John Oates: “Daryl Hall and I have no relationship anymore”

Hall & Oates is a duo that was very popular in the charts in the late 70s. The two have been in conflict and in the process of “separating” for some time and their production has slowed down, so much so that their last album was a Christmas album in 2006. However, the duo (formed by Daryl Hall And John Oates) remained active and attractive live, touring regularly until 2022. This aspect of their collaboration has also been on hold since then, although the project is not yet officially over.

The seemingly dramatic end to Hall & Oates’ incredible success, he claims, was a matter of “very boring commercial details” rather than personal acrimony.

The rift occurred last year, when Oates sold his publishing stake in the duo, and Hall responded with legal action. Despite the lawsuit, Oates says he isn’t losing any sleep over the end of his longtime partnership.

Speaking to Guitar Player ahead of his new album, “Reunion,” Oates said of Hall: “We don’t have any relationship at this point, he’s doing his thing, I’m doing mine.”

While the situation may seem dire to outsiders, Oates insists that their “legal problems are fundamentally rooted in very boring business details, which unfortunately, because of the nature of sensationalism and celebrity, have been blown out of proportion. It’s really just a matter of ironing out some business details and we’ll move on with our lives.”

“Reunion” – recorded in Nashville, featuring a cover of “Long Monday” Of John Prine – is indeed very far from the radio hits of the duo Hall & Oates.

When recording the album in Nashville, Oates was able to choose from among the countless exceptional guitarists in the city’s “circle.”

Reflecting on the process of selecting the right musicians, Oates said of the late Hall & Oates producer Arif Mardin: “He had the right musicians for the right time and gave them enough freedom to be themselves.

“I approach my records that way. It’s not easy to do, but when you have a wealth of talent around you like in Nashville, with some of the greatest musicians on the planet, it helps.

“The singer-songwriter Vince Gill “He told me something a while back,” Oates continued, “When you produce in Nashville, it’s almost like you’re directing a movie. You’re casting the actors for the exact character you need for that song.” And he was 100 percent right.