Smooth (song)

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"Smooth"
Single by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
from the album Supernatural
Released June 29, 1999
Format CD single
Recorded 1999
Genre Latin rock, pop rock
Length 4:58 (Album Version)
4:00 (Radio Edit)
Writer(s) Rob Thomas, Itaal Shur
Producer Matt Serletic
Certification Platinum (US)
Santana singles chronology
"Say It Again"
(1985)		 "Smooth"
(1999)		 "Maria Maria"
(2000)
Rob Thomas singles chronology
"Smooth"
(1999)		 "A New York Christmas"
(2003)
"Smooth"
Sample from "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

"Smooth" is a collaboration between Latin rock band Santana and Rob Thomas of the rock group Matchbox Twenty. The song was written by Thomas and Itaal Shur, sung by Thomas, produced by Matt Serletic and won three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

Contents

Concept and background [edit]

"Smooth" was originally conceived by Shur as a song called "Room 17". The lyrics were stripped off and the track was given to Thomas, who re-wrote the lyrics and melody and re-titled it "Smooth", then recorded the song as a demo to play for Santana. This song was originally written to describe an acquaintance of Thomas', John Bizanes, who is... very 'smooth'. However, over time credit for this inspiration has been given to Thomas' wife, Marisol Maldonado. After hearing the song, Santana decided to have Thomas record the final version.[1] Matt Serletic (who produced Matchbox Twenty's debut album Yourself or Someone Like You) produced the song and it was released from Santana's album Supernatural.

Thomas wrote "Smooth" for his wife, Marisol Maldonado. He stated in interviews that the lyric "My Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa" was inspired by the 1972 Elton John song "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters", which includes references to the 1961 Ben E. King song "Spanish Harlem".

Success [edit]

"Smooth" became a massive hit in 1999, spending 12 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 beginning with the October 23, 1999 issue. It was the first chart-topping song in Carlos Santana's long-running career (his previous biggest hit being "Black Magic Woman", which peaked at number four in 1971). The song stayed in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 for 30 weeks, a record only broken by "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes.

In the United Kingdom, "Smooth" initially underperformed in the UK Singles Chart, charting at number 75 in October 1999. After extra airplay and publicity it was re-issued in March 2000 and this time peaked at number 3, spending eight weeks in the top 40.

"Smooth" also spent a record-breaking ten consecutive weeks at the top of the VSpot Top 20 Countdown, a record that held up until the Dixie Chicks broke it in 2006.

Legacy [edit]

On Billboard magazine's rankings of the top songs of the first 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, "Smooth" was ranked as the number-two song overall (behind only "The Twist)[2] and the number-one rock song in the history of the chart.[3]

Cover versions [edit]

A cover version of the song is included in the Nintendo Wii version of Samba de Amigo. Post-hardcore group Escape the Fate also recorded a cover version of the song for the compilation album Punk Goes Pop 2, released on March 10, 2009.

Remixes [edit]

  1. Chris Staropoli Remix 3:53
  2. Club Mix 7:29
  3. Club Mix [instrumental] 7:29

Track listing [edit]

  1. "Smooth" (Edit) - 3:55
  2. "El Farol" - 4:59

Extended credits [edit]

  • Producer - Matt Serletic
  • Engineer - Andy Grassi, Michael McCoy
  • Recorded and mixed by - David Thoener
  • Vocals and lyrics - Rob Thomas
  • Music by - Itaal Shur, Rob Thomas
  • Video director - Marcus Raboy
  • Video editing - Bruce Ashley

Charts [edit]

Peak positions [edit]

Chart (1999–2000) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 4
Austrian Singles Chart 9
Belgium Flanders Singles Chart 30
Canadian RPM Singles Chart 1
Canadian RPM Rock Chart 1
Dutch Singles Chart 40
Finnish Singles Chart 12
French Singles Chart 15
New Zealand Singles Chart 18
Swiss Singles Chart 18
UK Singles Chart 3
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 1
US Billboard Pop Songs[4] 1
US Billboard Adult Pop Songs[4] 1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[5] 11
US Billboard Alternative Songs[4] 24
US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 10

Year-end charts [edit]

Chart (1999) Position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[6] 9
Canadian RPM Rock Chart[7] 8
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[8] 19
Chart (2000) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[9] 2

Decade-end charts [edit]

Chart (1990–1999) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[10] 41
Chart (2000–2009) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11] 33

All-time charts [edit]

Chart (1958–2008) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[2] 2


See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Rob Thomas: Santana's Smooth Sidekick". VH1. December 2, 2002. Retrieved July 8, 2012. 
  2. ^ a b "Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary – The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (10-01)". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2012. 
  3. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary – Top Billboard Hot 100 Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2012. 
  4. ^ a b c d "Smooth - Santana". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2012. 
  5. ^ "Santana Singles". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2012. 
  6. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 70, No. 8, December 13 1999". RPM. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
  7. ^ "Rock/Alternative - Volume 70, No. 8, December 13 1999". RPM. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
  8. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1999". Retrieved August 28, 2010. 
  9. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 2000". Retrieved August 31, 2010. 
  10. ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). "1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The Listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010. 
  11. ^ "Billboard best of the 2000s Hot 100 songs". Billboard. December 31, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2010. 
Santana
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Related articles
Rob Thomas singles
...Something to Be
Cradlesong
Featured singles
Soundtrack singles
"Smooth"* by Santana (Rodney Holmes, Tony Lindsay, Karl Perazzo, Raul Rekow, Benny Rietveld, Carlos Santana, Chester Thompson) featuring Rob Thomas
engineered/mixed by David Thoener, produced by Matt Serletic (2000)		 "Beautiful Day"* by U2 (Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr.)
engineered/mixed by Richard Rainey & Steve Lillywhite; produced by Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois (2001)
"Walk On" by U2 (Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr.)
engineered/mixed by Richard Rainey & Steve Lillywhite; produced by Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois (2002)		 "Don't Know Why"* by Norah Jones
engineered/mixed by Jay Newland; produced by Arif Mardin, Jay Newland & Norah Jones (2003)
"Clocks" by Coldplay (Guy Berryman, Jon Buckland, Will Champion, Phil Harvey, Chris Martin)
engineered/mixed by Coldplay, Ken Nelson & Mark Phythian; produced by Coldplay & Ken Nelson (2004)		 "Here We Go Again" by Ray Charles and Norah Jones
engineered/mixed by Al Schmitt, Mark Fleming, & Terry Howard; produced by John R. Burk (2005)
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day (Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Frank Edwin Wright III)
engineered/mixed by Chris Lord-Alge & Doug McKean, produced by Green Day & Rob Cavallo (2006)		 "Not Ready to Make Nice"* by Dixie Chicks (Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison)
engineered/mixed by Chris Testa, Jim Scott & Richard Dodd; produced by Rick Rubin (2007)
"Rehab"* by Amy Winehouse
engineered/mixed by Tom Elmhirst, Vaughan Merrick, Dom Morley, Mark Ronson & Gabriel Roth; produced by Mark Ronson (2008)		 "Please Read the Letter" by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant
engineered/mixed by Mike Piersante; produced by T-Bone Burnett (2009)
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