In 1973, a Philadelphia-based group released an album named Abandoned Luncheonette, but it made little noise on the music charts. But after a slight regrouping, Hall & Oates released a few of the songs the following year to great success. She's Gone made it to #60 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1975, but the artists and the label thought it should do better. So they released it in 1976, and fit in some PR stops, and the song made it to #7 on the chart. The song had this odd video, but it allows you to hear the brilliance of the song.
The first song that was part of the re-release was Sara Smile. The willowy ballad was beautifully structured, and Daryl Hall know exactly how sing it. His phrasing and musicality is perfectly suited for the song, bringing the Philly-soul back to the forefront. The song went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was eventually certified Gold.
Abandoned Luncheonette went on to be certified Platinum, and started the amazing sales record of Hall & Oates. There career took off, with many more hits to come. They had six #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including Rich Girl, Kiss On My List, Private Eyes, I Can't Go For That (No Can Do), Maneater, and Out Of Touch. But I am sure I will post more on them later. For more on Hall & Oates, check out there official website here.
I still maintain that Daryl Hall has THE best voice in the industry. Look deeper than the top 10 stuff they did and really listen to this mail wail!! Also, Live from Daryl's House is a hidden gem -- the music that goes down is outrageous. He's one of my big loves, after all these years!
ReplyDeleteHoward,
ReplyDeleteSince you enjoy Abandoned Luncheonette, you may enjoy a recent feature I helped my friend, diner expert Larry Cultrera, put together for his website, "Diner Hotline". It describes Larry's personal experiences with the diner on the album cover, and tells the inside story of the diner and how the cover came to fruition. It includes several rare photos.
You can find it at www.dinerhotline.wordpress.com
I hope you enjoy it.
love them, I always had a crush on John Oates
ReplyDelete