Daryl Hall & John Oates - 14 Albums (1975 - 1990) [2011, Sony Music, SICP-20270~83]

Cardboard sleeve (mini LP) reissues from Daryl Hall & John Oates featuring the high-fidelity Blu-spec CD format and the latest digital remastering

Daryl Hall & John Oates:

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.

After Gulliver's breakup, Hall concentrated on session work again, appearing as a backup vocalist for the Stylistics, the Delfonics, and the Intruders, among others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began writing folk-oriented songs and performing together. Eventually they came to the attention of Tommy Mottola, who quickly became their manager, securing the duo a contract with Atlantic Records. On their first records – Whole Oates (1972), Abandoned Luncheonette (1973), War Babies (1974) – the duo were establishing their sound, working with producers like Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren and removing much of their folk influences. At the beginning of 1974, the duo relocated from Philadelphia to New York. During this period, they only managed one hit – the number 60 "She's Gone" in the spring of 1974.

After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with "Sara Smile." The success of "Sara Smile" prompted the re-release of "She's Gone," which rocketed into the Top Ten as well. Released in the summer of 1976, Bigger than the Both of Us was only moderately successful upon its release. The record took off in early 1977, when "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single.

Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980, the albums Hall & Oates released at the end of the decade were not as successful as their mid-'70s records. Nevertheless, they were more adventurous, incorporating more rock elements into their blue-eyed soul. The combination would finally pay off in late 1980, when the duo released the self-produced Voices, the album that marked the beginning of Hall & Oates' greatest commercial and artistic success. The first single from Voices, a cover of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," reached number 12, yet it was the second single, "Kiss on My List" that confirmed their commercial potential by becoming the duo's second number one single; its follow-up, "You Make My Dreams" hit number five. They quickly released Private Eyes in the summer of 1981; the record featured two number one hits, "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," as well as the Top Ten hit "Did It in a Minute." "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" also spent a week at the top of the R&B charts – a rare accomplishment for a white act. H20 followed in 1982 and it proved more successful than their two previous albums, selling over two million copies and launching their biggest hit single, "Maneater," as well as the Top Ten hits "One on One" and "Family Man." The following year, the duo released a greatest-hits compilation, Rock 'N Soul, Pt. 1, that featured two new Top Ten hits – the number two "Say It Isn't So" and "Adult Education."

In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Hall & Oates had surpassed the Everly Brothers as the most successful duo in rock history, earning a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. Released in October of 1984, Big Bam Boom expanded their number of gold and platinum awards, selling over two million copies and launching four Top 40 singles, including the number one "Out of Touch." Following their contract-fulfilling gold album Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick, Hall & Oates went on hiatus. After the lukewarm reception for Daryl Hall's 1986 solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, the duo regrouped to release 1988's Ooh Yeah!, their first record for Arista. The first single, "Everything Your Heart Desires," went to number three and helped propel the album to platinum status.

However, none of the album's other singles broke the Top 20, indicating that the era of chart dominance had ended. Change of Season, released in 1990, confirmed that fact. Although the record went gold, it only featured one Top 40 hit – the number 11 single "So Close." The duo mounted a comeback in 1997 with Marigold Sky, but it was only partially successful; far better was 2003's Do It for Love and the following year's soul covers record Our Kind of Soul. The issuing of "greatest-hits" albums reached a fever pitch during the 2000s, with no fewer than 15 different collections seeing the light by 2008. Live records were in proliferation as well, with the A&E Live by Request release Live in Concert hitting stores in 2003, a reissue of their Ecstasy on the Edge 1979 concert (titled simply In Concert this time around) in 2006, and the Live at the Troubadour two-CD/one-DVD set in 2008. As far as proper studio albums go, the 2000s were lean, with only three releases – the aforementioned Do It for Love and Our Kind of Soul, topped off by Home for Christmas in 2006.

~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & J. Scott McClintock, Rovi

Дэрил Холл и Джон Оатс познакомились в 1967 году на одной из танцплощадок Филадельфии. Оба на тот момент учились в «Temple University» и каждый из них возглавлял собственную команду, «The Temptones» (Холл) и «The Masters» (Оатс). Музыкальные вкусы Дэрила и Джона были схожи, поэтому спустя некоторое время парни решили организовать совместный проект. В 1969-м их группа получила название «Hall & Oates», а в 1972-м они заключили контракт с «Atlantic Records». Первые работы Холла и Оатса были далеко не успешными, хотя их продюсированием занимались такие видные личности как Ариф Мардин и Тодд Рандгрен. Парни никак не могли определиться со стилем, и их саунд плавал между ритм-энд-блюзом, соулом, фолком и поп-музыкой. Явных хитов у дуэта в то время не имелось, но некоторые ростки успеха все же проклевывались. Такие песни как «She’s Gone» и «Las Vegas Turnaround» помогли «Hall & Oats» заработать репутацию «голубоглазых соулстеров». Фортуна улыбнулась Дэрилу и Джону, после того как они перебрались на «RCA Records», где дебютировали с альбомом «Daryl Hall & John Oates». Пластинка содержала балладу «Sara Smile», которая стала первым попаданием группы в горячую десятку «Billboard». Следом в Топ 10 отправилась и переизданная «She’s Gone», а в марте 1977-го «Hall & Oats» дали залп по самой верхушке чартов композицией «Rich Girl» с поп-ориентированного альбома «Bigger Than Both Of Us». Однако за этой серией хитов Дэрила и Джона ждала полоса неудач, поскольку они не успевали следить за быстроменяющимся музыкальным климатом. В самый разгар диско Холл и Оатс выпустили роковый опус «Along The Red Ledge», а когда вышел их танцевальный альбом «X-Static», мода на этот стиль уже пошла на спад. Кроме того, в 1977-м «RCA» предложили Дэрилу записать сольник, но тот получился настолько экспериментальным и некоммерческим, что лейбл отказался его выпускать. Решив, что все их неудачи приходят со стороны, в 1980 году музыканты лично взялись за продюсирование своего альбома «Voices». Результат оправдал ожидания, и несколько сопутствующих синглов попали в чарты, а «Kiss on My List» взобрался на самую вершину и провел там три недели. Две следующих работы, являвшиеся смесью соула, нью-вейва и синт-попа, также были широко востребованными и принесли группе немало хитов: «I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)», «Did It in a Minute», «Your Imagination», «One on One», «Family Man» (кавер Майка Олдфилда). К концу 1983-го «Hall & Oats» были одним из самых коммерчески успешных американских проектов, что подтвердилось выпуском лучших вещей «Rock N’ Soul». Первый же сингл с этой пластинки, «Say It Isn’t So», шесть недель провел в борьбе за первое место с совместным творением Пола МакКартни и Майкла Джексона «Say, Say, Say». В 1985 году вышел второй концертник, «Live At The Apollo», записанный с участием Дэвида Раффина и Эдди Кендрика из «Temptations». Этим альбомом «Hall & Oats» завершили сотрудничество с «RCA», после чего перебрались под крышу «Arista». Диск «Ooh Yeah!» хотя и принес дуэту очередную платину, многими слушателями был встречен с разочарованием. Следующий альбом, «Change Of Seasons», получил всего лишь золото, в результате чего проект на долгое время исчез из поля зрения широкой публики. Лишь в 1997-м на собственном лейбле Холл и Оатс выпустили диск «Marigold Sky», да и тот пользовался весьма умеренным спросом. Очередной длительный тайм-аут Дэрил и Джон потратили на сольные карьеры, но в 2002-м вновь объединили свои усилия. Впервые за долгое время их работа имела хоть какой-то успех – песня «Do It for Love» заняла первую строчку в биллбордовских чартах в разделе «R&R’s Adult Contemporary». В 2004-м вышел диск «Our Kind Of Soul», составленный в основном из каверов.

~ Last Fm

Tracklist:

01. Camellia
02. Sara Smile
03. Alone Too Long
04. Out Of Me, Out Of You
05. Nothing At All
06. Gino (The Manager)
07. It Doesn't Matter Anymore
08. Ennui On The Mountain
09. Grounds For Separation
10. Soldering

Bonus Tracks:

11. What's Important To Me (Demo)
12. Ice (Demo)








Tracklist:

1. Back Together Again
2. Rich Girl
3. Crazy Eyes
4. Do What You Want, Be What You Are
5. Kerry
6. London Luck, & Love
7. Room To Breathe
8. You'll Never Learn
9. Falling









Tracklist:

1. Don't Change
2. Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart
3. You Must Be Good For Something
4. The Empytness
5. Bad Habits And Infections
6. Bigger Than Both Of Us
7. Love Hurts (Love Heals)
8. Winged Bull
9. The Girl Who Used To Be








Tracklist:

1. Rich Girl
2. The Emptyness
3. Do What You Want, Be What You Are
4. I'm Just A Kid (Don't Make Me Feel Like A Man)
5. Sara Smile
6. Abandoned Luncheonette
7. Room To Breathe









Tracklist:

01. It's A Laugh
02. Melody For A Memory
03. The Last Time
04. I Don't Wanna Lose You
05. Have I Been Away Too Long
06. Alley Katz
07. Don't Blame It On Love
08. Serious Music
09. Pleasure Beach
10. August Day








Tracklist:

01. The Woman Comes And Goes
02. Wait For Me
03. Portable Radio
04. All You Want Is Heaven
05. Who Said The World Was Fair
06. Running From Paradise
07. Number One
08. Bebop / Drop
09. Hallofon
10. Intravino

Bonus Tracks:

11. Time's Up (Previously Unreleased)
12. No Brain No Pain (Previously Unreleased)








Tracklist:

01. How Does It Feel To Be Back
02. Big Kids
03. United State
04. Hard To Be In Love With You
05. Kiss On My List
06. Gotta Lotta Nerve (Perfect Perfect)
07 You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
08. You Make My Dreams
09. Everytime You Go Away
10. Africa
11. Diddy Doo Wop (I Heard The Voices)

Bonus Tracks:

12. Kiss On My List (Remix Version)
13. Everytime You Go Away (Remix Version)








Tracklist:

01. Private Eyes
02. Looking For A Good Sign
03. I Can't Go For That
04. Mano A Mano
05. Did It In A Minute
06. Head Above Water
07. Tell Me What You Want
08. Friday Let Me Down
09. Unguarded Minute
10. Your Imagination
11. Some Men

Bonus Tracks:

12. Your Imagination (12'' Version / Disco Remix)
13. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) (12'' Version / Extended Club Mix)








Tracklist:

01. Maneater
02. Crime Pays
03. Art Of Heartbreak
04. One On One
05. Open All Night
06. Family Man
07. Italian Girls
08. Guessing Games
09. Delayed Reaction
10. At Tension
11. Go Solo

Bonus Tracks:

12. Family Man (12'' Version / Rock Mix)
13. Maneater (12'' Version / Special Extended Club Mix)
14. One On One (12'' Version / Club Mix)








Tracklist:

01. Say It Isn't So
02. Sara Smile
03. She's Gone
04. Rich Girl
05. Kiss On My List
06. You Make My Dreams
07. Private Eyes
08. Adult Education
09. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
10. Maneater
11. One On One
12. Wait For Me (Live Version)








Tracklist:

01. Dance On Your Knees
02. Out Of Touch
03. Method Of Modern Love
04. Bank On Your Love
05. Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
06. Going Thru The Motions
07. Cold Dark And Yesterday
08. All American Girl
09. Possession Obsession

Bonus Tracks:

10. Out Of Touch (12" Version / Extended Version)
11. Method Of Modern Love (12" Version / Extended Mix)
12. Possession Obsession (12" Version / Special Mix)
13. Dance On Your Knees (12" Version / Extended Version)








Tracklist:

1. Apollo Medley
I. Get Ready
II. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
III. The Way You Do The Things You Do
IV. My Girl
2. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
3. Everytime You Go Away
4. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
5. One On One
6. Possession Obsession
7. Adult Education









Tracklist:

01. Downtown Life
02. Everything Your Heart Desires
03. I'm In Pieces
04. Missed Opportunity
05. Talking All Night
06. Rockability
07. Rocket To God
08. Soul Love
09. Realove
10. Keep On Pushin' Love








Tracklist:

01. So Close
02. Starting All Over Again
03. Sometimes A Mind Changes
04. Change Of Season
05. I Ain't Gonna Take It This Time
06. Everywhere I Look
07. Rip It Up
08. Give It Up (Old Habits)
09. Don't Hold Back Your Love
10. Halfway There
11. Only Love
12. Heavy Rain
13. So Close (Unplugged)





All thanks go to ALLexxess