Hall Had A Hold On Smokey

Photo Courtesy LFDH.com.

If you are a current H&O fan you are familiar with Live From Daryl's House...and you also know that Smokey Robinson was a guest on LFDH a few months back.   Smokey Robinson and The Miracles  brought us such tracks as "Tracks of My Tears", "Ooo Baby Baby" and "Tears of a Clown". 

The LFDH appearance isn't the first time Daryl has chosen to feature Smokey's music in a show, however.  Hall & Oates fans will recognize a number of Smokey & The Miracles songs from H&O shows in the late 70's and early 80's!  Daryl and John used a couple tracks as segues into their own newly crafted songs and a funky band medley.

One of my favorite examples of this uber-cool tactic is the use of "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" to build up into "Ennui On The Mountain".  The arrangement works so well with these two songs you'd think they were from the same album!  Take a listen:







Daryl and John continued to pay homage to Smokey through the 80's as well!  If you were lucky enough to rock out at a show in 1982 you would have been treated to "Going To A Go-Go" as a lead in to an oldies medley.  That medley included Daryl on lead vocals for "Going To A Go-Go", T-Bone Wolk on bass and lead vocals for "I Like It Like That", G.E. Smith's lead guitar on an instrumental version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", Mickey Curry's fierce drum solo on "Wipe Out" and last but not least, John Oates lead vocals on "Funky Broadway". 







For good measure I thought that I would add Daryl and Smokey singing "Sara Smile" and "Ooh Baby Baby".  I think Daryl's respect and admiration for Smokey are quite evident here.  This really puts the influence that Smokey had on Daryl's music into perspective. 

Eliot Lewis - 6 & One

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Eliot's brand new CD is now available!!! You can snag 6 & One from Eliot's website.  CLICK HERE!

H&O For A Hurricane!

Being that I live in Southeastern Massachusetts I am gearing up for this hurricane we have visiting tomorrow.  It's going to be a long 8-12 hour stretch while Earl kicks our butts!  So I'm getting ready with some Hall & Oates Music that will no doubt soothe anyone through any storm.

There are a few albums I would suggest polishing off for a good listen!  I think I'll start off with "Private Eyes".  It contains some very fitting song titles for the occasion.  Namely, Looking For A Good Sign, I Can't Go For That (No Can Do), Friday Let Me Down and Head Above Water.  This is totally a high energy album...perfect for listening while hauling in your boat or tying down your lawn furniture! 

The next one up on the list is "ooh yeah!".  Why are we listening to this, you ask?  Well...it's my favorite full H&O album and it always puts me in a super happy and upbeat mood!  It's the name of the blog after all!! 

As for later in the evening when the winds are really roaring outside and the rain is coming down in sheets and we lose power we'll turn it over to the solo vocal stylings of Daryl Hall.  I think the "Can't Stop Dreaming" album will fit in very nicely here...Cab Driver is the perfect track to listen to durning a rain storm in the dark.  It's so sultry and romantic...

Of course I have to have a H&O Hurricane Earl playlist on the iPod, too!!  Here's what I've rustled up!

Hurricane Earl H&O Playlist

Daryl & John - Ready to get wet!
Courtesy Hall & Oates Archives

Head Above Water

Running From Paradise

Heavy Rain

Open All Night

Storm Warning

Hold On To Yourself
Lady Rain
August Day
Friday Let Me Down 
Guessing Games
The Sky Is Falling
What's Gonna Happen To Us
When The Morning Comes
Pleasure Beach
Change of Season
Getaway Car
Right As Rain
Waterwheel
At Tension
You're Much Too Soon
Intravino (I mean, come on, how else am I gonna get through this....I need a little vino!)
Say It Isn't So

I do hope that you take my advice and get your H&O music ready to go in case Earl is visiting your area.  And if not...hey, it's still a bunch of great music to rock out with on a Friday night!!

27 Days Until H&O @ Mountain Winery - Saratoga, CA

Located high atop a hill at a location called La Cresta in Saratoga, CA the Mountain Winery sits in it's understated glory.  It's centerpiece is a "Spanish portal" erected there circa 1907.  This portal, which could easily pass for the door medieval castle, is actually the remnant of what was the St. Patrick's Cathedral in San Jose after the San Francisco earthquake. 

The amphitheater was built at the winery in 1958 and thus began the annual Summer Concert Series.  Daryl Hall & John Oates have of course played this venue many times.  I was lucky enough to see both shows here in September of 2009.  This venue is a perfect setting for a Hall & Oates concert.  The amazing views, fantastic wine and remote location make this place seem as though you are in another world. 

I, for one, can't wait to take that long and winding drive back up that hill in late September.  It's worth it to mention that security is very tight at this venue and they are SERIOUS about keeping cameras OUT!  Which begs the question, where will Jimmy hide the camera this year?  You'll have to tune in to find out!!

UK Tour 1976

H&O 1976 UK Tour Book

Thought I might chat a little today about the 1976 UK Tour which included a recorded performance on BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test.  In September of 1975, H&O released the "Silver Album", so dubbed by fans.  The actual title of the record is "Daryl Hall & John Oates"....I am sure that you are all familiar with the over the top glam look that D & J rocked on that cover, right?  Well, Daryl and John had gone overseas to promote the album in October of '75 and again in May of '76 and while they were there "Sara Smile" began getting heavy rotation on R&B stations and eventually took off!

The band that accompanied Daryl and John on that tour was a stellar troupe of musicians that helped to form that classic Hall & Oates sound.  Daryl has mentioned as recently as last year that this line up was one of the best they've ever had.  Their sound was tight and they flowed effortlessly from one song to the next. 

H&O 1976 UK Tour Book - Inner Cover

Daryl and John were backed by Stephen Dees on Bass, Todd Sharp on Lead Guitar, Eddie Zyne on drums, David Kent on Keyboards and Charlie De Chant on Keyboards and Sax.  Interestingly enough this tour would begin Charlie's reign as the band member with H&O for the longest period of time.  He is truly an H&O staple and I for one always look forward to hearing and seeing him at shows.  He adds such a spark to that stage!

I included some pics of a tour book from that 1976 tour.  The cover boasts the "ever popular with fans" winged-star...we'd all like to think that it holds some intrinsic meaning but in actuality it was just a marketing scheme...a logo created by a staffer.  Still the silver pendants the guys, band members and crew wore fetch big dollars among hardcore fans!  Even Marcia Strassman of Welcome Back Kotter fame wore one during a brief relationship with Mr. Hall!

H&O 1976 UK Tour Book

Anyhow, back to the actual show...The first gig the guys played on this tour in the UK was the Old Grey Whistle Test which I mentioned above.  This is an awesome show which includes live versions of Camellia, Lady Rain, Laughing Boy, I'm Just A Kid, Is It A Star, She's Gone & Gino The Manager, no lip syncing here.....and remember Sara Smile wasn't a hit yet!!  In my opinion, Is It A Star takes the cake on this one...killer song with killer vocals!  If you have the opportunity to watch or listen to this show I highly recommend it....actually I recommend any audio or video from this particular tour...you won't be disappointed!!

The dates of the UK tour in 1976 are as follows:

5/18 - Old Grey Whistle Test
5/19 - Bristol - Colston Hall
5/20 - Manchester - Free Trade Hall
5/21 - Newcastle City Hall
5/22 - Oxford Polytech
5/23 - Croydon - Fairfield Hall
5/24 - Birmingham Town Hall
5/25 - Brighton Dome
5/26 - London - New Victoria Theatre
5/28 - Leeds

Beak Dancin'???!!!

This is a neat little cover...it's from Record Mirror in 1984.  Here are Daryl and John with Daryl's birdies, Ralph & Alice!

New December Show Dates!

A couple of new dates have been leaked!!  This is going to be a fabulous H&O fan weekend on the East Coast.  I'm going to plan some fan events around these shows.  I hope a lot of folks will be able to make it!!  Stay tuned!

December 3, 2010 - H&O @ The Borgata - Atlantic City, NJ

December 4, 2010 - Eliot Lewis @ The Forum Lounge, Caesar's - Atlantic City, NJ

December 5, 2010 - H&O @ Beacon Theatre - New York, NY