Daryl Hall & John Oates - Private Eyes

Long time viewer(s) may recall that this is Hall & Oates second appearance on ERV; "How Does It Feel To Be Back" (a truly rare song and video) was posted back in September 2015.

"Private Eyes" highlights Hall & Oates in their prime, and shows the incredibly catchy pop craftsmanship that made them superstars.  The song was originally written by Warren Pash, and started as a Janna Allen solo project, before turning into a Hall & Oates song - with assists from Janna and Sara Allen and Daryl Hall. As an aside, Sara Allen was Daryl Hall's long term girlfriend ("Sara Smile" was written about her) and sisters Sara and Janna were heavily involved in Hall & Oates songwriting in the early 1980s.

The video was released at the dawn of the MTV era, but its low budget charm was likely evident even in 1981.  The backup band (with G.E. Smith), the trench coats and fedoras ... this represents a master class in how to make a fun, inexpensive video.  Still, we don't remember seeing the video much on MTV back in the day, though it did show up on other programs, such as HBO's Video Jukebox (now who remembers that).

And as many readers will know, the song went on to become a #1 smash, cementing Hall & Oates position in the industry.  In fact, between 1980-83, the duo released 3 LPs and had 11 top 40 singles and 4 #1s.  While their commercial success faded after their 1980s heyday, Hall & Oates have remained active in the industry (with some breaks) to the present day. 

Cool trivia fact: for some extra fun while watching the video, check out bass player Tom Wolk. (Trust us.)

Cool trivia fact #2: The song's title came from the 1980 movie of the same name.

LL Cool J - Going Back To Cali

The late 1980s were a weird time for hip hop.  Following the huge success of the Beastie Boys' License to Ill, the genre found itself becoming more and more mainstream.  The backlash to this was predictable - and led to concern over artists "selling out" or "going commercial."

LL Cool J was in the midst of this maelstrom.  Born James Smith, he opted for a stage name based on Ladies Love Cool James.  He started rapping at 9, and was a rising star by 1988.  He also had a vision for hip hop that added ballads and pop sensibilities to the growing segment, something that was controversial back in the day. 

"Going Back to Cali," with its nostalgic intro, highlights LL Cool J's vision, and became his second top 40 hit ("I Need Love" was the first).  The song was originally released on the Less Than Zero soundtrack (best known for The Bangles cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter"), and was also released on the Walking with a Panther album, which reached #6 on the album charts.

As many readers will know, LL Cool J would go on to have a long and successful musical career, before transitioning to acting.  He remains active in both art forms at the time of this writing.