Today’s classic song of the day is “Sara Smile” by Daryl Hall and John Oates. Released as a single in January of 1976, “Sara Smile” became the duo’s first top forty (and top ten) hit in the U.S. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #18 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.
Misters Hall and Oates wrote “Sara Smile” about Mr. Hall’s then-girlfriend, stewardess Sara Allen. “Sara Smile” first appeared as the second track of side one of their 1975 album, Daryl Hall & John Oates (the one with the boys in glam makeup on the cover). As Mr. Hall recalls:
“That was a postcard to Sara Allen, who was my partner for many, many years, a ‘having a great time, wish you were here,’ kind of thing. I cannot tell you how many girls have told me they were named for it!”
I liked early Hall & Oates a lot better than I liked their later MTV-era stuff. I am particularly fond of their Abandoned Luncheonette album, which included another song about Mr. Hall’s stewardess girlfriend, “Las Vegas Turnaround.” “Sara Smile” has that same smooth Philly Soul/blue-eyed soul feel, which makes sense for two white guys from Philadelphia.
Which leads us to today’s daily bonus track of the day, that other song about stewardess Sara Allen, with whom Daryl Hall had a 28-year relationship. It’s “Las Vegas Turnaround” from the Abandoned Luncheonette album, and if you haven’t heard it, you’re going to like it.
