albert Alan Smith, born May 1936 in Columbus, Ohio, was a soul-blues singer who cut two LPs for Prestige/Bluesville in 1959 and 1960. Alvin K. Smith (born August 8, 1926 in Monroe, Louisiana) sang on recordings with Jack McVea for the Combo and Tag labels in Los Angeles around 1955; he was responsible for other recordings on the West Coast, including some under the name Al King. Thanks to Eric LeBlanc for providing data on the other Als.
Peace Of Mind
Al Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You told me that we're through
Then you threw your lovin' arms around me
And you gave me, yeah-yeah, you gave me
Oh-oh gave me, peace of mind, yeah
Peace of mind, you gave me
Peace of mind, oh-oh you gave-gave me
You gave me, yeah-yeah, you gave me
Oh-oh you gave me, peace of mind
The song "Peace of Mind" by Al Smith captures the complexity of a romantic relationship. The opening line, "As I stood at the doorstep of romance," suggests that the singer is about to embark on a new journey of love. However, this journey is quickly interrupted when the partner announces that they are through. It is not clear what led to this decision, but the suddenness of the breakup leaves the singer feeling confused and uncertain.
The next line, "Then you threw your lovin' arms around me," creates a sense of paradox. The partner who just ended the relationship is now embracing the singer, which is confusing for the singer. Despite the paradox, this embrace is what ultimately leads to the gift of peace of mind. In the chorus, the singer acknowledges the ultimate gift the partner gave them: "Peace of mind, you gave me, peace of mind, you gave-gave me. You gave me, yeah-yeah, you gave me, oh-oh you gave me, peace of mind."
It's possible that the partner's embrace was a way of saying that although the romantic relationship is over, they still care for the singer and want them to be okay. The embrace might have even been a way of saying "goodbye," since it's often easier to end things on a positive note. Either way, the gift of peace of mind shows that even though the end of a relationship can be painful, there can still be positive takeaways and lessons learned.
Line by Line Meaning
As I stood at the doorstep of romance
When I was about to enter a romantic relationship
You told me that we're through
You informed me that our relationship is over
Then you threw your lovin' arms around me
But despite that, you embraced me with love
And you gave me, yeah-yeah, you gave me
And afterward, you provided me
Oh-oh gave me, peace of mind, yeah
With a peaceful state of mind, yes
Peace of mind, you gave me
You gave me a sense of calm
Peace of mind, you gave me
You gave me peace of mind
Peace of mind, oh-oh you gave-gave me
You gave me peace of mind, yes-yes
You gave me, yeah-yeah, you gave me
You provided me
Oh-oh you gave me, peace of mind
A peaceful state of mind was given by you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES BRACKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind