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Hall & Oats
From their first hit in 1974 through their heyday in the '80s, Daryl Hall and John Oates' smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them enormous commercial success — including six number one singles and six platinum albums — yet little critical success. Hall & Oates' music was remarkably well-constructed and produced; at their best, their songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of new wave and hard rock.
Daryl Hall began performing professionally while he was a student at Temple University. In 1966, he recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos; the group featured Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who would all become the architects of Philly soul. During this time, Hall frequently appeared on sessions for Gamble and Huff. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple University student. Oates was leading his own soul band at the time. The two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing together in an array of R&B and doo wop groups. By 1968, the duo had parted ways, as Oates transferred schools and Hall formed the soft rock band Gulliver; the group released one album on Elektra in the late '60s before disbanding.
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Artist Biography - Hall & Oats
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 The duo spent most of the '70s casting around stylistically, trying acoustic rock (1972's Whole Oats), art-rock (1974's Todd Rundgren-produced War Babies), hard guitar rock (1978's Along The Red Ledge) and synthesizer new wave (1979's X-Static). But the hit singles--"Sara Smile," "She's Gone," "Rich Girl"--only seemed to come when they went back to Philly soul. They took the hint and committed to it full-time on 1980's Voices, where they also took over as their own producers and assembled a regular band (led by guitarist G.E. Smith, later of Saturday Night Live infamy). There followed a string of high-quality albums, each with at least two major hits: 1981's Private Eyes, including the title track and "I Can't Go For That," was the best of a good lot.
Bringing their career full circle, their 1985 live album and that year's Live Aid appearance found them turning the spotlight over to longtime heroes, original Temptations David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks. After taking a two-year break, disbanding the group and switching record labels, H&O's career took a surprisingly quick nosedive. The decent if low-key Ooh Yeah! (1988) was a commercial disappointment; its follow-up, Change Of Season (with an ill-advised Bon Jovi collaboration) disappeared altogether. Proving that Oates must have been doing something right, Hall's solo career has so far lacked the old magic. The duo quietly began doing oldies-based reunion shows in 1996.
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For more information , enjoy the official homepage of Hall & Oats
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