"Secret Smile" is a song by American rock band Semisonic. The single, released to American radio on January 11, 1999, gained the band brief international popularity. A live version of the song recorded at The Gorge Amphitheatre, as well as a mix by the Orb had previously been released as a B-side to "Singing in My Sleep". The song was featured in the film Simply Irresistible and in the TV series Charmed and Dawson's Creek.
Composition Songwriter Dan Wilson has said that the melody for the song came to him in a dream, and he woke up in the middle of the night, rushed to a piano, and wrote it down.
"...Secret Smile, the first half of it came to me in a dream. I woke up in very early morning hours with this song playing in my head. I got up, ran to a piano, and I wrote down the words that I heard in my mind and I played the chords on the piano and wrote down the names of the chords. Then I went back to sleep. And then the next day when I woke up, I remembered the song from the dream. I went to the piano and I saw my notes. I played the song and I thought, Well, this is great. It must be some song that I've heard before. Then I asked all my friends about it, and they all said, 'No, that sounds like a song of yours.'"
Music video The music video was shot in Los Angeles in January 1999 and was directed by British music video director Sophie Muller. Paul Rudd and Laura Prepon both appear.
Track listings
UK CD1 "Secret Smile" (remix edit) – 3:45 "Completely Pleased" – 3:17 "Erotic City" – 3:34
UK CD2 "Secret Smile" (album edit) – 3:45 "Singing in My Sleep" (remix full version) – 4:28 "Take Me with You" (live) – 4:08 "Secret Smile" (video)
UK cassette single "Secret Smile" (album edit) – 3:45 "Take Me with You" (live) – 4:08
European CD single "Secret Smile" – 3:46 "Completely Pleased" – 3:19
Australasian CD single "Secret Smile" – 3:46 "Completely Pleased" – 3:19 "Erotic City" – 3:35 "Secret Smile" (full-length remix) – 4:27
Credits and personnel Credits are lifted from the US promo CD liner notes and the Feeling Strangely Fine album notes.
Studios Recorded and produced at Seedy Underbelly (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Mixed at Mix This! (Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles) Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine, US)
Personnel
Dan Wilson – writing, lead vocals, guitar, Rhodes piano, string and flute arrangement John Munson – vocals, bass, Moog Jacob Slichter – vocals, drums, string and flute arrangement, conducting Bruce Allard – strings Mary Bahr – strings Carolyn Boulay – strings Troy Gardner – strings Josh Koestenbaum – strings Nick Launay – production, recording Brad Kern – additional recording Alex Oana – assistant recording engineer Richard Werbowenko – assistant recording engineer Shane Washington – assistant recording engineer Bob Clearmountain – mixing (album version) Ryan Freeland – assistant mix engineering James Saez – assistant mix engineering Tom Lord-Alge – mixing (remix) Jennifer Munson – digital editing Bob Ludwig – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1999)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)47US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)42
Year-end charts Chart (1999)PositionUK Singles (OCC)114
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United StatesJanuary 11, 1999Active rock radioMCAJanuary 12, 1999Contemporary hit radioUnited KingdomJune 28, 1999
References