[1] Although the songs from Ode to J. Smith were previewed in a series of live shows in February 2008, the studio recordings were not intended to be heard until the official release.

However, KCRW, an American radio station, got hold of an illegal copy of "J. Smith", and played it on air several times, and subsequently, mp3 files of the song were made and distributed, which Fran Healy contested to on the official forum.

[5] Many fans regarded "J. Smith" as a return to some of the rawness and rockiness of their debut album Good Feeling, and the band have revealed that they lyrically connected the two releases in certain ways.

The cover art of "J. Smith" was designed by Healy to resemble the original artwork of "All I Want to Do Is Rock", the group's first ever single.

The band also resurrected the Red Telephone Box record label, which they created to release "All I Want to Do Is Rock".