Hall & Oates still going strong

The blue-eyed soul duo have a whole new generation of fans.

By JOHN BENSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

In case you haven’t noticed or have been in severe denial, it’s time to give Daryl Hall and John Oates their proper due.

Not only is there a Hall & Oates lovefest going on among established artists and rising rock acts, but this ’70s and ’80s Philly soul pop outfit — known for such hits as “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes,” “Maneater” and more — is seemingly as popular as ever. 

“It would seem so,” said Hall, calling from his upstate New York home. “We seem to have a cross-generational thing, which is amazing. To me it just adds to our abilities to do more interesting work. When you have a new audience, it gives you new impetus.”

What’s even stranger is the source of the admiration. The love is coming from Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas, John Mayer, The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Gym Class Heroes. In fact, the latter alternative rap group called its most recent concert outing the “Daryl Hall for President Tour 2007.”

The thing that is amazing about the Hall & Oates shout-outs is the fact they’re all done with love and respect.

“Yeah, we’re not a cartoon,” Hall said. “It’s not ironic. I’ve had personal contact with a lot of these people like Gym Class Heroes and Rob Thomas, and these guys are serious. They want to work with me. In fact, I have plans to do various things with a lot of people. I think it comes from that whole idea if you like timeless music.

“There are people that I respect and were influenced by. I’m influenced mostly by classicism, by the timeless aspect of any kind of artistic endeavor. And I think that’s what I’ve always tried to do and luckily, it’s being perceived that way. I’m not just of a time. I’m sort of out of time.”

Part of the challenge of being a classic artist means releasing a timeless Christmas album. Though Hall & Oates are known for their quirky ’80s cover of “Jingle Bell Rock,” which received tons of MTV airplay, the act never traveled down the yuletide road. That is until last year with the release “Home for Christmas,” which included the duo’s second adult contemporary No. 1 hit, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”

“This is something I wanted to do for a long time,” Hall said. “Like all soul singers, I grew up in church. So I have these songs that are some of my favorite songs in life. Christmas to me is a return-to-childhood kind of holiday. I think it’s relevant in the world, besides of its religious significance, which I sort of moved away from to some degree.

“It’s really relevant in its ability to bring people in that sort of childlike state but the good part of a childlike state. Where people for a brief period regain their spirituality and innocence and sense of family. That really means a lot to me, so I wanted to do an album that reflected that.”

The 61-year-old Hall said he’s looking forward to Hall & Oates’ first major holiday tour, which comes to Cleveland for a Wednesday show at the State Theatre.

“Audiences are going to see an amazing show,” Hall said. “I can’t talk up this show enough. We have a string section we carry now. It adds to the depth of the music. It’s also going to be visually interesting. You’re going to hear great Christmas music and in the end you’ll hear a bunch of great Hall & Oates songs.”