| Sensitive to a Smile | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Herbs |
| Cover: | Herbs - Sensitive to a Smile - album cover.jpeg |
| Released: | 1987 |
| Recorded: | Mascot Recording Studios, Auckland |
| Genre: | Pacific reggae |
| Label: | Warrior |
| Producer: | Billy Kristian |
| Prev Title: | Long Ago |
| Prev Year: | 1984 |
| Next Title: | Homegrown |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
Sensitive to a Smile is a 1987 album by New Zealand reggae band Herbs. It reached number 10 and spent 30 weeks in the New Zealand album chart[1] and was awarded Album of the Year at the 1987 New Zealand Music Awards. The album included the four singles "Sensitive to a Smile", "Rust In Dust", "Listen" and "No Nukes (The Second Letter)", all of which charted.[2] Sensitive to a Smile was re-released digitally in 2012 with extra tracks from Herbs' 1984 album Long Ago and their 1982 single "French Letter (A Letter To France)".[3]
The album was launched at Mangahanea marae in Ruatoria, as a gesture of unity to Ruatoria after it had seen conflict between local Rastafarian groups and the community, as well as arson attacks.[4] The launch concert was filmed by director Lee Tamahori and became the basis of the music video for the first single "Sensitive to a Smile".[5]
Fred Faleauto and Dilworth Karaka first recorded a version of "E Papa" with the Pātea Māori Club who released it as a reggae pop single in 1985.[6] [7] The song is a traditional composition sung during tītī tōrea (stick games).[6]
|-| 1987| Sensitive to a Smile| 1987 New Zealand Music Awards – Album of the Year| [8] |-| 1987| Billy Kristian for Sensitive to a Smile| 1987 New Zealand Music Awards – Best Producer| |-|}