Ep. 7 - JOHN OATES ("I Can't Go For That")

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Oates is one half of the team that both Billboard magazine and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) dubbed the most successful duo in rock history. Oates and longtime collaborator Daryl Hall signed with Atlantic Records in 1972, but didn’t break through with a major hit single until they moved to RCA and scored a Top 5 Pop hit with “Sara Smile” in 1974. Penned by Hall and Oates, it was the beginning of a long string of Top 40 hits. As a songwriter, John Oates is best known for co-writing classic titles including “She’s Gone,” “You Make My Dreams,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” “Maneater,” “Adult Education,” and “Out of Touch.” He is also the co-writer of “Electric Blue,” a 1988 Top 10 hit by Icehouse. Additionally, his songs have been covered by Nancy Wilson, Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men, Shirley Manson, Nelly Furtado, The Bird and the Bee, Rumer, and many others. Daryl Hall and John Oates were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, and were co-recipients of the prestigious BMI Icon Award in 2008. With six albums certified Gold and seven certified Platinum, their successes as songwriters and performers earned them a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Oates has released half a dozen solo albums since 1999, and is signed to Warner Music’s Nashville division, where he now makes his home.