Daryl Hall, Solo and on the Road

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The phenomenal success of Hall and Oates can trace its origins to the Temptones, a Philadelphia blue-eyed soul band led by Hall. During the growth of the city’s music scene, Hall met guitarist/songwriter John Oates and began making albums. One of the songs from those early efforts, “She’s Gone,” was a hit, but only after it was re-released in 1976.

Hall and Oates’ brand of feel-good tunes like “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List” and “Private Eyes” shot to the top of the charts one after another as they became one of the country’s top-selling concert attractions. The two were inducted into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Over their remarkable career, Hall and Oates released 18 albums which generated worldwide sales of close to 70 million units. Along the way, Hall recorded five solo albums to continue his creative growth.

In a recent interview, Hall talked about his Philadelphia roots, his successful cable reality show, and what audiences can look forward to at his upcoming Riverside show on Nov. 25 with longtime friend Todd Rundgren.

Can we start with your early years?

Music has been around me all my life. I grew up in a musical family, and I started singing in the church when I was four years old. My mother was in a band, and I watched her perform many times. My aspirations to become a musician were always encouraged by family members, and later, the people I worked with.

When did you become a professional musician?

In the mid-60s. I was a session musician at Circle Sound and worked with people like Chubby Checker and Len Barry. I also had a band of my own called the Temptones. I became friends with musicians I admired, like Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, people like that. In 1970 I started working with Johnny [Oates} and we went to New York a couple years later.

Is this about time you began working with Todd Rundgren?

Yeah. I met Todd in New York at a screening of “Fantasia”, which was a perfect place to meet a guy like that (laughs). We lived in parallel worlds, you know? I was into soul and Todd was doing Beatles-type rock and roll. We became friends right away and Todd produced our third album, War Babies.

When Hall and Oates experienced early success, did you ever feel like, ‘Wow, I can do this!’

(laughs) I don’t remember if I did!  I never had any doubts about what I could do. It was figuring out how to do it. I didn’t know at the time whether I’d make any money at.

When you began making solo albums, did you get any pushback from the record label?

Oh yeah, definitely. My career was controlled by the label and I’m happy the industry no longer has that kind of power over an artist. The business of making music is very different from the business of selling it. My label was very manipulative because they had a cash cow with Hall and Oates, and they wanted to keep the milk flowing. They were very much against me doing anything different. For a time that stifled my growth as an artist.

Does making solo records require some additional ambition on your part?

Not ambition so much as hard work, focus, and using what ability I have to the fullest. I’m not obsessive about these records. I’m not rigid or stubborn. I try to be very fluid.

Did you enjoy promoting Hall and Oates on MTV?

I found that time to be both good and bad. Sure, those videos boosted record sales, but I had nothing to do with them, you know? To me they had very little to do with my performances. I was just a soldier in their army. In my opinion, the good that came out of it was that MTV helped destroy the record business as we knew it. The whole thing became too big, and it blew apart. Now the record companies have less power than ever. Musicians can record and release their own music. I think that’s great.

Describe your cable program, “Daryl’s House”

It’s a true reality show as opposed to a fake one. What you see is really happening. I think if you’re not performing at a concert venue, this is a good alternative. When I first came up with the idea for “Daryl’s House,” I started thinking, “How can I make this different from a concert.”

Playing without a live audience is certainly different.

Right! It instantly changes the dynamic in the room, and that’s what I was looking for. The musicians are relating to one another and not an audience. We’re just hanging out and playing spontaneous music. It’s unrehearsed and nobody really knows what we’re gonna do, but everyone is good enough to just make it happen. We all speak a lot of musical languages and I love what we do with that. Some food gets sent in and we’ll just hang out and talk a bit. That’s my favorite part of the show.

How is the upcoming show at the Riverside structured?

Todd will do a set, and then I’ll do my set. After a break, we’ll perform together. The evening is a real cross-section of songs. Notes and chords and emotion. That’s what music is to me.

Hall and longtime friend Todd Rundgren will perform at the RiversideTheater on Friday, November 25.