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Songwriter Sara Allen and Daryl Hall were a couple for 30+ years. In the early days of Hall & Oates, when chart success was still in the future, Daryl wrote a love song about Sara that was destined to became a “Great Song of the '70s.”
In 1975, the duo had left an unsuccessful run at Atlantic Records for RCA, and were recording their self-titled album “Daryl Hall & John Oates,” when they decided to record “Sara Smile.” At first, no one really thought it was anything more than a cool album cut. But then, as producer Chris Bond listened in as the background vocals were being recorded, he got the feeling it COULD be a hit.
Unfortunately, RCA thought differently (as record companies often do). The first two singles released off the finished album, “Camellia” and “Alone Too Long,” had very little chart success...and then something unexpected happened.
Word got back to RCA that the soul station in Toledo (WKLR*) had started playing “Sara Smile” and was getting good feedback, so they FINALLY decided to take a chance and release it as the THIRD single off the album.
Bingo! The song promptly went to #4 on Billboard's Hot 100, as well as #18 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and #23 on the Soul Chart.
Hall and Oates finally had a hit record—thanks to Sara Allen for the inspiration, WKLR for taking a chance, and RCA for finally getting on board!
*TRIVIA for my Toledo friends: Back then, WKLR-”Kooler” Radio, was the FM sister station of WTOD-AM (1560), at 99.9 on the dial and studios on Arlington Avenue in South Toledo.
“Sara Smile:” a “Great Song of 1975!”
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