- Chris Norman
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For other uses, see Chris Norman (disambiguation).
Chris Norman 
Chris Norman in 2008Background information Birth name Christopher Ward Norman Born 25 October 1950 Origin Redcar, North Yorkshire, England Genres Pop rock, Soft rock, Glam rock, Pop Occupations Singer-songwriter Years active 1968–present Labels BMG, Edel Records Associated acts Smokie Website chris-norman.co.uk Chris Norman (born Christopher Ward Norman, 25 October 1950, Redcar, North Yorkshire, England) is an English soft rock singer. Norman was the lead singer of Smokie,[1] an English glam rock band from Bradford, which found success in Europe in the 1970s.
Contents
Life and career
His parents did not intend that he should pursue a stage career, but when he was just three years old, he decided to walk on stage and join the finale line-up for the show in which his parents were appearing.
This may have had an effect on him because with the advent of rock and roll, Norman acquired his first guitar at the age of seven. His early musical influences were Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Lonnie Donegan.
In these early years, Norman’s parents moved around the country a lot which resulted in him going to nine different schools, and living in various locations around England, such as, Redcar, Luton, Kimpton and Nottingham. By 1962 however the family had moved back to Norman's mother's home city of Bradford. Approaching his twelfth birthday, Norman started at St. Bede’s Grammar School where he was to meet Alan Silson and Terry Uttley, future members of Smokie.
As teenagers, influenced by the new era of groups such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and then folk singer, Bob Dylan, Norman and Silson began meeting up and spent nearly all their spare time learning new songs on their guitars. They managed to persuade Uttley to join them and, along with a drummer friend called Ron Kelly, they formed their first band. The Yen, Essence, and Long Side Down were just some of a variety of names they called themselves before settling on "The Elizabethans".
In 1968 "The Elizabethans" had turned professional following a stint at Butlins holiday camp in Skegness. Another name change was inevitable, but during the next seven years Norman and the band gained much experience playing around the country. They performed some live radio broadcasts, including Radio 1 Roadshows. They gained a recording contract with RCA, and then Decca Records, and released three singles under their new name of "Kindness".
During this period the band played many different styles and venues, and had a period as the backing group to Peter Noone, after he had just left Herman's Hermits.
When Ron Kelly left the group in 1973, an old friend called Pete Spencer was asked to take over on the drums, and the group, which was to become Smokie, was complete.
That same year the group took on a new manager, Bill Hurley. Hurley set about getting them out of their recording contract with Decca Records and managed to sign them to Mickie Most’s RAK record label with the songwriters Nicky Chinn / Mike Chapman as their production company.
By 1974 they had developed their own sound reflecting their close, three part, harmonies and Norman’s distinctive vocal sound. The band’s name was changed from Smokey to Smokie, and their debut album, Pass it Around was released in 1975.
By the summer of that year they had their first hit with "If You Think You Know How To Love Me". This was followed by a string of hit singles including "Living Next Door To Alice". Norman completed a successful duet with Suzi Quatro, "Stumblin' In" in 1978, which gave Norman his first taste of success outside of the group.
By now Smokie were enjoying success touring all over the world, but the strain and pressure of constantly being away from home and family was beginning to tell on Norman. By the early 1980s he decided to spend more time writing and working in the studio.
Norman together with Pete Spencer, now concentrated on songs for other artists including hits for Kevin Keegan and the England football team song "This Time (We'll Get It Right)". He also worked with Agnetha Fältskog from ABBA (on her solo album), Donovan, and The Heavy Metal Kids.
In 1985 Smokie reconvened to appear in a charity show in aid of the Bradford City A.F.C. fire disaster. The show was successful and as a result the band decided to go back on the road. Tours of Germany and Australia followed, but in the latter part of that year, Norman recorded a project for a German TV movie and decided to once again concentrate on his solo career.
That part of his career took off in 1986 with the song, "Midnight Lady", which was a hit throughout Europe holding the number one spot in Germany for six weeks. Written by Dieter Bohlen, it sold 900,000 copies in Germany alone.
Further success followed by the songs "Some Hearts Are Diamonds", "No Arms Can Ever Hold You", "Broken Heroes", "Fearless Hearts", "Sarah" and "Baby I Miss You". In 1994 Norman was honoured by CMT Europe as their "International Video Star of the Year".
In 2004 he took part at "Comeback Show" on the German TV station PRO7 and he performed "Stumblin' In" as a duet with C. C. Catch. In the final episode of the show he was joined by Smokie for the final Song.
"With Smokie we had success all over the world, but our greatest success we always had in Germany", says Norman. "In Germany there has always been the highest interest in my solo albums".
Norman continues to this day to record and perform gigs throughout Europe and beyond.
Discography
Solo Albums - Chris Norman
- 1982 Rock Away Your Teardrops
- 1986 Some Hearts Are Diamonds
- 1987 Different Shades
- 1989 Break the Ice
- 1991 The Interchange
- 1992 The Growing Years
- 1993 Jealous Heart
- 1994 The Album
- 1994 Screaming Love Album
- 1995 Every Little Thing
- 1995 Reflections
- 1997 Into the Night
- 1997 Christmas Together
- 1999 Full Circle
- 2000 Love Songs
- 2001 Breathe Me In
- 2003 Handmade
- 2004 Break Away
- 2005 One Acoustic Evening - CD & DVD (Live at the Private Music Club/Live in Vienna)
- 2006 Million Miles
- 2006 Coming Home
- 2007 Close Up
- 2009 The Hits! From His Smokie And Solo Years
- 2009 The Hits! Tour - Live at the Tempodrom, Berlin (Deutschland) DVD
- 2009 The Hits! Tour - Live at the Tempodrom, Berlin (Dänemark) DVD
- 2011 Time Traveller
Albums - Smokie
- 1975 Changing all the time
- 1975 Pass it around
- 1976 Bravo präsentiert: Smokie (Germany)
- 1976 Midnight Café
- 1976 Smokie
- 1977 Bright Lights & Back Alleys
- 1977 Greatest Hits
- 1978 The Montreux Album
- 1979 The Other Side of the Road
- 1980 Greatest Hits Vol. 2
- 1981 Smokie-The Very Best of Smokie
- 1981 Solid Ground
- 1982 Die großen Erfolge einer Supergruppe (Germany)
- 1982 Midnight Delight
- 1982 Strangers in Paradise
- 1990 Smokie Forever
- 1994 The Collection - Komplett 'B' platten 1975-78 (Germany)
- 1998 The Concert - Von 1978 Essen's Grugahalle (Germany) - Recorded "Live" for the Smokie film
Singles
- 1978 "Stumblin' In"
- 1982 "Hey Baby"
- 1983 "Love Is a Battlefield"
- 1984 "My Girl and Me"
- 1986 "Midnight Lady"
- 1986 "Some Hearts Are Diamonds"
- 1987 "No Arms Can Ever Hold You"
- 1987 "Sarah"
- 1988 "Broken Heroes"
- 1988 "I Want to Be Needed"
- 1988 "Ordinary Heart"
- 1988 "Wings of Love"
- 1989 "Back Again"
- 1989 "Keep the Candle Burning"
- 1991 "If You Need My Love Tonight"
- 1992 "I Need Your Love"
- 1993 "Come Together"
- 1993 "Goodbye Lady Blue"
- 1993 "Growing Years"
- 1993 "Jealous Heart"
- 1994 "As Good As It Gets"
- 1994 "I Need Your Love"
- 1994 "Wild Wild Angel"
- 1995 "Goodbye Lady Blue"
- 1995 "Obsession"
- 1995 "Red Hot Screaming Love"
- 1996 "Fearless Hearts"
- 1996 "Reflections of My Life"
- 1996 "Under Your Spell"
- 1997 "Baby I Miss You"
- 1997 "Into the Night"
- 1999 "Oh Carol"
- 2000 "Mexican Girl"
- 2002 "Ich Mache Meine Augen Zu"
- 2003 "Keep Talking"
- 2004 "Amazing"
- 2004 "Only You"
- 2004 "Too Much / Without Your Love"
- 2006 "Without Your Love" (UK)
- 2009 "Endless Night"
- 2011 "Chasing Cars"
Trivia
- Played with Robin Gibb along with Bonnie Tyler on 2 June 2007 at Peel Bay Festival, Isle of Man
References
- ^ Kohn, Michael (2006-01). Dateline Mongolia: An American Journalist in Nomad's Land. RDR Books. pp. 87–. ISBN 9781571431554. http://books.google.com/books?id=-UnWOmL1a48C&pg=PA87. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
External links
Categories:- 1950 births
- Living people
- English male singers
- English guitarists
- English songwriters
- English rock singers
- Sony BMG artists
- People from Redcar
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