Voices (Hall & Oates album)
1980 studio album by Hall & Oates
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Voices is the ninth studio album by American pop rock duo Daryl Hall & John Oates. The album was released on July 29, 1980, by RCA Records. It spent 100 weeks on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 17.[1] In 2020, the album was ranked number 80 on The Greatest 80 Albums of 1980 by Rolling Stone magazine.[2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [4] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[2] |
- The Hit Factory (New York City)
- Electric Lady Studios (New York City)
| Voices | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 29, 1980 | |||
| Recorded | November 1979–April 1980 | |||
| Studios |
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| Genres | ||||
| Length | 43:55 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producers | ||||
| Daryl Hall & John Oates chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Voices | ||||
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Background
The album slowly became a massive hit, spinning off four singles into the top 40 of the American pop charts: "How Does It Feel to Be Back" (number 30 in summer, 1980), a cover of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (number 12 in fall, 1980), "Kiss on My List" (number 1 for three weeks in spring, 1981), and "You Make My Dreams" (number 5 in summer, 1981). "Everytime You Go Away" was not released as a single but was covered by Paul Young in 1985, when it went to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 27, 1985.
Voices was the first album that Hall & Oates produced by themselves, working in conjunction with renowned engineer Neil Kernon.
Composition
Voices has been described as a pop,[5] blue-eyed soul,[5] new wave[5] and power pop album,[5] with elements of avant-garde.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "How Does It Feel to Be Back" | John Oates | 4:35 |
| 2. | "Big Kids" |
| 3:40 |
| 3. | "United State" |
| 3:08 |
| 4. | "Hard to Be in Love with You" |
| 3:38 |
| 5. | "Kiss on My List" |
| 4:25 |
| 6. | "Gotta Lotta Nerve (Perfect Perfect)" |
| 3:37 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | 4:37 | |
| 8. | "You Make My Dreams" |
| 3:10 |
| 9. | "Everytime You Go Away" | Hall | 5:23 |
| 10. | "Africa" | Oates | 3:39 |
| 11. | "Diddy Doo Wop (I Hear the Voices)" |
| 3:43 |
| Total length: | 43:55 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Kiss on My List" (remix version) |
| 5:41 |
| 13. | "Everytime You Go Away" (remix version) | Hall | 5:06 |
| Total length: | 54:55 | ||
Personnel
![](#/media/File:Daryl_Hall_and_John_Oates_"Voices"_(1980_RCA_press_photo).jpg)
- Daryl Hall – lead vocals (2–9, 11), backing vocals, Mandar, keyboards, vocoder, synthesizers, percussion
- John Oates – lead vocals (1, 4, 7, 10), backing vocals, guitars, 12-string guitar, percussion, Roland CR-78
- G. E. Smith – guitar
- John Siegler – bass
- Charlie DeChant – saxophone
- Jerry Marotta – drums
- Chuck Burgi – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- Jeff Southworth – guitar solo (5)
- Ralph Schuckett – organ (9)
- Mike Klvana – synthesizers, equipment technician (10)
Technical
- Produced by Daryl Hall and John Oates
- Engineered by Neil Kernon and Bruce Tergeson
- Assistant engineers – Jon Smith and John Palermo
- Mixed by Neil Kernon
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk, New York City
- Album cover design – Sara Allen
- Photos – Ebet Roberts
- Art director – J.J. Stelmach, RCA
- VSP – Randy Hofman
Charts and certifications
The album debuted at number 75 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart the week of August 16, 1980 as the highest debut of the week.[6] After ten months since its debut on the chart, it peaked at number 17 on June 13, 1981, making it their highest-charting album since 1975 when Daryl Hall & John Oates also peaked at number 17.[7][8] It remained on the chart for one hundred weeks, more than any other album by the duo.[7][8] It was certified gold by the RIAA on May 6, 1981, for shipments of 500,000 units, and reached platinum status on January 22, 1982, denoting shipments of one million.[9]
Weekly charts
| Chart (1980–1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] | 19 |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 17 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[11] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Singles
| Release date | Title | Hot 100 | UK singles |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1980 | "How Does It Feel to Be Back" | 30 | – |
| September 1980 | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | 12 | 55 |
| November 1980 | "Kiss on My List" | 1 | 33 |
| April 1981 | "You Make My Dreams" | 5 | – |
Bibliography
- Oates, John (2017), Change of Seasons: A Memoir, St. Martin's Press, ISBN 978-1-250-08266-4