Daryl Hall & John Oates Interview

Infamous Rock journalist and internationally acclaimed interviewer Claude Balzac recently sat down for an in depth conversation with the most successful duo of all time, Daryl Hall & John Oates.

Hall & Oates Interview

Madhouse Magazine: Welcome Daryl Hall & John Oates, It’s great to see you again. 

Daryl Hall: My man Claude, the last time we saw you was 1984 in Los Angeles. 

John Oates: Yes it was at a party in the Hills at Emmanuel Lewis’ house. That kid who played Webster on the TV show. You and Gary Coleman were using a rolled up Madhouse Magazine to snort giant lines of Coca off of Madonna’s backside. 

Madhouse: [laughs] Well enough about me, let’s get to you guys. So how did you guys meet? 

Oates: We were playing in different bands at the time. Our bands were both appearing at some shady roadhouse in the sticks of Pennsylvania. Anyway a shootout broke out between rival gangs of rednecks. I ran and decided to hide in the outhouse. Bullets were flying around my head so for safety I jumped into the muck. Lo and behold Daryl was already down there hiding and he was covered in pooh. We got to talking and realized we loved the same music and the rest is history. 

Hall & Oates

Madhouse: I understand the original name of the band was Daryl’s Hole? 

Hall: Yes well as you know my birth name is Daryl Franklin Hohl, which is pronounced Hole. So John over there thought it would be funny to call the band Daryl’s Hole. Or Glory Hole, or a dozen ridiculously funny names. We stuck with Daryl Hall & John Oates. 

Madhouse: Most people think the band name is Hall & Oates but in reality the band name is Daryl Hall & John Oates. 

Hall: Yes exactly, I went off on Letterman once for calling us Hall & Oates. We told his people ten times and we told David personally before the show. He still introduces us as Hall & Oates. So I go berserk and during the interview I read my own top ten list. It’s top ten ways to beat Letterman’s a$$. I then stick him to the velcro wall and start using his testicles as a speed bag. He calls us Daryl Hall & John Oates now. 

Madhouse: You guys have been together a long time now, do you ever fight? 

Hasselhoff

Oates: Oh man we fight a lot but we never go to bed without telling each other that we love them. We are like brothers. However, we had one knock down drag out on stage in Germany. We were opening for David Hasselhoff. Daryl introduced me as Baba Booey, so I threw a Chinese star at him. It got him right in the groin. An inch to the left and he would be singing soprano. 

Madhouse: Daryl I understand you are a real American hero. 

Hall: One might say I am more like a superhero. I was walking down the street in West Philly around 6 AM when I noticed flames coming out of a 2nd story apartment building window. A guy is hanging out the window screaming that his kids were in there so I sprung into action. My man just started throwing babies out … and we was catching them. I must have caught like 15 kids and 2 cats. Right before half time, I was running post patterns, making 1 armed grabs, we even started keeping score. I got caught up in the excitement and I almost spiked one baby.

Madhouse: Is there anyone in the business that you hate? 

Hall: That’s an easy one, Jann Wenner the fat little toad from that rag Rolling Stone. We were on the cover in 1985 and he misquoted us and tried to make us look ridiculous. I caught him trying to look at my wiener in the men’s room too. 

Maneater

Madhouse: What is the most ridiculous story you have from the 1980s?

Oates: During the filming of the video for “Maneater”, which was written about Jann Wenner, the director decides to bring in a real live Jaguar. The Jaguar was supposed to be tame and docile, but it got into a roadies coke stash. The Jaguar goes berserk chasing us all around. People are running and screaming. Luckily I had a dart gun with me and I was able to bring the beast down. That should have been included in the video. 

Madhouse: Thank you Daryl Hall & John Oates it was great speaking with you. 

Hall & Oates: We love Madhouse Magazine, keep on being you. 

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