Day seven of my series of Songs That Peaked at No. 11: Today's pick might seem a bit out of character given the fact that I'm a casual Hall and Oates fan who doesn't really know the ins and outs of their chart rankings. But I liked this song when it came out in 1990 -- I was pushing 24, so adult contemporary radio was already becoming my thing(!). So it's always stuck in my craw that the blue-eyed-soul duo who could once do no wrong in the eyes of the record-buying public -- you may recall that between 1981 and 1985 they had 13 Top 10 singles, and were so big that even a piece of shit like "Maneater" shot to No. 1 -- only managed to have one hit single in the 1990s, but it crapped out at No. 11. How quickly people lose that lovin' feelin'.
This song -- not unlike Daryl Hall's look -- is as fresh today as it was 45 years ago! See where "Rich Girl" ranked when I polled my readers about favorite Hall and Oates songs back in 2008 HERE.
Hard to believe it's been a dozen years since I polled you guys about your favorite Hall and Oates song. Somehow "You Make My Dreams Come True" didn't make THE LIST. But that hasn't stopped it from just passing one billion streams, which John Oates recently discussed with NME, as well as going from legends to punchlines and back again, who would play him in a biopic and how he would be the film's mustache consultant.
“It’s amazing, right? What really gets me about this is when the song ‘You Make My Dreams’ was released as a single in 1981, it wasn’t a massive Number One hit -- it reached Number Five in the U.S.. We couldn’t have predicted the impact it would have. Over the years, it’s taken on a life of its own. It’s become this anthemic feel-good thing. A lot of it started with its use in the movie '500 Days of Summer' and the dance sequence they created around that song. From there on, it took on this life of its own. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. It’s an amazing feel-good groove and it has a great timeless appeal.”
Just a friendly and nonjudgmental reminder to people having sex: It's OK to speak up about your boundaries -- and to stop doing things that you're not comfortable with, even if they've already begun happening.
The legendary duo is touring -- with Tears for Fears(!) -- and I can't decide what to do. None of the venues are particularly desirable -- and I fear with such an enormous catalogue of songs they're bound to disappoint me -- so I can't decide to cough up the cash or not. Thoughts?
It's been a long time since my Best Hall & Oates Song Poll, so thought I was overdue for some of the kings of blue-eyed soul. This might be their best song casual fans do not know.
Happy to see Hall and Oates among the 2014 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the day after one of my (vile) neighbors opened one of the duo's CDs I had bought on Amazon and then left it in the lobby when they didn't like what they saw. Nirvana, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens, Peter Gabriel and KISS were also selectedd. The ceremony will be held at the Brooklyn Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Thursday, April 10 -- and will be open to the public.
With Linda Ronstadt, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens, Chic and the Replacements -- not to mention the Zombies and Nirvana -- on the 2014 list of nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you'd swear I was on the voting committee! Read HERE.
Several people whose taste in music I respect have told me I should love The Bird and the Bee, yet I have yet to get around to listening to anything of theirs. Then yesterday I heard a new version of "Private Eyes" in a restaurant, and I came to realize it was the indie duo in action, just one of eight Hall and Oates covers on their new LP, "Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates." Their version didn't do much for me -- despite my love for Hall and Oates and transsexual musical interpretations -- but I would love a tutorial in the group's best songs. I'm wondering if they chose to do an all-covers album this year because singer Inara George is pregnant, as you'll see in the clip of the band performing "I Can't Go for That" (again, not great) last week on "Ellen." This was the path of least resistance the band Ivy took when singer Dominique Durand was with child back in 2002, only "Guestroom" featured three of my favorite songs by the band, their take of "Streets of Your Town" by the Go-Betweens, "Only a Fool Would Say That" by Steely Dan and "I Guess I'm Just Too Sensitive" by Orange Juice.
Well, thanks to everyone who voted in the best Hall and Oates song ever poll. First place was a three-way tie between "Rich Girl," "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (really? I never understood what "that" was). Although like most of you I grew up more in the post-"Voices" era, I'd always assumed everyone agreed that the guys' earlier Philly soul singles were the all-time best (and "Rich Girl" was up there). My favorite, "She's Gone," was selected by only one of you -- out of 45 total votes -- although my other fave (besides "Rich Girl") -- "Sara Smile" -- was a close second and the most voted for song overall when you count second-place nods. I was right there with Paul who said that seeing Daryl Hall in that detective's coat in the "Private Eyes" video was when he knew he was gay. (I felt the exact same way yet look at him now and think, What was I thinking?!!) I found it adorable how many of you were (almost shameful) "Family Man" fans ("cute video"; "tawdry, isn't it?"; "Family Man -- you know, for the kitsch value"; "because it's about inappropriate sex").
For casual fans like myself who just want the hits, I can recommend "The Very Best of Daryl Hall and John Oates," with just one rather huge caveat: it has everything mentioned here except "She's Gone"! It was from their days on Atlantic and while the old label was willing to license it for 1983's less complete "Rock 'n' Soul Part I: Greatest Hits," they weren't so generous by the time "The Very Best of" came out a decade later. When I bought it and realized the omission, I figured I'd just burn my own CD and add "She's Gone" on -- only to realize the disc has 20 songs and there wasn't room to add even one. Having always thought "Maneater" was, pardon the pun, the duo's Jump the Shark moment (read: embarrassingly bad), I opted to replace that tune with "She's Gone" to create the perfect Hall & Oates compilation (for me, anyway). My favorite: "She's Gone"
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