{{Short description|British band}} {{About|the British band|the American band|Night Owl (James Taylor song)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2010}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> | name = The Flying Machine | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Rugby, Warwickshire, England | genre = Bubblegum pop | years_active = 1969–1971 | label = Pye Records (UK)<br />Congress (US)<br />Janus (US) | website = | past_members = Tony Newman<br />Steve Jones<br />Sam Kempe<br />Stuart Colman<br />Paul Wilkinson<br />Troy Adam Jones<br /> Martyn "Stalky" Gleeson }}
'''The Flying Machine''' were a British bubblegum pop<ref>{{Cite web|title=Top 11 Bubblegum Pop Songs|url=https://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/top-11-bubblegum-pop-songs/|website=Rockcellarmagazine.com}}</ref> band who are best known for their 1969 American No. 5 hit, "Smile a Little Smile for Me".<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Top Records of 1969 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1969/Billboard%201969-12-27.pdf |magazine=Billboard |location=Cincinnat, Ohio |publisher=Billboard Publications, Inc. |date=December 27, 1969 |access-date=July 11, 2017 }}</ref>
==Career== 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,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bobleroi.co.uk/ScrapBook/CallUpPinks/CallUpTheGroups_Pinks.html |title=Call Up The Groups Pinks |publisher=Bobleroi.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2015-08-24}}</ref> 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.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flying-machine-mn0000055032|title=Flying Machine - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=16 April 2019}}</ref>
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.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 | page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/259 259] | url-access= registration | url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/259 }}</ref> The song was written by Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stephens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/smile-a-little-smile-for-me-mt0001447074|title=Smile a Little Smile for Me - Flying Machine - Song Info|website=AllMusic|accessdate=16 April 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990'' - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}</ref> 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; died 19 April 2018) – bass, electric piano *Paul Wilkinson (born 1948, Coventry) – drums
===Ancillary members=== *Edie Andrews (born 1945, Detroit, Michigan) – background vocals<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> *Mark Lansing (born 1952, USA) - guitars, sideman courtesy of Warner Bros. Records, 1969 *Troy Adam Jones (birth year unknown) - guitarist, backup drummer
==Discography== ===Albums=== *1969: ''The Flying Machine'' (Janus) *1970: ''Down to Earth with the Flying Machine'' (Pye)<ref name="AMG"/> *1998: ''Flight Recorder - From Pinkerton's (Assort.) Colours to the Flying Machine'' (double CD compilation album on Sequel Records)
===Singles=== *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"<ref name="AMG"/>
==See also== *List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://coventrymusichistory.vox.com/library/post/flying-machine.html Coventry Music History feature] *[http://www.blackcat.nl/references/messages/stuart_colman.htm Stuart Colman biography] *[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p24323|pure_url=yes}} Flying Machine biography] at Allmusic website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Flying Machine, The}} Category:English pop music groups Category:Musical groups established in 1969 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1971 Category:Pye Records artists Category:Bubblegum pop groups