rockfrank talk to...Chris Norman

photo by: Marcel Brell

Former Smokie frontman Chris Norman spoke exclusively to rockfrank.com in an email interview, discussing his career and his music.

rockfrank: Chris, you look back on a long and eventful career: your breakthrough with Smokie in 1975, a successful solo career and numerous collaborations with international artists – first and foremost, of course, Suzi Quatro. In addition, you have contributed to albums by other artists such as Tony Carey oder Agnetha Fältskog. Looking back on all these stages of your career today, is there a song, an album or a collaboration that still stands out to you personally, and where you would say: That was something very special?

Chris Norman: I have worked with many people, including Cynthia Lennon, Donovan, and others. I think my favourite collaboration was working on Agnetha’s album “Wrap Your Arms Around Me.”

rockfrank: Looking back on your previous encounters with German artists such as Dieter Bohlen or Christian Geller, and putting those aside for a moment: Which musician has impressed you the most from a purely musical point of view – and why?

Chris Norman: I think, probably somebody like Trevor Horn or Russ Ballard and Bev Bevan from ELO. But also the guitar player in my band Geoff Carline and Pete Spencer the drummer from Smokie whom I wrote songs with for many years. Also Mike Chapman, who was our producer back in the days these all were and are, very talented people, which is why they impress me.

rockfrank: Zoe Klein recently published a biography about you, Smokie and Afterwards. Did you have any contact with her beforehand, or were you involved in any way in the making of the book?

Chris Norman: Actually, this is the first time I ever heard about it. So no, I wasn't involved and had no contact with her and I've never read it.

rockfrank: Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles inspired you musically. Do you think that, even in an age of computer samples and artificial intelligence, there are still artists and bands who truly live their songs, give them a soul of their own, and have mastered the craft of making music from the ground up?

Chris Norman: I think the artists you mentioned were special for that time. I doubt in my opinion that you'll see the same ever again. There may well be artists today who live their songs. But I don't know who they are

photo by: Marcel Brell

rockfrank: In an interview, you once mentioned that you enjoy watching old black-and-white films. They often tell great stories using simple means and rely heavily on atmosphere and emotion. Is that something that also inspires you when writing and singing songs?

Chris Norman: Yes, I do love watching old films. I think maybe writing songs for me does rely on atmosphere and emotion. I don't know whether or not that I’m inspired by those movies. More likely the music that I grew up with inspired me.

rockfrank: In the song “Crazy” from your current album “Junction 55”, as far as I understood it, you address the economic imbalance in the world, unemployment, national debt and migration. On “Handmade”, your 2003 album, you also expressed criticism of sensationalist journalism, superficiality and the loss of values. What do you think – does music still have the power today to draw attention to these issues and, at best, even bring about some kind of change?

Chris Norman: For me, I believe the main function of music is to entertain and take people out of their everyday lives for a moment. Music of course, like films, can be a means to draw attention to many troubling issues which are happening in the world today.

rockfrank: What still connects you to your hometown of Redcar in the county of North Yorkshire today?

Chris Norman: Well, I was born there and visited my grandparents there for many years, but I haven't visited Redcar for a very long time. Although, I do visit Yorkshire especially North Yorkshire very very often because it's one of my favourite places in the world.

rockfrank: Among many other awards, you received a star on the “Vienna Walk of Stars” in 2006, the Austrian equivalent of the “Walk of Fame” in Hollywood. How much do such musical awards mean to you, and do they motivate you to keep going?

Chris Norman: It's always nice to receive any kind of recognition or award for the work I do. But at the end of the day fame and awards et cetera are very nice but in the long run are not very lasting. They don't really motivate me to keep going, it's the music and the performances that do that.

rockfrank: I’ve already touched on this briefly, but it’s something that really worries me: Can there still be a band like Smokie in 2026 – with seasoned musicians, real instruments, authenticity and a desire for self-expression? Or is the old-school, handmade approach to music increasingly being pushed into the background by AI and the like?

Chris Norman: I think there are groups and artists around today consisting of musicians playing instruments like we did in Smokie. But with AI and the like it's always possible now to bypass human beings and musicians and singers and make records using the technology. For me it doesn't have the same effect as there is really nothing like the thrill of hearing good music played live or recorded live by great musicians.

photo by: Marcel Brell

Thank you, Chris, for your time and for this open and interesting conversation. I wish you continued success, great shows, and, above all, lots of joy in making music. All the very best for the future!

rockfrank