The Flying Machine (band)

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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.

• Tony Newman (born 1947, Rugby, Warwickshire, England) – lead vocals, guitars
• Steve Jones (born 1946, Coventry) – lead guitars, vocals
• Sam Kempe (born 1946, Rugby) – vocals (had apparently left the band by the time their first album was released, as he is not featured on the cover)
• Stuart Colman (born Ian Stuart Colman, 19 December 1944, Harrogate, Yorkshire; died 19 April 2018) – bass, electric piano
• Paul Wilkinson (born 1948, Coventry) – drums

• Edie Andrews (born 1945, Detroit, Michigan) – background vocals^[5]
• Mark Lansing (born 1952, USA) - guitars, sideman courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, 1969
• Troy Adam Jones (birth year unknown) - guitarist, backup drummer

• 1969: The Flying Machine (Janus)
• 1970: Down to Earth with the Flying Machine (Pye)^[4]
• 1998: Flight Recorder - From Pinkerton's (Assort.) Colours to the Flying Machine (double CD compilation album on Sequel Records)

• 1969: "Smile a Little Smile for Me" b/w "Maybe We've Been Loving Too Long" - No. 5 U.S.
• 1969: "Baby Make It Soon" b/w "There She Goes" - No. 87 U.S.
• 1969: "Send My Baby Home Again" b/w "Look At Me Look At Me"
• 1970: "Hanging on the Edge of Sadness" b/w "Flying Machine"
• 1970: "The Devil Has Possession of Your Mind" b/w "Hey Little Girl"
• 1970: "Yes I Understand" b/w "Pages of Your Life"^[4]

• List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States

• Coventry Music History feature
• Stuart Colman biography
• Flying Machine biography at Allmusic website