Living Next Door to Alice, Needles and Pins, Don’t Play Your Rock ‘N’ Roll To Me. We’re willing to bet you know at least one of these songs, and there’s a reason for that. Smokie has had a soft spot for South Africa for decades – they’ve been playing concerts here since 1993! There’s no doubt this band from the era of The Beatles is equally deserving of a Hall of Fame spot. Here are four reasons why we think Smokie is one of the best bands on the planet:
1. They have been active for almost 60 years
First forming in 1964, Smokie has been a regular sight on hit charts across the planet for just shy of six decades. That’s a long time for a band to be relevant internationally, especially when factoring in that they are still touring and playing shows!
In case you didn’t hear, Smokie will be playing three shows in South Africa in December 2022 – Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Pretoria – look out for the band coming your way any day now!
2. Smokie has recorded 21 studio albums
Some bands record more than five albums, and if they’re seriously good – we’re talking known internationally – they’ll have pressed and published just north of 10 records. Smokie laughs in the face of these numbers with 21 smashing album titles on their seriously impressive discography!
Their first album, Pass It Around, was recorded in 1975. Their latest album, Take A Minute, was released in 2010. Since then, they’ve been touring! Explore Smokie’s full discography on the Smokie Wikipedia page.
3. One song hit the top five twice – two decades apart
In 1975 Smokie’s cover of Living Next Door to Alice (originally sung by an Australian band called New World), peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart. This was an amazing feat in the era of Led Zeppelin, The Jackson 5, Simon & Garfunkel, Styx, and Bob Dylan.
In 1995, a popular UK comedian sang the hit song on stage, adding in the line “Who the **** is Alice?” This sparked such a revival for the track, Smokie re-recorded and re-released it, with the added line, after which it rose to number three on the UK Singles Chart.
4. Their fans will do anything to hear them play
Smokie has been playing shows to adoring fans for decades, having die-hard superfans in regions some might not expect to find die-hard Smokie fans. We’re talking about places like Mongolia, where they played a special show that 25,000 ticketless fans made even more special.
After selling out a 40,000-seater stadium, there were still thousands of fans left outside the stadium with no chance of getting tickets or getting in. They decided to stay and listen from the parking lot anyway, forming part of an audience that was both inside and outside the venue – singing at the top of their lungs.
Watching Smokie live in South Africa in December?
Who wouldn’t want to see this iconic band in some of South Africa’s most iconic show venues, right? If you’re coming to GrandWest Casino’s Grand Arena on 15 December, and you’re looking for accommodation close to the show, we’ve got good news. City Lodge Hotel GrandWest is in the GrandWest Casino Complex, which means you’ll be walking distance from the show when staying with us.
If you’re watching Smokie live in Pretoria on 16 December, and you also need a soft place to rest your Smokie-filled head close to the show, try Town Lodge Menlo Park. It’s only 3.5km from the Sun Square Arena where Smokie will be playing their much-anticipated concert.