Smile (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Defunct | 1970 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Rock music |
Smile was a London-based English rock group established in 1968, serving as the forerunner to Queen. The band originated with Tim Staffell and Brian May and was later joined by drummer Roger Taylor. Before disbanding in 1970, they recorded six songs. These recordings—"April Lady," "Step on Me," "Polar Bear," "Earth," "Blag," and "Doin' Alright" (which Queen re-recorded for their 1973 debut album)—are compiled on the CD Ghost of a Smile.
History
Guitarists Staffell and May, who were classmates at Hampton School, initially formed a band named 1984 in 1965, performing in venues around West London. After both left that group in early 1968, they enlisted dental student Roger Taylor as their drummer. Smile's first live appearance was as an opening act for either Pink Floyd or the Troggs at Imperial College on 26 October 1968. Their most prominent early performance took place at the Royal Albert Hall on 27 February 1969, where they supported the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and Her Child; rare footage from this event still exists. In this lineup, May handled guitar duties, Taylor was on drums, and Staffell played bass.
Throughout 1969, Smile frequently performed at London clubs like the Speakeasy Club and Whisky-A-Go-Go. Between March 1969 and April 1970, they held regular gigs at PJ's Club in Truro, promoting supposed BBC Radio 1 airplay to draw crowds. In May 1969, Smile signed a single-release contract with Mercury Records and recorded three songs at Trident Studios: "Earth" (written by Staffell), "Step on Me" (by May), and "Doin' All Right" (co-written by May and Staffell). Although a promotional release was planned for the U.S., it never reached commercial distribution. Mercury then commissioned an additional three tracks—"April Lady" (composed by Stanley Lucas), "Blag," and "Polar Bear"—which were recorded at De Lane Lea Studios but remained unreleased at that time.
The band dissolved after Staffell departed in 1970 to join Humpy Bong. Subsequently, Farrokh Bulsara (later known as Freddie Mercury) persuaded May and Taylor to continue making music together, leading to the formation of a new group that eventually became Queen. After experimenting with several bass players, John Deacon joined in February 1971, completing the classic Queen lineup. This ensemble remained intact until Mercury's death in 1991; their final album was Made in Heaven released in 1995.
Queen’s debut album included "Doing All Right," co-written by Staffell, who received royalties from its sales. The track was also featured during Queen’s BBC sessions with John Peel, which were issued as At the Beeb (1989) in the UK and Queen at the BBC (1995) in the United States. Early BBC recordings such as "Doing All Right" were part of the 1995 single "Let Me Live."
On 22 December 1992, Smile briefly reunited when Roger Taylor’s band The Cross headlined a concert; Brian May and Tim Staffell joined them onstage to perform "Earth" and "If I Were a Carpenter." In 2018, Smile regrouped at Abbey Road Studios to re-record "Doing All Right" for the soundtrack of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody film. This version featured shared lead vocals from May and Taylor alongside Staffell’s original vocal parts.
Discography
There are two official releases containing Smile’s six tracks:
Gettin' Smile (LP), released in Japan on 23 September 1982 through Mercury Records. The album sleeve includes incorrect lyric transcriptions and songwriting credits. This edition served as the foundation for numerous subsequent bootlegs.
Ghost of a Smile (CD), issued in the Netherlands in 1997 by Pseudonym Records. This release offers remastered versions of the songs along with detailed liner notes written by Staffell. It also features two renditions of "The Man from Manhattan," a collaboration between Eddie Howell and Freddie Mercury, with May contributing guitar.
A bootleg entitled Pre-Ordained compiles early Smile-era material, much of which overlaps with tracks found on the 1995 Italian bootleg In Nuce.