Bright Lights & Back Alleys
Appearance
Bright Lights & Back Alleys | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 29 September 1977 | |||
Recorded | March — April 1977[1] | |||
Studio | Whitney Recording Studios (Glendale, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:08[nb 1] | |||
Label | RAK | |||
Producer | ||||
Smokie chronology | ||||
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Singles from Bright Lights & Back Alleys | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Bright Lights & Back Alleys is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Smokie, released on 29 September 1977 in continental Europe[2] and 7 October in the United Kingdom[3] by RAK Records. Recorded primarily at Whitney Recording Studios in Glendale, California, from March to April 1977, it was produced by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, as were the band's all previous albums.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "It's Your Life" | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman | 3:33 |
2. | "I Can't Stay Here Tonight" | Chris Norman, Pete Spencer | 4:05 |
3. | "Sunshine Avenue" | Norman, Spencer | 3:09 |
4. | "Think of Me (The Lonely One)" | Norman, Spencer | 4:41 |
5. | "In the Heat of the Night" | Chinn, Chapman | 4:45 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Needles and Pins" | Jack Nitzsche, Sonny Bono | 2:43 |
7. | "No One Could Ever Love You More" | Norman, Spencer | 2:30 |
8. | "The Dancer" | Leo Sayer, David Courtney | 3:50 |
9. | "Baby It's You" | Norman, Spencer | 3:49 |
10. | "Walk Right Back" | Norman, Spencer | 5:29 |
Total length: | 39:08 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Now You Think You Know" | Terry Uttley | 3:28 |
12. | "Lay Back in the Arms of Someone" | Chinn, Chapman | 4:05 |
13. | "Here Lies a Man" | Norman, Spencer | 3:28 |
Total length: | 49:58 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
14. | "Alone in a Cell" | Norman, Spencer, Alan Silson, Uttley | 4:48 |
Total length: | 54:50 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's 1977[nb 4] and 2016[nb 3] liner notes.
- Smokie
- Chris Norman – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Alan Silson – vocals, backing vocals, guitars
- Pete Spencer – backing vocals, drums, percussions
- Terry Uttley – backing vocals, bass guitar
- Additional musicians
- Technical personnel
- Mike Chapman – production
- Nicky Chinn – production
- Pete Coleman – engineering
- MM Sound Digital Mastering Studios – 2016 remastering
- Jimmy Haskell – string arrangements (on tracks 1-3 and 5)
- Phil Dennys – string arrangements (on tracks 4 and 8)
- Cream – sleeve design
- Gered Mankowitz – photography
Charts
Chart (1977) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 36 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[5] | 6 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[2] | 6 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[6] | 1 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[7] | 3 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany (BVMI)[8] | Gold | 250,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Silver | 60,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- Notes
^ "Baby It's You" was recorded in July 1976 at Decca Studios (Paris, France), and "Think of Me (The Only One)" — in August 1977 at Bovema Studios (Heemstede, Holland).
- Citations
- ^ Guarisco, Donald A. Smokie: "Bright Lights & Back Alleys" > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ a b "Offiziellecharts.de – Smokie – Bright Lights & Back Alleys" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Hendriks, Phil (2007). Bright Lights & Back Alleys (booklet). Smokie. London: 7T's Records (GLAM CD 39). p. 4.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 279. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Smokie – Bright Lights & Back Alleys" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Smokie – Bright Lights & Back Alleys". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Smokie – Bright Lights & Back Alleys". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Smokie; 'Bright Lights & Back Alleys')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "British album certifications – Smokie – Bright Lights & Back Alleys". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 October 2016. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Bright Lights & Back Alleys in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.