| "When the Lady Smiles" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Golden Earring | ||||
| from the album N.E.W.S. | ||||
| B-side | "Orwell's Year" | |||
| Released | 3 March 1984 | |||
| Format | 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl | |||
| Recorded | 11 February 1984 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 4:59 (Single Version) 5:39 (Album Version) |
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| Label | 21 Records | |||
| Writer(s) | George Kooymans Barry Hay |
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| Producer | Shell Schellekens | |||
| Golden Earring singles chronology | ||||
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"When the Lady Smiles" is a 1984 song by Dutch band Golden Earring. It was the first single from their album N.E.W.S. (NorthEastWestSouth). Following their top 10 "Twilight Zone", "When the Lady Smiles" was a U.S. chart disappointment, only reaching #76 on The Billboard Hot 100 chart. With a total of 5 "Hot 100"-releases[1], Golden Earring are by far the most successful Dutch band on the international charts. Dutch actor Huub Stapel has a cameo in the music video as an elevator mechanic, referencing the movie De Lift.
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The video for this song, shot by Dick Maas, was controversial. In one scene, a man attempts to rape a nun. This particular scene was quickly removed from the video (the full cut was only shown after midnight). The bold video may have hurt the sales of the single in the New World, although it climbed to number 3 position in the charts in Canada. In The Netherlands, however, "When the Lady Smiles" became Golden Earring's fifth number one.
Hillary Clinton used this song during her campaign for the US presidency of 2008, baffling the band given the song's lyrics and controversial video [2].
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
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|---|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40[3] | 1 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[1] | 76 | |
| Preceded by "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen |
Dutch Top 40 number-one single 3 March 1984 – 10 March 1984 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Love Is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar |
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