Sara Smile#Ghetto Smile

{{Infobox song

| name = Sara Smile

| image = Sara smile by daryl hall and john oates US single side-A.png

| alt = side-A label

| caption = Side A of the US single

| type = single

| artist = Daryl Hall & John Oates

| album = Daryl Hall & John Oates

| B-side = Soldering

| released = 1975

| recorded = 1975

| studio =

| genre =

Soft rock{{cite news|url=https://www.houstonpress.com/music/the-70s-seven-sexiest-soft-rock-songs-6499487|title=The '70s' Seven Sexiest Soft-Rock Songs|date=August 7, 2014|newspaper=Houston Press|author=Jesse Sendejas Jr.}}
R&B
soul{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2022/01/hall-and-oates-biggest-duo-in-chart-history|title= Rock 'n Soul Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date= January 15, 2022|access-date= March 22, 2024}}

| length = 3:07

| label = RCA Victor

| writer = Daryl Hall, John Oates

| producer = Chris Bond, Daryl Hall, John Oates

| prev_title = Alone Too Long

| prev_year = 1975

| next_title = She's Gone

| next_year = 1976

}}

"Sara Smile" is a song written and recorded by the American musical duo Hall & Oates. It was released as the third single from their album Daryl Hall & John Oates. The song was the group's first top 40 and first top ten hit in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

Release and chart performance

"Sara Smile" first appeared in August 1975 as the second cut on the RCA Records album Daryl Hall & John Oates. The song was performed by Hall & Oates during their September–November 1975 tour in support of the album, with a reviewer noting that listeners who liked "She's Gone" would also like the softer ballad "Sara Smile".{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72507724/some-electronic-philly-soul/ |title=Some Electronic Philly Soul – with Ballads, Too |last=Jackson |first=Dana Sue |date=September 14, 1975 |newspaper=Detroit Free Press |access-date=March 2, 2021}} In late 1975, "Sara Smile" was prepared as a 45 rpm 7-inch single release – the third single from the album. It first entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 31, 1976, at number 91.{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1976-01-30 |title=The Hot 100 – Week of January 31, 1976 |publisher=Billboard |access-date=March 2, 2021}}

Cowritten by both halves of the duo, "Sara Smile" turned out to be Hall & Oates' breakthrough single,{{cite news|url=https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn85054904/1976-09-10/ed-1/seq-15/#city=&rows=20&proxtext=sara+smile&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=6&words=Sara+Smile&page=1

|title=Hall & Oates album "bigger" and better|newspaper=The Collegian|date=Sep 10, 1976|author=Frank Halvonik|access-date=Sep 29, 2009}} reaching a number 4 peak on the Hot 100 at the end of June 1976.{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/daryl-hall-john-oates-2/chart-history/hsi/ |title=Chart History – Daryl Hall John Oates – Hot 100|publisher=Billboard |access-date=March 2, 2021}}{{cite magazine|author=Chuck Taylor|date=Feb 15, 2003|title=A Little Rock & Soul Goes A Long Way|magazine=Billboard|page=H3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35}} It was written about Hall's then-girlfriend, stewardess Sara Allen.{{cite book|author=Maury Dean|title=Rock N Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia|page=545|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lJS4EArRBwoC&pg=PA545|isbn=978-0-87586-207-1|year=2003|publisher=Algora Publishing}} The couple were together for almost 30 years before breaking up in 2001.{{cite web|title=Biography for Daryl Hall|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0355461/bio|publisher=IMDb|access-date=June 18, 2012}}

The song also peaked at No. 23 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and No. 18 on the Easy Listening chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 11 best-selling song of 1976. On the R&R Airplay chart, the song debuted at No. 38 on April 2, 1976, and peaked at No. 7 seven weeks later.{{Cite web|url=https://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/Songruns/H/HallandOates/sara_smile.htm|title = Sara Smile}} The single earned a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Hall%20Oates&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50|title=Search results for Hall & Oates|work=Recording Industry Association of America|access-date=2009-10-16}}

The album Daryl Hall & John Oates was moving slowly on Billboard{{'s}} chart until "Sara Smile" started becoming a hit.{{cite book |title=Rock Movers & Shakers |last=Lazell |first=Barry |date=1989 |publisher=Billboard Publications |page=219 |isbn=9780823076086}} The album picked up momentum to hit number 17 on the Billboard 200, peaking simultaneously with "Sara Smile" on June 25, 1976.{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/daryl-hall-john-oates-2/chart-history/tlp/ |title=Chart History – Daryl Hall John Oates – Billboard 200 |publisher=Billboard |access-date=March 2, 2021}}

Critical reception

Record World said that "Daryl and John leave no question as to their ability to come up with another 'She's Gone.'"{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=January 24, 1976|page=12|accessdate=2023-03-08|title=Single Picks|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/76/RW-1976-01-24.pdf}} Nathan Brackett and Christian Hoard, in the Rolling Stone album guide, referred to the song as a "love bead ballad"{{cite book|last=Brackett|first=Nathan|author2=Christian Hoard|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|pages=358–359|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PA358|isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8|year=2004|publisher=Simon & Schuster}} and Steve Pond of the Los Angeles Times cited it as an example of the duo's R&B influences.{{cite news|url=https://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|title=Pop Album Briefs|author=Steve Pond|date=Oct 31, 1976|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 18, 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214051321/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/doc/158018476.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct%2031,%201976&author=&pub=Los%20Angeles%20Times&edition=&startpage=&desc=Pop%20Album%20Briefs|archive-date=February 14, 2017}}

Legacy

Following the success of "Sara Smile," the Atlantic Records label re-released the duo's previous single, "She's Gone", which had missed the Top 40 chart during 1973–74. In its re-release it rose to number 7 in late October 1976.{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4427/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Hall & Oates biography|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author2=J. Scott McClintock |work=Allmusic|access-date=2009-10-16}}

Charts

=Weekly charts=

Chart (1976) ! Peak position
class="wikitable sortable"
{{singlechart\|Canadatopsingles\|22\|song=Sara Smile \|artist=Daryl Hall & John Oates\|chartid=4147a\|access-date=September 21, 2019}}
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary{{cite web\|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4122&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4122.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4122\|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada \|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca \|date=1976-05-15 \|access-date=2019-02-03}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|29
{{singlechart\|New Zealand\|22\|artist=Daryl Hall & John Oates\|song=Sara Smile\|access-date=May 31, 2017}}
{{singlechart\|Billboardhot100\|4\|artist=Daryl Hall & John Oates\|access-date=May 31, 2017}}
US Radio & Records CHR/Pop Airplay Chart{{Cite web\|url=http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/halloates.html\|title=Hall + Oates\|access-date=2017-01-21\|archive-date=2017-01-04\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104235520/http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/halloates.html\|url-status=dead}} \|align="center"\|7
{{singlechart\|Billboardadultcontemporary\|18\|artist=Daryl Hall & John Oates\|access-date=May 31, 2017}}
{{singlechart\|Billboardrandbhiphop\|23\|artist=Daryl Hall & John Oates\|access-date=May 31, 2017}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable"

align="left"|Chart (1976)

! style="text-align:center;"|Rank

Canada{{cite web |url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.5173b&brws_s=&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3 |title= Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977 |work= RPM |publisher= Library and Archives Canada |access-date= March 13, 2016 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160610094136/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.5173b&brws_s=&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3 |archive-date= June 10, 2016 }}

| style="text-align:center;"|164

US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1976.htm |title=Top 100 Hits of 1976/Top 100 Songs of 1976 |website=Musicoutfitters.com |access-date=2016-10-11}}

| style="text-align:center;"|11

Certifications

{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Sara Smile"}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=New Zealand|title=Sara Smile|artist=Hall And Oates|relyear=1975|certyear=2023|award=Gold|source=radioscope|access-date=April 20, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|nosales=true|streaming=true}}

Jimmy Wayne version

{{Infobox song

| name = Sara Smile

| cover = Jimmysara.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Jimmy Wayne with Daryl Hall and John Oates

| album = Sara Smile

| released = October 3, 2009

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Country

| length = 3:46

| label = Valory Music Group

| writer = Daryl Hall, John Oates

| producer = Dann Huff

| chronology = Jimmy Wayne

| prev_title = I'll Be That

| prev_year = 2009

| next_title = Just Knowing You Love Me

| next_year = 2010

}}

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.

=Critical reception=

Sam Gazdziak of Engine 145 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."{{cite web|url=http://www.engine145.com/jimmy-wayne-sara-smile/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218112047/http://www.engine145.com/jimmy-wayne-sara-smile/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 18, 2014|title=Jimmy Wayne — "Sara Smile"|last=Gazdziak|first=Sam|date=2009-09-28|work=Engine 145|access-date=2009-10-16}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.roughstock.com/blog/jimmy-wayne-feat-hall-oates-sara-smile-|title=Jimmy Wayne — "Sara Smile"|author=Bobby Peacock|date=2009-09-17|work=Roughstock|access-date=2009-10-16|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202102646/http://www.roughstock.com/blog/jimmy-wayne-feat-hall-oates-sara-smile-|archive-date=2009-12-02}} 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."{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1679169|pure_url=yes}}|title=Sara Smile review|last=Jurek|first=Thom|work=Allmusic|access-date=3 December 2009}}

=Chart performance=

Jimmy Wayne's version of "Sara Smile" debuted at number 51 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in September 2009. After seven weeks on the country chart, the song peaked at 31 in December 2009.

class="wikitable"
Chart (2009) ! Peak position
{{singlechart\|Billboardcountrysongs\|31\|artist=Jimmy Wayne\|artistid=514616\|access-date=January 30, 2011}}

class="wikitable"

Chart (2009)

! Peak
position

{{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|31|artist=Jimmy Wayne|artistid=514616|access-date=January 30, 2011}}

Other notable cover versions

R&B group After 7 released a cover version for their greatest hits album The Very Best of After 7 (1997). The version peaked at number 31 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts,[http://www.billboard.com/artist/278131/after-7/chart?f=364 After 7 - R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay], Billboard. Accessed December 14, 2016. number 99 in Australia,{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/wjmQ4Uk.jpg|title=The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 06 Apr 1997|publisher=Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA)|access-date=2017-06-24}} N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached. and number 130 in the UK.{{cite web|url=https://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_A.HTM|title=Chart Log UK 1994–2010 > A – Azzido Da Bass|publisher=zobbel.de|access-date=2017-06-24}}

British female singer-songwriter Rumer released a cover version on July 30, 2012 as the second single from her second studio album Boys Don't Cry (2012). The song peaked at number 47 on the Belgian Ultratip Bubbling Under (Flanders) chart.{{cite web |title=Rumer – Sara Smile |url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/fc725/Rumer-Sara-Smile |website=Ultratop |access-date=May 29, 2023 }} Rumer and Daryl Hall perform the song together on Live From Daryl's House. A music video of Rumer's version was made and then released to the public.

=Ghetto Smile=

The chorus of "Sara Smile" was reworked in 1996 by Northern California rapper B-Legit into the song "Ghetto Smile", collaborating with Hall who recorded new vocals.{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QSwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64 |page=64 |date=December 1996 |title=Soul to Soul – B-Legit and Daryl Hall put on a happy face |author=Chairman Mao |magazine=Vibe |volume=4 |number=10 |issn=1070-4701}}

The song was produced by Redwine and B-Legit and features guitars by Thaddeus Turner. The song was released in 1996 on B-Legit's second album, The Hemp Museum.

The song was later used in the 1997 film Dangerous Ground and was released as a single and a music video to promote the film's soundtrack. The music video features the clean version of the song and has B-Legit rapping and Hall and guitarist Turner performing on a separate set interspersed with scenes from the film.