“Me having a croaky voice or something was made up once in a magazine article or something way back when and it never happened…it just wasn’t true”. Smokie lead singer Chris Norman dispels the rumours that his distinctive voice was due to a freak throat infection…
By Ian Woolley
That unmistakable voice of Chris Norman is back and he sounds as good as ever if his new album is anything to go by.
Called “Junction 55”, the album represents the 55 years he has played and sang as a music business professional.
“Can I believe it’s been that long?”
“Not really as it’s gone so fast as you get older especially. Back then I would have never believed I’d be still doing this and being on stage and doing tours or anything. I just wouldn’t have believed it after 55 years”, Chris tells me.
The new album has three songs by his old Smokie writing partner Pete Spencer which Norman is pleased about. “I always like writing with Pete as we’ve been doing it for so long. However, I did write a couple of things with him on a few things we did together a few years back. I love the way he writes and the lyrics and even the melodies he comes up with. I think they stand up on the album and it was great to do it”.
One is also with Mike Chapman. “The song I wrote with Mike was about four years ago when I made an album called “Just A Man” in London and I was going to his apartment quite a lot. One night we were staying up late and having a few drinks together and he started to write this song but we didn’t get it put on the album we were doing at the time. But since then I’ve revisited it and finished it off and recorded it for this album. It’s “Devil In Your Heart” which I like a lot and you can tell there’s a lot of Mike’s influence on the song”.
Smokie
When Smokie came on the scene, in some quarters it was suggested that a freak throat infection gave Chris Norman his distinctive vocals but this was a total fabrication of what really happened.
Chris laughs, “Me having a croaky voice or something was made up once in a magazine article or something way back when and it never happened…it just wasn’t true. I had plenty of people ask me that at the time but it wasn’t a throat infection. I think that the way I’d sing when you are playing in a rock band and sing the sort of stuff we’d do in the clubs and that. I used to sing Little Richard and you’d sort of scream and I think you kind of break your voice somehow so that’s how I got the voice”.
Some 20 years after they debuted in the UK charts in 1975, the new Smokie (featuring comedian Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown) found themselves back in the charts (ironically higher than the original version by the original group) with a reworked version of “Living Next Door To Alice”. I asked Chris whether the blue chorus sung added vocals are still sung back at him when he does he performs that song at gigs to this day.
“If I do a festival, people I still get that sung back at me but if I do a tour on my own they don’t so I guess the fans who come to see me know I wasn’t involved with that. That was the new ‘Smokies’ as I used to call them and I didn’t like that when it first happened. Now if people sing it out today it’s fine. I don’t care”.
photo credit Chris Norman
Chris still lives on the Isle Of Man which must be a very relaxing place to write music I put to him.
“It is a relaxing place but I spend a lot of time in other places too. It’s a great place to live as long as I’m not there all the time as it gets a bit claustrophobic if I’m honest. My family live there and I write music there but then I write music everywhere if I’m in that mode”.
Lastly, I asked him with his current tour, if there is any chance we might see him perform in the UK any time soon.
“I did try and do something a few years back but I need to find the right promoter who would like to take the risk. Chris Norman in some countries is very successful and well-known but in the UK my name is known but not so well-known if that makes sense. It may not sell out theatres so they are still a bit reluctant but I’m trying to do that. I did do some stuff in Ireland earlier part of last year and I’m hoping to do that again in September. It was very successful and a lot of people came so I’m trying at the moment to get something happening so maybe I’ll do Ireland and the UK at the same time and then it would be great…but if I don’t, I’ll see you when I see you”.
I guess all Smokie fans won’t want to wait another 24 years for that to happen!
Now he has a new album due for release titled ‘Junction 55’ with 12 new songs written by Chris or in collaboration with others. Three songs are written with his old friend and band member Pete Spencer, two with Geoff Carline his current band member, one with Mike Chapman and the rest on his own. The tracks are hallmarks of a true singer-songwriter with timeless melodies and memorable harmonies that soar. Recorded and produced in Chris’s own studio.
Chris says, “The title reflects the fact that I am at a new junction in my career and it has been 55 years since I turned pro”.
‘‘Junction 55’’ is the new album from Chris Norman – the legendary voice behind Smokie’s greatest hits and forthcoming singles “Tell Her She Can”, “Crazy”, “In A Heartbeat“ and ”Picture Of You“is available on 2nd February 2024 (Physical & Download Only) with a full digital release on 23rd February 2024.
For more info, go to Chris Norman – Fan Shop