Biography of Hall & Oates

During the mid-'80s, Daryl Hall and John Oates' record sales surpassed The Everly Brothers, making the two the most successful duo in rock history. From their first hit in 1974 through their heyday in the '80s, the duo's smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them enormous commercial success -- including six number one singles and six platinum albums -- yet little critical success. In retrospect, 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. By being pop craftsmen that kept up with the times, they were one of the few groups that kept blue-eyed soul alive during the '70s and '80s.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 the highly produced and orchestrated Philly soul sound. During this time, Hall frequently appeared on sessions for Gamble and Huff; he also formed his own group, The Temptones. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple University student, while escaping a gang fight at a dance in Philadelphia's Adelphi Ballroom; Oates was leading his own soul band, The Masters, at the time. The two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing 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 with singer/songwriter Tim Moore and producer Tom Sellers; the group released one album on Elektra in the late '60s before disbanding.After Gulliver's break-up, Hall concentratced on session work again, appearing as a backup vocalist for The Stylistics, the Delfonics, and the Intruders, as well as several others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began writing songs and performing together. Their first material was more folk-oriented than their later songs, yet they eventually came to the attention of Chappell Music representative 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 song was written for Hall's girlfriend Sara Allen, who would later collaborate with him on many of Hall & Oates' biggest hits. 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, with the single "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" only barely making it into the Top 40. The record took off in early 1977, when "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single; the album would eventually go gold. No Goodbyes, a collection of their Atlantic work, was released in the spring of 1977 to capitalize on their current success. Hall And Oates released Beauty on a Back Street that summer; although it would eventually go gold, it failed to repeat the success of Bigger than the Both of Us. During 1977, Hall recorded his first solo album, Sacred Songs, with guitarist Robert Fripp; it wasn't released until 1980.Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980 -- the largest being 1979's "Wait for Me," which reached number 18 -- 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 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. "Kiss on My List" became the duo's second number one single, staying on the top of the charts for three weeks; 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, "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," which stayed at number one for four weeks; the record also included the Top Ten hits "One on One" and "Family Man." The following year, the duo released a greatest hits compilation, Rock 'N Soul, Part 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 And 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 1990. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine