New World - Living Next Door To Alice (1972)

(Nicky Chinn - Mike Chapman)
Australia
Original version
#27 Sydney #4 Brisbane #12 Adelaide #7 Perth

Single on Columbia by Brisbane trio who later worked in the UK. Also known as New World Trio.

An early hit written by Chinn, a Londoner, and Chapman, born in Brisbane, the extraordinarily successful songwriting and production team (nicknamed Chinnichap), responsible for numerous British hits during the glam era of the 70s. See 1974 interview at Glam Rock.

Further reading: See Mike Chapman’s MySpace at myspace.com/chapmanrocks for a biography and a long list of the songs he’s had a hand in.

Smokie - Living Next Door To Alice (1976)

(Nicky Chinn - Mike Chapman)
UK
#5 UK #53 USA #1 Sydney #2 Melbourne #1 Brisbane #2 Adelaide #2 Perth #7 NZ

British pop band, known earlier as Smokey and, before that, Kindness, lead singer Chris Norman. They built their chart career around Chinn-Chapman (Chinnichap) compositions. See Alex Gitlin's Smokie page.

Gompie - Alice, Who The **** Is Alice (1995)

(Chinn - Chapman [parodied])
Netherlands
Parody
#17 UK #1 Netherlands #48 Perth

This is veteran Dutch rocker and producer Peter Koelewijn, using the alias 'Gompie', a Dutch expression something like 'Gosh!'

The idea came from a discotheque where patrons would shout this response, much in the way that Australian audiences traditionally chant a scurrilous answer to The Angels' Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?

Thanks to Kees van der Hoeven for interpretation on this and following entries.

Cheers - Alice, Ik Geef Geen X Om Alice (1995)

(Chinn - Chapman [parodied])
Netherlands
Parody

Following in the vein of Gompie’s hit: "I don’t give a [blank] about Alice".

Peanuts - Lieske, Wee Is Schjerp Op Lieske (1995)

(Chinn - Chapman [parodied])
Netherlands
Parody

More of the same, this time in the dialect of the province of Limburg. Weë Is Schjerp Op Lieske is literally "Who is sharp on Lieske?’, meaning "Who has a crush on Lieske?".

Smokie Feat. Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown - Living Next Door To Alice (1995)

(Chinn - Chapman [parodied])
UK
Parody
#3 UK

Smokie reprising their hit with Gompie’s variations provided by British stand-up comedian Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown.

Guido Horn - Wo Verdammt Ist Alice (1995)

(Chinn - Chapman [parodied])
Germany
Parody

German variation on the singalong theme: ‘Who the hell is Alice?’

Steppers - Alice, Who The **** Is Alice (1995)

(Chinn - Chapman [parodied])
Parody
#3 Sydney #1 Melbourne #1 Brisbane #1 Adelaide #2 Perth #21 NZ

Australia? Single on Festival here.

I’m assuming this is not US band The Steppers (Come And Get It/What The Problem Is on Aware, 1973), but anything is possible.

Kevin Bloody Wilson - Living Next Door To Alan (2002)

(Chinn - Chapman [Parodied])
Australia
Parody

On the album Kev’s Back (The Return of the Yobbo) by bawdy Australian comedy singer-songwriter, real name Brian Dennis. The song is about an indigenous family claiming land next door to millionaire Alan Bond: see the discussion by David Raintree in Humour, Multiculturalism and ‘Political Correctness’.

Norman’s Crisis - Alice, Who The X Is Alice (1995)

(Chinn - Chapman [parodied])
Parody

Questions, questions!

1. Country of origin?
2. Any connection with Chris Norman of Smokie?
3. Why was this song so popular?