Smooth Operator (Sarah Vaughan song)
| "Smooth Operator" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Sarah Vaughan | |
| B-side | "Maybe It's Because" |
| Released | 1959 |
| Label | Mercury |
| Songwriters | Murray Stein, Clyde Otis |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard | positive[1] ("Spotlight" winner) |
"Smooth Operator" is a song written by Murray Stein and Clyde Otis that was a hit for singer Sarah Vaughan in 1959.[2]
Critical reception
Billboard reviewed the single released by Sarah Vaughan (Mercury 71519, with "Maybe It's Because" on the flip side) in its issue from 12 October 1959, praising the song as a "snappy effort" that "Miss Vaughan sells smartly". "Both [sides] can make it," concluded the reviewer.[1]
Commercial performance
Sarah Vaughan's version reached No. 8 on Billboard's Hot R&B Sides chart[3] and No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]
Charts
| Chart (1959) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot R&B Sides[3] | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 44 |
References
- 1 2 "Reviews of this week's singles". Billboard. 12 October 1959. p. 35. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ Steve Bergsman (2023). What a Difference a Day Makes: Women Who Conquered 1950s Music. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-4968-4896-3. Retrieved 15 April 2026 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 "Hot R & B Sides". Billboard. 7 December 1959. p. 55. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- 1 2 "The Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 14 December 1959. p. 34. Retrieved 15 April 2026.