The first Daryl Hall & John Oates box set will be released Oct. 6, a four-CD set that starts with Hall’s work in the Temptones in 1966 and chronicles the entire 37-year recording career of the biggest-selling pop duo in history.
The duo continues to tour the world and will appear in Los Angeles on Sept. 2 at the Nokia Theater.
In the last 18 months, Daryl Hall has developed and produced a unique performance-based show on his Web site, Livefromdarylshouse.com that partners Hall with guest singers and bands. Partners have been mostly younger stars, among them Parachute, Plain White T’s, KT Tunstall and Eric Hutchinson, though he has also shot segments at his upstate New York home with John Oates and Smokey Robinson.
With “(500) Days of Summer” positioning Hall & Oates’ 1980 hit “You Make My Dreams” as the ultimate state of romantic bliss, it seemed like a good time to chat with Hall about his catalog, the Internet and a proposed jukebox musical.
The box set was moved to the fall from the spring which allowed you to be more involved in the project. What’s the ultimate point you want the box set to put across?
A lot of box sets are put together by record companies and many don’t have the input from the artist, which should be the point of the whole thing. As soon as I heard they were doing this I wanted to get involved because I wanted it to be my version of what’s important. I wanted it to have things that meant something to the arc of my life creatively. You have to put the hits on there, but it’s the other songs that are really important.
Were there specific songs you went in with?
They had a master list and when I got involved I threw away the master list. It was not indicative of what I am. Yes, I wrote all of those songs, but the set didn’t explain me the way I want to be explained. They wanted to use outtakes and I was able to dig up about 16 (live and studio recordings) that no one has ever heard. There are a to of lesser-known songs.
Do you anticipate this project having an effect on your concerts?
It makes me think that when when John and I play with the band to promote this box set, we can pull out these songs. Expect to her us say ‘Here’s a song you probably never heard us play live.’ Right now, we pull out (obscure) things out a lot more than other bands. Now it will have a purpose.
You have been able to really explore your extensive catalog on the Live From Daryl’s House shows. It was really interesting watching you with Smokey Robinson. That one had a really different dynamic.
It was me being the acolyte. I did one, and it hasn’t been shown yet, with Todd Rundgren and there’s a little bit of similarity there.
