Daryl Hall

Daryl Hall (born Daryl Franklin Hohl on October 11, 1949, Pottstown, Pennsylvania) is half of the music duo Hall & Oates.

1980s

"Voices" (1980)

The eighties brought about change for Hall & Oates. They had determined that the biggest problem was that their music was being filtered through outsider producers and studio musicians who weren't familiar with their own tastes and thoughts. They also wished to capture the sound of New York City, which by then had become their home. So, instead of recording in Los Angeles like they'd done previously, they decided to record at Electric Lady Studios in New York, just five minutes away from their apartments. They also began producing their own records and using their touring band in the studio. The result was a clearer style and a better sound, and beginning with the Voices LP in 1980, Hall & Oates had found the missing link in their formula for hits. The first two singles from the album, "How Does It Feel to be Back" and a cover of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (both of which featured lead vocals by John) missed the top ten, but the third single, "Kiss on My List," hit number one in April 1981 and remained there for three weeks. The follow-up single, "You Make My Dreams," reached number five in July of that year.

Related Topics:
New York City - Los Angeles - Electric Lady Studios - Voices - 1980 - Righteous Brothers' - April - 1981 - July

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"Private Eyes" (1981)

By the time "You Make My Dreams" was falling down the charts, Hall & Oates had already released their follow-up album Private Eyes. Having worked in the studio while Voices was at its peak in popularity, the two already had most of their material laid down and felt no need to repeat the old formula from that LP. Instead, they produced one of the great albums of the 1980s, the first Hall & Oates album to reach the top ten on the Billboard album charts. The four singles from Private Eyes all reached the top 40. The title track and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" were consecutive number one hits, with the latter song hitting the top spot on the R&B and the pop charts (one of the few songs by a white act ever to do so). "Did It in a Minute" reached #9 in the spring of 1982, and "Your Imagination peaked at #33.

Related Topics:
Private Eyes - Voices - 1980s - Billboard - 1982

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"H₂O" (1982)

Next came the H2O album, Hall & Oates' biggest success. Not considered one of their best albums today, H2O hit #3 on the album charts and spawned three top-10 singles. "Maneater," the biggest hit of their career, reached the number-one spot on December 18, 1982 and stayed there for four weeks. The ballad "One on One" and a cover of Mike Oldfield's song "Family Man" reached #7 and #6 in March and June of 1983, respectively.

Related Topics:
H₂O - December 18 - 1982 - Mike Oldfield - March - June - 1983

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"Rock 'n Soul" (1983)

By the fall of 1983, Hall & Oates were one of the biggest pop music acts in America. They had five #1 singles to their credit, two consecutive top-10 albums, and were one of the biggest names on MTV. The constant loop of recording, promoting, and touring wore them down, though, and in 1983 they could only put out a greatest-hits pacakge, Rock N Soul Volume 1. The album peaked at #7 (not bad for a greatest hits collection) and the two new songs on the LP both became top-10 hits as well. The lead-off single for the Greatest Hits album battled with a six week #1 spot from Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson at the high-point of the Thriller hysteria. "Say It Isn't So" remained at #2 for an impressive four weeks from December 1983 to January 1984. "Adult Education" hit #8 in April 1984. In that month, the Recording Industry Association of America issued a report declaring Hall & Oates as the most successful duo in the history of recorded music.

Related Topics:
MTV - Paul McCartney - Michael Jackson - December - 1983 - January - 1984 - April - Recording Industry Association of America

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"Big Bam Boom" (1984)

Hall & Oates returned to the studio in 1984 after some time off to begin work on the Big Bam Boom LP in 1984. Unlike their previous work, this album had a more urban feel to it. The lead-off song, "Dance on Your Knees," is basically an homage to the Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's song "White Lines." Hall himself even performs some light rapping on the songs "Method of Modern Love" and "All-American Girl." Released in late 1984, the first single off the LP, "Out of Touch," became the groups sixth #1 hit on December 8, 1984. "Method of Modern Love," which debuted on the pop charts while "Out of Touch" was at #1, reached #5 in February 1985. The dark ballad "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid" and the upbeat "Possession Obsession" reached the top 30 in 1985, as well. Hall & Oates had a big year in 1985, performing with USA for Africa in the song "We Are the World" and at the Live Aid Concert. They capped things off with a performance in front of the Statue of Liberty on July 4 and at the re-opening of the Apollo Theater in New York.

Related Topics:
Big Bam Boom - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - December 8 - 1984 - February - 1985 - USA for Africa - Live Aid - Statue of Liberty - July 4 - Apollo Theater

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"Live at the Apollo!" (1985)

Hall & Oates have almost always toured extensively. However, this practice came to an end with the release of Daryl Hall and John Oates Live At The Apollo with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick. This was RCA's second attempt at a live album, following a 1983 release. However, this disc was very short and covered less than half of the live performance. It was released primarily to fulfill the duo's contract with RCA, and contained a top-20 hit with a medley of "The Way You Do the Things You Do" and "My Girl", songs originally by Ruffin & Kendrick's old group The Temptations.

Related Topics:
David Ruffin - Eddie Kendrick - The Way You Do the Things You Do - My Girl - The Temptations

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Daryl Hall's solo album (1986)

Hall & Oates went on a break after the 1985 tour. Daryl Hall was influenced to go to England and check out Dave Stewart. The resulting solo Daryl Hall album was Three Hearts In The Happy Ending Machine. It included a #5 hit "Dreamtime" and a Top 40 hit with "Foolish Pride." It also contained perhaps a hint of Daryl's future solo projects, with the song "Someone Like You." Despite Stewart's co-production and guest background vocals from Joni Mitchell and Bob Geldof, RCA considered this album a commercial disappointment. It should be noted, however, that RCA did not promote this album at the level of the Hall & Oates' previous albums, which upset Daryl for years afterward. This was also the last album in the RCA deal with Hall and Oates.

Related Topics:
Three Hearts In The Happy Ending Machine - Joni Mitchell - Bob Geldof

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