361:"It was a sweltering summer’s day and he turned up in full leathers on his vintage Norton bike so he wasn’t cool, he was sweltering somewhat. But he was very humble, very low key, very nice person. It was recorded on a nice piano and I still own it. It’s a Yamaha C3 baby grand and it was in a really good live room. Someone asked me why I chose to put a piano solo on that song and it was simply because we had such a nice sounding piano in such a nice sounding room."
29:
256:. That version was re-released as a single in November 1983. The album version of the song is known for its extended piano outro, played by former
380:
vocals contrast beautifully with a bubbling melange of smoochy synthetics, around which a delicate, folksy flute flutters from time to time."
987:
403:
songs of all time countdown regularly. It reached its highest position of No. 396 in 2000 and has made the list every year since 2005.
311:
instead after Pearce reneged on his handshake agreement with London and initiated a bidding war on the strength of "Uncertain Smile".
795:
708:
609:
353:
The album version of "Uncertain Smile" maintains the xylimba intro but replaces Cioe's saxophone solo with a piano solo played by
390:
described it as a "hypnotic recording that hooks deeper into you with its casual intrusiveness the more you hear it." However,
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in order to record the song in studio. Johnson, who felt that London was not friendly to him, ended up signing with
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gave it top honors and declared, "Never mind record of the week, this is the week of the The The record... sleazy
570:"The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | Under My Skin: Matt Johnson Discusses Soul Mining With John Doran"
308:
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890:
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452:
1009:
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In the
Netherlands, where the song was a top 40 hit, "Uncertain Smile" has placed on the country's annual
1024:
1019:
816:
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319:
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250:. It was first released as a single in October 1982 before being re-recorded for the band's debut album
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The first version of "Uncertain Smile" differed from the "Cold Spell Ahead" demo by adding a
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In its earliest stages, the song was titled "Cold Spell Ahead" while in its demo phase.
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called it "one of the best dance records to come out of this country for a long time."
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36:
1003:
668:"It's Been 30 Years Since Triple J's First Hottest 100, Here's How It All Came To Be"
601:
392:
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839:
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155:
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49:
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339:
303:, and Pearce convinced the label to give Johnson an all-expenses paid trip to
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549:
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370:"Uncertain Smile" received very positive reviews from contemporary critics.
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songs of all time poll in 1989. It ranked fourth in 1990 and 13th in 1991.
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598:
Long
Shadows, High Hopes: The Life and Times of Matt Johnson & The The
400:
377:
804:
247:
204:
40:
406:"Uncertain Smile" ranked in third place during Australia's inaugural
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to keep reworking it so that it could become a single. It impressed
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The song was the band's first charting song, reaching No. 68 in the
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342:, and session musician Crispin Cioe of The Uptown Horns played
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on
Manhattan's 48th Street. String samples came from producer
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275:. Upon its re-release in 1983, it reached No. 31 in the
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drum machine beat, a bassline played by
Johnson on a
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21:
647:"Uncertain Smile Van The The Uit 1984 In Top 2000"
625:Black, Johnny (1982-09-30). "Singles Reviewed".
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396:criticised it for being "long and drawn out."
322:, lead and rhythm guitar leads on a 12-string
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8:
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357:. Johnson said of Holland's performance:
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7:
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744:Nederlandse Top 40 – week 16, 1983
14:
330:which Johnson had purchased from
64:"Three Orange Kisses From Kazan"
727:"The The: Artist Chart History"
697:Australian Chart Book 1970–1992
16:1982 and 1983 single by The The
949:45 RPM: The Singles of The The
106:Studios, London (1983 version)
1:
536:Allen, Jeremy (2017-05-31).
246:" is a song by English band
981:Love Is Stronger Than Death
767:. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
750:. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
733:. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
1046:
761:The The – Uncertain Smile"
538:"The The – 10 of the best"
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703:: Australian Chart Book.
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493:
481:
447:
435:
211:
97:, New York (1982 version)
26:
465:Re-recorded 1983 version
66:"Waitin' for the Upturn"
731:Official Charts Company
649:(in Dutch). 2022-12-14
363:
134:(original 12" version)
596:Fraser, Neil (2018).
419:Original 1982 version
123:(original 7" version)
1030:Epic Records singles
408:Triple J Hottest 100
293:Some Bizzare Records
835:Simon Fisher Turner
216:"Cold Spell Ahead"
934:Compilation albums
295:, told bandleader
207:singles chronology
95:Mediasound Studios
997:
996:
877:Burning Blue Soul
860:Eric Schermerhorn
520:
519:
462:
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438:Kent Music Report
414:Chart performance
301:London Recordings
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22:"Uncertain Smile"
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472:Chart (1983–84)
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320:Fender Precision
269:UK Singles Chart
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988:I Saw the Light
974:This Is the Day
967:Uncertain Smile
954:
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850:Gail Ann Dorsey
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701:St Ives, N.S.W.
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291:, the owner of
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244:Uncertain Smile
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223:Uncertain Smile
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47:from the album
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830:Peter Ashworth
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765:Single Top 100
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746:" (in Dutch).
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496:Single Top 100
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382:Noise Magazine
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271:and No. 43 in
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199:(1983 version)
190:(1982 version)
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145:(1983 version)
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24:
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15:
13:
10:
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4:
3:
2:
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1018:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1010:The The songs
1008:
1007:
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989:
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978:
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869:Studio albums
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710:0-646-11917-6
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611:9781787590854
607:
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602:Omnibus Press
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494:Netherlands (
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482:Netherlands (
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428:
426:Chart (1982)
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397:
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393:Record Mirror
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365:
362:
358:
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355:Jools Holland
351:
349:
345:
341:
337:
333:
332:Manny's Music
329:
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321:
317:
316:Roland TR-808
312:
310:
306:
305:New York City
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262:Jools Holland
259:
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206:
202:
198:
194:
193:Paul Hardiman
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168:Songwriter(s)
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76:November 1983
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42:
38:
30:
25:
20:
1025:1983 singles
1020:1982 singles
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882:
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840:Zeke Manyika
817:Matt Johnson
815:
763:(in Dutch).
755:
748:Dutch Top 40
738:
696:
687:
676:. Retrieved
674:. 2019-03-05
671:
662:
651:. Retrieved
641:
632:
626:
620:
597:
577:. Retrieved
573:
564:
553:. Retrieved
542:The Guardian
541:
531:
484:Dutch Top 40
405:
398:
391:
386:
381:
371:
369:
360:
352:
324:Rickenbacker
313:
297:Matt Johnson
289:Stevo Pearce
286:
266:
260:keyboardist
251:
243:
241:
222:
197:Matt Johnson
174:Matt Johnson
160:Some Bizzare
74:October 1982
48:
912:Hanky Panky
884:Soul Mining
855:Earl Harvin
845:Johnny Marr
693:Kent, David
574:The Quietus
436:Australia (
336:Mike Thorne
309:CBS Records
277:Netherlands
253:Soul Mining
188:Mike Thorne
182:Producer(s)
50:Soul Mining
1015:1982 songs
1004:Categories
925:Ensoulment
825:Keith Laws
678:2023-12-19
653:2023-09-03
628:Smash Hits
579:2023-09-03
555:2023-09-03
523:References
507:UK Singles
449:UK Singles
373:Smash Hits
340:Synclavier
283:Background
230:"Perfect"
84:1982, 1983
919:NakedSelf
898:Mind Bomb
550:0261-3077
477:position
431:position
366:Reception
344:saxophone
273:Australia
942:Solitude
891:Infected
695:(2003).
401:Top 2000
378:Lou Reed
326:, and a
100:Advision
81:Recorded
71:Released
959:Singles
805:The The
328:xylimba
258:Squeeze
248:The The
232:(1983)
227:(1982)
218:(1981)
205:The The
41:The The
707:
672:Junkee
608:
548:
387:Sounds
111:Length
90:Studio
59:B-side
37:Single
635:(20).
348:flute
151:Label
905:Dusk
705:ISBN
606:ISBN
546:ISSN
516:100
475:Peak
429:Peak
346:and
195:and
156:Epic
104:SARM
102:and
511:OCC
501:31
489:31
458:68
453:OCC
443:43
338:'s
39:by
1006::
729:.
719:^
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604:.
600:.
588:^
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513:)
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225:"
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509:(
451:(
242:"
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140::
138:6
129::
127:9
118::
116:4
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