Hall & Oates

Best known for a string of 1980s pop soul classics such as ‘Private Eyes’, ‘Maneater’, and ‘Out Of Touch’, Daryl Hall & John Oates are far more than the much-caricatured image of the tall blonde one and the short one with the moustache. Through peaks and troughs of the preceding decade, their Philly soul sound twisted and turned, with forays into psychedelic rock with Todd Rundgren and an embracing of new wave-style tunes as the 1970s progressed. Their records are full of luscious harmonies and catchy melodies, but with an experimental side that has often been overlooked by those who know them principally from ‘Rich Girl’ or ‘I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)’.
This book unpicks the multiple facets of the best-selling duo of all time, recounting the stories behind the songs and charting the myriad paths they’ve taken to reveal a very different Hall & Oates. This book is the first critical exploration of their work in book form for over thirty-five years and examines their entire output, from Whole Oats to their latter-day covers albums, taking in bonus tracks, compilations, solo and live albums, to provide a comprehensive overview of their fifty-year career.

Ian Abrahams first encountered the music of Daryl Hall & John Oates in the 1980s nightclubs of his youth; he soon backtracked through their 1970s catalogue and declares Along The Red Ledge as the best album they ever made. John Oates agrees. A contributor to Record Collector, R2/RnR, and Vive Le Rock, among others, he is the author of Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins, Strange Boat: Mike Scott & The Waterboys and co-wrote an oral history of the free festivals, Festivalized. He lives in Cornwall, UK, where his household includes two retired greyhounds who’ve never been to a muddy festival, tied on the end of a string.