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.
So much good stuff : Tom Wolk, G.E. Smith chewing gum, Oates'eye moves and moustache, magnifying glasses, and hand claps.
ReplyDeleteWe agree with all of this, Steve. Oates' moustache by itself is worth the price of admission.
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