Smokie | The Legacy Tour

Looking at the Guinness Book of Records, one might think that Smokie’s success story is a phenomenon of the 1970s. After all, 11 of their 14 UK hits appeared during that eventful musical decade. However, their massive success blossomed across the globe, including in Scandinavia, South Africa, Germany and even China. Smokie are a band who have sold out tours and achieved platinum records across four decades – the 70s, 80s, 90s and today.

A brief recap of past glories. Smokie first got together at a school in Yorkshire in the late 1960s. After going through various names and styles, they signed a contract with Mick Most’s then-highly popular RAK label and found themselves in the charts. Songs such as ‘If You Think You Know How To Love Me’, ‘Don't Play Your Rock'n'Roll To Me’, ‘It's Your Life’ and ‘Oh Carol’ (all in the Top 10) became radio staples and gave Smokie a ticket to tour the world.

Their sound was a blend of catchy songs and Smokie’s distinctive, yet unashamedly US-inspired soft-rock harmonies, and their secret lay in their vocal mix – a gritty, emotionally charged lead voice paired with melodic harmonies, creating a unique, bittersweet result.