Daryl Hall and John Oates
From their first hit in 1974 through their heyday in the '80s, Daryl Hall
and John Oates' smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them enormous
commercial success — including six number one singles and six platinum albums
— yet little critical success. Hall & Oates' music was remarkably well-constructed
and produced; at their best, their songs were filled with strong hooks and
melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by
incorporating elements of new wave and hard rock.
Daryl Hall began performing professionally while he was a student at Temple
University. In 1966, he recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos;
the group featured Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who would all become
the architects of Philly soul. During this time, Hall frequently appeared
on sessions for Gamble and Huff. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple
University student. Oates was leading his own soul band at the time. The
two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing together
in an array of R&B and doo wop groups. By 1968, the duo had parted ways,
as Oates transferred schools and Hall formed the soft rock band Gulliver;
the group released one album on Elektra in the late '60s before disbanding.
After Gulliver's breakup, Hall concentrated on session work again, appearing
as a backup vocalist for the Stylistics, the Delfonics, and the Intruders,
among others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began
writing folk-oriented songs and performing together. Eventually they came
to the attention of Tommy Mottola, who quickly became their manager, securing
the duo a contract with Atlantic Records. On their first records — Whole
Oates (1972), Abandoned Luncheonette (1973), War Babies (1974) — the duo
were establishing their sound, working with producers like Arif Mardin and
Todd Rundgren and removing much of their folk influences. At the beginning
of 1974, the duo relocated from Philadelphia to New York. During this period,
they only managed one hit — the number 60 "She's Gone" in the spring of 1974.
After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture
of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with "Sara Smile." The success
of "Sara Smile" prompted the re-release of "She's Gone," which rocketed into
the Top Ten as well. Released in the summer of 1976, Bigger than the Both
of Us was only moderately successful upon its release. The record took off
in early 1977, when "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single.
Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980, the albums Hall
& Oates released at the end of the decade were not as successful as their
mid-'70s records. Nevertheless, they were more adventurous, incorporating
more rock elements into their blue-eyed soul. The combination would finally
pay off in late 1980, when the duo released the self-produced Voices, the
album that marked the beginning of Hall & Oates' greatest commercial
and artistic success. The first single from Voices, a cover of the Righteous
Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," reached number 12, yet it was
the second single, "Kiss on My List" that confirmed their commercial potential
by becoming the duo's second number one single; its follow-up, "You Make
My Dreams" hit number five. They quickly released Private Eyes in the summer
of 1981; the record featured two number one hits, "Private Eyes" and "I Can't
Go for That (No Can Do)," as well as the Top Ten hit "Did It in a Minute."
"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" also spent a week at the top of the R&B
charts — a rare accomplishment for a White act. H20 followed in 1982 and
it proved more successful than their two previous albums, selling over two
million copies and launching their biggest hit single, "Maneater," as well
as the Top Ten hits "One on One" and "Family Man." The following year, the
duo released a greatest-hits compilation, Rock 'N Soul, Pt. 1, that featured
two new Top Ten hits — the number two "Say It Isn't So" and "Adult Education."
In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced
that Hall & Oates had surpassed the Everly Brothers as the most successful
duo in rock history, earning a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. Released
in October of 1984, Big Bam Boom expanded their number of gold and platinum
awards, selling over two million copies and launching four Top 40 singles,
including the number one "Out of Touch." Following their contract-fulfilling
gold album Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick, Hall
& Oates went on hiatus. After the lukewarm reception for Daryl Hall's
1986 solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, the duo regrouped
to release 1988's Ooh Yeah!, their first record for Arista. The first single,
"Everything Your Heart Desires," went to number three and helped propel the
album to platinum status.
However, none of the album's other singles broke the Top 20, indicating that
the era of chart dominance had ended. Change of Season, released in 1990,
confirmed that fact. Although the record went gold, it only featured one
Top 40 hit — the number 11 single, "So Close." The duo hasn't released an
album since 1997. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)