Pixie Williams - For the Record: The Pixie Williams Collection & The New Blue: Pixie Williams Reimagined (2LP)

Seventy-seven years after it was first recorded, Pixie Williams’ timeless voice returns to vinyl. Blue Smoke — written by Ruru Karaitiana on his way to war, recorded in Wellington on 3 October 1948, and released 26 June 1949 — was New Zealand’s first locally written, recorded, and commercially released pop song. It went on to sell 50,000 copies, topping the charts for six weeks, making Pixie Williams a household name overnight - arguably New Zealand's first pop star. Blue Smoke marked the birth of our recording industry.

This landmark reissue brings that history back to life with a unique double LP:

• Side A/B – For the Record: The Pixie Williams Collection – remastered originals, painstakingly restored from fragile 78rpm discs.
• Side C/D – The New Blue: Pixie Williams Reimagined – contemporary reinterpretations of Williams’ songs by leading Aotearoa artists, bridging generations and reimagining her legacy.

Collector’s First Edition:

• Individually hand-numbered
• Pressed on heavyweight clear and blue smoky vinyl
• Premium gatefold sleeve
• Exclusive foreword by Nick Bollinger (award-winning writer and critic)
• Liner notes by Chris Bourke (music historian and author of Blue Smoke)

This release continues the work of Blue Smoke Records, founded by Pixie’s daughter Amelia Costello, to preserve her music and the story of Aotearoa’s recording pioneers. As Pixie once said: “When you have music in your heart, it stays with you. Music will always live on.”

Own a piece of Aotearoa’s musical history – Blue Smoke returns on vinyl for the first time since 1949.