Sara Smile
| "Sara Smile" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Hall & Oates | ||||
| from the album Daryl Hall & John Oates | ||||
| Released | January 31, 1976 | |||
| Format | 7″, 12″ | |||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||
| Genre | Blue eyed soul | |||
| Length | 3:07 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Writer(s) | Daryl Hall John Oates |
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| Producer | Chris Bond Daryl Hall John Oates |
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| Certification | Gold (U.S.) | |||
| Hall & Oates singles chronology | ||||
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"Sara Smile" is the title of a song written and recorded by the American musical duo Hall & Oates. It was released in January 1976 as the second single from their album Daryl Hall & John Oates. The song was the group's first Top 10 hit in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. In late 2009, American country music singer Jimmy Wayne released a cover version with a backing vocal from the duo.
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[edit] Hall & Oates version
"Sara Smile" was the second single released from Hall & Oates' 1975 self-titled album for RCA Records. Co-written by both halves of the duo, it was Hall & Oates's breakthrough single,[1] with a #4 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1976.[2] It was written about Hall's girlfriend, Sara Allen.[3]
[edit] Critical reception
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This section requires expansion with: More in-depth critical reception. |
Nathan Brackett and Christian Hoard, in the Rolling Stone album guide, referred to the song as a "love bead ballad,"[4] and Steve Pond of the Los Angeles Times cited it as an example of the duo's R&B influences.[5] Following the success of "Sara Smile," the Atlantic Records label re-released the duo's previous single, "She's Gone."[6]
[edit] Chart performance
"Sara Smile" was the duo's first Top Ten hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at #23 on Hot Soul Singles (now Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) and #18 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts. The song also earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[7]
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart | 22 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 22 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles | 23 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 18 |
[edit] Cover versions
[edit] Jimmy Wayne version
| "Sara Smile" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Jimmy Wayne with Daryl Hall and John Oates | ||||
| from the album Sara Smile | ||||
| Released | October 3, 2009 | |||
| Format | Music download | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:46 | |||
| Label | Valory Music Group | |||
| Producer | Dann Huff | |||
| Jimmy Wayne chronology | ||||
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Country music singer Jimmy Wayne released a cover version in 2009, with backing vocals from Hall & Oates. This version debuted at #51 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated October 3, 2009 and serves as the title track for Wayne's third album, Sara Smile. It became Hall & Oates' first single to chart on the country charts.
[edit] Critical reception
Sam Gazdziak of The 9513 gave the song a thumbs-down, saying that it was "almost reverential" to the original and that Wayne's vocals showed R&B influences, but added that it "has no business being played on a country radio station."[8] Bobby Peacock of Roughstock gave a more positive review, also saying that it was well-sung but not country-sounding, but adding that it was a "refreshing change of pace" from the "bombast of Do You Believe Me Now," Wayne's last album.[9] Thom Jurek described the cover favorably in his review of the album, saying that Wayne "basically apes Hall's lead vocal[…]note for note" but "pulls it off in spades."[10]
[edit] Chart performance
Jimmy Wayne's version of "Sara Smile" debuted at #51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in September 2009. After seven weeks on the country chart, the song peaked at #31 in December 2009.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[11] | 31 |
[edit] References
- ^ Halvonik, Frank (1976-09-10). "Hall & Oates album "bigger" and better". The Collegian. http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/Skins/BasicArch/Client.asp?Skin=BasicArch&&AppName=2&enter=true&BaseHref=DCG/1976/09/10&EntityId=Ar01502. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
- ^ Taylor, Chuck (2003-02-15). "A Little Rock & Soul Goes A Long Way". Billboard: H3. http://books.google.com/?id=AQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35&dq=%22sara+smile%22+%22hall+%26+oates#v=onepage&q=%22sara%20smile%22%20%22hall%20%26%20oates.
- ^ Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia. Algora Publishing. pp. 545. ISBN 9780875862071. http://books.google.com/?id=lJS4EArRBwoC&pg=PA545&dq=%22sara+smile%22+%22hall+%26+oates&q=%22sara%20smile%22%20%22hall%20%26%20oates.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 358–359. ISBN 9780743201698. http://books.google.com/?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PA358&dq=%22sara+smile%22+%22hall+%26+oates#v=onepage&q=%22sara%20smile%22%20%22hall%20%26%20oates.
- ^ Pond, Steve (1976-10-31). "Pop Album Briefs". Los Angeles Times. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/658631792.html?dids=658631792:658631792&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+31%2C+1976&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Pop+Album+Briefs&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; J. Scott McClintock. "Hall & Oates biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4427/biography. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
- ^ "Search results for Hall & Oates". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Hall%20Oates&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
- ^ Gazdziak, Sam (2009-09-28). "Jimmy Wayne — "Sara Smile"". The 9513. http://www.the9513.com/jimmy-wayne-sara-smile/. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
- ^ Bobby Peacock (2009-09-17). "Jimmy Wayne — "Sara Smile"". Roughstock. http://www.roughstock.com/blog/jimmy-wayne-feat-hall-oates-sara-smile-. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Sara Smile review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1679169. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
- ^ "Jimmy Wayne Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Country Songs for Jimmy Wayne. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
[edit] External links
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