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.[2] The album included the four singles "Sensitive to a Smile", "Rust In Dust", "Listen" and "No Nukes (The Second Letter)", all of which charted.[3]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)".[4]
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.[5] 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".[6]
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.[7][8] The song is a traditional composition sung during tītī tōrea (stick games).[7]
