Jim Bartlett is yet another one in that vast army of music bloggers who is pretty knowledgable about his stuff. Here, the American imagines that the timeless classic "Living Next Door to Alice" is a "Forgotten 45". But that's not true for the majority of people born in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in Britain. Myself for one. Denied the spelling "Smokey" due to artist copyright issues, they're gone a long time past - but NOT forgotten:
"'Forgotten 45': 'Living Next Door to Alice'. 'Smokie', with songs written and produced by British 'bubblegum' masters Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, scored six Top 10 hits in Britain between 1975 and 1977. Three of those made the American charts, but only "Alice" hit the Top 40. It wasn't an across-the-board hit in America, but it stayed on the Hot 100 from December 1976 through April 1977, so it was big in some places around the country but not in others.
"Like a lot of other semi-popular groups of their era, 'Smokie' has had a long afterlife. The group broke up in the late 70s (lead singer Chris Norman would make the American Top 10 in 1979, paired with Suzi Quatro on 'Stumblin' In') reformed in the late 80s, and continues to play today. 'Alice' even made it back to the British Top 10 in 1995, in a new version with a comedian/singer named Roy Chubby Brown, retitled 'Who the F**k is Alice?' There's no explaining British pop taste, really.
"'Living Next Door to Alice' is a 'Forgotten 45' in the sense that you don't hear it on the radio anymore, but it's definitely not forgettable if you do actually hear it. I can't think of another record that stays in my head like this one does. It was on the car tape I was listening to a couple of hours ago, and I expect to be humming the chorus for days:
" ♫ ♬ 'I don't know why she's leavin' or where she's gonna go, I guess she's got her reasons but I just don't wanna know, cos for 24 years I've been living next door to Alice.....' ♬ ♫ " For the stats, it got to No. 18 in the States, and No. 5 in the UK, in 1976. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokie_%28band%29
Now, at the wee pub/club I used to frequent in my occasionally sober mid-30s, the assembled drunken hordes used to belt out the chorus...'Alice, Alice, who the fu*# is Alice'...fun times at The Culture Bunker...
13 Comments (since 15 Dec 2014)
leejohnson
Jim Bartlett is yet another one in that vast army of music bloggers who is pretty knowledgable about his stuff. Here, the American imagines that the timeless classic "Living Next Door to Alice" is a "Forgotten 45". But that's not true for the majority of people born in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in Britain. Myself for one. Denied the spelling "Smokey" due to artist copyright issues, they're gone a long time past - but NOT forgotten:
leejohnson
"'Forgotten 45': 'Living Next Door to Alice'. 'Smokie', with songs written and produced by British 'bubblegum' masters Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, scored six Top 10 hits in Britain between 1975 and 1977. Three of those made the American charts, but only "Alice" hit the Top 40. It wasn't an across-the-board hit in America, but it stayed on the Hot 100 from December 1976 through April 1977, so it was big in some places around the country but not in others.
leejohnson
"Like a lot of other semi-popular groups of their era, 'Smokie' has had a long afterlife. The group broke up in the late 70s (lead singer Chris Norman would make the American Top 10 in 1979, paired with Suzi Quatro on 'Stumblin' In') reformed in the late 80s, and continues to play today. 'Alice' even made it back to the British Top 10 in 1995, in a new version with a comedian/singer named Roy Chubby Brown, retitled 'Who the F**k is Alice?' There's no explaining British pop taste, really.
leejohnson
"'Living Next Door to Alice' is a 'Forgotten 45' in the sense that you don't hear it on the radio anymore, but it's definitely not forgettable if you do actually hear it. I can't think of another record that stays in my head like this one does. It was on the car tape I was listening to a couple of hours ago, and I expect to be humming the chorus for days:
leejohnson
" ♫ ♬ 'I don't know why she's leavin' or where she's gonna go, I guess she's got her reasons but I just don't wanna know, cos for 24 years I've been living next door to Alice.....' ♬ ♫ " For the stats, it got to No. 18 in the States, and No. 5 in the UK, in 1976. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokie_%28band%29
21schizoid
Now, at the wee pub/club I used to frequent in my occasionally sober mid-30s, the assembled drunken hordes used to belt out the chorus...'Alice, Alice, who the fu*# is Alice'...fun times at The Culture Bunker...
daved
@21schizoid My Gawd I think I was there too ;)
glimmer9
me too ,nice jam
21schizoid
@daved I'd have been shocked if you weren't...
daved
@21schizoid ;-)
brianberrington
Great pick.
lynn200
a good night out years ago...ended up singing this...the days before the fiver pint and no ciggys.....brilliant...indulging..>)
florencevibert
What a perfect song. I love it! Thanks for brings to mind.