November 7, 1981
Private Eyes, the third number one record and fourth million-seller for Daryl Hall & John Oates was staked out at #1 on this day.
The greatest “blue-eyed soul” duo of the 80’s met while both were attending Temple University in Philadelphia, where they formed their first band.
They eventually evolved into a duo, basing their music on a mutual love of Philly soul, R&B and Motown.
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The song’s title came in a circuitous way via the 1980 movie The Private Eyes, starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway a pair of bumbling detectives.
A struggling L.A. musician and songwriter named Warren Pash had been working on a song called I Need You To Need Me, but he didn’t like that title. He was driving along Ventura Boulevard, saw the movie’s billboard, turned back home, and began re-writing the song with a new title and chorus – calling it ‘Private Eyes.’
Warren was already friends with Daryl Hall‘s sometimes songwriting partner Janna Allen when he approached her with his new song, and the duo continued working on it together.
Hall was brought into the picture by Pash and Allen, who’s sister, Sara Allen, was an aspiring songwriter herself, and was Hall’s long-term girlfriend. Ultimately, the foursome completed writing ‘Private Eyes’ in tandem, with it becoming a Daryl Hall & John Oates record.
[Note] Sara Allen was the subject of the first million-selling hit by Hall & Oates, 1976’s Sara Smile.
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PRIVATE EYES
Daryl Hall & John Oates
(Single Version)
[1981]
Spending two weeks at the top of Billboard and selling one million copies, it became Daryl and John’s third biggest hit single.
‘Private Eyes’ was also the title track from their 1981 album, with its cover artwork featuring an outstanding shadowy photo image of the duo.
There’s no shame for ‘Private Eyes’ maintaining only two weeks at #1. It was steamrolled from the top by not only the biggest single of 1981, but of the entire decade. The mega “work-out” hit Physical by Olivia Newton-John spent 10 weeks flexing its muscles at the top, from November 21st thru January 30, 1982 – finally being sidelined by another monster song from Hall & Oates titled I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do).
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BONUS STUFF!
KISS ON MY LIST
Daryl Hall & John Oates
(Single Version)
[1981]
The second biggest H&O single was Kiss On My List, a track for their 1980 album, Voices, which itself spent 100 weeks on the Billboard Hot 200 Pop Albums Chart.
Penned by Hall and Janna Allen, this was her first songwriting effort, with the song actually being written by her and Daryl as a possible recording by her. But
KOML became too strong a tune for Hall & Oates to pass up, so it became their record.
Kiss On My List was a #1 record on the Hot 100 for three weeks in 1981 – the most commercially successful year for Hall and Oates – with both this single and ‘Private Eyes’ making the Top 10 of Billboard’s annual yearly song rankings – at #5 and #9 respectively.
MANEATER
Daryl Hall & John Oates
(Commercial Single Version)
[1982]
Enjoying a four-week run at the top, Daryl Hall & John Oates’ biggest hit record was Maneater, from their 1982 album called H2O.
It was Billboard’s 5th biggest single of 1982, and features great saxophone work by H&O band member Charles “Mr. Casual” DeChant.
The record also was the highest charting 80’s record in the U.S. to contain a solo by an artist blowing his lips off with the instrument.
The song is reminiscent of hits like Witchy Woman by The Eagles, ELO‘s Evil Woman and Easy Lover by Philip Bailey with Phil Collins – i.e. they all warned about wicked, nefarious women with well-veiled, malicious intentions.
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Number One Songs by Hall & Oates
Rich Girl (1977)
Kiss On My List (1981)
Private Eyes (1982)
I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) (1982)
Maneater (1982)
Out Of Touch (1984)
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Songs Source: The Music Vault of HouseoftheHits, Inc.
Billboard® Chart Data: Joel Whitburn’s Record Research (eBook Editions)
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat
