When Hall and Oates played the Chumash Casino recently, they took a stage surrounded by rabid fans who were treated to crowd favorites, as well as rare “way back” tunes.
With a new solo album (1,000 Miles of Life) released in September and a concert CD/DVD with Daryl Hall (Live at the Troubadour) set to hit shelves on Nov. 25, Oates is finally living the best of both worlds: a career as part of Hall and Oates and a solo gig that’s succeeding on both a personal and professional level.
Oates explained that creating his solo album had a sense of urgency. It’s much more focused than his first solo album, 2002’s Phunk Shui, he told the Sun.
“The point of view was very immediate,” he said of 1,000 Miles of Life. “It’s what’s going on in my life, what’s happening right now.”
The album is a summary of his three decades as a professional musician, and features performances by Blues Traveler’s John Popper, Bela Fleck, Blind Boys of Alabama, Steve Cropper, Bonnie and Bekka Bramlett, and others. It really gets back to his musical roots, Oates said.
He was inspired to make 1,000 Miles of Life after reflecting on his life after the death of three important people to him: Arif Mardin, who produced Hall and Oates’ first two albums songwriter Jerry Lynn Williams and his friend and guitar mentor, Jerry Ricks.
Growing up in Philadelphia, Oates was destined to be a musician—though where that destiny came from was a mystery in those days. Unlike his future partner Daryl Hall, Oates didn’t come from a musical family, though he sang constantly from the time he turned 4. At 5 years old, he was playing the guitar.
“What they did was recognize a natural ability in me and they encouraged that,” Oates said of his family.
Soon, he was playing electric guitar in bands on one night and sporting an acoustic and playing folk music the next. When Oates sought out Jerry Ricks, he was looking to take his playing to the next level.
“In those days, the way to learn was to listen to a record over and over and try to figure out how they were playing something. Or have someone show you,” he explained. “And there was music—finger picks and where they were putting their hands—that you couldn’t pick up from a record.”
Ricks helped improve Oates’ guitar playing and introduced him to the Philadelphia roots blues/folk scene.
Much of that influence can be found on 1,000 Miles of Life. The album features eight original songs, including “Ghost Town,” inspired by Oates’ visit to a post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. There’s also a version of the Jerry Lynn Williams’ classic “Sending Me Angels,” performed with Blind Boys of Alabama, and Oates’ interpretation of Daniel Lanois’ “Sometimes.” Complimenting the new songs is the folky ballad “I Found Love,” which he wrote for his wife in 1993, and a new take on “Change of Season,” originally recorded in the late Šs.
Oates said his solo efforts are good for the duo because when he or Hall complete such projects, they each bring new experiences back to reinvigorate Hall and Oates.
To that end, the duo will release Live at the Troubadour on Nov. 25. The Troubadour was the setting for Hall and Oates’ first L.A. show 35 years ago. The DVD/two-CD combo features several hits, as well as rarely performed favorites.
Hall and Oates formed in Philadelphia in 1972 and have had six No. 1 singles.
“What really drew us together was the Philadelphia R&B sound,” Oates said. “Both of us grew up listening to it before we met each other.”
The love of that sound is the core of their commonality, he explained.
“We’re really different as people,” he said. “I don’t want to sound trite, but I think maybe that keeps us in balance. It’s like the yin and the yang.”
These days, Oates spends time on his Colorado farm, where his wife rescues and takes in llamas, alpacas, emus, dogs, and cats.
Though Philadelphia brought him musical success, Colorado brought him a whole new world—including friends, family, a wife, and a child.
“It’s when my new life really began,” he said of the move. “I try to honor that in a lot of ways.”
INFO: Oates for all
To sample John Oates’ solo album, 1,000 Miles of Life, visit johnoates.com. Live at the Troubadour will be in stores Nov. 25.
Arts Editor Shelly Cone suppressed her urge to wear big hair and leg warmers to the concert. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 20-27, 2008.