Not many acts can Iay claim to the kind of success
associated with Daryl Hall and John Oates the biggest selling duo in Pop history. Aside
trom their longevity they have been recording together since 1972 - Hall and Oates
reputation as purveyors of the classiest rock and soul has long been their byword. In the
seventies the pair laid the foundations for a style that has survived and prospered by
avoiding compromise and concentrating on a unique blend of R&B that pays no lip
service to trend and fashion.After a chance meeting in a freight elevator they were
sharing to escape a hoody gang fight in Philadelphia's notorious Adelphi Ballroom Daryl
and John struck up a partnership inspired by a mutual love tor East Coast soul and doo
wop, a taste which stood them in good stead but didn't prevent them expanding their
horizons on such ground breaking and critically acclaimed long players as 'Abandoned
Luncheonette, The Silver Album' and Voices'.
Hall and Oates virtually pioneered the urban contemporary sound thereafter with a
purple patch of classic singles and a regular occupation of the #1 slot in America's Pop
and R&B charts during the eighties.
Sleek production, tight arrangements, terrific songs and that unique blend of catchfire
rhythms allied to their trademark harmonies ensured that Hall and Oates transcended any
genre on a huge variety of material, from Sara Smile' and She's Gone' through
to the rapid wit of Rich Girl' and the feline funk of I Can't Go For That (No
Can Do)'. In retrospect it is obvious that Daryl and John have inspired a raft of artists
from Prince and Robert Palmer to George Michael and Paul Young. At the time everybody was
too busy enjoying the moment to notice.
The watershed platinum album Big Bam Boom', a hard core desert island disc
produced with Arthur Baker, took Hall and Oates to the very forefront of new dance music
since when their careers have blossomed again to take in a long time ambition (Live
At The Apollo With David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks') and freshly minted masterpieces
Ooh Yeah!' and Change Of Season'.
lt is patently clear that Hall and Oates are set fair for the nineties and with a
catalogue as sparkling as the one this collection represents, a vintage set whichever way
you cut lt, the duo's ability to please head, heart and feet is now enshrined in the
constitution.
Max Bell.