John Hall and Daryl Oates are the definition of "blue-eyed soul." Their songs are a perfect melding of pop, soul, soft rock and R&B. One song from their extensive catalog that exemplifies their sound is "Sara Smile," which was on their self-titled, Gold certified album from 1975. They'd had three other studio albums, with the single "She's Gone" becoming a hit for them in their hometown of Philly and initially charting nationally at #60 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The elegiac song, co-written by the duo, was about Hall's then girlfriend Sara Allen and was their first chart-topping hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. A romantic nod to a significant other, the vocals are smooth as satin and the lyrics inspiringly poignant. This song remains one of the best love songs ever and represents the best of 70s blue-eyed soul.
You can learn more about Hall & Oates here:
About the Curator - Sonya Alexander
After graduating from UCLA, Sonya trained to be a talent agent. After realizing she belonged on the creative end, she started freelance writing, covering film festivals for Los Angeles local papers. She's written about film, video games, global affairs, wildlife conservation and, most recently, music. She specializes in classic rock, classic soul, blues, classic country, classical and world music and is tri-coastal, residing in Los Angeles, New York and New Orleans.
