Smile (Vitamin C song)

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"Smile"
Single by Vitamin C featuring Lady Saw
from the album Vitamin C
ReleasedJune 8, 1999 (1999-06-08)
StudioAxis (New York City)
GenreDancehall pop[1]
Length3:58
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Josh Deutsch
  • Garry Hughes
Vitamin C singles chronology
"Smile"
(1999) 		"Me, Myself and I"
(1999)
Audio
"Smile" (radio edit) on YouTube

"Smile" is the debut single of American singer Vitamin C, featuring vocals from Jamaican reggae singer Lady Saw. "Smile" was the first single released from Vitamin C's self-titled debut album on June 8, 1999. Using television exposure as a major form of promotion, the song became a top-40 hit in Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, and the United States.

Background and release[edit]

According to Vitamin C, she had trouble coming up with the song's lyrics. On the day she wrote them, she was feeling sad about the breakup of her former band, Eve's Plum, and decided that she needed to write a happy song to move past her depression. Elektra Records released "Smile" as a 12-inch single on June 8, 1999, and as a CD, maxi-CD, and cassette single on June 29 of the same year.[2] On June 22, 1999, Elektra Records serviced "Smile" to American pop and rhythmic radio stations.[3]

Commercial performance[edit]

"Smile" became Vitamin C's highest-charting single in the United States to date, peaking at number 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40[4] and number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her only single to reach the top 20 and her first single to reach the top 40.[5] Worldwide, "Smile" peaked at number 13 in New Zealand,[6] number 24 in Iceland,[7] and number 29 in Canada.[8] In the US, the single received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 500,000.[9] Billboard attributed the song's success to its intense promotion via television, including featuring in advertisements for The WB series Movie Stars, promos for the NBC series Cold Feet, and the season 9 finale of Beverly Hills, 90210.[2][10]

Music video[edit]

The music video takes place in a multi-colored Sam Goody CD store which has several motifs from the album art. Lady Saw plays a DJ in the video, while Vitamin C dances with a few backup dancers to the song ("Smile") that Lady Saw is playing. The video was directed by Christopher Erskin.

Track listings[edit]

Credits and personnel[edit]

Credits are lifted from the US CD single and Vitamin C liner notes.[11][19]

Studios

  • Recorded at Axis Studios (New York City)
  • Mixed at Quad Recording Studios and Avatar Studios (New York City)
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)

Personnel

  • Vitamin C – writing (as Colleen Fitzpatrick)
  • Josh Deutsch – writing, production
  • Garry Hughes – production
  • Lloyd Puckitt – recording
  • Michael Patterson – mixing
  • Ann Mincieli – mixing assistance (Quad)
  • Greg Gasperino – mixing assistance (Avatar)

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Stevenson, Jane (September 12, 1999). "Colleen Fitzpatrick goes out on her own". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on September 2, 2000 – via Jam!. gets all dancehall pop gooey with the breakout first single, Smile, from her debut album
  2. ^ a b Bell, Carrie (July 17, 1999). "Elektra's Vitamin C Gives Pop a Twist" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 29. p. 12, 16. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1304. June 18, 1999. p. 42, 48. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Pop Airplay". Billboard. August 21, 1999. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. August 28, 1999. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Vitamin C feat. Lady Saw – Smile". Top 40 Singles.
  7. ^ a b "Íslenski Listinn (2.8–5.8. 1999)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). August 6, 1999. p. 10. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8449." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "American single certifications – Vitamin C – Smile". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  10. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (July 24, 1999). "Hot 100 Singles Spotlight" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 30. p. 89. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Vitamin C (1999). Smile (US CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 64041-2.
  12. ^ Vitamin C (1999). Smile (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 63749-2.
  13. ^ Vitamin C (1999). Smile (US 12-inch single sleeve). Elektra Records. 0-63749.
  14. ^ Vitamin C (1999). Smile (US cassette single sleeve). Elektra Records. 64041-4.
  15. ^ Vitamin C (1999). Smile (UK CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. E3727CD, 7559-63727-2.
  16. ^ Vitamin C (1999). Smile (European CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 7559-64025-9.
  17. ^ Vitamin C (1999). Smile (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 7559-63717-2.
  18. ^ Vitamin C (1999). Smile (Australian CD single liner notes). Elektra Records. 7559637372.
  19. ^ Vitamin C (1999). Vitamin C (US CD album liner notes). Elektra Records. 62406-2.
  20. ^ "Chartifacts!" (PDF). The ARIA Report (569): 1. January 22, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2003. Retrieved February 19, 2023 – via National Library of Australia. More contains her three previous hits, The Itch (No. 6 January 2001), Smile (No. 138 January 2000)...
  21. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8449." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  22. ^ "Vitamin C feat. Lady Saw – Smile" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  23. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 39, 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  24. ^ "Vitamin C – Smile" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. ^ "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. September 11, 1999. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  26. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52. December 24, 1999. p. 54.
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