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 Smokie's
first hit was "If You Think You Know How To Love Me." |
| Smokie
have sold over 30 million CDs, records and albums. |
| Smokie
had 13 top twenty hits during the 1970s. |
| "Living
Next Door To Alice" has sold over 10 million worldwide. |
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After
two very successful cover albums the Smokie have returned to song
writing on their new studio album "On The Wire". According
to bass player Terry Uttley, a founder member of almost 30 years,
Smokie has never been in better shape than now.
 For
the first time in a few years Smokie have released a studio album
with their own material. The album, "On The Wire", marks
the beginning of a new strong period for the band that, despite
almost 30 years in the business, refuse to sit back and stop their
development.
"We continue to grow with this album. After two albums of cover
versions it was very important for us to start writing again as
we are still very ambitious. In fact, 11 of the 14 songs on the
new album were written by us and we are quite satisfied", says
Terry Uttley.
As the only original band member out of the 5 current members he
has been on board since the beginning in 1975, when Smokie called
themselves Smokey and released the debut album "Pass It Around".
He has experienced both ups and downs, but for the most part he
has experienced successes, a long row of number 1 hits, full stadiums
and three generations of enthusiastic fans.
Perhaps Smokie is best compared with Brazil's national football
team - regardless of the substitutions on the team, Brazil continues
to play the best football in the world. In the same way, throughout
the years, Smokie has experienced a row of substitutions without
damaging the team, and today Smokie seems to have the strongest
team ever: Mike Craft (lead vocal, guitar), Terry Uttley
(backing vocal, bass), Mick McConnell (backing vocal,
lead guitar), Martin Bullard (keyboard) and Steve Pinnell
(drums and percussion).
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"Smokie
is not a team of stars. We are a band. Smokie is a sound and not dependant
on one person, which is often the case on the pop scene. Our strength
is our teamwork and I'm not afraid to say that our current composition
is the best one ever. Smokie has simply never been better than today",
says Terry Uttley.
This statement is remarkable when looking back on Smokie's career,
as there have indeed been many excellent musicians as well as superstars
in the band over the years.
It all started in West Yorkshire, England, in the beginning of the
70's. Terry Uttley joined forces with his musical friends Chris Norman
and Alan Silson at St. Bedes Grammar School in Bradford and they formed
the band "The Yen" which was later renamed "The Sphynx".
The conditions were quite primitive - a four stringed guitar substituting
as a bass, but this didn't discourage the band. And in spite of numerous
name changes along the way nothing happened until the night in Cheshire
when Bill Hurley discovered the band.
He provided the band with the crucial contact to the people who created
the signature sound of British radio pop in the 1970's, Nicky Chinn
and Mike Chapman. The first hit for Smokey (they changed the name
to Smokie after a controversy with the people behind American singer
Smokey Robinson) ended in 1975 with a ban by several radio stations
as the title "Pass It Around" was thought to encourage smoking
pot.
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As
Smokie the success was unstoppable. Hit by hit was released; "Livin'
Next Door To Alice", "Don't Play Your Rock 'n' Roll To Me"
and "If You Think You Know How To Love Me", which in a way
founded the Smokie sound with close guitars and sharp vocals. The
songs on the new Smokie-album have the potential of becoming equally
popular among the fans throughout the world. "On The Wire"
contains many of the smash hit features which in time have become
synonymous with a Smokie release.
"Our sound is like the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken - it's
a secret! But it's true that the vocal harmonies are our trade mark",
says lead singer Mike Craft.
On the new album one can, among other things, enjoy the vocals on
the first single "Over You" as well as on the beautiful
ballad "Home Is Where You Are". Also, the delightfully rocking
songs "Ain't Gonna Rain" and "Love On A Wire"
can carry one away.
Mike Craft says about the selection of the 14 brand new songs:
"We must have listened to a thousand songs. But in most cases
our own material was better than what was offered to us by other songwriters.
We did, however, decide to work on Ole Boskovs' song and fit it to
our style. It might be somewhat atypical, but we have played it live
many times and it is already very popular and a real party song!"
According to the band members many fans have already heard some of
the new songs at the concerts during the past year. The new songs
were already written in December 2002, but Smokie has spent much time
in the studio perfecting the recordings.
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Mike
Craft is just one of the substitutions in a band that refused to give
up when things looked bad. Smokie covers a wide area age-wise from
53-year-old Terry Uttley to 40-year-old Mick McConnell. But the history
of the band has been both dramatic and unique.
The original lead singer, Chris Norman, was quick to have ambitions
about a solo career after a successful duet with Suzy Quatro, "Stumblin'
In" in 1978. And just as Smokie's success peaked - after five
years on the road and on the hit list - the band decided to split
up.
And if things ever went fast before they went even faster. When Smokie
decided to get back together in 1986, initially with Chris Norman
as lead singer once again, but shortly after - when Chris Norman left
again in the pursuit of a solo career - with a new lead singer, Alan
Barton.
 Smokie
managed to reboot the career. What probably led to success the second
time
around was the album "Celebration" from 1994 containing
among others "Can't Cry Hard Enough", which turned out to
have a very tragic meaning for Smokie. In March 1995 Smokie was involved
in a traffic accident on their way to the airport in Düsseldorf
and while Alan Silson and Terry Uttley were badly injured, Alan Barton's
injuries were so severe that he died after 5 days of struggling in
intensive care.
For a long time Smokie considered giving up but due to heavy support
from dedicated fans as well as from the media, Smokie began searching
for a replacement and so, a good friend of the band, Mike Craft, has
given voice to Smokie's very characteristic vocal ever since.
With him on the team Smokie has written new chapters to the success
story, the latest being the retrospective box set "The Hit Box"
which through 10 CD's tells the whole story in music.
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After
almost 30 years one might fear that Smokie is burned out. That the
group would want to rest on their laurels - and just play the old
hits over and over again, but "On The Wire" proves the opposite;
Smokie is in great shape! And the band is confirming their reputation
of being perhaps the hardest working band in the business with 260
days on tour last year together with 178 flights from country to country
with their tireless manager John Wagstaff.
"Actually it is more and more fun to play when you get older.
For the simple reason that you get better over the years", says
keyboard player Martin Bullard.
"It is a passion", says veteran Terry Uttley. "When
I was a child I thought that if only I was a pop star I could sleep
late every day. As if! We get up early almost every morning and I
hate early flights more than anything else. Some days are hard but
everything is easier when you love what you're doing".
Drummer Steve Pinnell says it in plain English on behalf of everyone
in the band that seems to become even more popular as time goes by:
"I love this life! I can't imagine doing anything else."
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