When Two Make One

The other day, fellow blogger Max from PowerPop posted about Cathy’s Clown, a great tune by The Everly Brothers. He wrote, “When Phil and Don would sing….their two voices would become one.” I couldn’t agree more! In this context, I thought about Simon & Garfunkel, another example of beautiful vocals in perfect harmony. Sometimes it takes two artists to make magic happen, not only when it comes to singing but also when creating music – a good topic for a post, I thought!

After doing a bit of research, I was quickly reminded of the large number of musical duos. The following doesn’t include one-offs. I’m also excluding songwriting partnerships like John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, or Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, to name a few. All of my picks were or are permanent pairings. Apart from six tracks released in different decades, which are highlighted in the upfront, I’ve included numerous additional tunes in a playlist at the end of the post.

The Everly Brothers/Wake Up Little Susie

Since this post was inspired by an Everly Brothers tune, it felt right to kick things off with a song they performed. Wake Up Little Susie, co-written by Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant, was my introduction to Don Everly and Phil Everly sometime during my teenage years back in Germany. First released as a single in September 1957, Wake Up Little Susie became their first no. 1 on the U.S. mainstream Billboard Hot 100. What a great acoustic rock & roll tune!

Simon & Garfunkel/The Sound of Silence

One of my favorite songs by Simon & Garfunkel is The Sound of Silence. Penned by Paul Simon, this gem is off their debut studio record Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. from October 1964. It was also released separately as a single in September 1965 and became their first hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100, climbing to no. 2 in New Zealand, and reaching no. 3 in each Australia and Austria. It also charted in a few other European countries.

Hall & Oates/She’s Gone

While Daryl Hall and John Oates have written many great tunes, I’m mostly drawn to their ’70s output. Here’s She’s Gone, a track from their sophomore album Abandoned Luncheonette that appeared in November 1973. The song was also released as a single that same month and became their first charting tune in the U.S., reaching no. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. I’ve always loved its great soul vibe.

Eurythmics/Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

When I think about duos and the ’80s, Hall & Oates, Tears For Fears and Eurythmics come to mind first. The first time I heard of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart was in 1983 when they came out with Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Penned by Stewart and released in January that year, the tune became their first big hit. Among others, it topped the charts in the U.S. and Canada, and reached no. 2 in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand. While I’m generally not fond of synth pop, this is a pretty catchy tune and Annie Lenox’s voice is stunning!

Indigo Girls/Galileo

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers first met in elementary school and were performing together by the time they were in high school. After going separate ways, they again found themselves studying at the same institution (Atlanta’s Emory University) in the mid-’80s and became Indigo Girls. Galileo, written by Saliers, is from their fourth studio album Rites of Passage, which came out in May 1992. The tune was the first single off the record and their only top 10 hit in the U.S., reaching no. 10 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.

The White Stripes/Seven Nation Army

This brings me to the present century and the last tune I’d like to call out: Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. Written by Jack White, it first appeared in March 2003 as the lead single of their fourth studio album Elephant released the following month. Seven Nation Army topped the Alternative Airplay chart in the U.S., making it one of the biggest hits of the duo, which also includes Meg White. I dig the song’s raw garage feel.

Last but least, here’s the above-mentioned playlist:

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Hall & Oates Bring Back That Lovin’ Feelin’ To Allentown Fairgrounds

Earlier this year, my wife saw Hall & Oates were going to tour the U.S. and suggested we get tickets. While I always liked the pop duo, especially for their smooth ’70s soul-oriented music, they weren’t exactly on my radar screen. Well, I’m glad my wife paid attention and convinced me to see them. In general, our music tastes are very different, and I end up going to most shows by myself. It’s nice when every now and then we find an act we both like. Last night was showtime at The Fairgrounds in Allentown, Pa. And, boy, I have to say Daryl Hall and John Oates, who are now in their early seventies, were in excellent shape, and we had a great time!

The music muser with his sweet wife

Before getting to Hall & Oates, I’d like to say a few words about opening act G. Love & Special Sauce. I had never heard of this trio from Philadelphia, featuring frontman Garrett Dutton, a.k.a G. Love (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica), Jeffrey Clemens (drums) and Jim Prescott (double bass). Wikipedia describes them as “an alternative hip hop band…known for their unique “sloppy” and “laid back” blues sound that encompasses classic R&B. Well, last night, I particularly heard and liked blues-oriented music with the occasional touch of hip hop. Playing as a trio is challenging, but these guys were really bringing it. There was even a bit of on-stage drama when Prescott broke a bass string – yikes! While he was calmly replacing the string and tuning, the two other guys carried on as a duo, as if nothing had happened. After a few songs into their set, I randomly decided to capture this tune called Shooting Hoops. It’s from their eponymous debut album released in May 1994.

On to Hall & Oates. Their gig last night was a homecoming. Daryl Hall was born in Pottstown, Pa., about 30 miles south of Allentown, while John Oates grew up in Philly suburb North Wales, which is approximately 40 miles southeast of Allentown. He was born in New York City. The duo opened their set with one of their biggest hits from the ’80s: Maneater. If I recall it correctly, that song was the first time I heard of Hall & Oates back in Germany. Co-written by John Oates, Daryl Hall and his then-girlfriend Sara Allen, it appeared on Hall & Oates’ 11th studio album H₂O from October 1982. The track was also released separately as the record’s lead single and became their fifth no. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. 

As noted above, I particularly dig Hall & Oates’ more soul-oriented tunes. Apart from loving the genre in general, I feel this type of music perfectly fits Daryl Hall’s vocals. Here’s their great rendition of You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.  Co-written by songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, together with producer Phil Spector, this classic was first recorded by The Righteous Brothers in 1964 and became their first major and biggest hit topping the charts in U.S., U.K. and Canada. Hall & Oates recorded their beautiful version for the Voices album from July 1980, their ninth studio release. It also became one of four singles from that record and a top 10 hit in the U.S.

Here’s another Hall & Oates classic and perhaps my favorite: She’s Gone, from their sophomore album Abandoned Luncheonette that came out in November 1973. Co-written by John Oates and Daryl Hall, the tune was also released as a single and became their first song to chart in the U.S., peaking at no. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. While making the charts for a then-young pop duo in and of itself was a significant accomplishment, I find it somewhat mind-boggling the tune didn’t climb higher. The album fared better, hitting no. 33 on the Billboard 200, which was then called Top LPs and Tapes chart. After their debut Whole Oates had failed to make an impact, this was actually a quite important early milestone for Hall & Oates – certainly a nice consolation!

After 11 songs and I would say just over an hour, it was already time for the encore – perhaps the only thing I found a bit measly about the show. But Hall & Oates made it count with four additional nice tracks. Here’s the first: Rich Girl, another ’70s tune and one of my favorites. Written by Daryl Hall for their fifth studio album Bigger Than Both Of Us from August 1976, it became the duo’s first no. 1 hit in the U.S. Apparently, the song was written about an ex-boyfriend from Sara Allen who then was together in a relationship with Hall. But Hall didn’t feel rich boy sounded right, so he changed the lyrics.

The last track I’d to highlight is You Make My Dreams, the final song of the encore. Another track from the Voices album, it was co-written by Sara Allen, John Oates and Daryl Hall. It also became the album’s lead single in May 1981 and another hit, climbing to no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hall & Oates were a hit machine during the first half of the ’80s, especially in the U.S. Between 1981 and 1984, they scored 10 top ten singles there, including five that reached no. 1.

This post wouldn’t be complete without acknowledging Hall & Oates’ great backing band – except it’s tricky to find info on the musicians on the Internet. On the duo’s official website, there is a section about band members, which when you click on it cheerfully reveals the comment “Coming soon…” Are you kidding me? According to setlist.fm, the U.S. leg of their tour titled Real Deal 2019 kicked off August 15. When exactly are you planning to list your touring musicians, the guys that help you sound as great as you do?! Luckily, this recent story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune has some of the details.

One of the standouts to me was multi-instrumentalist Charles DeChant, who plays saxophone, flute, keyboards and guitar. In addition to Hall & Oates, DeChant’s impressive credits include Mick Jagger, The Temptations, Tina Turner and Bonnie Raitt, among others. Shane Theriot handled lead guitar. He used to be musical director for the TV show Live from Daryl’s House. He has also recorded or performed with many other artists like The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave) and Little Feat. The backing band also included a drummer, bassist, second keyboarder (in addition to guitar, Hall played keys as well) and a percussionist. Perhaps once the touring musicians are added to Hall & Oates’ official website, I’d be happy to name them. Yes, Daryl and John you can go for that, yes can do. Just tell your website guy to fix what was probably an oversight!

Setlist
1. Maneater
2. Out Of Touch
3. Adult Education
4. Method of Modern Love
5. Say It Isn’t So
6. One On One
7. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
8. (The Righteous Brothers cover)
9. She’s Gone
10. Sara Smile
11. Is It a Star
12. I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)

Encore
13. Rich Girl
14. Kiss on My List
15. Private Eyes
16. You Make My Dreams

On a more cheerful note about the Hall & Oates website, it does list upcoming U.S. gigs, which include Reno, Nev. (Sep 12), Puyallyp, Wash. (Sep 14) and Charleston, S.C. (Sep. 19). The full schedule is here.

Sources: Wikipedia, setlist.fm, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, YouTube

I Can Go For That (Yes Can Do)

Much of my blog focuses on rock, blues and soul, so I imagine some of the more regular visitors may be surprised to see a post about Hall & Oates. Well, in addition to the aforementioned genres, I also listen to pop, though not as often as I used to. Two recent events put Hall & Oates back on my radar screen, where they essentially had not been much since the ’80s.

Earlier this year, my wife said she wanted to see the duo during their upcoming U.S. tour. Since our music tastes are different and she usually doesn’t accompany me to concerts I visit, I felt somewhat obliged to buy two tickets. A few weeks thereafter, a guitarist I know well told me he thinks Hall & Oates are the best blue-eyed soul act – certainly a bold statement. Both of these events inspired this post.

Daryl Hall (born Daryl Franklin Hohl on October 11, 1946 in Pottstown, Pa.) and John Oates (born John William Oates on April 7, 1948 in New York City) first met in Philadelphia in 1967 during a musical competition where they were each leading their own band. After realizing they dug the same music and were both students at Philly’s Temple University, they ended up spending time together and sharing apartments. In 1970, they also decided to work worth together professionally and formed a musical duo.

John Oates (left) and Daryl Hall in 1976

Hall & Oates got their first contract with Atlantic Records and released their debut album Whole Oats in November 1972.  After their first three records, which weren’t very successful, they switched to RCA Records. Their eponymous fourth album, the first with the new label, yielded their first U.S. top 10 single Sara Smile, which climbed to no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1976. They have since released 14 additional studio albums, the most recent of which, Home For Christmas, appeared in October 2006.

The duo’s most successful period were the ’80s with a series of platinum and multi-platinum albums and hits like Kiss On My List, Private Eyes, I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) and Maneater. Their catalog also includes 12 live and numerous compilation records.  With an estimated 40 million albums sold, Hall & Oates are the best-selling music duo in history. In April 2014, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They are also in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and rank at no. 18 on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists. Time for some music!

While back in the ’80s I mostly listened to Hall & Oates’ straight pop tunes, including the above mentioned hits, these days I’m more fond of their soul oriented tracks. My preference is clearly reflected in the following song choices. I’d like to kick things off with Fall In Philadelphia, written by Hall and included on the duo’s 1972 studio debut.

She’s Gone is another nice song with a soul vibe. Credited to both musicians, it first appeared on their sophomore album Abandoned Luncheonette released in November 1973. When the track was first released as a single in February 1974, it was popular in the Philly market but didn’t gain much traction nationally. She’s Gone ended up becoming a national hit when Atlantic Records re-released the single in 1976, peaking at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. At the time, Hall & Oates had already switched to RCA Records and had just scored a top 10 success with Sara Smile. Clearly, Atlantic’s decision to make a quick buck off their former contracted artists paid off handsomely – we call it riding the gravy train!

In January 1977, Hall & Oates released Rich Girl as a single from their fifth studio album Bigger Than Both Of Us. It’s another co-write, and it became their first of six no. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

With the arrival of the ’80s, Hall & Oates adopted a more straight pop-oriented sound, which brought them their most commercially successful decade. Their ninth studio album Voices from July 1980 became their first platinum record, fueled by the hits Kiss On My List and You Make My Dreams. Here’s Every Time You Go Away, written by Daryl Hall. Similar to She’s Gone, it would take a few more years before the song became a major hit. In this case, it was a cover by English vocalist Paul Young, released in February 1985, which hit the top 10 in various countries, including the U.S. (no. 1), Ireland (no. 2), Norway (no. 2) and the U.K. (no. 4).

In 1985, Hall & Oates performed at New York’s storied Apollo Theater. According to Something Else!, when the duo was invited to play there, they immediately had the idea to ask The Temptations to join them and reached out to Eddie Kendrick and David Ruffin. “David and Eddie were always friends of mine,” Hall told WATD. “So, I called Eddie and asked if he wanted to come on stage — and they hadn’t really worked together that much. At that time, they weren’t working together. It was sort of a reunion for them, and a reunion for them and me. It was one of those serendipitous, amazing moments in life where full circles come around — where my origins met my present. It’s really hard to describe.” Here’s their take of Stax classic When Something Is Wrong With My Baby. Co-written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, the song was first recorded and released by Sam & Dave in 1967 – my kind of soul tune I can go for (yes can do)!

For the last track in this post, I’m jumping to Hall & Oates’ 14th studio album Change Of Season from March 1990. It features a nice cover of another Stax recording, Starting All Over Again. Written by Phillip Mitchell, the tune was released by Mel & Tim as a single in June 1972. It was the title track of their second studio album that appeared in July that year. Hall & Oates also released their cover as a single. It peaked at no. 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart and no. 14 on the Canadian charts. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or in the charts of any other countries. That’s unfortunate. Personally, I take that cover any day over their smash ’80s hits like Maneater or Private Eyes, but I guess I’m out of touch, though hopefully not out of time! 🙂

Frankly, until my wife told me about their upcoming U.S. tour in August and September, I wasn’t even aware Hall & Oates are still performing together. I only knew about Daryl Hall and his online and TV series Live from Daryl’s House. Well, it turns out that while Hall & Oates haven’t released a new studio album since October 2006, they have been touring quite actively over the past few years. And why not?

Their current schedule for this year shows dates all the way until the end of September. After a series of gigs in Europe and South America, Hall & Oates start the U.S. leg of their tour in Canandaigua, N.Y. on August 15 – never heard of this place before, which is about 30 miles southeast of Rochester and actually looks quite lovely, based on Google photos! Some of the other dates include Madison, Wis (Aug 25), Atlantic City, N.J. (Aug 30), Allentown, Pa. (Sep 1) – the show for which I got tickets, and Reno, Nev. (Sep 12). The last currently listed show is on Sep 28 in Thackerville, OK.

Sources: Wikipedia, Something Else!, Hall & Oates website, YouTube