The Montreux Album

The Montreux Album
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
Label	RAK
Producer	Mike Chapman
Smokie chronology
Singles from The Montreux Album
	"For a Few Dollars More"; Released: January 1978; "Oh Carol"; Released: May 1978; "Mexican Girl"; Released: September 1978;

Professional ratings
Review 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

Side one
No.	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 two
No.	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

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

Weekly charts

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

Year-end chart performance for *The Montreux Album*
Chart (1979)	Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[10]	43

Certifications

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

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

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

Citations

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

External links

Discography 1975–1982

[1st_Europe_CD-1] Ariola 261027-217

[2007_7T's-3] 7T's GLAM CD 40

[2016_Sony_Music-4] Sony Music 88985321952

[1st_U.S._LP-5] RSO RS-1-3045, 2394 222

[AllMusic-2] Chrispell, James. Smokie: "The Montreux Album" > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[aus-6] 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.

[ac_Austria_Smokie-7] "Austriancharts.at – Smokie – The Montreux Album" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[ac_Finland_Smokie-8] "Smokie: The Montreux Album" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[ac_Germany4_Smokie-9] "Offiziellecharts.de – Smokie – The Montreux Album" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[ac_Netherlands_Smokie-10] "Dutchcharts.nl – Smokie – The Montreux Album" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[ac_Norway_Smokie-11] "Norwegiancharts.com – Smokie – The Montreux Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[ac_Sweden_Smokie-12] "Swedishcharts.com – Smokie – The Montreux Album". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[UK_Albums-13] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[14] "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1979. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.

[GermanySmokieThe_Montreux_AlbumalbumCertRef-15] "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Smokie; 'The Montreux Album')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

[United_KingdomSmokieThe_Montreux_AlbumalbumCertRef-16] "British album certifications – Smokie – The Montreux Album". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

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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