Diving into the 70s this weekend with a set by Hall and Oates, recorded and broadcast live by KLOS-FM at the Roxy in Hollywood on November 4, 1979.
Although a band (duo) that achieved a lot of success in the 70s and 80s, it was hard to pin down any specific genre they were associated with – it ran the gamut from straight-ahead Rock to Blue-eyed Soul to Power Pop to quasi-New Wave and some borderline Indie-Experimental. In short, a little bit of everything which did put them in the enviable spot of being mainstream favorites as well as FM household names.
After their initial fits and starts during the early 70s, they settled into a groove that brought with it considerable commercial appeal. That appeal lasted into the 90s when they transitioned over to the Adult Contemporary crowd and eventually went into hiatus.
But during that period of high visibility and mass appeal, they cranked out a number of hits that have found their way into the lexicon of Pop Music, earning them a lasting place in the history books of memory evoking songs.
This weekend it’s Hall and Oates during that formative period when things were in the upward trajectory and they were fitting in nicely with legions of Power Pop fans, evidenced by the enthusiastic response from the Roxy audience, and the breathless introduction via KLOS to the radio audience.
In the years since, they initially went on hiatus in order to go solo – reunited briefly – went solo again – reunited again – fits and starts of a new album – sidelined by COVID – decision not to release the album after all – lawsuits and the final word that Hall and Oates or Hall & Oates or Darryl Hall – John Oates would never perform together again.
‘Tis the nature of Rock n’ Roll, but at least there are albums and concerts to fall back on and listen to – and if you’re new and making discoveries, a veritable reservoir of material to dive into. You can start with this one.
It’s the weekend . . .
