We tend to think of one-hit wonders as a recent phenomenon. Truth be told, they’ve always been a part of the pop/rock landscape. Go back to the 60s, and you’ll find artists and bands who scored a big hit and then weren’t heard from again. The Flying Machine came out of Great Britain, hit big with the 1969 song “Smile A Little Smile For Me”, and then receded to the music history books. But while the band faded, the brain trust behind the song would continue to impact the pop music world.
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Building the Machine
In the late 60s, the British pop music scene witnessed the rise of the writer-producer. These individuals would come up with songs that they thought had hit potential. And then they’d go looking for a band that could deliver them to the public.
In the case of “Smile A Little Smile For Me”, Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stephens, the duo that wrote the song, facilitated the creation of a new band to record the song. The Flying Machine took its core members from another band that was known as Pinkerton’s Assorted Colors.
But the catalysts behind this whole enterprise were Macaulay and Stephens. They had already proven, both together and with other co-writers, that they had a knack for ear candy. These songs didn’t dig all that deep, but they sounded great on the radio. That genre became known as bubblegum pop, and Macaulay and Stephens were in the middle of that boom.
Just One “Smile”
On “Smile A Little Smile For Me”, Flying Machine lead singer Tony Newman gives a suitably sympathetic vocal performance for what’s meant to be a tender ballad of consolation. A sad little horn blows through the proceedings now and again with the main melody to amplify the melancholy effect.
The song didn’t do much in the United Kingdom, but it caught fire in the US. “Smile A Little Smile For Me” made it all the way to no. 5 on the pop charts in 1969. Considering it was their debut song, The Flying Machine should have been poised for more. Instead, they were pretty done a year later, with no other singles making anywhere near the same impact as their first.
In the meantime, Macaulay and Stephens moved on to other writing/producing projects. For example, Macaulay scored another big smash a year later with Edison Lighthouse and the song “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)”. Stephens moved on to working with Tom Jones on the big hit “Daughter Of Darkness”.
Behind the Lyrics of “Smile A Little Smile For Me”
In “Smile A Little Smile For Me”, the narrator tries to cheer up a heartbroken girl named Rosemarie, who’s coming out of a breakup. He doesn’t mince words: “You really should accept / This time he’s gone for good.” But he wants her to know that her prospects are still promising. “So many other guys / Would give the world I’m sure / To wear the shoes he wore,” he explains.
He continues in that vein in the second verse. “But, darling, only now / Are you free to try again,” he urges. And then: “You’re a big girl now / And you’ll pull through somehow.” All she needs to do, as the chorus explains, is give him a smile to start the process.
Maybe The Flying Machine wasn’t built for the long haul. But their lone hit oozes charm and sweetness. If you know someone who’s been through their own difficult separation, “Smile A Little Smile” might just elicit a grin or two from them if you give it a spin.
Photo via the album cover for The Flying Machine’s “Smile A Little Smile For Me” single
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