The British rock group, Smokie, were in SA last year, and their live show at Carnival City was recorded; the DVD was featured on SABC 3 on 2 January.

They also performed in countries such as Russia; Germany; Turkey; Finland; India; Australia; and Romania.

The DVD also boasts a behind the scenes documentary of the South African tour. The DVD was produced by Lefra Productions and is marketed and distributed by Next Music.

After two very successful cover albums, Smokie have returned to songwriting on their new studio album, On The Wire. According to bass player, Terry Uttley, a founder member of almost 30 years, Smokie has never been in better shape. On The Wire marks the beginning of a new strong period for the band that, despite almost 30 years in the business, refuses to sit back and stop their development. "We continue to grow with this album. After two albums of cover versions it was very important for us to start writing again as we are still very ambitious. In fact, 11 of the 14 songs on the new album were written by us and we are quite satisfied," says Terry Uttley.

As the only original band member out of the five current members, he has been on board since the beginning in 1975, when Smokie called themselves Smokey and released the debut album, Pass It Around. He has experienced both ups and downs, but for the most part he has experienced successes; a long row of number 1 hits; full stadiums; and three generations of enthusiastic fans.

Perhaps Smokie is best compared with Brazil's national football team - regardless of the substitutions on the team, Brazil continues to play the best football in the world.

In the same way, throughout the years, Smokie has experienced a row of substitutions without damaging the team, and today Smokie seems to have the strongest team ever: Mike Craft (lead vocal, guitar); Terry Uttley (backing vocal, bass); Mick McConnell (backing vocal, lead guitar); Martin Bullard (keyboard); and Steve Pinnell (drums and percussion).

"Smokie is not a team of stars. We are a band. Smokie is a sound and not dependant on one person, which is often the case on the pop scene. Our strength is our teamwork and I'm not afraid to say that our current composition is the best one ever. Smokie has simply never been better than today," says Terry Uttley.

Frans Swart, Producer of the Smokie DVD, said it has been wonderful to work with Smokie on this one. “They are really one of the most professional bands I’ve ever worked with. They know what they want and they know exactly how to entertain an audience,” says Swart. “We endeavoured to capture the live feeling of the concert. With a sold out show at Carnival City and Smokie’s energy and talent, it was actually quite easy to really capture the vibe at that show. It is really an enjoyable DVD with all the greatest hits, but also with some new material.”