# Hall & Oates Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2002, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480 "2002-11-29T10:19:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/1 "2002-11-29T10:19:15Z")
This is about as mundane & pointless as they come, but it IS about music…… I was listening to some song by Hall & Oates on my way into work, when it occurred to me that in every picture I’ve seen of the pair, they are holding guitars. This would not be much of a revelation were it not that I couldn’t recall having heard a guitar in any Hall & Oates song. So off to CDNOW I went, and began my trek through their greatest hits album. Out of all the songs I heard, only 3 had guitars: **I Can’t Go For That** (There is a background bendy that repeats through the entire song) **Maneater** (There is a pull-off that blends with the percussion beat) **Out of Touch** (Amidst all of the synthesizers, keyboards, and fake drums, there are 3 or 4 chords being played during the verse. Dare we call it a rythm guitar?) So a few questions come to mind: 1. Did anyone ever see them live, and if so did they play guitars? 2. Are there other songs that I am not aware of where they really “rock out”? 3. Should I cut back on the cold medicine? 4. While we are at it, which one was Hall, and which one was Oates? Was the guy with the Black hair really Lionel Richie in a tee shirt? ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/2 "2002-11-29T13:05:53Z")
1. My girlfriend saw them live back in the 80’s. She didn’t mention a guitar, but did mention they were “hot”. 2. Yes, but I haven’t had coffee, plus I didn’t like H&A all that much, and can’t think of anything offhand. 3. Nah. 4. Hall was the blonde guy. I think. 5. I realize I am of no help whatsoever, but your thread looked really lonely here with no replies. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/3 "2002-11-29T13:41:36Z")
John Oates is a guitarist, according to CDNOW. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/4 "2002-11-29T14:44:11Z")
Daryl Hall also plays guitar. And while I’m not positive about this, I thought that both played keyboards, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/5 "2002-11-29T17:04:36Z")
1/ Yes and yes. 2/ They weren’t really a “rock-out” kind of band. I don’t think Bon Jovi ever worried about them moving in on their corner of the market. 3/ Donno. 4/ Hall was the taller blonde one, did most of the lead singing. Oates was the shorter dark one with the bad moustache. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/6 "2002-11-29T18:03:15Z")
Out of curiosity did Hall ever come officially come “out” or did that become a non-issue as their popularity waned. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/7 "2002-11-29T18:25:42Z")
I had no idea they were still together until a few days ago when their **Rock & Soul 2K2** tour rolled into Portland. The classics never die … and neither do Hall and Oates apparently. They’re in Atlantic City tonight and tomorrow if you really want to catch them. The official website is [www.hallandoates.com](http://www.hallandoates.com) ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/8 "2002-11-29T21:56:38Z")
Bibliophage, they recently reunited. They had a very bad breakup, if I remember correctly. They were split for quite awhile. I guess the appeal of the money got them back together. As for the OP… I’m currently listening to their new song, \*\* Do it for love \*\* and it definitely has guitars. It has an accoustic guitar solo, it sounds slightly like a mandolin. _pulls out Greatest Hits CD_ Songs with guitars: -Say It isn’t so -Sara Smile -Rich Girl -You make my dreams -Private eyes (doesn’t really rock out, but intro has a more intense guitar riff than most of their stuff) -Wait for me (another more intense riff in the intro for them) There are couple more I’m not to sure about. The thing is, the syth usually outplays the guitar and you can only catch it at certain spots. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/9 "2002-11-29T22:02:20Z")
On further review, \*\* She’s Gone \*\* has guitar in as well. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/10 "2002-11-29T22:09:35Z")
I must not have been able to hear the guitars over the keyboards & synth. Or it could have been that I was high on Nyquil. Either way, I’m glad the matter is resolved. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/11 "2002-11-29T22:16:27Z")
Nyquil will do that to ya. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/12 "2002-11-29T22:52:08Z")
G.E. Smith was a guitarist with the group. He was later the band leader on SNL. He is definitely a guitarist. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/13 "2002-11-30T01:12:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Out of curiosity did Hall ever come officially come “out” or did that become a non-issue as their popularity waned. \*\* Since he was never gay in the first place, that would be a bit hard to do. Apparently you have once again been taking what you see and hear on Beavis & Butthead as factual truth rather then the utter tripe that it actually is. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/14 "2002-11-30T01:18:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Out of curiosity did Hall ever come officially come “out” or did that become a non-issue as their popularity waned. \*\* IIRC, he said he had “experimented” with homosexuality in his younger days. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/15 "2002-11-30T15:29:18Z")
Yeah, I recall that revelation from 10-15 years ago. IIRC, he said in an interview that he had had sex with a few guys and that he didn’t see what the big deal was. Which was a stance that was probably ahead of its time. It’s funny, really; with his pouffy, permed [?] hair and stereotypic moustache, it was John Oates who looked gay; Daryl Hall had that retro mullet thing going. Not that there’s anything wrong with having a mullet. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/16 "2002-12-02T17:32:11Z")
My wife and I saw them in concert in 1997, and I, at least, don’t recall either of them playing guitar, but I will readily admit that I wasn’t paying that much attention to the details that they would stick in my head. I am pretty sure that Daryl Hall was playing a keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/17 "2002-12-02T18:05:37Z")
I like the David Spade joke: Did you hear that Andrew Ridgely of Wham! and John Oates formed a new group? It’s called “Yeah Right”. What exactly did Oates **do**? he didn’t write the songs, he didn’t sing lead on but one song that I know of, he snag backup with the rest of the bad, they hired GE Smith when they needed a guitarist. What did he _ **do** _? ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/18 "2002-12-02T18:34:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DaddyTimesTwo \* > **What exactly did Oates do? he didn’t write the songs, he didn’t sing lead on but one song that I know of**? \*\* He wrote quite a few of the songs, co-wrote others and sang lead in just as many. He just suffered from being the second-string composer/singer to Hall. But if you compare Hall’s solo work to that with Oates you can definitely hear his influence and input. Hall’s no fool, if Oates was just a hanger on with little input do you think they’d have survived as long as a double act with equal billing? Rigley certainly didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/19 "2002-12-02T19:59:43Z")
Oates actually has a better singing voice than Hall, for example “Jingle Bell Rock”. Oates’ voice however was a little to Denyse LePage-like for the gritty R&B sound that the two were going for. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480/20 "2002-12-02T20:12:32Z")
gritty? Did I fall into some alternative ‘evil spock’ universe or something? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hall-oates-questions/139480.md?page=2)