Living Next Door to Alice#Gompie version

The song is about a man's long-standing unrequited and unadmitted love toward Alice, his next-door neighbour of 24 years. The protagonist learned through mutual friend Sally that Alice is moving away, and begins to reflect on childhood memories and his friendship with Alice, and becomes heartbroken as he sees Alice drive away in a limousine. In the final verse, Sally reveals that all the time she has been waiting 24 years for her opportunity with him ("Alice is gone, but I'm still here").

Later versions of the song insert an interjection during a pause in the chorus (from the audience during live performances or from a guest separate from the lead singer): "Alice! Who the fuck is Alice?" (guests will sometimes say "hell" or "heck"). These performances may also change a line in the chorus so that the singer's affections are as much sexual as they are romantic, and that the singer had hoped to "get inside her pants" instead of "get a second glance."

On the American Top 40 broadcast of 26 May 1979, Casey Kasem reported that Chapman stated that his source of inspiration for "Living Next Door to Alice" was "Sylvia's Mother" by Dr. Hook.

{{Infobox song

| name = Living Next Door to Alice

| cover = Smokie-living next door to alice.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Smokie

| album =

| B-side = {{ubl|"Run to You" (UK)|When My Back was Against the Wall (US & Canada)}}

| released = 12 November 1976

| recorded = 1976

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Soft rock,{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-alan-barton-1616108.html|title=Obituary: Alan Barton|date=18 April 1995|website=The Independent}} pop rock

| length = 3:27

| label = RAK (UK)
RSO (US & Canada)

| writer = Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman

| producer = Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman

| prev_title = I'll Meet You at Midnight

| prev_year = 1976

| next_title = Lay Back in the Arms of Someone

| next_year = 1977

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|Z6qnRS36EgE|"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{{cite web |title=The Official Charts Company – Smokie – Living Next Door To Alice |website=OfficialCharts.com |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/Good%20Old%20Fashioned%20Loverboy |access-date=30 April 2010}} 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 and a number 2 hit in Australia staying in the charts for 23 weeks.

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|award=Gold|type=single|artist=Smokie|title=Living Next Door To Alice|relyear=1976|certyear=1977|salesamount=700,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-11-26.pdf|title=EMI-Electrola, No. 1 in Germany, Gears For 20 % Increase In Sales|magazine=Billboard|first=Mike|last=Hennessey|via= World Radio History|page=84|date=26 November 1977|access-date= 10 September 2020}}}}

|}

{{Infobox song

| name = Alice, Who the X is Alice?

| cover = Gompie-who the x is alice.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Gompie

| album = Who the X Is Gompie!

| B-side = {{ubl|various versions of "Alice, Who the X is Alice?"|"My Brother Is a Rocker"|"Slaves on the Run"}}

| released = February 1995

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 3:58

| label = RPC Entertainment

| writer = * Nicky Chinn

• Mike Chapman

| producer = * Rob Peters

• Ono Pelser
• John van de Ven

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Tarzan & Heidi

| next_year = 1995

}}

A more risqué version of "Living Next Door to Alice" was released by the Dutch novelty act Gompie in 1995, titled "Alice, Who the X Is Alice?". Their version topped the charts in Flanders and the Netherlands, and reached the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 17.

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.{{cite web |title=Muziekencyclopedie – Gompie (1995–2000) |url=http://www.muziekencyclopedie.nl/action/entry/Gompie |access-date=30 April 2010|language=nl}}

The success of this version resulted in various similar versions, including a new recording by Smokie with blue comedian Roy 'Chubby' Brown. During his tours and associated videos in the early-2000s, Chubby Brown claimed he played drums on the recording, then a few years later claimed he originally wrote the song as well.

A dance version of the cover was released by the Steppers, titled "Alice, Who the F..k Is Alice?", and reached No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart in September 1995.{{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Steppers&titel=Alice%2C+Who+The+F%2E%2Ek+Is+Alice%3F&cat=s|title=Australian-charts.com – The Steppers – Who the F..k Is Alice?|publisher=ARIA Top 50 Singles|access-date=3 November 2020}} Actor Alan Fletcher, who plays doctor Karl Kennedy in the soap opera Neighbours, took up the song as "Who the Fuck Is Susan?" at fan events, in reference to his erstwhile fictional wife.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "In the finest tradition of Dutch compatriots Stars On 45, Gompie perform a very accurate imitation of Smokie's 1976 Top Five hit, Living Next Door To Alice. Their template only slips after they sing the title refrain, where upon an ensemble pipes up, "Alice, Who The Fuck Is Alice?", at least on the unedited version. It's a one-joke song, and the irony is that it may succeed as much on the strength of the original song as the imitation. However, competing versions by Smokie themselves (with Roy Chubby Brown) and Paddy Goes To Holyhead will be in there fighting too."{{cite magazine|first= Alan |last= Jones |title= Talking Music |magazine= Music Week |date= 29 April 1995 |page= 14 |accessdate= 7 May 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-04-29.pdf}}

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{{col-end}}

{{certification Table Top}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Belgium|award=Gold|certyear=1995|relyear=1995|access-date=10 February 2020}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Germany|artist=Gompie|title=Who the X Is Alice|award=Gold|certyear=1995|relyear=1995|access-date=10 February 2020}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Netherlands|artist=Gompie|title=Alice Who the X Is Alice|award=Gold|certyear=1995|relyear=1995|access-date=10 February 2020}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Norway|award=Gold|certyear=1996|relyear=1995|nosales=true|access-date=10 February 2020}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Switzerland|artist=Gompie|title=Alice (Who the X Is Alice?)|award=Gold|certyear=1995|relyear=1995|access-date=10 February 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Living Next Door to Alice (Who the F**k is Alice?)

| cover = Smokie-roy-chubby-brown.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Smokie featuring Roy Chubby Brown

| album =

| B-side = "Living Next Door to Alice" (Unbleeped)

| released = 1995

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop rock, parody

| length =

| label =

| writer = Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman

| producer =

| chronology = Smokie

| prev_title = Boulevard of Broken Dreams

| prev_year = 1989

| next_title =

| next_year =

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Roy Chubby Brown

| type = single

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| title = Living Next Door to Alice (Who the F**k is Alice?)

| year = 1995

| next_title = A Rocking Good Christmas

| next_year = 1996

}}

}}

Smokie collaborated on a novelty re-recording in 1995 with comedian Roy Chubby Brown, with the song interspersed with Roy Chubby Brown saying "Who the fuck is Alice?". In March 1995, Smokie's singer Alan Barton died following an accident in Germany, and the version with Brown was released with all proceeds going to the family of Barton.{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin |date= 2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=RA8-PA2005-IA30|isbn=9780857125958|page=2005 |via=Google Books|publisher=Omnibus Press}} The song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart in October 1995, selling almost half a million copies.{{cite web |title=The Official Charts Company – Smokie Featuring Roy 'Chubby' Brown – Living Next Door to Alice (Who the Fuck is Alice) |website=OfficialCharts.com |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/37038/smokie-featuring-roy-chubby-brown/ |access-date=30 April 2010}}

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Smokie ft Roy Chubby Brown|title=Living Next Door to Alice|award=Platinum|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=3943-1867-1|access-date=23 October 2023}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Living Next Door to Alice

| cover = Johnny carver-living next door to alice.JPG

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Johnny Carver

| album = The Best of Johnny Carver

| released = February 1977

| recorded = 1976

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Country

| length =

| label = ABC

| writer = Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman

| producer = Ron Chancey

| prev_title = Afternoon Delight

| prev_year = 1976

| next_title = Down at the Pool

| next_year = 1977

}}

Concurrent with Smokie's American success with the song, country music singer Johnny Carver released his own version of "Living Next Door to Alice" in 1977. Carver's version peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in April 1977.{{cite web |title=Johnny Carver > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles |publisher=Allmusic |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p33755/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} |access-date=30 April 2010}}

In 1973, the American band Gallery recorded the song and included it on the second album, "Gallery featuring Jim Gold". It was released as a single in 1974 but failed to chart.

In 1982, British punk band Chron Gen included a live, sexually explicit version of "Living Next Door to Alice" on the cassette "Apocalypse Live Tour June '81 (Live at Leicester)" and released a studio version of the song on the debut album "Chronic Generation".

In 1985, Australian comedian Kevin Bloody Wilson released "Living Next Door to Alan", a parody of "Living Next Door to Alice" imagining an Aboriginal family living next door to Alan Bond, a famous Australian entrepreneur.{{Cite web|url=https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858714024/|title=Kevin Bloody Wilson - Living Next Door to Alan Lyrics|date=25 July 2009 }}

In 1996, Jimmy Sturr recorded the song under the title "Alice" on his album Polka! All Night Long.{{cite web|author=Bob Tarte |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/polka%21-all-night-long-mw0000080989 |title=Polka! All Night Long - Jimmy Sturr | Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=11 March 2016}}

The 1996 album The Smurfs Go Pop! by The Smurfs included a song to the same tune, titled "Smurfland".{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/smurfland-mt0026163866 |title=Smurfland - The Smurfs | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=11 March 2016}}

Ex-Smokie vocalist Chris Norman included his solo cover of the song on his 2000 studio album Full Circle.{{cite web|url=http://www.spanishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Chris+Norman&titel=Full+Circle&cat=a|title=spanishcharts.com - Chris Norman - Full Circle|access-date=20 October 2017}}

Danish singer Flemming "Bamse" Jørgensen covered the song as "Alice" on his 1977 solo debut Din Sang.{{cite web|date=3 November 1980|title=Bamses Venner|url=http://www.bamsesvenner.dk/diskografi.html|access-date=26 January 2016|website=Bamsesvenner.dk}}

In 1981, South Korean band Oxen 80 ({{lang|ko|옥슨80}}) recorded cover of the song with title "In a Lonely Night" ({{lang|ko|그대 떠난 이 밤에}}).

In Finnish, the song was recorded in 1977 by Kari Tapio, with the title "Viisitoista kesää" ("Fifteen Summers").{{cite web|title=Hakutulos kappaleelle Viisitoista kesää|url=http://aanitearkisto.fi/firs2/kappale.php?Id=Viisitoista+kes%E4%E4|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120524145018/http://aanitearkisto.fi/firs2/kappale.php?Id=Viisitoista+kes%E4%E4|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 May 2012|access-date=30 April 2010|language=fi}} The arrangement is by Veikko Samuli and the Finnish lyrics by Juha Vainio.

In Norwegian, there is a translation, "I 24 år har jeg bodd i samme gård som Anne". There are also other songs to the same tune. "Storholt, Stensen, Stenshjemmet, Sjøbrend åsså'n Hjallis" deals with the famous Norwegian speed skating team known as The Four Aces. The single was released in 1977 by Stein Ingebrigtsen & Store Stå and peaked at No. 3 on the Norwegian VG-lista.{{cite web |title=norwegiancharts.com – Stein Ingebrigtsen & Store Stå – Storholt, Stensen, Stenshjemmet og Sjøbrend åsså'n Hjallis |url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Stein+Ingebrigtsen+%26+Store+St%E5&titel=Storholt%2C+Stensen%2C+Stenshjemmet+og+Sj%F8brend+%E5ss%E5%27n+Hjallis&cat=s |access-date=30 April 2010}}

A German version of the song, titled "Tür an Tür mit Alice", was a hit for Howard Carpendale in 1977. The single peaked at No. 8 in Germany{{cite web |title=Musicline.de – Chartverfolgung – CARPENDALE,HOWARD |url=http://musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/CARPENDALE%2CHOWARD/single |access-date=30 April 2010 |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627170759/http://musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/CARPENDALE,HOWARD/single |archive-date=27 June 2009 |url-status=dead }} and Switzerland{{cite web |title=Howard Carpendale – Tür an Tür mit Alice – hitparade.ch|url=http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Howard+Carpendale&titel=T%FCr+an+T%FCr+mit+Alice&cat=s |access-date=30 April 2010|language=de}} and at No. 11 in Austria.{{cite web |title=Howard Carpendale – Tür an Tür mit Alice – austriancharts.at |url=http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Howard+Carpendale&titel=T%FCr+an+T%FCr+mit+Alice&cat=s |access-date=30 April 2010|language=de}}

In Czechoslovakia, the song was released on 21 February 1973 under the title "Alenka v říši divů" ("Alice in Wonderland"), performed by Karel Zich. There is also a parody version recorded under the name Denis, from the Czech Republic.{{cite web |title=Těžkej Pokondr - Denis |website = YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTYGb64kQjc|access-date=1 August 2018|language=cs}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead YouTube link|date=February 2022}}

A Hungarian version was performed by István Torontáli with the title "Drága Alice" ("Dear Alice"),{{cite web |title=Torontáli István - Drága Alice|website = YouTube| date=24 October 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e5o5Fx9aSE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/2e5o5Fx9aSE |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|access-date=8 September 2017|language=hu}}{{cbignore}} including lyrics translated by Tibor Bornai.{{cite web |title=Torontáli István - Drága Alice|url=http://www.zeneszoveg.hu/dalszoveg/87005/torontali-istvan/draga-alice-living-next-door-to-alice-zeneszoveg.html |access-date=8 September 2017|language=hu}}

In former Yugoslavia, Toni Montano made a song based on the original tune, titled "10 godina" ("10 Years").{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

A Russian version of the song, titled "Элис" ("Alice") was released by Конец фильма (Movie End) rock band in 2001 as the closing song of their studio album Soundtracks (Goodbye, Innocence).{{cite web|url=http://www.filma.net/Albums/Show_1/ |title=САУНДТРЕКИ (До свидания, невинность!) | CD | Дискография | Конец Фильма | Официальный Сайт |website=Filma.net |access-date=26 January 2016}} Its lyrics are by Mikhail Bashakov. The humorous lyrics are driven by the "А кто такая Элис?" ("But who is actually Alice?") interjection (thus, no profanity in the Russian version) and are about some company considering crashing at Alice's place, indeed answering to the ever repeated question in form of a long list of her virtues ("she is well dressed, she speaks beautifully, she is fluent in English and Hebrew" etc.). There is also an animated cartoon by Dmitry Rezchikov based on this version.{{cite web |title=Элис|website = YouTube| date=21 January 2009 |url= https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qz6tdkHBax4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/qz6tdkHBax4 |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|access-date=23 August 2021|language=ru}}{{cbignore}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |title=Top Country Songs: 1944–2005 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2006 }}
• {{cite book |title=Top Pop Songs: 1955–2006 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2007 }}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6qnRS36EgE The song] on the official YouTube channel

{{Smokie}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Living Next Door to Alice}}

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