John Oates once jokingly referred to himself as "the most underrated and overpaid background singer in the history of pop music." He was referring to the perception that Daryl Hall's career has overshadowed his own. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Daryl Hall and John Oates are distinctly talented singers, song writers and performers. Both have equally contributed to the duo's musical success. Additionally, both have had successful solo careers.
John Oates' memoirs "Change of Seasons" chronicles his interesting life and successful musical career. The memoir takes the reader from Oates' youth to the present day. Oates presents information and stories from his formative years all the way through his career. It is an interesting read for people who are interested in pop music and the music business. The memoir features stories about the duo's career, but it also contains much information about Oates that is distinct from his musical career with Daryl Hall.
John Oates was born on April 7th, 1948. The day after he was born, Oates began coughing up blood. The doctors thought they were going to have to perform a risky procedure. Obviously, his parents were concerned. However, one of the doctors at the hospital figured out a less risky operation to perform, which allayed the concerns of the parents and saved the newborn's life. Oates says the following of Dr. Thoie: "I don't even know his first name, but I owe him everything." The incident highlights the fragility of life and the difference one person can make. This doctor saved Oates' life right after his birth. All of Oates accomplishments and experiences would not have been possible without the saving action of this one man.
Oates was born in New York city to an Italian mother and a father who was part English and Spanish. Soon the family would move to Philadelphia. Music was a part of Oates' life from the beginning. Oates says "My mother wasn't shy about encouraging my young gifts, so in no time I was glued to the little AM radio in our little East side tenement apartment, learning the hits of the day - in English and in some cases Italian."
As a young person, Oates would sing pop songs for his family on Sunday afternoons. Oates says "My big finish would invariably be a Jerry Vale or Perry Como number, usually in Italian, while my grandmother clapped along." These Sunday afternoon concerts helped Oates to realize how much he liked performing.
Oates was surrounded by music at a young age. He says "There was always music in our apartment. My parents loved to dance the jitterbug and Lindy Hop to the big band music of their teenage days, and that became the soundtrack of my first couple of years." The music of his youth helped nurture his desire to be a musician and performer.
The first concert Oates ever attended featured "Bill Haley and His Comets." Oates says "Even at that young age, I was deeply affected by the performance." Seeing rock bands and pop musicians perform live may have shown him what was possible for him as well.
At age 5, Oates started accordian lessons at the urging of his parents. However, Oates did not like the instrument, so he stopped playing after 3 weeks. Soon after this, Oates began taking guitar and vocal lessons. He progressed in his vocal lessons so well that his teacher set up an audition for him. Oates and other students his age went to Atlantic City to audition for a program called "Tony Grant's Stars of Tomorrow." While Oates did not progress beyond the audition, he considered it a memorable experience. It taught him that there were many talented musicians his age.
Oates continued to perform in local shows. Oates says "My mom, being a bit of a stage mother, pushed me to perform at every opportunity in our area." The encouragement of his parents probably helped Oates to feel comfortable on stage. From a very young age, Oates seemed destined for a career in music.
Near the end of ninth grade, Oates joined a band called the "Avalons." At around this time, the Beatles came to America. While Oates appreciated the "British invasion," he preferred artists like Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry and Little Richard. In addition to performing with the "Avalons", Oates was "playing solo acoustic shows at local coffeehouses, doing a mixed bag of Delta blues and primitive Appalachian folk songs." Even today, Oates plays acoustic concerts.
At that time, many bands wore matching uniforms. Oates relates a story of a trip the band took from Reading to Philadelphia to buy uniforms. Oates says that they went down a street that was "a shabby collection of dive bars, pawn shops, boarded up storefronts, and a few clothing stores offering up the height of South Philly fashion." Finally, they arrived at a shop called "Big Hearted Jim's." The band members felt pressured by the owner to buy the uniforms. Oates says "we took the bait and let the guy strong arm us into seven, cheap black and white houndstooth suits."
Oates graduated high school in 1966. By then, Oates says he "was focused on making a record with the band, and we had been saving money from our shows." Oates and his band "The Masters" recorded two songs at Virtue Studios. The songs were entitled "I Need Your Love" and "Not My Baby." However, Frank Virtue encouraged the band to see Bobby Martin, a local record producer, for help in arranging the music a little better. Oates says "I had my acoustic guitar with me and he asked me to play him the songs...I played both songs. He didn't say much, but he didn't kick me out either."
The encouragement that Martin offered Oates and his band went a long way. The band paid $150 for the recording of their two songs. The band had a hard time coming up with the money, but they paid the fee and were happy to record their songs.
Oates says "The plan was to play and record the songs live, all together, in one room....The arrangement felt tight, and after a couple o f takes it was done. This was cloud nine time. We had finally, actually made a record." As young and hopeful musicians, the Masters were just trying to record and promote their music. This was a good first step and it made the members of the band feel positive about themselves.
Oates said he knew that he had made it big when he heard the song and his voice on the radio for the first time when he was out with his girlfriend. Oates said "I had a record out. I was on the radio. My life would never be the same again." Hearing one's song on the radio for the first time must be a rewarding feeling for an artist or musician. At this point, Oates and his band must have felt that the hard work of writing and recording was worth it.
At this time in Philadelphia, while Oates was at Temple University, the Uptown Theatre was the "epicenter of soul music in Philly." Oates says "I'd always pause on the sidewalk to check out the upcoming shows advertised on the box office window." If he was interested in an act, which he often was, Oates would attend the concert.
While he was living in Philadelphia, Oates had his band's single "I Need Your Love" converted into a 45 rpm single by people at a store called "The Record Museum." The records were sold there and the song was played at the local radio stations. A representative from the museum took the band to the different radio stations in the Philadelphia area.
In the winter of 1966, "The Masters" played at a battle of the bands concert in Philadelphia. Daryl Hall's group "The Temptones" also played at the show. A fight between two rival gangs broke out. In order to escape the melee, Oates and Hall entered the same elevator. They discovered that they had a lot in common musically. Later, they saw eachother at Temple University and continued their conversation. The rythym section of "The Temptones" had left the band, so Hall asked Oates if he would play rythym guitar in the band. So, Oates began playing with "The Temptones".
Skiing and car racing are two other interests that Oates has. In the winter of 1968, Oates indulged his interest in skiing by going to Colorado. His skiing experience was adventurous. Oates says "I spent the day alternating, falling down, snowplowing and basically trying just to survive the sleep slopes and thickly wooded glades on this challenging mountain." Oates and his friends spent a week skiing. Oates said "The entire week for me was powerful and indelible....The high altitude world was unspoiled and awe inspiring....I returned to Philadelphia a different person."
In September of 1969, Oates began teaching guitar. He taught at a music school owned by a woman named Esther Halpern. Oates spent most of his time teaching beginning students. Halpern introduced Oates to Jerry Ricks, a guitarist who taught at the school. Ricks and Oates both liked roots music, so they became good friends and played music together. Oates said "I quickly realized that I could learn a lot from him."
Ricks introduced Oates to Doc Watson and his son Merle. Doc and his son played bluegrass, folk and gospel music. One night after hearing them play, Oates walked home and was almost robbed by three people in an alley. A mysterious figure intervened and the three people ran away. Oates did not get a good look at the person who intervened, but obviously felt enormous gratitude.
After the attempted robbery, he made it home to the apartment that he was sharing with Daryl Hall and his wife. He relayed the story to Hall, and Hall began writing a song called "Fall in Philadelphia" which chronicled the perils of living in the city of brotherly love. The song was also inspired by Hall's experiences in the city. A week before, Hall's bicycle had been stolen, and the neighborhood that they lived in had much crime. The song would appear on the "Abandoned Lunchenette" album.
After Oates graduated from Temple, he decided to travel to Europe. Oates says that he decided to "travel light, with only a backpack, my guitar and a couple of blank journals to help discover the journey and satisfy my new passion for writing." After arriving in London, he went to Paris, France. A family took him in, and Oates showed his gratitude by playing music for them while he stayed there. He was impressed with their hospitality and kindness. Oates saw many sights in France: He says "I set about speed sight seeing, squeezing in the Louve, Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees, and the Left Bank in two days." Oates, an avid car racing fan, also made time to see the French Grand Prix.
Oates traveled from France to Spain. Oates says "When I arrived in Barcelona, I immediately fell in love with the city. It was Old World and mysterious, with structures from the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance Periods." While in Spain, Oates attended a bullfight, which he described as "unsettling."
In 1976, the duo began recording another album. Oates wondered if this year would yield their first number one hit. Oates says "We were still playing small venues and opening up for other people. A big radio hit could change all that." The song "Sara Smile," a song about Daryl Hall's girlfriend Sara Logan, became a top hit. "Sara Smile" became so popular that the duo decided to rerelease "She's Gone" as a single. Oates says that the success of "She's Gone" was pushing the 'Abandoned Lunchenette album towards gold." Their newfound success made people more interested in their earlier work. That year Daryl Hall and John Oates won an award for "Best New Group" at the "Rock Music Awards" despite the fact that the duo had 5 albums.
In 1977 "Rich Girl" became their first number one song. In 1977, the duo played at the Tangerine Bowl with "The Eagles" and Jimmy Buffett before the biggest crowd of their career.
Around this time, Oates started studying music theory with Helen Hobbs Jordan who had previously tutored Bette Midler, Paul Simon and Melissa Manchester. Oates improved his vocal ability and his understanding of music theory through these lessons. Oates says "Thank you, Helen, for being a stern taskmaster and a demanding teacher."
In 1978, Daryl Hall and John Oates released "Along the Red Ledge." Oates says this album was different "because it was the first time we recorded with our own band as opposed to session players." The record company did not like the album much because it produced no hits. However, the album represents another musical expression by the duo.
Daryl Hall and John Oates released "X- Static" in 1979. At this time, the duo was playing clubs instead of big arenas because they had went two years without a hit song. Daryl Hall and John Oates decided to produce this album by themselves. It was their first album without an outside producer. Oates says " If there was a formula, it was simple: No need to preconceive...just write good songs, let the musicians make the music, and have skilled technical people capture it." They did their best to follow this formula.
By now the duo had enough experiences working with other producers. They understood the recording process well. Oates says "As much as casual fans would identify us as an 80's band, based on the ubiquity of our big Top 40 hits and the persuasive repetition of MTV videos, we had both been working in recording studios since 1967, and had observed and worked side by side with many talented producers. Looking back, Arif Mardin, in particular, set the standard." Daryl Hall and John Oates tried to make music that was authentic and good. They recorded the music and then got the record company involved. They wanted to separate their creative efforts from the music business as much as possible. The record company got more involved after the music was written and recorded.
In 1980, Daryl Hall and John Oates recorded the album "Voices." The song "Kiss On My List" was released as a single from the album. The song was number one on the billboard charts for 3 weeks. It was the second most successful song that the duo had recorded, with "Maneater" being their most successful.
Jana Allen, Sara's sister, wrote the lyrics for "Kiss On My List," while Hall wrote the music. Hall recorded a quick demo of the song, which was recorded at "15 ips (inches per second)." Oates says "Normally, we would record at 30 ips, but again because it was just a quick demo and to save tape we used the slower speed." According to Oates, recording the song at a slower speed gave the song a distinctive quality.
The "Voices" album also featured "You Make My Dreams," which was a top 5 hit. After they recorded most of the album, the duo felt that something was missing from the album. When they were sitting in a pizza restaurant, they heard the song "You've lost that loving feelin'" by the Righteous Brothers. Both thought that their own version of the song would fit in well with the album. They recorded their own version for the "Voices" album, and the song made it to number 12 on the billboard chart.
In 1981, Daryl Hall and John Oates were looking for a new bass player. Two players auditioned for the job: Tommy Wolk and another bass player who is unnamed in Oates' memoir. Both played well during the audition. However, the unnamed bass player wanted to sing "Kiss on my List" when the band played live. This was a deal breaker for Hall and Oates. So, Wolk, known as "T-Bone" got the job. Wolk had good chemistry with the duo and the rest of the band. He remained with the band until his destiny in 2010. Wolk's death left a void in the band. Wolk was a good person and a consumate musician.
Around this time, Daryl Hall and John Oates had reached the zenith of their popularity. However, being popular was not always easy. Popularity changed their lives and could be challenging at times. Oates says "For over 10 years my career had gone up and down, but the scale of the 80's was off the charts. What many people don't realize is that popularity and success, while appearing on the outside as glamorous and exciting take their toll with time." Daryl Hall and John Oates were still writing and performing music, but they were adjusting to their newfound popularity.
The 1980'srd were unlike any other decade for the duo. They were busy recording and performing their music. They were also busy promoting their music through MTV and the radio. Oates says "Those hyper-kinetic years had a well - worn pattern that defined my life. Rhythmically unrelenting... write, record and tour. Repeat. Again. Nonstop, that routine only broken by the additional demands of doing d press and making music videos to accompany and promote whichever anointed track, ordained by radio and record label, would become our next hit single."
Oates says "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" stands out from the other songs of that period. Oates says the song originated with Hall working with a Roland ComuRythym beat box. Oates says "It was the same machine that he has used for "Kiss On My List." The little white button that was labelled Rock 1 was depressed, and that stiff, simple drum groove was cycling its hypnotic two bar pattern. With his left hand Daryl repeated a cool, vibey bass line that worked like magic against the machine's beat. Then from the fingers of his right hand splashes of apeggiated chords danced over and around the hypnotic bass-line groove." Oates added to the song with his guitar playing. Finally, Hall began singing a melody over the music. Eventually, Hall added the lyrics.
"Maneater", Daryl Hall and John Oates must successfull song, was written in the early 1980's as well. Oates describes how he wrote the music for that song: "Likely inspired by a recent trip to Jamaica, I begun to strum a classic regale guitar groove, put a tentative melody to the hook, and let the chorus evolve." The lyrics for the song were inspired by an experience he had at a bar in New York City called "Marylous" in New York City. He heard a woman "spew forth the most foul, crude and expletive laden soliloquooy I'd ever heard." He was effected by the speech of the woman and says that the phrase "She would chew you up and spit you out his mind. Later on, he though of the phrase "Oh-oh here she comes, she's a maneater". Oates said that the song became a statement about the face placed life in New York City in the 1980's. The city, like the woman he saw at the bar, was metaphorically a maneater.
In 1984, the duo also had a hit song entitled "Out of Touch." At this time, Oates was using me modern musical equipment to write and record songs. He would often write in his Greenwich apartment in New York City. One night at 3:00 AM, he was experimenting with the new equipment. Oates says "I started playing around with the new equipment. The synth had a button marked ARPEGGIO. I didn't know what it did, so I just pressed it. Out came a preprogrammed sound that is best described as a tonal percussive woodblock. By holding down one of the keys, I could make it repeat, and I could adjust the tempo by turning a knob. It was interesting and sounded cool even though it was just a randomly selected factory setting." Oates spent a few hours experimenting with this basic sound and wrote a basic theme for the song. He recorded it and programmed a drumbeat to accompany the basic theme. Then he added a chord progression. Oates wrote the chorus "You're out of touch, I'm out of my head when you're not around..." The song was about his wife at the time. She was traveling frequently for her job. So, the chorus reflected her absense while she was traveling. They would remain married until the early 1990's.
Daryl Hall and John Oates also made music videos in the 1980's. Oates says "we had jumped on board the MTV train when it was arely out of the station, becoming the first guest VJs, and our simplistic early videos swelled in scope and style along with the network's success." MTV did much to make Daryl Hall and John Oates more popular. MTV promoted their music and the music of other artists. Although, MTV makes their music more familiar, Daryl Hall and John Oates he done music videos for years. Oates says "But even though Daryl and I always put the music first, we had been producing MTV style videos before the network popularized the genre...we had been experimenting with video techniques from the beginning of our career. The music videos represented another musical accomplishment for the band. It added to their style and added to the entertainment value of their careers. Daryl Hall and John Oates had always been at the forefront of musical trends in the 1970's and 1980's. Now, they were st the forefront of the music video scene.
On July 13, 1985, Daryl Hall and John Oates closed out a concert called "Live Aid." The concert raised money to help hungry and malnourished children in Africa. 90,000 people saw the concert, which was held in JFK stadium in Philadelphia. Close to 2 billion people saw the concert through television and satellite. According to Oates, it was "the biggest entertainment broadcast in history."
Daryl Hall and John Oates also performed on the "We are the World" record. Each artist had a spot to stand in the studio. In addition to Daryl Hall and John Oates many other artists performed. Bob Dyuan, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie and many other famous artists performed on the record. Oates described the experience: "Within minutes the bus singalong chorus was in the can, and the soloists were organized into small groups around the microphones to record their individual lines." The record was for a good cause.
In 1985, Daryl Hall and John Oates also helped to reopen the much respected Apollo Theater in Harlem. Daryl Hall and John Oates invited David Ruffin and Eddie Hendricks of "The Temptations" to perform with them. Previously, Daryl Hall and John Oates had met them in 1967. Hall and Oates both looked up to the Temptations when they were growing up. So, they naturally wanted to invite them to perform at the Apollo. Oates says "Amid all the chaos of getting everyone together one thing stands out in my mind: When it finally came time for us to start the music, David and Eddie struck their classic Temptation pose...ramrod straight, legs spread shoulder width apart, hands clasped behind their backs. No one asked them to do it, but the professional training and discipline drilled into them at Motown for all those years just kicked back in and they were set." Daryl Hall and John Oates would release an album and tape cassette of the night's concert. The album was entitled "Live at the Apollo."
In the early 1990's Oates moved from New York City to an area just outside of Aspen Colorado. He needed a change. He wanted to get away from the fast paced life of the city. Additionally, Daryl Hall and John Oates recorded two albums. One album was entitled "Ooh. yeah" and the other was entitled "Change of Season." Oates refers to the second album as "perfect theme for my life." His move to Aspen , Coloarado helped to replenish him. Oates says "I was being called by the pure and pristine place I had fist encountered on that long ago college trip, when my buddy and I booked us a couple of student fare airline tickets, three caution to the wind, and embraced one of my life's first great adventures."
At this time, Oates met his wife Aimee. After a good courtship, Aimee and John would marry and have a son. Oates had truly experienced a "change of season."
John Oates has had an interesting life. His life has been filled with music and popularity. His life has been filled with family and friends. He has travelled; he has lived in New York City, Philadelphia, and Aspen, Colorado. He has been a part of the music business and he has learned much about the music business. Oates has went through different "change of seasons", but music, family and friends have remained consistent parts of Oates' life.
