In the 35th edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Sara Smile” by iconic duo, Hall & Oates.
“When I feel cold, you warm me / And when I feel I can’t go on / You come and hold me / It’s you and me forever.” Aww 🥰! The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 35th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2023), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Sara Smile”, performed by iconic duo, 🎙 Hall & Oates.
“Sara, smile / Oh, won’t you smile awhile for me, Sara.” Songs about a significant other make you feel some type of way! 🎙 Daryl Hall & John Oates – aka 🎙 Hall & Oates – struck gold with 🎵 “Sara Smile”. “Sara Smile” was written for Daryl Hall’s longtime girlfriend, Sara Allen. Though no longer a couple, this R&B-influenced soft-rock/pop record still speaks about the beauty of the relationship. Hall sounds fantastic, singing within a beautiful tone and incredible authenticity. “Baby hair, with a woman’s eyes,” he sings in the first verse, continuing, “I can feel you watching in the night / All alone with me and we’re waiting for the sunlight.”
Beyond the dedication and love-themed lyrics, the music is stunning too. There is a warmth conveyed by this record that remains potent as the hit from 💿 Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975) approaches 50 years old. Beyond the keys, guitars, and strings, one of the best instrumental aspects is the bass line, which represents a key instance of the soul influence on this number. The bass line is big and rich, truly anchoring things down. Also, beyond the lead vocals by Hall – recorded live with the band, by the way – the background vocals sound incredibly smooth. Listening to 🎵 “Sara Smile” in the 2020s, it is easy to hear why it reached no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Simple yet telling, songs like this gem by the iconic duo only come once in a lifetime. “Thank you for making me feel like a man.”
🎙 Hall & Oates • 💿 Daryl Hall & John Oates • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1975
Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Sara Smile”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 35 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner, John Alan Sperry, PIRO, The Musical Hype, Pixabay]