1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁song ▁reached ▁number - one ▁on ▁the ▁UK ▁chart ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁UK ▁Silver ▁cert ification . ▁It ▁spent ▁nine ▁weeks ▁in ▁the ▁Top ▁ 5 0 , ▁and ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁has ▁sold ▁over ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁copies ▁world wide . ▁ ▁More ▁than ▁ 1 2 0 ▁cover ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁have ▁been ▁recorded ▁by ▁other ▁artists , ▁most ▁not ably ▁by ▁Dur an ▁Dur an ▁and ▁Er asure , ▁although ▁Har ley ▁has ▁stated ▁his ▁favour ite ▁cover ▁version ▁is ▁by ▁The ▁Wed ding ▁Pres ent . ▁ ▁Original ▁version ▁ ▁Writing ▁and ▁composition ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁single ▁to ▁be ▁released ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁" Ste ve ▁Har ley ▁and ▁C ock ney ▁Reb el ", ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁simply ▁" C ock ney ▁Reb el ". ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁the ▁original ▁C ock ney ▁Reb el ▁dis band ed , ▁and ▁Har ley ▁then ▁assemble d ▁a ▁new ▁line - up ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁year . ▁" Make ▁Me ▁Sm ile " ▁described ▁Har ley ' s ▁feelings ▁on ▁the ▁band ' s ▁split . ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁it ▁was ▁believed ▁that ▁Har ley ▁pur pos ely ▁chose ▁to ▁dis band ▁the ▁original ▁line - up ▁and ▁emb ark ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁career ▁path . ▁However , ▁years ▁later , ▁Har ley ▁began ▁to ▁reve al ▁the ▁truth ▁behind ▁the ▁band ' s ▁split . ▁ ▁Between