Smokie-Greatest Hits (1977)

Smokie is a commercially successful British pop and rock band formed in the mid-1960s in Yorkshire, England, and still active today, although without its original members. Their most successful lineup consisted of Chris Norman (vocals and guitar), Alan Silson (guitar and vocals), Terry Uttley (bass and vocals), and Pete Spencer (drums). It wasn't until almost ten years after their formation that they released their first album. “Pass It Around” (1975) launched a string of chart successes with a simple yet highly effective pop-rock style, thanks to tracks like “If You Think You Know How to Love Me”, “Don’t Play Your Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me”, “Something’s Been Making Me Blue”, “I’ll Meet You at Midnight”, “Living Next Door to Alice”, “Lady Back in the Arms of Someone”, “It’s Your Life”, and “Oh Carol”. All of these songs reached the UK Top 20, making the group one of the biggest pop-rock sensations of the 1970s. All these hits are from the albums; “Changing All the Time” (1975), “Midnight Café” (1976), “Bright Lights & Back Alleys” (1977), “The Montreux Album” (1978), “The Other Side of the Road” (1979), “Solid Ground” (1981), “Strangers in Paradise” (1982), and “Midnight Delight” (1982). In 1977, their “Greatest Hits” album achieved tremendous success, earning several platinum and gold records in various European countries. However, starting with “Midnight Delight”, the band began a period of frequent lineup changes, which diminished the group's creativity. While they released albums regularly, these were far removed from the commercial impact and quality of their earlier work. In 1995 they had another huge chart success with a new version of the song “Living Next Door to Alice” (Who the fuck is Alice)” recorded with the collaboration of British comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown.