Smokie - the Band
Three schoolfriends from Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, Terry Uttley, Alan Silson, and Chris Norman, wanted to become rock stars. They formed a group and were signed up for a summer season at Butlin's holiday camp. Then they were sacked.
Undeterred, they changed the band's name and were signed up by RCA, releasing their first single 'Light of Love'. By this time, Pete Spencer had joined the band as drummer. The man who turned down The Beatles (now working for Decca Records) then signed them up, but they had no recording successes. However, they successfully auditioned to be the backing band for Peter Noone of 'Herman and the Hermits' fame.
After a year's touring they returned to gigging in the north of England. Bill Hurley, who knew that the production team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman (Chinnichap) were looking for a band to work with, spotted the lads at a gig, and got them signed up in 1974, as 'Smokey'.
'Smokey' #1
Chinn and Chapman originally named the band 'Smokey', and that was how the name was spelled on their first two hit singles. It was then announced that they were changing the spelling to avoid confusion with Smokey Robinson, the soul singer and son-in-law of Tamla Motown founder Berry Gordy.
Smokie were seen as Chinn and Chapman's bid for respectability. They had previously been known for writing teeny-pop hits for the likes of Mud, Sweet, and Suzi Quatro. The material they wrote for Smokie was a bit more sophisticated.
The group's first single 'Pass It Around' was banned by BBC Radio One because of its' title's suggestion of drug use. Their second single, 'If You Think You Know How To Love Me', was a hit; it peaked at number three in the charts, and sold millions of copies around the world. They had 12 UK Top 40 hits in the 1975-78 era, of which the following six made the Top 10:
'If You Think You Know How To Love Me'(download )
'Don't Play Your Rock'n'Roll To Me'
'Living Next Door To Alice'(download)
'It's Your Life'
'Needles And Pins'
'Oh Carol'
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Sally called when she got the word,
She said, I suppose you've heard about Alice
Well, I rushed to the window, and I looked outside
I could hardly believe my eyes
As a big limousine rolled up into Alice's drive
Don't know why she's leaving, or where she's gonna go
I guess she's got her reasons but I just don't want to know
'cos for twenty-four years I've been living next door to Alice
Twenty-four years just waiting for the chance
To tell her how I feel and maybe get a second glance
Now I've got to get used to not living next door to Alice
We grew up together two kids in the park
We carved our initials deep in the bark, me and Alice
Now she walks through the door with her head held high
Just for a moment, I caught her eye
A big limousine pulled slowly out of Alice's drive
Sally called back and asked how I felt
And she said, hey I know how to help - get over Alice
She said now Alice is gone but I'm still here
You know I've been waiting for twenty-four years
And the big limousine disapeared
Don't know why she's leaving, or where she's gonna go
I guess she's got her reasons but I just don't want to know
'cos for twenty-four years I've been living next door to Alice
Twenty-four years just waiting for the chance
To tell her how I feel and maybe get a second glance
Now I've got to get used to not living next door to Alice
No I'll never get used to not living next door to Alice
Will You still love me tomorrow - Live in Beijing
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