{{Infobox song | name = Your Smiling Face | cover = Your Smiling Face Dutch cover.jpg | alt = | caption = Dutch cover | type = single | artist = James Taylor | album = JT | B-side = If I Keep My Heart Out of Sight | released = September 1977 | recorded = | studio = | genre = Pop, soft rock | length = 2:30 | label = Columbia | writer = James Taylor | producer = Peter Asher | prev_title = Handy Man | prev_year = 1977 | next_title = Honey Don't Leave L.A. | next_year = 1977 }}
"'''Your Smiling Face'''" is a song by singer James Taylor. First available on the album ''JT'', and released as the album's sophomore single in September 1977, "Your Smiling Face" peaked at number 11 in ''Cash Box'' magazine and at 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 near year's end.<ref name=uschart>{{cite web|title=JT Awards|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/jt-mw0000097545/awards|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=2014-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611061702/http://www.allmusic.com/album/jt-mw0000097545/awards|archive-date=11 June 2013}}</ref> It reached number 11 on the ''RPM'' Top Singles chart in Canada.<ref name=rpm>{{cite web|title=RPM 100 Singles|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5494a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=hemo36nri2nudkovj70jergqv6|date=December 24, 1977|access-date=2014-04-01|publisher=Library and Archives Canada}}</ref> On Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, it reached number 6.<ref name=uschart/><ref>{{cite web|title=RPM Adult Oriented Playlist|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.5453&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=ab90cb71iq8p4sfuqb91ijups2|date=December 10, 1977|access-date=2014-04-01|publisher=Library and Archives Canada}}</ref>
==Background== Lines like "Isn't it amazing a man like me can feel this way?" reflect Taylor's surprise at his newfound happiness in his relationship with Carly Simon.<ref>{{cite web|title=JT|author=Ruhlmann, W.|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/jt-mw0000097545|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=2014-04-01}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' critic Peter Herbst described it as being "unabashedly happy".<ref name=rs>{{cite web|title=JY |author=Herbst, P. |publisher=Rolling Stone |date=August 11, 1977 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jamestaylor/albums/album/230947/review/6068275/jt |access-date=2014-05-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329095157/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jamestaylor/albums/album/230947/review/6068275/jt |archive-date=March 29, 2010 }}</ref> However, according to Taylor biographer Timothy White, the song was written for Taylor's and Simon's then three-year-old daughter Sally.<ref name=long>{{cite book|title=Long Ago And Far Away: James Taylor – His Life And Music|author=White, T.|pages=248–250|year=2009|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9780857120069}}</ref> White described the song as a "pop sonnet".<ref name=long/>
==Reception== ''Billboard'' described the song as a "strong followup" to "Handy Man" and described the melody as being "upbeat" and "infectious."<ref>{{cite news|title=Top Single Picks|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2020-07-11|page=94|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-10-01.pdf|date=October 1, 1977}}</ref> Taylor described it as a "good, light-hearted pop love song".<ref name=long/> ''Cash Box'' said that "some whimsical vocal gymnastics that add the crucial personal touch."<ref name=cb>{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=October 1, 1977|page=18|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2021-12-26|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-10-01.pdf}}</ref> ''Record World'' said that it is "more energetic" than Taylor's previous single "Handy Man" and that its tempo is "engaging."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=October 1, 1977|accessdate=2023-02-16|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/77/Record-World-1977-10-01.pdf}}</ref> Herbst praised Taylor's vocal for being "a pretty convincing rock singer" on the song.<ref name=rs/>
==Live performances== "Your Smiling Face" was a fixture in Taylor's live shows, but he had to abandon it for a while because he went through a period where he had difficulty reaching the falsetto notes.<ref name=long/>
==Personnel== *James Taylor – lead vocals, acoustic guitar *Danny Kortchmar – electric guitar *Leland Sklar – bass *Clarence McDonald – piano *Russell Kunkel – drums *David Campbell – string arrangements, conductor
==Chart performance== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Chart (1977–78) ! Peak<br />position |- {{singlechart|Canadatopsingles|11|chartid=5494a|access-date=3 December 2024}} |- {{singlechart|Canadaadultcontemporary|4|chartid=5453|access-date=3 December 2024}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|20|artist=James Taylor|access-date=3 December 2024}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardadultcontemporary|6|artist=James Taylor|access-date=3 December 2024}} |- | US ''Cash Box'' Top 100<ref>[http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19771217.html CASH BOX Top 100 Singles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222001850/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19771217.html |date=2020-02-22 }} Week ending DECEMBER 17, 1977.</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|12 |- |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Chart (1977) ! Rank |- |Canada ''RPM'' Top Singles<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5502b&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5502b.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5502b |title= Top 200 Singles of '77 – Volume 28, No. 11, December 31 1977 |work= RPM |date= 17 July 2013 |publisher= Library and Archives Canada |access-date= June 25, 2016}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|140 |} {{col-end}}
==Popular culture== *The song was used in the 1978 film ''FM'', starring Michael Brandon and Eileen Brennan.<ref>{{cite web|title=FM Soundtrack|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077532/soundtrack|publisher=IMDb|access-date=2014-04-01}}</ref> *It was parodied in the ''South Park'' episode "Fat Camp" as "The Prostitute Song."<ref>{{cite web|title=10 Underrated ''South Park'' Songs|url=http://www.nerve.com/tv/10-underrated-south-park-songs|author=O'Neal, S.|publisher=nerve.com|access-date=2014-04-01}}</ref> *On ''Sesame Street'', Taylor sang a parody of the song to Oscar the Grouch titled "Whenever I See your Grouchy Face".<ref>{{cite web|title=VH1 Music Studio: Past Programs and Lesson Plans|url=http://www.vh1.com/partners/vh1_music_studio/lessons-childhood.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407060430/http://www.vh1.com/partners/vh1_music_studio/lessons-childhood.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 7, 2014|publisher=VH1|access-date=2014-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sesame Street Turns 44: Our Favorite Celebrity Moments!|url=http://parade.condenast.com/233130/jerylbrunner/sesame-street-turns-44-our-favorite-celebrity-moments/|publisher=Parade|date=November 22, 2013|author=Brenner, J.|access-date=2014-04-01}}</ref> *The trailer for season one of the Adult Swim show ''Smiling Friends'' uses the song.<ref>{{Citation|title=Smiling Friends {{!}} OFFICIAL TRAILER {{!}} adult swim|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3_Ii6IxCJI|language=en|access-date=2025-08-02|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214192749/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3_Ii6IxCJI|archivedate=December 14, 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{James Taylor}}
Category:1977 singles Category:James Taylor songs Category:Songs written by James Taylor Category:Song recordings produced by Peter Asher Category:Columbia Records singles Category:1977 songs