| The Flying Machine | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Rugby, Warwickshire, England |
| Genre: | Bubblegum pop |
| Years Active: | 1969–1971 |
| Label: | Pye Records (UK) Congress (US) Janus (US) |
| Past Members: | Tony Newman Steve Jones Sam Kempe Stuart Colman Paul Wilkinson Troy Adam Jones |
The Flying Machine was a British bubblegum pop[1] band who are best known for their 1969 American No. 5 hit, "Smile a Little Smile for Me".[2]
The Flying Machine descended from British band Pinkerton's Assorted Colours. Pinkerton's (as they were often known) had scored a major UK hit with "Mirror Mirror" in 1966 and continued recording over the next few years. However, by 1969, singer/guitarist Tony Newman, singer/autoharpist/original frontman Sam Kempe,[3] and bassist Stuart Colman from Pinkerton's had teamed up with lead guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Wilkinson to form a new iteration of the group and, with Newman now assuming lead vocal/frontman duties, took the name the Flying Machine.[4]
They are best known for their single in 1969, "Smile a Little Smile for Me", which peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart (on Kapp Records' Congress record label) It also reached No. 6 on the AC chart. Their first LP, which was self-titled, was released by Janus Records in 1969. By 12 December that year the single had sold a million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A.[5] The song was written by Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stephens.[6] Despite being released by Pye Records in the band's native UK, the record did not appear on the UK Singles Chart.
A follow-up single, a cover version of "Baby Make It Soon", first recorded by Marmalade, achieved the U.S. Hot 100 the following year.[7] A final single, "The Devil Has Possession Of Your Mind", was released, after which the Flying Machine split up.
Bassist Colman went on to a successful career as a session musician, record producer and BBC Radio disc jockey.