Sweetest Smile
1987 single by Black
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"Sweetest Smile" is a song by English singer Black, released in June 1987 as the third single from his debut album Wonderful Life. It became his first UK top ten hit, peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] On the back of its success, "Wonderful Life" was re-released, becoming an international hit.
| "Sweetest Smile" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Black | ||||
| from the album Wonderful Life | ||||
| B-side | "Sixteens" | |||
| Released | 19 June 1987[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter | Colin Vearncombe | |||
| Producer | Dave "Dix" Dickie | |||
| Black singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| Black - Sweetest Smile (Official Video) on YouTube | ||||
Meaning and reception
Speaking in an interview with Smash Hits in 1987, he said of the song "It's me singing me story of everything that happened to me in 1985, which was a rotten year. Basically my heart was broken. I was… erm, I'm technically married. Er… I've got an imminent divorce – I've been separated for two years. Er… I've never told anyone that, I shouldn't have said it! Er… yeah, so that was 1985, along with lots of other things, me family falling ill and me friends going through all sorts of stuff… I'm alright now though. Just about."[3]
The song was reviewed in Record Mirror and was described as "a beautiful, slow croon. Sufficiently different from the usual conveyor-belt of identikit hits to distract the listener and stretch their attention span to four minutes."[4]
Track listings
7"
- "Sweetest Smile" – 4:22
- "Sixteens" – 3:56
12" / CD / cassette
- "Sweetest Smile" – 5:21
- "Sixteens" – 3:56
- "Leave Yourself Alone" – 4:32
- "Hardly Star-Crossed Lovers" – 2:51
Personnel
Musicians
- Colin Vearncombe – vocals
- Dave "Dix" Dickie – keyboards
- Roy Corkill – fretless bass
- Jimmy Hughes – drums
- Martin Green – soprano saxophone
Technical
- John Warwicker – art direction, design
- Jeremy Pearce – design
- Perry Ogden – photography
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 87 |
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[6] | 41 |
| France (SNEP)[7] | 38 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[8] | 8 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] | 40 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] | 41 |
| Spain (AFYVE[11] | 29 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[2] | 8 |