Pass It Around (Smokie album)

Pass It Around is the debut studio album by British rock band Smokey (later renamed Smokie), released in 1975.

Pass It Around
Studio album by
Released14 February 1975[1]
RecordedAudio International Studios in London
GenreGlam rock, hard rock, pop rock
Length44:17
LabelRAK
ProducerMike Chapman, Nicky Chinn
Smokey chronology
Pass It Around
(1975)
Changing All the Time
(1975)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

The album features eleven original group songs and two Nicky Chinn / Mike Chapman compositions. The Chinn / Chapman written title track was chosen to be Smokie's debut single. "Pass It Around" / "Couldn't Live" was released on 21 March 1975 but failed to make the BBC Radio 1 playlist. The problem was playlist controllers who thought that the ambiguous lyrics might be seen as a reference to smoking marijuana. As a result, the single failed to reach the UK Top 50.[1]

To promote Pass It Around, Smokie extensively tour Britain starting on 24 April 1975 as support act to Pilot, who scored a UK No. 1 hit with "January".[1] Despite all the promotion activity, neither album nor single managed to chart in the UK.[3]

Track listing edit

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Pass It Around"Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman3:07
2."Daydreamin'"Chris Norman, Pete Spencer, Terry Uttley2:17
3."Oh Well, Oh Well"Norman, Spencer3:17
4."My Woman"Norman, Spencer3:22
5."It Makes Me Money"Norman, Spencer2:57
6."Headspin"Norman, Spencer3:32
7."Goin' Tomorrow"Norman, Alan Silson, Uttley, Spencer3:43
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."I Do Declare"Chinn, Chapman3:46
9."Don't Turn Out Your Light"Norman, Spencer4:01
10."Will You Love Me"Norman, Silson, Uttley, Spencer3:44
11."A Day at the Mother-in-Law's"Silson2:51
12."The Coldest Night"Silson4:15
13."Shy Guy"Silson3:25
Total length:44:17
2007 7T's Records remastered edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Couldn't Live"Uttley2:25
Total length:46:42

2016 bonus tracks edit

  • 14. Couldn't Live – 2:23
  • 15. I Gotta Be Free [Chris Norman – Demo Recording] – 1:30
  • 16. You Ring My Bell [Kindness] – 2:58

Charts edit

The album peaked at number 94 for one week in June 1979 in Australia.

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 94

Credits edit

Smokie edit

  • Chris Norman – lead vocals and guitar
  • Terry Uttley – bass and backing vocals
  • Pete Spencer – drums and vocals
  • Alan Silson – lead guitar, backing vocals, lead vocal on "A Day at the Mother-in-Law's"

Technical personnel edit

  • Produced by Mike Chapman in association with Nicky Chinn for Chinnichap
  • Engineer – Pete Coleman
  • Recorded at Audio International Studios in London
  • Tape operators – Pete Silver and Phil Colman
  • Mastered by Chris Blair at EMI, Abbey Road
  • Cover photography – Gered Mankowitz
Remastering
  • Tim Turan at Turan Audio – 2007 remastering
  • MM Sound Digital Mastering Studios – 2016 remastering

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Hendriks, Phil (July 2007). Pass It Around (CD booklet). Smokie. London: 7T's Records.
  2. ^ Guarisco, Donald A. "Pass It Around review". Allmusic.
  3. ^ "Smokie chart positions in the UK". The Official Charts Company.
  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.

External links edit