The Flying Machine ( band ) - wikipedia The Flying Machine ( band ) This article is about the British band. For the American band, see Night Owl ( James Taylor song ). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2010 ) The Flying Machine Origin Rugby, Warwickshire, England Genres Pop Years active 1969 -- 1971 Labels Pye Records ( UK ) Congress ( US ) Janus ( US ) Associated acts Pinkerton 's Assorted Colours Past members Tony Newman Steve Jones Sam Kempe Stuart Colman Paul Wilkinson Troy Adam Jones The Flying Machine was a British pop band who are best known for their 1969 American # 5 hit, `` Smile a Little Smile for Me ''. Contents 1 Career 2 Band members 2.1 Ancillary members 3 Discography 3.1 Singles 3.2 Albums 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Career The Flying Machine first rose out of the ashes of British band Pinkerton 's Assorted Colours. Pinkerton 's ( as they were often known, for short ) 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, 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. 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. The song was written by Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stephens. Despite being released by Pye Records in the band 's home country of England, 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. 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. Band members 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 ) -- bass, electric piano Paul Wilkinson ( born 1948, Coventry ) -- drums Ancillary members Edie Andrews ( born 1945, Detroit, Michigan ) -- background vocals Mark Lansing ( born 1952, USA ) - guitars, sideman courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, 1969 Troy Adam Jones ( birth year unknown ) - guitarist, backup drummer Discography Singles 1969 : `` Smile a Little Smile for Me '' b / w `` Maybe We 've Been Loving Too Long '' - # 5 U.S. 1969 : `` Baby Make It Soon '' b / w `` Time Is on My Side '' - # 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 '' Albums 1969 : The Flying Machine ( Janus ) 1970 : Down To Earth With The Flying Machine ( Pye ) 1998 : Flight Recorder - From Pinkerton 's ( Assort. ) Colours to The Flying Machine ( Double CD compilation album on Sequel Records ) See also List of 1960s one - hit wonders in the United States References Jump up ^ `` Call Up The Groups Pinks ''. Bobleroi.co.uk. Retrieved 2015 - 08 - 24. ^ Jump up to : Murrells, Joseph ( 1978 ). The Book of Golden Discs ( 2nd ed. ). London : Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 259. ISBN 0 - 214 - 20512 - 6. Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1990 - ISBN 0 - 89820 - 089 - X External links Coventry Music History feature Stuart Colman biography Flying Machine biography at Allmusic website MusicBrainz : 1322dbe2 - c326 - 4033 - a39a - 80ba3571c8d2 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Flying_Machine_(band)&oldid=799719562 '' Categories : English pop music groups Musical groups established in 1969 Musical groups disestablished in 1971 Pye Records artists Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from December 2010 All articles needing additional references Articles with hCards Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Edit links This page was last edited on 9 September 2017, at 12 : 42. 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Question: who sings smile a little smile for me
Answer: The Flying Machine