"Living Next Door to Alice" | ||||
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Single by New World | ||||
B-side | "Something to Say" | |||
Released | 1972 | |||
Format | 7" vinyl | |||
Recorded | 1972 | |||
Genre | Pop, folk | |||
Label | RAK | |||
Writer(s) | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman | |||
New World singles chronology | ||||
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"Living Next Door to Alice" | ||||
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Single by Smokie | ||||
from the album Midnight Café 2007 Remastered Edition (as bonus track) | ||||
B-side | "Run to You" (UK) When My Back was Against the Wall (US & Canada) |
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Released | 12 August 1976 | |||
Format | 7" vinyl | |||
Recorded | 1976 | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Label |
RAK (UK) RSO (US & Canada) |
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Writer(s) | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman | |||
Producer(s) | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman | |||
Smokie singles chronology | ||||
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"Living Next Door to Alice" | ||||
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Single by Johnny Carver | ||||
from the album The Best of Johnny Carver | ||||
Released | February 1977 | |||
Format | 7" vinyl | |||
Recorded | 1976 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Label | ABC | |||
Writer(s) | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman | |||
Producer(s) | Ron Chancey | |||
Johnny Carver singles chronology | ||||
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"Alice, Who the X is Alice?" | |
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Single by Gompie | |
from the album Who the X Is Gompie! | |
B-side | various versions of "Alice, Who the X is Alice?" "My Brother Is a Rocker" "Slaves on the Run" |
Released | 1995 |
Format | CD |
Writer(s) | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman |
Producer(s) | Rob Peters, Ono Pelser, John van de Ven |
"Living Next Door to Alice" | |
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Single by Smokie featuring Roy 'Chubby' Brown | |
B-side | "Living Next Door to Alice" (Unbleeped) |
Released | 1995 |
Genre | Pop rock, parody |
Writer(s) | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman |
"Living Next Door to Alice" is a song co-written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. Originally released by the Australian vocal harmony trio New World in 1972, the song charted at No. 35 on the Australian chart. The song later became a worldwide hit for British band Smokie.
The song is about a young man's long-standing love, Alice, who's also the girl next door and his neighbour of 24 years, which is left unrequited after she moves away. The protagonist had seen a limousine parked at Alice's home and begins to reflect on childhood memories and his friendship with Alice, and becomes heartbroken as he sees Alice get inside the limousine.
As he watches the car drive out of sight, the protagonist feels regret about two things:
Another female character in the song is Sally, another long-time neighbour of the main protagonist who is introduced early in the song. In the song's first verse, she reminds the protagonist of Alice's impending departure. Sally, who later tells the man that he now must get over Alice, then states that she in turn has been waiting for him for 24 years. But the man fails to acknowledge her and reaffirms that he'll "never get used to not living next door to Alice."
In November 1976, the British band Smokie released their version of "Living Next Door to Alice". The single peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart and, in March 1977, reached 25 in the United States. It was a number one hit in Austria, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. Smokie collaborated on a parody version in 1995 with comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown, which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, selling almost half a million copies.
It spawned a more risqué version in 1995 by the Dutch novelty act Gompie, titled "Alice, Who the Fuck Is Alice?". Their version topped the charts in the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders), and reached the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. In the UK, the song peaked at number 17, but its sales topped 150,000 despite its low peak.
Gompie is a project of Peter Koelewijn and Rob Peters. Peters, while visiting a bar called Gompie in Nijmegen, heard "Living Next Door to Alice" by Smokie. After the name Alice in the song, the disc jockey Onno Pelser turned down the volume and the crowd sang 'Alice, who the fuck is Alice?'. Peters realized it could become a hit record, contacted Koelewijn and a day later the song was recorded and released under the name Gompie.