Never any mention of Smokie on guitar forums

Rocker

I played a CD of Smokie a few days ago and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the music.  Basically easy listening type music, but the band go back a long time even if the lineup has changed over the years.

As there are many nice guitar bits in Smokie songs, it is surprising that they don't get mentioned on guitar forums.  

EricTheWeary

They were part of the Chinn Chapman stable so their hit making/ popular period was relatively short for a band in existence from the 1960s until now. I suspect that their Who the F*** is Alice single a few years ago may have made them a few quid but robbed them of any remaining credibility. I don't know if that made it to Ireland  - if it didn't you didn't miss much. 
I can't remember the last time I listened to anything by them so you may have a point about the guitar work. 

Philly_Q

When you look back at them now they seem like a rock band with a drummer and guitarists and everything - rather like Sad Cafe - but at the time I don't remember them being perceived as anything more than a pretty bland pop group.  I mean, my sister had one of their albums.  QED.

Quite interesting reading their history, there's a crossover with Black Lace who started out sounding exactly like Smokie, before conquering the world with Agadoo etc...  Then the Black Lace singer joined Smokie after Chris Norman left and sang on that bloody Who the F*** is Alice single.

If you Google Chris Norman now you could be mistaken into thinking Joe Elliott had had some rather alarming plastic surgery.

EricTheWeary

Philly_Q said:

When you look back at them now they seem like a rock band with a drummer and guitarists and everything - rather like Sad Cafe - but at the time I don't remember them being perceived as anything more than a pretty bland pop group.  I mean, my sister had one of their albums.  QED.

Quite interesting reading their history, there's a crossover with Black Lace who started out sounding exactly like Smokie, before conquering the world with Agadoo etc...  Then the Black Lace singer joined Smokie after Chris Norman left and sang on that bloody Who the F*** is Alice single.

My brother was a big Sad Cafe fan ( maybe still is, not really come up in conversation lately). So I've tried occasionally with them but not quite got it. Maybe I'm old enough now to give them another go! 
Smokie were of the era of guitar bands as pop bands and quite often what seemed like bland pop at the time is revealed to have hidden depths. Because that's how things were made. 
I didn't know the Black Lace connection. I don't mind Agadoo as it's memories of taking my kids on package holidays to Spain but yes not really furthering the Smokie street cred. 

scrumhalf

Agadoo? Agadon't.

I developed a loathing of Smokie after tge receptionist at a place I worked brought in Smokie's Greatest Hits to play in the quiet period between Christmas and New Year.

By 29th December I could cheerfully thrown the CD, the CD player and probably her as well out of the window. 

Philly_Q

EricTheWeary said:

I didn't know the Black Lace connection. I don't mind Agadoo as it's memories of taking my kids on package holidays to Spain but yes not really furthering the Smokie street cred. 

As a Eurovision geek I remembered Black Lace's Eurovision entry "Mary Ann" from 1979, so I was a bit bewildered when an outfit with the same name appeared doing "Superman" and "Agadoo" a few years later....

"Mary Ann" sounded exactly like a Smokie song - or at least in my memory it does - so I wasn't surprised at all when Alan Barton joined Smokie, it made perfect sense.

steamabacus

Didn't Les McQueen once play for them?

boogieman

I never really thought of them as a guitar based band, more a pop band that happened to have a guitarist. They were far too bland for my tastes. Still are.  

TTony

boogieman said:

I never really thought of them as a guitar based band, more a pop band that happened to have a guitarist. 

Yup, I remember Smokie from the 70s, classic Chinn & Chapman pop stuff.  Got a bit of a soft spot for their pop stuff, tbh.

Their albums were a bit rockier than the pop singles stuff (I think C&C did the tracks released as singles, the band wrote other album tracks), but still at the soft end of rock, just over the border from pop.  But without the catchiness of the singles.

Chris Norman (ex-Smokie since late 70s?) is a good frontman for a light-rock band on the cabaret circuit.  Polished performer, good at what he does, and he does what his audience expects, so everyone goes home happy.  IIRC, his parents were both in the business, and his daughter is now as well, so it's a proper family business.

Philtre

steamabacus said:

Didn't Les McQueen once play for them?

Wasn't that Paper Lace?

darthed1981

steamabacus said:

Didn't Les McQueen once play for them?

Proper Songwriting...!!

It's a shit business...

koneguitarist

Always loved the solo on Oh Carol. Great tone. 

Frantic1

koneguitarist said:

Always loved the solo on Oh Carol. Great tone. 

That is a perfectly crafted solo.....very musical,lovely melody,great sound,a tad 'Jazzy' too!

ewal

I always associate them with League of Gentlemen, because Creme Brulee once supported them.

I also with that ex Creme Brulee character, what with his pathetic I was in a band once lines.

CHRISB50

https://youtu.be/HeLYVsf6qEA

Nitefly

In 1974 (before they got big) they had a summer season residency at Jenks bar in Talbot Square, Blackpool, I used to watch them a couple of times a week. 

They were a very competent rock covers band, with a smattering of original stuff.  They always got a good reception, and I always enjoyed watching them.

*edited* to clarify Jenks Bar was in Blackpool! 

StageStruck

Their first album, Pass It Around is fairly decent. Definitely more pop than rock, but the rockier moments are not too unlike some of The Sweet's stuff from the Love Is Like Oxygen era.

hollywoodrox

They were always on Top of the pops and the radio when I was a kid , their cover of needles and pins was quite big , a lot of bands from the same stable also got tons of airplay , I always thought smoky were playing on suzi Quattro’s you can’t give me love , Chris also did another great duet with her. ,stumbling in .

im sure I remember them playing at an opening or open day at a Large guitar shop Around 25 years ago 

axisus

I have a real soft spot for Oh Carol. It was a hit when I first discovered the pop charts, so many cool songs back then!

poopot

They’ve done nothing decent since Burt Reynolds popped his clogs…

fob