In a deeply reflective new episode of the Rock & Roll High School podcast, John Oates sits down with two-time Grammy-winning producer Pete Ganbarg to dismantle the myths and mechanics behind the most successful duo in music history. The conversation serves as a masterclass in survival, spanning the "unique musical chemistry" of his 50-year partnership with Daryl Hall to the "bittersweet" resolution of their recent litigation.
The Groove That Inspired a King
Oates offered a fascinating look at the duo's influence on the 1980s pop landscape, specifically the creation of "I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)." He recalled a meeting with Michael Jackson in Los Angeles, where the King of Pop admitted the track was a staple of his private rehearsals.
“[Michael] said he liked to dance to it in front of his mirror in his bedroom," Oates revealed. "You can hear, he obviously wanted to do something like that for 'Billie Jean' and he did his own version of that groove.”
The episode also highlights the duo’s gravitational pull for other legends, including George Harrison, who played guitar on "The Last Time." Oates remembers the Beatle’s humility: “George was so cool. He said, ‘Yea I’ll play but I don’t want to do anything special, I just want to be in the band.’”
The Toll of Perfection
Despite a catalog of era-defining hits like "Maneater" and "Rich Girl," Oates was candid about the exhaustion behind the scenes. Between 1972 and 1987, the duo lived in a cycle of constant creation.
"I think it's hard for a lot of people to process... we made an album and more than one sometimes every year... and toured in between, where there was absolutely no rest," Oates admitted.
Following the heights of We Are The World and Live Aid, he reached a breaking point: “I personally felt that there was nowhere to go but down. I couldn't envision sustaining that type of success… I needed to absolutely change my life.”
A Lasting Identity
While the legendary partnership has faced public legal hurdles, Oates chooses to focus on the monumental body of work they built together.
“It’s always bittersweet when a relationship falls by the wayside, of course. But look at the legacy that Daryl and I leave behind," Oates reflected. "We left a musical legacy that very few people could match. You know what, that’s pretty good in a lifetime I would say.”
New episodes of Rock & Roll High School launch every Thursday at rockschoolpodcast.com.
