Daryl Hall has insisted he’ll never work with John Oates again.
The 78-year-old singer sued his former musical partner in 2023 to stop him from selling their stake in their publishing company, Whole Oats Enterprises – a move he branded “the ultimate partnership betrayal” – and while he can’t talk about the ongoing legal proceedings, the ‘Maneater’ hitmaker admitted things have gone too far for them to reunite.
He told the Sunday Times’ Culture magazine: “That ship has gone to the bottom of the ocean. I’ve had a lot of surprises in my life, disappointments, betrayals, so I’m kind of used to it…
“I’ve been involved with some pretty shady characters over the years. That’s where the problems start.”
Daryl also admitted he feels frustrated that his prolific songwriting in Hall and Oats – who sold 60 million records – has largely gone unrecognised.
He said: “The songs with his lead vocal are the songs he wrote, and all the other ones, which is about 90 per cent, are the ones I wrote…
“It was very frustrating.”
The ‘Out of Touch’ hitmaker has worked with former Eurthymics star-turned-producer Dave Stewart on several projects and insists their partnership is far more “meaningful” than the one he had with John.
He said “[Dave is] a whirlwind. Witty and amusing, for sure. Also manic. He never stops.”
Asked if their partnership as meaningful as the one he had with John, he replied: “It’s more meaningful, a real collaborative relationship — and it’s based on maturity.”
In May, Daryl is set to head out on the road with Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook and, despite his advancing years, he still loves performing live.
He said: “[Playing live] is the way that music is supposed to be communicated, and it’s unforgiving. What you do is what people hear.”