The Montreux Album

1978 studio album by Smokie

The Montreux Album

Studio album by

Smokie

Released| 12 September 1978
Recorded| 6–24 February 1978[1]
Studio| Mountain Studios
(Montreux, Switzerland)
Genre|

* Pop rock
* country rock

Length| 34:32[nb 1]
Label| RAK
Producer| Mike Chapman
Smokie chronology
| Bright Lights & Back Alleys
(1977)  | The Montreux Album
(1978)  | The Other Side of the Road
(1979)

|
|

Singles from  The Montreux Album

1. "For a Few Dollars More"
Released: January 1978
2. "Oh Carol"
Released: May 1978
3. "Mexican Girl"
Released: September 1978

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]

The Montreux Album is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Smokie, released in 1978. Recorded primarily at Mountain Studios in Montreux (hence the album's title) between 6 and 24 February 1978, it was the band's last album to be made in partnership with Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.

## Track listing

[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "The Girl Can't Help It"| Chris Norman, Pete Spencer| 3:44
2.| "Power of Love"| Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman| 1:54
3.| "No More Letters"| Norman, Spencer| 3:27
4.| "Mexican Girl"| Norman, Spencer| 3:57
5.| "You Took Me by Surprise"| Alan Silson, Terry Uttley| 3:38

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

6.| "Oh Carol"| Chinn, Chapman| 3:39
7.| "Liverpool Docks"| Norman, Spencer| 2:56
8.| "Light Up My Life"| Uttley, Silson| 4:23
9.| "Petesey's Song"| Norman, Spencer| 2:49
10.| "For a Few Dollars More"| Chinn, Chapman| 3:33
Total length:| 34:32

2007 remastered edition bonus tracks[nb 2]No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

11.| "Stumblin' In" (with Suzi Quatro)| Chinn, Chapman| 3:58
12.| "Stranger with You" (with Suzi Quatro)| Chinn, Chapman| 3:53
Total length:| 42:19

2016 remastered edition bonus tracks[nb 3]No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

11.| "Roll On Baby"| Spencer| 2:41
12.| "Love's a Riot"| Chinn, Chapman| 3:43
13.| "Stumblin' In"| Chinn, Chapman| 3:59
14.| "A Stranger with You"| Chinn, Chapman| 3:52
Total length:| 48:45

## Personnel

[edit]

Credits are adapted from the album's 1978 and 2016 liner notes[nb 4][nb 3].

Smokie

* Chris Norman – lead vocals, backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards, synthesizers
* Alan Silson – lead vocals (on "You Took Me by Surprise"), backing vocals, acoustic and electric lead guitars
* Terry Uttley – lead vocals (on "Light Up My Life"), backing vocals, bass guitar
* Pete Spencer – lead vocals (on "Petesey's Song"), backing vocals, drums and percussion, tenor saxophone (on "No More Letters")

Technical personnel

* Mike Chapman – production
* Pete Coleman – engineering
* Ian Cooper – mixing (at Whitney Recording Studios, Glendale, California, in March 1978) and mastering (at Utopia Studios, London, England)
* Richard Gray – sleeve design
* Gered Mankowitz – art direction and photography

Remastering

* Tim Turan at Turan Audio – 2007 remastering
* MM Sound Digital Mastering Studios – 2016 remastering

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for The Montreux Album | Chart (1978)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[2] | 26
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[3] | 6
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[4] | 15
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[5] | 3
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] | 29
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[7] | 5
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[8] | 3
UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 52

### Year-end charts

[edit]

Year-end chart performance for The Montreux Album | Chart (1979)  | Position

|

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10] | 43

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for The Montreux Album Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Germany (BVMI)[11] | Gold  | 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[12] | Silver  | 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

Notes ^ "For a Few Dollars More" was recorded in 24–26 August 1977 at Bovema Studios (Heemstede, Holland).

1. ^ Ariola 261027-217
2. ^ 7T's GLAM CD 40
3. ^ a b Sony Music 88985321952
4. ^ RSO RS-1-3045, 2394 222

Citations

1. ^ Chrispell, James. Smokie: "The Montreux Album" > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
2. ^ 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.
3. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Smokie – The Montreux Album" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
4. ^ "Smokie: The Montreux Album" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
5. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Smokie – The Montreux Album" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
6. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Smokie – The Montreux Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
7. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Smokie – The Montreux Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
8. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Smokie – The Montreux Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
9. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
10. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1979. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
11. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Smokie; 'The Montreux Album')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
12. ^ "British album certifications – Smokie – The Montreux Album". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Discography 1975–1982

* v
* t
* e

Smokie

* Terry Uttley
* Martin Bullard
* Steve Pinnell
* Mike Craft
* Mick McConnell

* Alan Silson
* Chris Norman
* Clarence Dawson
* Ron Kelly
* Arthur Higgins
* Pete Spencer
* Alan Barton

Studio albums|

* Pass It Around
* Changing All the Time
* Midnight Café
* Bright Lights & Back Alleys
* The Montreux Album
* The Other Side of the Road
* Solid Ground
* Boulevard of Broken Dreams
* Wild Horses – The Nashville Album
* Take a Minute

Compilation albums|

* Greatest Hits

Singles|

* "Pass It Around"
* "If You Think You Know How to Love Me"
* "Don't Play Your Rock 'n' Roll to Me"
* "Something's Been Making Me Blue"
* "Wild Wild Angels"
* "I'll Meet You at Midnight"
* "Living Next Door to Alice"
* "Lay Back in the Arms of Someone"
* "It's Your Life"
* "Needles and Pins"
* "For a Few Dollars More"
* "Oh Carol"
* "Mexican Girl"
* "Do to Me"
* "Babe It's Up to You"
* "San Francisco Bay"
* "Take Good Care of My Baby"
* "Run to Me"
* "Little Town Flirt"
* "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Related articles|

* Smokie discography

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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