Flying Machine

 Flying Machine

BAND INDEX

circa 1969 - Pop group. Sources  - Broadgate Gnome & Rex Brough - Dean Nelson

The bulk of the outfit started their musical career under the title of Pinkerton's Assorted Colours.

Line up: Steve Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Tony Newman (vocals), Stuart Coleman (bass), Paul Wilkinson (drums) Sam Kempe - Vocals

Newman and Coleman previously in Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, Wilkinson previously in The Peeps and Jones was in The Sabres (with Wilkinson).

"Songwriters Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stevens wrote their hit "smile a little smile for me" which was a smash, Stateside. In 1971 they played a final gig in the 40 thieves nightclub, the first lineup called it a day. Phil Clough and Mike Summerson replaced

Stuart Coleman became a BBC London radio DJ in the late '70s, running first the rock'n'roll

show "Echoes", later appearing on Capitol Gold. He produced hits Shakin' Stevens, Kim Wilde, and Cliff Richard and lives and works in Nashville. A line up of Flying Machine exists to day, but ether's change the name back to Pinkerton's Colours." Rex Brough

Dean Nelson tells us -

" This was a studio project of songwriters Tony Macaulay and Geoff Stevens. The touring group featured Tony Newman as lead vocalist. He and the other members (except Wilkinson) had earlier been in Pinkerton's Assorted Colours (later known as simply Pinkerton's). 

Sequel's double CD retrospective Flight Recorder compiles everything that they recorded for Pye between '67 - '71, plus sixteen previously unreleased cuts including demos of their Decca hits as Pinkerton's Assorted Colours."

Singles:

Smile A Little Smile For Me (Tony McCauley & Geoff Stevens) b/w Maybe We’ve Been Loving Too Long 1969

(Dean Nelson tells us  it "Peaked at No 5 on US Hot 100 on Kapp Records' Congress record label. By 12 December that year they had sold a million copies of the record, and it was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A.the record had no presence at all on the UK Singles Chart, despite its initial release there on Pye Records"

Baby Make It Soon b/w Smile A Little Smile For Me 1969 (First recorded by Marmalade) Dean Nelson tells us "It scrapped the US Top 100 the following year, but the group, somewhat ungratefully, grew frustrated with their pop-oriented style. A final single, "The Devil Has Possession Of Your Mind", suggested a change of direction, but the Flying Machine split up following its release"

Send My Baby Home Again b/w Look At Me Look At Me 1969 

Hanging On The Edge Of Sadness b/w Flying Machine 1970

The Devil Had Possession Of My Mind b/w Hey Little Girl 1970

Yes I Understand b/w Pages Of Your Life 1970

Albums:

Down to Earth With The Flying Machine 1970

1. Smile A Little Smile For Me 00:00

2. Marie Take A Chance 02:56

3. Waiting On The Shores Of Nowhere 06:11

4. That Same Old Feeling 09:39

5. There She Goes 13:05

6. Baby Make It Soon 15:57

7. Broken Hearted Me, Evil Hearted You 18:51

8. A Thing Called Love 21:57

9. My Baby's Coming Home 24:31

10. Send My Baby Home Again 27:32

Compilation appearances have included: Smile a Little Smile for Me on Paisley Pop - Pye Psych (& Other Colours) 1966-1969 (CD); The Flying Machine on Rubble, Vol. 7 - Pictures In The Sky (LP); Hey Little Girl and Smile A Little Smile For Me on Ripples, Vol. 7 (CD).