My Top 2000 Songs #1048: Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)

I'd never really heard of Cockney Rebel until 20-something years after their early 70s beginnings. Maybe it was the glam-centric soundtrack to 1998's Velvet Goldmine, or just some general inclinations to explore glam rock beyond the obvious Bowie/T.Rex/Roxy/Mott entries around that time. I really liked the first couple albums, which slotted in nicely alongside those better-known artists. I didn't spend as much time with subsequent records, when frontman Steve Harley replaced the band and inserted his name into the operation, but still found some songs I really enjoyed.

"Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)," off 1975's Best Years Of Our Lives (the first under the Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel header), is obviously a stand-out from this period. Apparently a massive hit in its UK home, it was all but invisible here in the States--at least until it showed up on that Velvet Goldmine soundtrack and countless other movies/tv shows, a belated comeback for a fine tune. It's a melodic little ballad, reminiscent of peak Mott the Hoople but without Ian Hunter's gravelly rasp, more pop than glam. Bonus points for being equally enjoyable as an inviting, amiable enough ditty if you don't scrutinize the lyrics, or, if you do, for being part of a long line of nasty kiss-offs to former bandmates.

Top Of The Pops:

Steve Harley, solo live:

Suzi Quatro cover:

Erasure cover:

Wedding Present cover:

Duran Duran cover: