Namesakes #77: Smile

Today's edition of Namesakes coincides with my 52nd birthday. I now have as many years as a pack has cards and a year has weeks. I'm celebrating by listening to a selection of songs by the B52s and Billy Joel's sixth album, 52nd Street. 

I'd hoped there might be more than one band called The Birthday Party... but it didn't appear there was. Nobody messes with Nick Cave. I did find a few bands called simply Birthday... but none of them were worthy of note. I know, I thought... as it's my birthday, I should really try to Smile. And so I began to look for bands called Smile...

It was scary how many Smiles there were. 

Also, this edition of Namesakes is the first one in which I've had to call in outside help... the big guns... namely JC, The Vinyl Villain, and his army of devoted readers... to help me track down one of the bands. I'll explain why when I get to Number 14.

DISCLAIMER #1: Due to the large number of bands on show today, I'm not posting videos. 30+ videos in one post would surely break this blog... if not the whole internet. Hyperlinks are on offer instead - just click the link to sample / enjoy / hate on each band as you go. Or choose the links you think may be of interest to you. Because... 

DISCLAIMER #2: Unless you're George, I don't expect you to wade through 30+ different bands called Smile just because I felt the need to. Some people actually go out, have a party or see friends on their birthday. This is how I chose to spend the day... still, remember what Charlie Chaplin said...

Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll see the sun come shining through for you

SMILE #1

Let's start in 1968 with a band whose lead singer gets top billing, though that's not enough to disqualify them, particularly when you consider all the other reasons to give them a listen:

1. They were from Leeds.

2. Denis Couldry was also a member of Felius Andromeda, aka The Unidentified Flower Objects (who released a single called Flower Power Fred with Harry H. Corbett on lead vocals!)

3. Motorbikin' Chris Spedding was also in the band.

Dennis Couldry & Smile - A Penny For The Wind

SMILE #2

Brian May... Roger Taylor... Tim Staffell. It feels like there's an important member missing from the band that would become Queen... and I don't mean John Deacon.

May and Staffell originally met at private school and formed a band called 1984, way back in 1965. When they headed off to college a couple of years later, they recruited Taylor and the rest was a prelude to history. Staffell left in 1970 to join folk-rockers Humpy Bong, while May and Taylor eventually met a young lad called Farrokh Bulsara. And then the rest is history.

Do your worst, Queen-haters... I won't mind. They were nothing without Freddie... although May's skill with a guitar is clearly evident on the track below...

Smile - Earth

THE SMILE / SMYLE #3

Also from 1969, this lot were Canadian and originally known as The Smile, then they became just Smyle. As always, I picked the song title that most appealed to me...

The Smile [Smyle] - Be Somebody Else's Friend

SMILE #4

Californian band from the early 70s with Chris Rae on guitar. Rae, not Rea. They appear to have released a few singles, but this b-side was the only thing on the tube of you...

Smile - Southbound

SMILE #5

New Orleans band from 1971, although they're stuck firmly in the 60s by the sound of it. Shortest song today - extra marks for that, surely?

Smile - I Wonder

SMYLE #6

Holland, 1972, and another Smyle with a Y. For further information: "Band uit Voorburg en Den Haag met O.A. Zanger Bas Muys en gitarist Mark Boon." Isn't Dutch a wonderful language?

Smyle - The Tandem

SMILE #7

Gentle Greek acoustic rock from 1973...

Smile - ΑΛΗΘΕΙΕΣ

...it's all Greek to me.

SMILE #8

And now we reach 1974, and a song written by Roger Greenaway, one of the men behind I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony). Quite pleased to find this on "Non Hit Radio" - where "Every Song Is A Non Hit". My former radio bosses would have a heart attack at the very thought.

Smile - Let Me Be Your Shadow

SMILE #9

Next, a Danish rock band from the mid-70s who mixed covers with their own compositions. This is one of the latter, the b-side to their version of House of the Rising Sun. Previously known as The Sharons. Which is a far better name if you ask me.

Smile - Every Heartbeat

SMILE #10

On Tojam Records in 1975, a frustratingly catch slice of "disco-country-funk"...

Smile - Mooses Saloon

SMILE #11

Those with no appreciation of the genre used to say that AOR stood for Any Old Rubbish. Being that I have quite a bit of Adult Oriented Rock in my record collection, I am unable to agree with that assessment. This lot though, from 1985... well... at least they're good at jumping.

Smile - Radio Act Of Love

SMILE #12

One year later. Not much better.

Smile - Growing Stronger Every Day

SMILE #12A

I couldn't find any audio for this 1989 German smile... but I thought I'd share their record sleeve, because a picture is surely worth a thousand musical notes... I'm pretty sure Timmy Mallet is in there somewhere.

SMILE #13

Heavy Smile from the US who changed their name to Monsterland in 1990...

Smile - Monsterland

SMILE #14

And now we come to the one I needed help for.

Scottish band Smile released one single in 1992, before going their own way. Iffypedia tells me the song "reached no. 20 in the Scottish charts", although the doyen of the Scottish music scene, JC, told me he'd never heard of a "Scottish chart". Likely it was put together by one of the local radio stations at the time. When I started out in radio, in the late 80s, we did a similar thing... although it usually involving ringing about three record shops in the area (one in Bradford, one in Halifax and one in Huddersfield) and then cobbling something together from their weekly sales. Not particularly scientific. 

Anyway, there was no audio evidence of this band to be found anywhere online, and I'd almost consigned them to the reject pile when I noticed that the band's lead singer was one Dean Owens, respected star of the Scottish Americana scene, and someone who's featured here before. That made me more keen to do a little extra work - so I reached out to JC, who himself drew a blank, but was kind enough to put out an appeal on The Vinyl Villain. Within a day, I'd had two separate responses offering to supply me with the audio I needed - one from our old friend Jim in Dubai, and one from another member of the Vinyl Villain Collective who prefers to remain anonymous.

You might wonder if it was worth all that extra effort... but for me, it definitely was. Obvious is a great little pop song and it doesn't deserve to be completely erased from history. Big thanks to everyone who helped me hear it....

Smile - Obvious

SMILE #15

And now for one that probably wasn't worth the effort...

You know how discogs lists bands with the same name by putting a number after each one? Well, these guys are listed as just Smile, presumably meaning they were the fast act to register themselves when discogs opened (or some rabid fan did the job for them). 

 

Also known as Braindead, Gabberhead, Happyheadz, Infernus, Ravers Religion Hardcore Force, Terrorizers, their music is described as "Dutch gabber / happy hardcore".

I managed less than 30 seconds. Because it's my birthday, I thought about requesting that George listens all the way to the end. But I'm not that mean.

Smile - A Good Time

SMILE #16

Also from the mid-90s, but much more palatable to my aging earlobes is this Californian indie band with a penchant for crunchy guitars...

Smile - Staring At The Sun

SMILE #17

Swedish band from 1993, with a song about being born in the 90s! Blimey, they start their pop careers young in the land of the Svea.

Smile - Welcome To This World (Born In The 90s)

SMILE #18

I actually quite like this one. It's from 1995, and if I'd heard it back then, I would have probably bought it. Or at least scrabbled around in the Chuck Out box to see if I could find it there with all the other Non-Hits.

Smile - Alternative Band

SMILE #19

Also in 1995: The Japanese Oasis. Judging by their logo, at least...

Smile - 明日の行方

SMILE #20

Another Japanese band from the late 90s. Beyond that, I can't really say...

Smile - Ibaranomichiotsukisusume

SMILE #21

Lithuanian boyband from 1999. They're no better than UK boybands of the same era.

Smile - Svajonė

SMILE #22

From their logo, I figured this 21st Century Swedish duo wanted to be Yes...

No such luck... still, at least they've written a tune about an Antipodean Goddess...

Smile - Kiley

SMILE #23

From 2003, featuring Mr. Ron Vail, who appears to have played with Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits at some point in his career. This is another one that actually made me Smile... if only for a second or two.

The Smile - National Seaboard

SMILE #24

Also known as Smile.dk, which suggests they're from Denmark, although they're actually from Sweden. Anyway, this is the worst kind of squeaky Euro-pop and it hurt my ears almost as much as the Gabberheads did. Still, you might like it...

IF YOU'RE INSANE.

(Only joking, insane people. You listen to whatever you like. Just keep it away from me.)

Smile - Butterfly

SMILE #25

A third Japanese Smile, these guys were part of the "Visual Kei" movement, a musical scene influenced by 70s glam rock...

Smile - Darlin'

SMILE #26

The Spanish Smile, from the last decade or so. Not the worst thing you'll hear today, but that's very faint praise... you'd have to go a long way to beat the Gabberheadz.

Smile - Do As I Want

SMILE #27

Aussie Smile, also from the past decade. They might have heard the odd Pavement record when they were younger.

Smile - Born Again

SMILE #28

Italian Indie Smile who changed their name to The Wends in 2022. Presumably they also had to change the name of their website, thenameofthisbandissmile.com.

Smile - Half Faith, Half Struggle

SMILE #29

And an Austrian Smile, from just last year. By this stage in the game, I've listened to so many different Smiles, I've lost the ability to differentiate between them. The video's a bit odd though.

Smile - Protection

THE SMILE #30

And finally...! 

You may have been expecting this one, as they've been making quite a noise for themselves over the past few weeks. Let's all salute the supreme irony of Thom Yorke using the word Smile, especially in a band name!

This latest Radiohead spin-off band features Thom and Johnny and new drummer Tom Skinner. Iffypedia says critics describe them as like Radiohead, but "with more jazz, krautrock and progressive rock influences and a looser, wilder sound." You should try throwing a bit of Banarama in there, Thom.

To help differentiate themselves from the dozens of other bands called Smile, Thom and co. added the definite article. (Perhaps because it's the only Smile Thom has ever had?) As Eminem put it, "All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating".

There were dozens of bands called Smile listed on discogs, but I couldn't find any more music... and believe me, I did look! Most upset that I couldn't find the Swiss Smile from the 1970s with their misspelled hit, Leader Of Loosers, which sounds right up my streeet. (I doubted very much that JC, or any of his readers, would have been able to help me locate that one.)

I know most of you stopped reading this about 29 videos ago, but I'll ask the question anyway... did any of the above Smiles make you smile? Or will you be frowning for the rest of the week?

Hopefully I'll pick a band name with a more manageable number of contenders next week...