Smiley Culture Artistfacts

February 10, 1963 - March 15, 2011
David Emmanuel was born at Stockwell, South London, on March 15, 1963, the son of a Jamaican father and a Guyanese mother.
He may have been black, but the man who would become Smiley Culture had more in common with Del Boy Trotter of the classic TV series Only Fools And Horses or Max Miller than with Bob Marley, although unlike Miller, this latter day Cheeky Chappie never relied on innuendo and smut for laughs.
Smiley's rise to fame was quick but not meteoric. The two songs for which he will be fondly remembered are "Cockney Translation" and "Police Officer", both of which he wrote himself. He released his debut album Tongue In Cheek on the Polydor label in 1986, but it was probably too much even in the 1980s to attempt to build a career on novelty songs, although others have done it.
After his second album, The Original Smiley Culture, which was also released in 1986, on Top Notch, his performing career stalled, although he released "Can't Stop The Rap" in 1990 before fading from sight. He may have been gone but he was not forgotten; in July 2009, the London Evening Standard newspaper included "Cockney Translation" on its list London Calling 15 Capital Classics behind "Waterloo Sunset" and "Up The Junction" but ahead of Adele's "Hometown Glory".
Sadly, the next most people heard of Smiley was his death, in bizarre circumstances during a police raid on his home. He had previously been charged with importing cocaine, and committed suicide fearing a long prison sentence. Later, his teenage daughter was charged with the same offence. >>
Suggestion credit:
Alexander Baron - London, England, for all above

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Fortunate SonCreedence Clearwater Revival

The Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Fortunate Son" is about how the Vietnam war was being fought by soldiers without the privilege or connections to get out of it. "It's the old saying about rich men making war and poor men having to fight them," John Fogerty said.

Tomorrow PeopleZiggy Marley & the Melody Makers

"Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley is the first song by a Marley to crack the US Top 40; the highest Bob got was #51 with "Roots, Rock, Reggae."

YellowColdplay

"Yellow" by Coldplay is a deep, meaningful song, but the title has a rather prosaic origin: it came from the phone directory, known as "the yellow pages."

1901Phoenix

The Phoenix song "1901" is about Paris. Their lead singer Thomas Mars said: "Paris in 1901 was better than it is now. So the song is a fantasy about Paris."