Hall & Oates:
A dynamic duo

By Rita Charleston
For the Times

Over the 40 years they’ve been together, they’ve become one of the most celebrated pairings of all time — with record sales surpassing even the Everly Brothers -— and are now known as the most successful duo in rock history.
"I say because we’ve been together so long that we win by attrition. Many groups just don’t last that long," says John Oates, half of the twosome (Daryl) Hall and Oates.
"We never dreamed all this would come our way and we’d have such success. That was never our plan," he said. "We never had long-term inspirations or lofty goals. We always took one step at a time. Our first goal was to play gigs in local coffeehouses in Philly. Then we wanted to get a record contract, and eventually we did with Atlantic Records. Then we wanted to have a better band, and we did that too. That’s the way we were then and the way we still are."
On Monday, audiences will be able to enjoy Hall and Oates’ Kimmel Center debut with Home for Christmas, the sound of music from their 2006 Christmas CD as well as some of the sounds that made them famous.
Hall and Oates met in 1967 as students at Temple University. They quickly became friends because they shared an interest in soul and rhythm-and-blues.
Oates also began playing occasional sessions with Hall’s rock band, Gulliver. By 1969, they left Gulliver to perform as a pair. At that time, both Hall and Oates also were interested in folk music, and by the time they realized one of their goals by signing with Atlantic, White Oates, their first album, had a decidedly folk sound.
Over time, many more successful albums continued to lure happy audiences — more than 60 million have been sold to this point — sometimes produced together, sometimes done solo and sometimes with other artists.
"If there ever was a master plan, that was it," Oates says. "We just wanted to be two individuals working together but not locked at the hip. That’s a very important part of our relationship. We see ourselves as two people. We are more than just the combined ‘Hall and Oates.’"
In fact, having achieved so much together — including appearing on the We Are The World recording session at Live Aid, and performing and recording at the Apollo Theater along with former Temptations members David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick — Hall and Oates took a hiatus in the mid-’80s to focus on individual efforts more than once.
Still, when able, they continue to tour consistently and with considerable success around the world, most recently saluting their deep soul roots with 2004’s Our Kind of Soul. That same year, saluting their great body of work, Hall and Oates were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, Oates, 58, continues to enjoy a separate identity and has started a project called The Story Behind the Songs, a solo acoustic show he’s been doing more and more and taking great satisfaction in.
"It’s a lot of fun because I basically sit onstage by myself and talk about how songs are written," he says. "It’s a very freeing type of performance because it’s loose without the constraints of a band, arrangements, production. I can do almost anything I want, and I feel as though people who have heard our music over the years, songs that have become part of the popular culture, are now about to learn more about them and their meaning."
Oates admits that he’s never wanted anything more than to be a musician.
"I always tell people that the secret of my success, if there is one, is that I figured out early on what my passion in life was. I think that’s one of the keys to being successful in life." ••
For times and ticket information, call 215-893-1999.