I've been seeing Hall & Oates references all over the place during the past few years. At the start of the decade, their soft-rocking 1970s period came back into vogue, and now, at the end of the decade, it's their synth-y 1980s hits (and videos) that have made a big comeback. These days practically every indie rocker around (including Josh Rouse and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab) cite the duo as a major influence.As a child of the 1970s and '80s, I can say that Daryl Hall and John Oates ruled the airwaves during both decades. I can't remember a time when their '70s hits like "She's Gone" and "Rich Girl" weren't omnipresent. Later, at the start of the 1980s, when Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" first came out, I kept thinking it was the Hall & Oates tune "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" starting up (Jackson and Quincy Jones lifted the song's kick-ass bassline intro and tempo and fit it into their song to give it extra juice).
Hall and Oates are still recording and touring, but they wisely spend a lot of time on their own projects (Hall seems to be the more driven of the two). The duo have now released a surprisingly rich box set, Do What You Want, Be What You Are, which offers a complete portrait of their career.
I interviewed Daryl Hall the other day about the box set, his Philly soul roots and his truly entertaining internet TV show, Live From Daryl's House. Hall gave thoughtful, B.S.-free answers and took it in stride that a fleet of work trucks pulled up right outside the Rhapsody offices and jackhammered the city streets to dust for the duration of our conversation. Click here to read the interview and to play a selection of music from the most successful duo in pop history.
What was the music that informed you growing up?
I grew up in Pottstown, just outside of Philadelphia. It was a very industrial town, but with farms in the middle of the factories. It was a very racially mixed community with music literally in the street -- gospel music, doo-wop, soul, R&B. It was all there. I used to ride my bike down to the river and hear all of this music just happening everywhere. Plus, my parents were musicians. Classical music, jazz... all of that informed me.
Is it true that Hall & Oates came together because of a gangland shooting?
Yeah, it was a typical Philadelphia scene. Both of us were involved in the early genesis of the Philly soul scene ... street-corner R&B, basically. Both John and I had records out ... separately, with different groups. Both our groups were part of a battle of the bands-type show. Right in the middle of it all, there was some kind of shooting in the audience. Actually at the time, it wasn't that unusual. We both ran out of there separately and ducked into the elevator for cover.
So you walked out of the elevator and Hall & Oates was born?
No, we were both just out of high school and starting our first semester at Temple University. We ended up sharing an apartment -- that's how it started. We didn't have any plans to work together. John was doing his own projects and had a solid foundation in folk music. I was involved pretty directly in the Philly soul scene, working with people like Gamble & Huff [Rhapsody note: Gamble & Huff went on do for 1970s soul what Motown did during the '60s]. But we were literally sharing a kitchen, so that's really how our friendship started. Then, after college, we decided to work together.
You came out of the gate with really strong albums, but it took you a while to break big.
We had our tough, gritty moments, but we just kept working. The industry was different then. You had some time to develop. The reviews were actually pretty good, but critics didn't sell records. We were doin' well as a regional thing at first, but overall, people at the label didn't get us. They had trouble understanding our mix of music. Soul? Rock? Pop? How do you label us? So, we sidestepped them and went straight for the audience and forged a bond.
You guys pretty much put out an album a year ... for years. Plus, you toured constantly. Today, bands put out an album every four years and then go on tour for two years straight.
We found a way to balance touring and songwriting and recording. It's all hard work, but it has to be fun and we strive to keep it fresh. It's the same with performing. I often try and create songs that have a structure you can play with, so you can sing them differently from one night to the next.
Your early records started out closer to soulful folk-rock and became more rock 'n' roll as the decade went on.
We learned so much in the studio in the early years. I loved working with Arif Mardin, who was just so wonderful [Rhapsody note: This beloved Atlantic Records producer helped break Aretha Franklin and many other huge acts]. He really helped us and taught us and recognized our Philly soul side. Then, later in the '70s, we started working with producers who were pretty autocratic. Now, that was hard because I'm pretty autocratic [laughs]. I like to be in control of our records ... they're our records. So, we were bumping heads. It was our will versus somebody else's will. Mixed in with that were these L.A. session guys -- and you can hear it on the records. At least I could. There became this tension for us about living in New York and working in Los Angeles.
Then, with 1980's Voices, and the hits "You Make My Dreams" and "Kiss On My List," this tense New Wave sound appears and it's mixed with soul and rock.
I grew up in Pottstown, just outside of Philadelphia. It was a very industrial town, but with farms in the middle of the factories. It was a very racially mixed community with music literally in the street -- gospel music, doo-wop, soul, R&B. It was all there. I used to ride my bike down to the river and hear all of this music just happening everywhere. Plus, my parents were musicians. Classical music, jazz... all of that informed me.
Is it true that Hall & Oates came together because of a gangland shooting?
Yeah, it was a typical Philadelphia scene. Both of us were involved in the early genesis of the Philly soul scene ... street-corner R&B, basically. Both John and I had records out ... separately, with different groups. Both our groups were part of a battle of the bands-type show. Right in the middle of it all, there was some kind of shooting in the audience. Actually at the time, it wasn't that unusual. We both ran out of there separately and ducked into the elevator for cover.
So you walked out of the elevator and Hall & Oates was born?
No, we were both just out of high school and starting our first semester at Temple University. We ended up sharing an apartment -- that's how it started. We didn't have any plans to work together. John was doing his own projects and had a solid foundation in folk music. I was involved pretty directly in the Philly soul scene, working with people like Gamble & Huff [Rhapsody note: Gamble & Huff went on do for 1970s soul what Motown did during the '60s]. But we were literally sharing a kitchen, so that's really how our friendship started. Then, after college, we decided to work together.
You came out of the gate with really strong albums, but it took you a while to break big.
We had our tough, gritty moments, but we just kept working. The industry was different then. You had some time to develop. The reviews were actually pretty good, but critics didn't sell records. We were doin' well as a regional thing at first, but overall, people at the label didn't get us. They had trouble understanding our mix of music. Soul? Rock? Pop? How do you label us? So, we sidestepped them and went straight for the audience and forged a bond.
You guys pretty much put out an album a year ... for years. Plus, you toured constantly. Today, bands put out an album every four years and then go on tour for two years straight.
We found a way to balance touring and songwriting and recording. It's all hard work, but it has to be fun and we strive to keep it fresh. It's the same with performing. I often try and create songs that have a structure you can play with, so you can sing them differently from one night to the next.
Your early records started out closer to soulful folk-rock and became more rock 'n' roll as the decade went on.
We learned so much in the studio in the early years. I loved working with Arif Mardin, who was just so wonderful [Rhapsody note: This beloved Atlantic Records producer helped break Aretha Franklin and many other huge acts]. He really helped us and taught us and recognized our Philly soul side. Then, later in the '70s, we started working with producers who were pretty autocratic. Now, that was hard because I'm pretty autocratic [laughs]. I like to be in control of our records ... they're our records. So, we were bumping heads. It was our will versus somebody else's will. Mixed in with that were these L.A. session guys -- and you can hear it on the records. At least I could. There became this tension for us about living in New York and working in Los Angeles.
Then, with 1980's Voices, and the hits "You Make My Dreams" and "Kiss On My List," this tense New Wave sound appears and it's mixed with soul and rock.
Yeah, we started recording in New York City with our band. The L.A. guys were behind the times -- there was something unusual happening in New York and London, and they didn't get it. It was an exciting period, but they were pretending it wasn't happening. You can't help being influenced by the music around you, yet we had a unique take on all of it. It all sounded like us. And a lot of new people started responding to it.
Your music from that period is just sampled so much now. "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" alone has been sampled in almost 100 hip-hop songs.
The first time I heard our music sampled was with De La Soul. I just thought it was great. I still do.
In addition to hip-hop, you have all these new indie rock bands and soul artists who are citing you as an influence.
I started hearing all of these new people, all from very different backgrounds, who were referencing me. It's what gave me the idea to put the show Live From Daryl's House together. Why don't we put all of these artists with different backgrounds and different musical strands together and turn it into action ... into music?
The show does a good job of showing how musicians put everything aside and bond over music. One episode will have you singing with Smokey Robinson, who influenced you and wanted you to sign with Motown, and the next time out it's someone like Nick Lowe or a cult artist like Chuck Prophet.
It's strange. Because of the Internet, because of technology, music is everywhere now. It's in everybody's life all the time. But it has become more specialized. The mass media are playing fewer songs and fewer new songs and ignoring so much. But the people who like music ... they really like music ... they seek it out. They don't expect to like what is just given to them. So, a show like Daryl's House is about breaking expectations.
Your voice still sounds like it did in 1975 ... how do you do it?
[Laughs] Ask Tony Bennett. If you're a good singer, you're a good singer. Period.
...................................................................................................................................
The Box Set: Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates
Hall & Oates ruled the airwaves during the 1970s and '80s, racking up a slew of hits that have never left the pop landscape. Stereotyped more by their music videos than their actual records, they combined a foundation in Philly soul with folk-pop, rock and New Wave. This box set paints a complete portrait of the duo, including the hits, key album tracks, rarities and concert material. The experimental early years offer unexpected riches, while their streamlined '80s material can still jump start any party. This plays like a master class in quality pop.
-- Nick Dedina, Rhapsody
The box set's title comes from one of the duo's all-time greatest songs. Click here to see Hall & Oates performing the classic ballad in their 1970s glory (as a bonus, you get Hall in his Thin Denim Duke period). To watch the duo perform it in a "feelin' it" Ray Charles style, check out this modern rendition. They still got it.
The Essential Early Album: Abandoned Luncheonette
The duo's second album from 1973 is a blue-eyed soul delight with fragments of genius. The LP fuses together laid-back folk, analog synths and Philly-style soul harmonies. The big hit here is "She's Gone," but check out the knockout opening track, "When The Morning Comes," as well as "Had I Known You Better Then." -- Jon Pruett, Rhapsody
The Popular Breakthrough: Daryl Hall & John Oates
Hall & Oates delved even deeper into Philly soul with this 1975 album. Opener "Camellia" has one of their best choruses; "Alone Too Long" reaches "She's Gone"-like heights of Chi-Lite worship; and the rocker "Gino (the Manager)" is flat-out weird and great. Then there's "Sara Smile," which is hands down one of the finest love songs ever written. -- Mike McGuirk, Rhapsody
The New Wave Rebirth: Private Eyes
Self-produced during the most prolific and successful period of their career, Hall & Oates' Private Eyes scored two No. 1 hits in 1981. Their blue-eyed soul is given a scruffy, New Wavish update on album cuts like "Did It in a Minute" and "Friday Let Me Down," while drum machines and analog synths counter uptown saxophone on perfectly crafted, signature songs like "I Can't Go for That" and the title track. Thanks to its unblemished pop luster and the millennial music scene's fashionable retroism, Private Eyes is like a sonic wormhole connecting then to now.
Here's a playlist of Hall & Oates cuts from the 1970s
Here's a playlist of the duo's 1980s music
Your music from that period is just sampled so much now. "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" alone has been sampled in almost 100 hip-hop songs.
The first time I heard our music sampled was with De La Soul. I just thought it was great. I still do.
In addition to hip-hop, you have all these new indie rock bands and soul artists who are citing you as an influence.
I started hearing all of these new people, all from very different backgrounds, who were referencing me. It's what gave me the idea to put the show Live From Daryl's House together. Why don't we put all of these artists with different backgrounds and different musical strands together and turn it into action ... into music?
The show does a good job of showing how musicians put everything aside and bond over music. One episode will have you singing with Smokey Robinson, who influenced you and wanted you to sign with Motown, and the next time out it's someone like Nick Lowe or a cult artist like Chuck Prophet.
It's strange. Because of the Internet, because of technology, music is everywhere now. It's in everybody's life all the time. But it has become more specialized. The mass media are playing fewer songs and fewer new songs and ignoring so much. But the people who like music ... they really like music ... they seek it out. They don't expect to like what is just given to them. So, a show like Daryl's House is about breaking expectations.
Your voice still sounds like it did in 1975 ... how do you do it?
[Laughs] Ask Tony Bennett. If you're a good singer, you're a good singer. Period.
...................................................................................................................................
The Box Set: Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates
Hall & Oates ruled the airwaves during the 1970s and '80s, racking up a slew of hits that have never left the pop landscape. Stereotyped more by their music videos than their actual records, they combined a foundation in Philly soul with folk-pop, rock and New Wave. This box set paints a complete portrait of the duo, including the hits, key album tracks, rarities and concert material. The experimental early years offer unexpected riches, while their streamlined '80s material can still jump start any party. This plays like a master class in quality pop.-- Nick Dedina, Rhapsody
The box set's title comes from one of the duo's all-time greatest songs. Click here to see Hall & Oates performing the classic ballad in their 1970s glory (as a bonus, you get Hall in his Thin Denim Duke period). To watch the duo perform it in a "feelin' it" Ray Charles style, check out this modern rendition. They still got it.
The Essential Early Album: Abandoned Luncheonette
The duo's second album from 1973 is a blue-eyed soul delight with fragments of genius. The LP fuses together laid-back folk, analog synths and Philly-style soul harmonies. The big hit here is "She's Gone," but check out the knockout opening track, "When The Morning Comes," as well as "Had I Known You Better Then." -- Jon Pruett, RhapsodyThe Popular Breakthrough: Daryl Hall & John Oates
Hall & Oates delved even deeper into Philly soul with this 1975 album. Opener "Camellia" has one of their best choruses; "Alone Too Long" reaches "She's Gone"-like heights of Chi-Lite worship; and the rocker "Gino (the Manager)" is flat-out weird and great. Then there's "Sara Smile," which is hands down one of the finest love songs ever written. -- Mike McGuirk, RhapsodyThe New Wave Rebirth: Private Eyes
Self-produced during the most prolific and successful period of their career, Hall & Oates' Private Eyes scored two No. 1 hits in 1981. Their blue-eyed soul is given a scruffy, New Wavish update on album cuts like "Did It in a Minute" and "Friday Let Me Down," while drum machines and analog synths counter uptown saxophone on perfectly crafted, signature songs like "I Can't Go for That" and the title track. Thanks to its unblemished pop luster and the millennial music scene's fashionable retroism, Private Eyes is like a sonic wormhole connecting then to now.Here's a playlist of Hall & Oates cuts from the 1970s Here's a playlist of the duo's 1980s musicMore videos you might like:.
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