Chris Norman was a founder member of Smokie who had big success in the 70’s
with such hits as ‘Living Next Door To Alice’ and ‘Needles and Pins’. He’s
since had solo success and releases his sixteenth solo album, ‘Handmade’ in
February via Sanctuary. Well worth a listen if you like Tom Petty and
Southside Johnny.
Firstly if we could talk about your new solo album, ‘Handmade’ which is your
sixteenth solo album. It sounds very much like Tom Petty & Southside Johnny.
Is this your normal style?
Pretty much, although previously the record label had tried to get me
towards a more synthetic, computer driven sound. But this time it was more
band driven and wanted to get a proper live sound. When you do the more
produced sound you have trouble when you tour in that you can’t get the
sound as you overdubbed stuff, used computers and so on.
With this album I wanted to go back to where you go on stage and play it. I
did it like the old days, in that we record it and routine it until we get
it right. We started putting tracks down and then chose the tracks and said
‘Right this goes on the album’.
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I prefer it as it is much more spontaneous and more fun.
Are the musicians on the album people you’ve worked with before?
Bob, the drummer has only been in the band a year and a half. The guitar
player has been with me for six, seven years and the bass player the same.
Is there a tour to back the album?
Yes, although I haven’t toured in England for ages because there has been no
real success for me. Most of the time I spend in Germany and Holland,
northern Europe. The last couple of albums never got a UK release so I never
toured here. It depends on how much interest the album generates as to
whether I tour the UK, but I start a tour anyway in the middle of April. All
around Europe and hopefully the UK.
When was the last time you toured the UK?
Ages ago, I think the early, mid-80’s. I’ve done the odd gig but not a full
tour. It’s a big thing to put on the road as you seven people in the band,
including myself. By the time you start paying everybody you have to be
certain of making a certain amount. You can either make it on the road or
get a record company to back you.
Why do you think the UK is like that, whereas fans and interest remains in
mainland Europe?
I started do off doing the solo stuff in Germany as there was more interest
there than the UK. I had a couple of solo hits in the early 80’s and there
wasn’t the same sort of interest in the UK. I was on Polydor in Germany,
although they have branches in other countries the UK side would say we
don’t want that as it comes from Germany. But I’d say I am English, not a
German act! Because it comes out of Germany they think it’s a German
production for the national market and they don’t even listen to it. I used
to ring-up Polydor in the UK, where they say ‘Oh we haven’t had that CD’,
when really they couldn’t care less.
I started a label with a friend of mine and we put out a couple of albums in
the early 90’s. But it’s really difficult, the amount of money it costs to
promote stuff. I hope with Sanctuary there will be more promotion. It’s
really all down to promotion. If I could enough TV and radio, then people
would be aware of it. Then I could your and people would then buy the album.
You’ve signed to Sanctuary. How did you sign with them?
I was doing a production thing in Germany with a girl singer. Totally
separate from me and I sent this singer’s album to John Williams at
Sanctuary. I’d known him form the RAK days when they signed Smokie. He said
it was good but at the time they weren’t signing newer acts like that. So
when I left the company I was withy, my manager said why don’t you try
Sanctuary and they were really into it. I am gald it’s got a UK release.
Which solo albums have stood the test of time and which would you recommend
to a new listener to your work?
‘Reflections’ which I like and ‘Interchange’, ‘Jealous Heart’ and there’s a
couple I am not so proud of you know. But those previous three are a good
reflection of me live.
How do find it being a solo artist as opposed to a band environment?
The promotion was easy at the beginning as I had this big hit single, which
went to no.1 in Germany and all over Europe actually. I was doing TV and
radio shows. That carried on for a bit, then I did albums that did alright.
The promotion side was fine the hardest part was having the responsibility
without having people around you to share it. that was the thing I found
difficult at first. I feel more comfortable in the band situation I have
now, because I am just a singer in a band.
They used to say on TV why can’t you sing solo? I’d say I am not Frank
Sinatra, put me with a band and I am fine.
What was the key factor behind the success of Smokie? They were a huge hit
in the 70’s.
We were a good band and been together since school. We had a good harmony
thing like Crosby, Stills & Nash with the three main singers in the band. We
were a band that had been used to playing. We were lucky enough to get some
good songs and made some good records, the band for the right time. We came
around with the glam bands like the Sweet, but we were guys in jeans singing
harmony songs with acoustic guitars. We kinda didn’t fit in at first and we
thought we weren’t going to make it. We played good live shows whereas many
groups then were nothing like their albums when they played live.
What was the live highlight of your time in Smokie?
We did a lot of massive arena tours, 12-15,000 seaters. I remember a gig in
Vienna and it was the first time I’d seen the thing with all the waving
lighters. It was just unbelievable. But then you have to get used to not
doing arenas after that (chuckles). We’d do d tour of England and we only
played 2,000 seater theatres despite the chart success.
When did you leave Smokie - wasn’t it the early 80’s?
We kinda split-up in 1982. We just stopped doing it for a bit, I tried a few
solo albums and the England (football) records. We came back together in the
mid-80’s to do a charity show for the Bradford football fire disaster, which
is our hometown. We liked it and we got back together for a bit.
I left again a year and half afterwards. Alan and Terry carried on with another
singer and a couple of new guys in the band. They continued for ages, then
Alan left and there still is a Smokie touring with just the bass player in
it.
Searching on the website so many Smokie websites come-up from all over
including Denmark, Germany and Norway. Has this helped keep the Smokie music
going?
Yes, there’s a massive 70’s Smokie thing, all over Europe and Russia. I’ve
played the Kremlin Palace theatre, it’s great you know. Massive audience out
there that you didn’t know was there until you got there.
It’s much easier to find out stuff about people, bands or whatever. I think
it’s great.
Any chance of a Smokie reunion tour? Many older acts have huge success with
reunion tours like Kiss and the Rolling Stones.
It’s been talked about a couple of time and people in Europe keep asking me.
We wouldn’t get back together properly. I mean Terry’s doing this stuff with
four other guys and go out calling themselves Smokie. He’s probably quite
happy doing that anyway. We did sit in a room three years ago and talked
about it, but it really broke down as there is still some bad feelings. We
get on well together now until we are all together for too long and little
things start coming up. You think what would this be like on tour bus with a
six-hour drive.
You never know, it would more likely be a one-off thing like a festival or a
charity thing. Otherwise I doubt it somehow.
What did you think of the ‘Living Next Door To Alice’ remake with Chubby
Brown (popular foul mouthed UK comedian) a few years ago?
I didn’t like that. It had come out earlier by somebody called Gompie from
Holland. They did this copy with the ‘Who the f*** is Alice’ in the middle.
I thought that was okay and the next thing I’d heard was the new Smokie had
done it. Why re-record with Chubby Brown and go on TV with it (laughs).
Lindisfarne did something similar as well withy ‘Fog On The Tyne’ with Gazza
(then famous England football international), which they later regretted.
At least Gazza was the main man, as they put the record out as Gazza
featuring Lindisfarne. I don’t think they regretted it but I did! The
original was on Top of the Pops 2 (UK TV show with classic music footage)
and the caption came up saying Smokie re-recorded it with Chubby Brown. I
didn’t re-record it this other version did.
Who was Alice?
I dunno. Just a made-up name. There was an old lady living next to me
when it was a hit called Alice, who was 80 odd but I didn’t know that at the
time. She came round and said my name’s Alice. It was written by Mike
Chapman (half of Chin & Chapman who wrote hits for Suzi Quatro, Mud & the
Sweet amongst others) anyway.
What do you like doing in your spare time outside of music?
I’ve got big family. I am married with five kids and I do family stuff when
I am not doing music. I watch a bit of TV. I’ve got a studio at home so I
spend a lot of time in there. Or I read. Sometimes go to the theatre, but
that’s a trip as I live in the Isle of Man. It’s a family thing.
Any artists you’d like to work with?
A lot of people I’d like to work with are sadly not alive anymore like John
Lennon or Frank Sinatra. If Paul McArtney rang-up asking for a duet I’d say
yes. I am not that bothered really but I am sure if I sat down I’d come-up
with some people.
Message for your fans…
Listen to the albums and see if you like it, buy some albums and come along
to the concerts. I’d love to play in the UK again
Interview © 2004
Jason Ritchie
Album review
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