Single:
Smiley entered the Australian singles chart* on 1 December 1969 and peaked at #2. The song was #24 on the Top 100 of 1970.
Songwriter:
Johnny Young
Producers:
Ian Meldrum, Ronnie Burns, Johnny Young
Record label of Australian release:
Spin
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Wikipedia:
Smiley was written by Johnny Young who revealed that the song was inspired by the experiences of fellow pop star Normie Rowe, whose music career ended in late 1967 when he was drafted into the Australian Army and he was sent to fight in the Vietnam War. It is one of the first Australian pop singles released in stereo and features a lavish orchestral and vocal arrangement by John Farrar (ex The Strangers).
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Burns_(singer)
Pop Archives:
Johnny Young said about Normie Rowe on ABC-TV’s Love is In The Air : “Before he left, he was really happy-go-lucky, fun-filled young fella. When he came back, he changed.”
Read more: www.poparchives.com.au/1183/ronnie-burns/smiley
Milesago:
Smiley was one of the few Australian hits of the ’60s to directly address the issue of the Vietnam War, although it was not the first. That honour goes to The Masters Apprentices’ Wars or Hands of Time.
Read more: www.milesago.com/artists/burns.htm
Lyrics:
Smiley, you’re out in the world today
Smiley, you’re all on your own
Smiley, hey, they say you’re a man today
Boy, how you’ve grow
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – the 70s
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