Daryl Hall | Club Random with Bill Maher
55:53 Share

My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career day and said he was a big ROAS man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friend's still laughing me to this day. Not everyone gets B2B, but with LinkedIn, you'll be able to reach people who do. Get $100 credit on your next ad campaign. Go to linkedin.com slash results to claim your credit. That's linkedin.com slash results. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn.com slash results.

LinkedIn, the place to be, to be. Hey, I want to tell you about our new subscription channel on Apple. You can listen ad-free to all episodes, past and present, get access to most episodes a week early, and hear exclusive bonus content that you can only get here. Go to apple.com slash clubrandom to try it free now. Just click the try it free button now to check it out. You always, you know,

looked like the quintessential, like, blonde American. You were a matinee idol. I mean, you really, like, I'm sure you had a lot of wet panties thrown at you on the stage. Thrown at me on stage? Yeah.

And I will. There's going to be lots of places. When they throw them on stage, I think it's an indication that they want to participate in panty throwing even when the show is over. Am I wrong? No, you're not wrong. Do you miss that? No. Really? No, I actually don't. I so... I have matured, Bill. No, I don't miss it, man. First of all, I reject the notion... Of maturity? Yes.

In general, yes. But I reject the notion that you were implying that maturity is somehow synonymous with... With abstinence or backing off or whatever. Or monogamy or marriage. Actually, I totally agree with you. Oh, good. But in my maturity, I have altered my thinking about it all. I guess that's the best way to put it. But anyway, hey, man. No.

No, look, I think the truth is, when you're a rock star, you just get so much pussy that, unlike the mortal men of the world, like, it actually is... Anything becomes work a day, man. I mean, that sounds fucked up, but it's true. I mean, at a certain point...

I don't know, man. I went through a lot of things. I went through a lot of things. I went through that phase of my life and now I'm in another phase of my life. Yeah. And by the way, this is what almost everybody does. Yeah. And certainly rock stars. A lot of the rock stars I know who, you know, their heyday, my heyday, they're among the most devoted people.

You know, like Joe Walsh is a friend of mine. Yeah, I know Joe very well. Of course, I'm sure you do. And, you know, could not be more crazy in love with those two. Yeah. I think it's like, I would recommend to everybody to get a lot of rock star pussy when you're young. Amen, amen. But, you know, I had a bad...

I don't know how you put it. I was dealt bad cards because I had a wife and then she unfortunately passed away. So I'm an alone guy. Your wife passed away? I'm so sorry. I don't know how I avoided knowing that. Yeah, yeah. So anyway. Well, but aren't you Jewish? Didn't you convert? I converted back when I was a young kid. I had a Jewish girlfriend, Jewish wife, and that was part of the whole thing back in those days. So yes.

More or less, I am. There's a tree in Israel that's Daniel, Daniel Darrell. Oh, really? Yeah. Um...

That's the thing that I remember reading about you that I thought was so interesting, because you so don't look like a Jew. You were like, in the band, there was one who was more ethnic looking, and then there was the all-American. I hear you. I grew up way into the Methodist world, the church world. Methodist? Yeah.

No, I know all those Protestant denominations, I can name them Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian. I can't tell you the difference. Like Methodists, they seem like the most hard-ass. No, actually. They were the most liberal of all the ones that I knew. I mean, I grew up in a very racially integrated church, and it was very progressive church.

I got preachers in my family, and they're all very... They're on the opposite of the Holy Roller side. You know, they're progressives. Back in the 80s, they went to Nicaragua and shit like that. That's why I said that part of the country, Quakers like Pennsylvania, is known for that kind of progressive thing. You know, at the...

Dawn of our country in 1776 there was an abolition society in America. It had 24 members 24 people in 1776 thought abolition was a good idea for those of Us who are despairing about the future things can change, you know, and they were Quakers. Of course. Yeah Quakers were like a

No, the Philadelphia people. Philadelphia people. Right. And that's kind of why it's the city of brotherly love, right? It was named for a reason. Right. And it kind of retains that spirit. There's a vibe there. And that's how I grew up there. And part of what I do in my music, what is that? That's a clove cigarette. Yeah, I'll take it. No, it's a fucking joint. No, I don't know. I don't smoke no pot. Okay. So if you really thought it was a clove, you're going to take it.

Did you used to? Yeah, but I don't... Right, you matured. Well, I don't want my heart to explode. Well, you think this will make your heart explode? Probably, because I haven't been smoking any for a long time. But you must admit, this is, among drugs, one of the more gentle on you. Well, you know, the truth is, I didn't really do a lot of drugs, even in the day. I never really, you know...

It made me nervous. All that shit made me nervous. I mean, I used to smoke pot. That's about it. But that's probably because your voice was your... It wasn't my voice. It was my nervous system. Well, then it was just a good beneficiary for your voice because voices in rock suffer greatly from drug use. I mean, you think about something like Harry Nilsson.

Oh, well. What? No, no, I'm not saying anything. I'm hearing you. Like his, the vocal on things like, what was that hit he had? Can't live. Can't live, live away. Yes, you'd be good on that one. I did that song once. You did? I did it for a Japanese something. They wanted me to do it, so I did this version of it. You've got to really have the chops to sing that. That's a high. Could I get a copy of you singing that?

Somewhere in Japan, yes. Book me on Japan. Next flight to Tokyo, I'm going to track this down like Columbo. But all the partying.

and the coke. He was not out of his 20s, I think, when he had ruined his instrument. Yeah. You know? Yeah, it's a funny thing, man. The vocal cords are really strange. Right. No one really knows how they work or why they work or why they work for singers as opposed to regular people. Right. Yeah, it's a very, very strange thing. It is a strange thing. Why? I always thought it had more to do with the ear because... No, it has to do with...

I talked to, there's a, what's his name, man? It's a matter of, in Boston. He's a famous, a famous... Bill Russell? No, no. Okay. He's a, he's a, a, a, a,

what do they call it? He deals with the throat. He deals with everything for throat cancer. Oh, a doctor. Yeah, he's a doctor. And he's the foremost guy. And he said that the whole idea of the way vocal cords vibrate, like you go, no one knows how you do that, how that works, why that happens, how you can do that. Some people can do that. Some people can't do that. Right.

But what we do know is that when you abuse something in your youth... It fucks up. Of course. You... It's like a muscle. ...really sound good at your age, which is really a good feat because if you hadn't taken care of yourself for whatever reason, you wouldn't be there because we... I mean, I definitely can hear it in some of the...

Idols of my youth. I mean, there's just no getting around it. I mean, there's maturity. Your voice matures, but then your voice goes to fucking hell. Right. Like Frank Sinatra sounds very different. I like it better. I'm not a fan of early Sinatra. Older Frank is better. I agree. He mellowed.

It's richer. Yeah, I'd like to believe that that's what's happening to me. Yeah. I mean, that's... It is. It's a little lower, and that's not a bad thing. Ah. You know? It's like in his song, like...

"Wine and fine old kegs from the dregs." He sounds like he lived in there. Well, that's one reason why he's such a great artist. People can have different opinions, his politics, his personal life. He certainly was a controversial guy, but no one can argue with the artistry. No. You have to separate that from the personality, for sure. So even though you're in the rock,

era, you can appreciate a Sinatra. And did you always? Yeah. I mean, I'm classically trained. I mean, yeah. Oh, really? Yeah. I mean, I went to music school and my mother was a vocal teacher and family were singers and the whole thing. So like Frank Sinatra is somebody who's in the pantheon for you.

Well, he's part of it, yeah. I mean, he's part of my musical history, for sure. I mean, I'm not pushing for it. No, no. I'm just saying, I'm also a fan, and I'm a fan of very little before the rock era, because that's when I came up. And of course, first of all, kids want to rebel against whatever their parents are into. So my father's era was big band, you know, Benny Goodman.

And band singers. And that's Sinatra. Yeah. You know. I kind of like... My mom was in a band, right? She was in kind of like a... I mean, she's 99. She could still sing, right? Whoa. That's good for you. Yeah. But...

You know, she was in kind of like what I'll call a Lawrence Walkie kind of band, you know, like the little of everything. But I grew up, my first memories were sitting there at two years old or whatever, you know, sitting in the audience watching the band and watch my mother and do all that shit, you know. So, I mean, that's literally my earliest memories is seeing that stuff. Yeah.

But to me, that is a compliment for a singer to get from my record collection, to have anything pre-1968. Yeah. You know? But he just, he had some, in the 60s, it's funny, people think that when the Beatles and rock came along, Frank Sinatra went away, or that he wasn't relevant, or he wasn't selling records. That's not true. He had a 60s sound. He somehow found a way. Well, he had his own tribe.

Those guys had their own tribe. They did go away in the pop world, but they had their own tribe. No, no, no. That's what I'm saying. He did not go away in the pop world. He had big hits. Well, no, that's true. He had his hits. Strangers in the Night and all that stuff. Strangers in the Night. Right. This town. No, no, no. And I'm in a pop and a popper. You know that one? The Summer Wind. You know, he found a way to like be still Frank Sinatra. Yeah.

And work within it. Yeah, but they put a drum on it more. There was an organ. Yeah, it's interesting to see how they changed the production. After Nelson Riddle, and then they went and they tried to do that. That's what I'm saying. By the way, same thing with Barbra Streisand. Oh, yeah.

put out some amazing, you know, she told me, she said, Richard Perry, the great producer, I'm sure you know, turned me into a rock star in the early 70s. And again, she did it because she's such an amazing artist, perfectly, where she didn't lose who she was, but now I can also do this and get this crowd. It's really interesting to have people who can cross over the transition.

You know when they're when they're faced with this this this shift this shift and they're in that world and how they can somehow adapt to it and actually Prevail that it's it's a really it's I mean, I'm sort of doing that myself, you know Yeah, yeah, but you have a I mean you have a partner so it's a little different. I don't have a partner You know, John Oates is my partner still tore together. Don't you? Yeah, but he's not my partner. Well, you're probably my business partner. I

Oh, geez, look what I've stumbled into. He's not my creative partner.

Okay, I'm not trying to, I was just saying, I know that you guys still tour and put out records. So to me, that's a partner. I mean, it's like... We don't put out records. When was the last record you put out with them? I think it was 10 years ago. That's fairly, I'm 66, Daryl. So that's like yesterday to me. I understand for the kids...

that's not, but to me, that's fairly recent. It's 21st century. John and I are brothers, right? But we are not creative brothers. We are business partners. We did a lot of stuff. We made records called Hole in Oats together, but we do, we've always been very separate. And it's a very important thing for me. Well, you, but you certainly weren't separate on the records and you, I don't, and were you separate creating them? No. We were separate on the records too.

What does that mean? I'm not hearing the harmony. I'm not hearing what I love about it. You know that song Kiss on my list? Of course. I did all those. That's all me. That's all me on those harmonies. That's me. That's just a demo. But that's not the rule, is it, with the band? I won't go any farther than that. Okay. Let me ask you. But see, you're bursting my bubbles here, which, okay. That's my job to burst bubbles, man. Good. I like honesty.

When I was 14, I could tell you what actually was every song on what survey and what number. Then I, of course, grew up, I matured in my way. The things I know, I don't know if they were hits. One of my all-time favorite records, not just of yours, but of all time, Romeo is Bleeding. Oh, man, thank you. Was that a hit? Was that a single? No, it was not a hit. Really? I don't know.

I don't even know where I first heard it. I love that song so much. So much. It is in every playlist I ever have. We just put it out in England as a single. I don't even know what we called it. But anyway, we re-released that album. And that song, I listened to it because I hadn't heard that song in years. And I was like, whoop, whoop, whoop. Oh, okay.

And it's loud. Yeah. Like, I don't know why, but when it's on my... You know who made that record? Me and Dave Stewart. That's not John. That's me and Dave Stewart. Oh, John is not on that? No. Oh. It's a Hall & Oates record, but that doesn't mean it. Okay. What about Throw the Roses Away? That's me. Okay. Now, was that a hit or was that just another one of mine that I...

That's another amazing record. Bill, you're pulling out stuff that I really care about. Well, I mean, as much as I love talking to you here, I could just listen to Romeo is Bleeding all day long. That song, man, and the lyrics. It's like, whoa, what was I talking about? I'll tell you a funny story. Clive Davis...

who I got to be quite friendly with. He's a wonderful guy. I've known Clive forever. I'm sure you have. I'm sure Clive is somewhere right now telling people that he got you started because, as we know, Clive started everybody. And actually, he did start so many people, it's almost not an exaggeration. He started a lot of people. Yes, he really did. And coached them. Anyway, so we did this show years ago called Iconoclasts.

i don't remember what was on but they would take two people who were of different fields and they would film us together for a day or two at some of our haunts that we went to in our life you know so clive and i did it and i got to be pretty good friends with him and loved him and i told him you know you're the man with the golden ears i there's like i could send you 20 songs that are in my ipod that are just amazing songs that

for my knowledge, were never singles or if they were, they didn't go anywhere. And I sent it to him. I'm sure Romeo was, I don't remember, this was 12 years ago, but I'm sure that song would be like number one if I didn't think other people knew that song. And I said, I'm going to send this to you. What do you think? So I send him this disc. This is back when we had discs. I get a letter. I treasure this letter. It's like,

Because you could tell he dictated it, because he kept coming back and saying the same thing. But he was so kind. He was like, I've listened to your records, the songs you picked. They're interesting songs. I listened to it twice. Once when I was in a hot tub in Mexico looking at the ocean. Another time when I was back in New York. So he put the time in to listen to it twice. I must say, these are not hit records, dude.

these are you know and he was just that's the problem with Clyde he was very nicely saying you don't know what you're doing or what and he's full of shit he's full of shit Bill I think so but it's so subjective why do somebody like a song and somebody not like a song it's completely you can't even it's subjective you can't put your finger on it he he sat me in a room one night one time and he started because we were doing we did a record called Change of Season and uh

And we were finishing the record and he says, well, you know, it's just like that. He was like, you know, there's no hits on this record. No hits on this record. And he says, I have some ideas. And I'm like, it's just me and Tommy and fucking Mottola and Alan Grubman.

The lawyer that, no. Tommy Mantola was the head of what record? He was my manager, and he wound up being the head of... Isn't that Mariah Carey? Yeah, yeah. Oh, husband, okay. He jilted me for Mariah. But anyway, so Clive is there, and he says, I got these ideas. I have these ideas. They're hits. They'll be...

Amazing hits for you. And he played me these two songs. One of them, and I can't remember what the second one was named, but the first one he played was a song called Love on a Rooftop. It was the biggest piece of shit I've ever heard in my life. Anyway. Love on a Rooftop. Love on a Rooftop. Wasn't there a song? Yes. A real song? I think Cher cut it.

Oh, maybe I'm thinking of Up on the Roof. No, that's a completely different song. Right, and that's a good one, right? Yeah. Isn't that Carole King? Up on the Roof? Carole King might have written that. It's certainly her era. Right. Right. But anyway, so he's playing me these songs, and they're...

And I said, Clyde, and I literally, I walked out of the meeting. I said, Clyde, I can shit better songs than this. I'm sorry, man. I literally said that to him. And I love Clyde, but that's, I mean, I had that kind of,

relationship with him. Yeah, I mean, again, I would love to send you this tape. I bet you I could find the playlist somewhere in the archives. I'd be curious to hear what you... I would love to hear you... I remember there's a Don Henley song on it that's from the soundtrack to Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

called Love Rules. Okay. Again, they're not songs that people know. Well, you picked two of mine that I really... Here's the other one that I play endlessly. It's not your song, but you are the voice on it. Well, certainly the harmonizing voice. The only flame in town. Oh. Am I wrong? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh.

How great is that song? That's a great song. Now, that was... Elvis... Costello. He called me up. He just said, I need the voice. He said, you want to do a song with me? Wow.

And I did it. And the song was great. So how does that work? Do they send you like a tape to get used to what the song is? Because it's new. How can you sing a song if you don't know the song? He just sent me a demo. So you listen to that and you get the song? And I just sang my harmony to it, yeah. You get the song in your head? Yeah. So you... It doesn't take much. No? No. Okay, and he knew what he wanted to do. Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. It was just one day.

Yeah, that was it. Well, that's another... That was a departure for Elvis. That was, you know, interesting. Everything is a departure for Elvis. Well, that's true. Which I admire in him. Me too. And when I say admire, what I mean is also throw out some CDs. Because he did one that... You never know. The Juliet...

something and it was like string quartets and I was like, okay. He goes in directions. Well, and that's great as an artist. No, no. I do that too, but I try and directions I go in aren't too. No, I mean, you can't lead people down a certain path and then without even telling them. I remember Prince once put out a jazz album and he didn't tell me.

So you. No. So you bought it, right? I bought it, and it wound up with the Elvis Costello one that is like a string quartet. You know. If you bought a Beatles album and it was all Revolution No. 9, you'd be pissed. It was like Spinal Tap's Jazz Odyssey, man. Right.

Brought to you by SignalWire, the real OGs of software-defined telecom. The original geeks at SignalWire are the developers of the number one open-source communications platform in the world, powering everything from cloud phone systems for Netflix and Amazon to awesome products like Ring Doorbell.

And now, they've created an easy-to-use cloud platform that puts the power of that technology into the hands of anyone with an idea. Whether it's voice, messaging, or cutting-edge broadcast-quality video, if it has to do with real-time communications, SignalWire is the answer. With SignalWire, you can customize the user experience and integrate with an existing application or website with ease.

SignalWire's ultra-low latency is essential for creating experiences where real-time really matters. Whether you're a developer, product builder, or just someone with a cool idea, SignalWire offers APIs, SDKs, and even copy and paste code snippets to help you make your vision a reality fast.

Build with the real OGs of software-defined telecom. Visit signalwire.com slash random to sign up for a free account. Go to signalwire.com slash random and build what's next in real-time communications. Go to signalwire.com slash random.

Club Random is supported by ShipStation. If you're an online business, being prepared is key. Getting ready early for the busy shipping season ahead of time is a lot less stressful than trying to catch up while you're overwhelmed. The best time to prepare for growth is before the opportunity arrives, especially for online businesses. ShipStation sets you up for growth by directly integrating with every shopping cart and storefront.

So your products are easier to find, easier to manage and easier to get into the hands of happy customers. Don't wait until you're drowning in orders to find the right shipping solution. Upgrade to ShipStation today.

Whether you're starting small or scaling up, ShipStation makes ship happen. No more limiting your business to one store. ShipStation integrates with every platform, including Amazon, Etsy, eBay, and Shopify, making it easy to manage all your shipping from one simple dashboard. Join over 130,000 companies who have grown their e-commerce businesses with ShipStation.

Ship more and grow more with ShipStation. Go to ShipStation.com today and sign up with promo code RANDOM for a free 60-day trial. Start today and get set up before the biggest shipping season of the year. That's two months free. Visit ShipStation.com, click the microphone at the top, and type in code RANDOM.

Hey, I'm going to be at Madison Square Garden on November 12th at the Hulu Theater. Bring the kids. Not to the show itself. Please, leave them outside. But the show you're going to love as adults. I'm a little...

about you and your partner. I mean, you're not partner. That other guy, I can't even remember his name. Yeah. But I'm a little, because you have to understand, fans, we get emotionally involved. Yeah. And we,

What we hate even more than... It's the brand. It's the brand. You want to see... We want... Tweedledum and Tweedledee. We want to see the people we like like each other. It's like... Oh, I do like John. It's... Oh. Oh, no, no, no, no. We're not... Oh, good. We're not acrimonious in any way. No. No, no, no, no. We're friends. Okay. We just have different directions and have had since about 1975. But...

Well, that's coming up on 50 years of pissing each other off. We had a couple of good years. We had a few good years. I mean, look, there is going to be a time I may, let me predict, there will be a time when you guys, something will scare you and you will realize, oh, fuck, this guy, yeah, before it ends, we need to like... The Sunshine Boys. Not the, no, just like...

Realize that, yeah, for whatever reason, you were there for this part of your life that very few people get to experience. You mean like 50 years? Very few people get to experience. No, no. John and I have a long, long history together, and we are brothers. We really are. And I will never, ever negate that. But we are very separate. We really are. But there is something about great success. It's fantastic. Fantastic.

Great success is fucking happening. Yes, I agree. The fact that people are so... Like you. The fact that people are so ambivalent sometimes about success. I'm like, what? Oh, no, no, no. Not me. Right.

I think that's a measure of your sanity. If you're happy with success, you're sane. If you somehow are sabotaging it or feel terribly guilty, I mean, there's a lot of crazy guilt in America about stuff, you know, I didn't do it. Yeah. It's a funny thing, man, where people, yeah, they do self-sabotage. They do. There's a lot of that. Oh, especially in show business. Yeah. You know? Yeah.

I mean, some of it is addiction and they can't help it. Some of it, I think, is that kind of adulation is so overwhelming that, yes, it's great, but it's also like, you know, if you were being tickled or something, yes, I'm laughing, but you've got to make it stop. It's too much. It's too brain overload. So as much as it's stimulating...

Even that can be too much. I'm guessing. I'm not a rock star. I was hoping for this my whole life, but it never happened. It's like you try and... I guess the best word is you have all this stuff happening and you want to kind of regulate it and get it to a place that is fulfilling. Were you married at the time that you were, like, the biggest act in the country? I was with Sarah Allen. Sarah Smile. Sarah Allen. Right. So was it hard to be faithful?

It was impossible. Impossible. That really puts the capstone on this discussion. That says it all.

All my words, blah, blah, blah. It's impossible. Remember that song? It's impossible. Tell a baby not to cry. It's just impossible. Who sang it? I don't fucking know. I believe it was Perry Como. That's probably right. I think of Steve Martin. It's impossible to stick a Trump stick up your nose or whatever. Oh, he did a parody? What he used to say. Did he do a parody of that? Yeah, he used to do some parody. That's all I'm thinking of. Elvis sang it. You notice what I'm doing here? I'm drinking the fucking Greenspot.

You should try this. I can't mix it. I know you're half Irish, man. What is that? This is the best Irish whiskey in the world. I can't mix liquor. I'm not 16. What are you drinking? Tequila. Oh, fuck. Okay. Yeah. Excuse me. Well, try this sometime. This is great. Oh, I will. Are you leaving it here? I'll leave it here. No, don't. No, man. I'll add it to your bar, man. Did you bring this? Yeah. Oh.

Oh, we would have gotten it for you. No, no, I asked for it. Oh, good. You guys got it. Oh, okay, good. I want you to be happy when you're here at Club Random. I'm very excited, been excited for weeks. I'm a happy guy. You were, you should, this life that, it was impossible. Well, that's, yeah.

I guess people who don't have that kind of temptation also don't have that problem, you know? You know, I got to say, and she'll probably never hear this, although she might, but, you know, Sarah Allen was the most understanding human being on Earth. Really? On Earth, because she went through this with me. And she was... Well, excuse me. Okay, you want to talk about Sarah Allen? Sarah Allen...

Wrote more songs with me than John, right? Wrote the lyrics? Yeah. Yeah. And more than the lyrics.

Yeah, Sarah and her sister, Jana. Wow. They were musicians or they were just good at it? Sarah is a writer, a lyricist, and Jana was a musician as well, her younger sister. We wrote Private Eyes, Kiss of My List. Wow. You name it. So that's the love of your life? In some crazy way, yes, it is. I mean, I had an interim, but I was a

married for quite a long time and she died I told you yeah but and and she was a love of my life too I don't know I love your life I don't know like a couple of my life yeah yeah not not just one now I mean having never gotten married you know people say sometimes that question what's the weird because I was with people all the time and now I'm totally alone I mean I'm and and and not dissatisfied with that idea right

Well, I think the older you get, the more set in your ways you get, which is not necessarily a bad thing. That doesn't mean you can't be flexible when you want to be, but you just know what it is. You know what you like. When you're younger, you don't always know what you like. Or what you bump into and what happens. It's like circumstance. Would I like to be 25? Again, yes, but I absolutely would not take the deal...

If I had to be in that idiot's head. You know what I mean? Fuck no. Right. Oh, like Socrates, you know, the freedom of the demon of sex and all that. But no, no, no, no. I don't know if I'd want to be young. You know, I got kids. I got stepkids. And I love them. But...

I wouldn't want to be that age. No. Only if I could have this head, but I can't. No, that's the thing. You can't. You can't do it. And if I literally could go back in time and live again, assuming it wouldn't be the exact same life, but I would be young again...

I wouldn't trust that some of the stupid things I did this time around would get me killed or put in jail or just dumb fucking things I did. Well, I got to tell you, I'd probably be in jail. Yeah. You know?

Yeah. I mean... No, seriously. Right. Probably you too. Yeah, because I was, you know, selling pot and stuff when I was in college. And New York had draconian drug laws. And I could be just getting out of jail now. I hear you. Just for dealing pot in 1977. Outrageous, isn't it? Yeah.

Well, what it is, it's there but for the grace of God, go I kind of thing. Or sliding doors. You ever see that movie where it's kind of an interesting subject. I'm sure that's not the first time people have broached it. But somebody is running for a subway and the sliding doors in one life. Oh, yeah. It's like you go this way or you go that way. Right. In a millisecond, your life changes. Yeah. Which I actually believe. I think maybe...

Maybe we go all those directions. Right. But there's also something to be said for, I mean, I don't know how many number one hits you guys have, you and this other guy, I can't remember his name. But you're... That guy. That guy. But that's...

Numbers show something isn't a fluke. You know, anybody can like have a, any rocket can go up and show business. But a lot of them come down fairly soon. Nobody has, I don't know what you have, 20,

giant hits or something nobody has a whole kind of like 30 i don't know fuck i don't know numbers don't matter exactly i really don't know 20 30 50 whatever the fuck it is yeah but my point is like when you go to a concert if the band can do the whole show nothing but hits that's a concert we have we when i do a whole other show we can't do all of our hits we have to

Because I don't like to... I'm not Springsteen. I don't do three-hour shows. Right. But, you know... Right. Yeah. It's an amazing... Right. And by the way, neither can Billy Joel. No. And neither can Elton John. That's right. And neither can Paul McCartney. This is the world that I'm living in. And neither can the Eagles. But...

It's a small club. I would call it, let's call it the arena club. The people who can get there. Well, I'm in arenas, yeah. Those guys are in the stadiums. It doesn't matter. Whatever. I'm talking about the number of, can you do two hours? The air is rare, man. The air is rare.

I mean, the Stones, everybody complains, oh, it's going to be the same playlist. Yes, because that's what you demand. You think they want the same playlist? The last thing they want to do is that. Of course. And then they get blamed for it. That's why I'm sort of doing what I'm doing right now. I'm doing a whole alternative tour. I've been doing it. I did 30 shows this year.

and I'm going to continue to do it. And it's songs, quote, Hall & Oates shows songs, but it's also my other stuff that I've been doing over the years. My other albums. My solo stuff. I mean, you earned it. Hey. You earned it. You deserve it. Right, you deserve a victory lap. Thank you. And there's plenty of people who will love to see that. I would love to see that. Well, I wouldn't see it. Because first of all, it's kind of,

helpful to my psyche because I don't look back. Like, I only want to think about the future because there is no, the past doesn't exist. I remember it, but I don't understand these people who are consoled by, oh, wasn't that great? Yeah, it was, but it's not happening now. No, it's different. Unless it's happening tomorrow. It's different. Yeah. So, but, I mean, that is one great thing about music is it just doesn't

ever fail. You can listen to a song for 50 years. Now, maybe you shouldn't listen to it every day, but it can just keep coming up over and over

Whereas it's a funny thing. It's not like other art forms. I can watch a movie maybe a couple of times, three or four times over 25 years. But not like I could hear. I'm telling you, I can hear the ones I've mentioned every almost every day. And I do hear them like really certainly not a month goes by when they don't play. Yeah. And they're always good.

I know, it's an amazing thing. It really is. It really is an amazing thing. I just, okay, just to throw this out, I just found a box. It's about this big, and it's all my, you know, the way I write, I write with cassette tapes. I have done. Since about 1972 or 70 or whatever the fuck.

You know? You mean you sing into it because it's... You know, I get an idea. Right, and you just want to preserve it without... Record play. Right. Instead of writing it down like Mozart. Then I log it. Then I log it. Well, I just found hundreds of those tapes of all my career, of all my ideas. Wow. All my ideas. You didn't know they existed? I knew they existed, but I didn't know where they were. Japan. And I found them. I fucking found them. I have...

and hundreds, excuse me, thousands of ideas. Thousands of ideas. From your youth. From my entire life up until the present. You know, that's funny. I have a similar thing except I've known where this stuff was all along. I didn't discover it. But I've salted away so much stuff because I'm kind of a squirrel that way, you know. Jokes and ideas and things. And sometimes I will go back into that translation

treasure trove and something will be awesome. And I always say, thank you, younger me.

You left me this treasure that I found 30 years later. Isn't it interesting? Yeah, it's great. And I've been listening to it. I have my guy that's been archiving it. And I listen to it. I go, listen to this guy. It's like, thank you, younger me. Exactly. That's it. Perfect. You should write a song called Thank You, Younger Me. It's not a bad title. Hey. Titles are important, right? They are indeed. Isn't that a big thing of... Well, yeah. You got to get the...

Yeah. Something to hook people. It's a hook. It's a hook. It's provocative, you know? Right. And it sums, you know, sometimes it can sum something up. I mean, obviously there's many different types of songs. I'm always partial to, you know, philosophy songs. Songs that are like, in a kind of a

Half ironic, half real way. Because they are often a little corny and a little obvious. Give me an example. Oh, like love travels on a gravel road. Like there's a million of them. Desperado. Ones that are imparting wisdom to the audience. Every rose has a thorn. Oh, there's a line from every... What's the line in Romeo and Juliet?

Every pain is filled with... Pain and... Something pain and... Someone else... Pain and pleasure. It's like...

No, I can't remember. Yeah, but it's that. Yeah, yeah. Okay, I got it. But that wasn't a side in the verse. That wasn't the hook. Right. No, it wasn't the hook. I've always thought that pain is part of pleasure. Yes. For someone else. Yes. Hoping that it would never cloud my soul. I always thought that pain is part of pleasure. Yes. I can't believe I remember that. Right. I can't believe it. But it's a philosophy.

as opposed to She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Exactly. And there's just many, many songs like that. And they always amuse me because, again, country songs are full of it. Oh, fuck yeah. It's all philosophy. Because, of course, it's dime store philosophy. But I like the fact that I'm tricked by how much I love the song

that even if I read this as poetry, I'd probably laugh at it. But in the song, I'm loving it. Yeah, lyrics and poetry are very different things.

Exactly. Yes. Thank you. And they're not supposed to be the same things. Lyrics have to sing. Right. Literally. And they're not supposed to... They have to do with vowel sounds and things like that. And it's an artistic expression, not a polemical expression. It's not supposed to be literal or erudite. It's emotional. Music is emotional. Yes, it can reach you. I mean, look, there are people like, I would say, Paul Simon.

is a guy who... Well, there are artists. I mean, obviously, Dylan comes to mind. Yes, Dylan. But that's a different... Because that is where the focus is and the music is secondary to it. When you're dealing with

melody and chords, you have to deal with vowel sounds. And when you're hitting a certain note, it has to... Right. The sound has to go. It's an aural thing. Yes. You know, it's more... It's outside of poetry. Apropos of Paul Simon, I remember, and of what you just said, I remember Simon was on Bob Costas' old show. Loved that interview show he did. I did it once in the 90s, and he...

He was asking Simon about Mrs. Robinson, and Paul Simon said Mickey Mantle once came up to him and he said, you know, your famous line, where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?

Why couldn't you use me? And Simon said, does it sound right? He said, syllables, Mick, syllables, syllables. Exactly. Mickey Mantle. It doesn't, it doesn't work. It doesn't work. That's totally right. My point. That's the point. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm so glad you're still this into you.

Because, you know, you just don't know about people, you know, what their private life is like. You don't know if they're still engaged. You don't know if they're still happy. You know, you don't know where their mind is. I mean, I've certainly run into more than a few people out here. I won't say names, but I ran into one guy at a party who I used to be quite friendly with. He's about 10 years older than me, and he was telling me how much he liked Trump and, you know,

not only that, but that Obama had ruined the country and he did it on purpose. And this was a musician? No. Oh. No, an actor. Oh dear. But, you know, yeah, I'm just saying, you just don't know who's under the hat. So I'm glad I got to... That ain't me. No.

So what do you do all day when you're not working? Oh, fuck. I have so many things. When I'm not working, I'm always working. Well, first of all, I am always working. But when I'm not, I've been renovating my house. You know, I'm a big historic house renovator and all that crap. And I've been doing that and...

- And you're alone, you say you're not like married or anything. - No, I'm not married. - But what about the ladies of the world? - I have friends.

With benefits? I have friends. Yeah, good. But I'm alone. You're on the stud farm, and that's where you belong. Yeah, there you go, man. You're the racehorse that won the Kentucky Derby. I'm just standing in the field. Yeah, just send over a filly now and then. I'll let my fucking rod go like that. It should only do.

Yeah, anyway, yeah, and when you travel like what's what's a place you love like like? Cities have a vibe to write like some cities your vibe. I love London. I've lived in London forever I mean I the I've lived in London longer than any place else. Oh really yeah, yeah I'm a longer than New York or Philadelphia or any place, but as a as an American, but you can just stay as long as you want I

Well, I go back and forth, you know. I'm itinerant. I turn an impression. But you own something there? Yeah, I have a house there. But isn't there laws, you know, about how long you can be in a country if you're not a citizen? Yeah, yeah, but I've never, that's never been a problem with me because I have to work all the time. You know, I'm never, I'm never in one place long enough to be bothered by that. I mean, my wife is English. My kids are English. So why do you love London? I

I just love it. I think it's the best city. I think it's the best city in the world. Why? What's that? Because it's the most diverse. It's the most interesting. I like it's low. I like you can see the sky. I love the houses. I love the architecture. I love the people. I'm an Anglophile. No, I am too because I'm terrible at language.

Well, that too. But no, no, you know what? It's not just about the fact that they speak English. I like it better than Paris. I like it better than the other European cities. Oh, for sure. Yeah. I just like London. Paris is amazing to look at, more than any other city. Well, like the French. It's amazing to look at. Right. But I hate the food. The people are not warm.

And it's just, it's big. And if you don't speak the language, I don't know. It's just very hard to... Yeah. It's just, I'm just not, I'm not a Francophile. If I had some, you know, if I had some guide, like someone who really was

Oh, knew everything about Paris and where to go and who to hook you up with. And I could just tag along with, you know, like... I did do that. Of course you did. I spent a couple months there with Dave Stewart, my friend Dave Stewart. And he was living there. And we were really... We made a record there. We made the Three Hearts album there. And I was in Paris. And I went to these crazy places. I mean...

Just really. Crazy. When I say crazy, I mean really very Parisian. You know, like only would happen in Paris. What is that? Oh, like a place called Le Roy de Port-au-Fu, which all they did was, it was this dark room, and all they did was serve Port-au-Fu. What's that? It's fucking beef stew.

No, it's stupid. That's an expression. That's an example. Like these weird little highways and byways. I was hoping it was going to be some Moulin Rouge. No, no, no, no, no, nothing like that. The opposite, the opposite of that. Really? The opposite. Completely, you know, like real Parisian, like only in Paris kind of things.

And I spent a couple months there. I mean, not like a couple months means nothing. But I did experience sort of that idea where you could be there. And I don't know. But what about America? Don't you have any love for us? Come on. You don't love any American city? Yeah, I like Charleston. What? Charleston, South Carolina? I lived in Charleston. Oh, you know, I played Charleston. I lived there for quite a few years.

And I like Charleston. I have a funny story about Charleston. I was in there in like 1983, like my first year on the road as a comic. And this is the days when the comedy clubs, you had to work like five days. You had to work like five days in a row. Like Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Yipes. People only came on the weekends, really. But anyway, comedy clubs were booming. So I'm staying in the little whatever...

motel they had for us. Every day, I go down and there's one copy of the New York Times and I grab it. This is when the New York Times even went to South Carolina. That's hard to believe, actually. Big cities you can't get. So, like the fifth day, I go down there and I say to the girl, I'm like, wow, this is unbelievable.

Every day I've gotten the last copy of the New York Times and she said, oh, we only get one. You got the paper. Probably the only one who bought it the last year and a half. Yeah, I'm sure that the New York Times is not big in Charleston, I promise you. No. No. But why are you so down on the rest of America? Did I say I was down on the rest of America? I just said I like Charleston.

I... But name what? Come on, you must like Chicago. I was just in Chicago this past week. I like... See, I only go to those places to play. I don't... Yeah, me too, but... I don't have a vibe for like... No? No.

Really? Come on. I went out of the city, man. When you guys were on the... Come on. I go in, I fly in, I play a show, and I fucking leave. Wait a second. All the years that you were on tour, heavily on tour, promoting the last album, which had four hits on it...

You were in different cities. I know what those tour schedules look like. Okay, so you're in Atlanta this night. You're 28 years old. You didn't go out after the show? Oh, you're talking about the old days. Yes, well, or... Oh, no, that's different. I used to love Atlanta back in the 70s. Well, I'm not picking any city. I'm saying which cities did you like? Okay. Okay.

It depends on time. Okay. Right. The early and mid-70s in Atlanta were fucking whippet. Atlanta was amazing. You know that song, Oh, Atlanta, oh, Atlanta. It's a... Fuck.

It's a famous band. Anyway, it doesn't matter. But yes, I loved Atlanta. I lived out here for many years. I was involved with a woman out here. I lived here and I loved L.A. in the 70s. Again, the 70s. L.A. in the 70s. L.A. in the 70s. It was like a fucking cow town. Right.

Nothing was open on Sundays. Chalet Gourmet was the only thing that was fucking open. I used to live right across the street. Yeah. On Fairfax and Sunset? Yeah. I lived like two doors away. Everybody used to go there because it was the only thing that was open. Wow.

Well, I mean, the 70s, I was a teenager watching L.A. on my TV and wanting to be there so bad. I thought it looked like the coolest place in the world. Johnny Carson had just moved out to California and sunshine. And like to me, it was just like this was going to be the Shangri-La. And you know what?

it's not Shangri-La but it kind of didn't disappoint me I never I never vibed with I mean I love New York it's my home my home area where I grew up but you're a Jersey guy right yeah Jersey but you know I lived in New York twice I get it I have love for it but we never vibed this town sucked my dick on the first date I've loved it ever since it rained the first three weeks uh I

I was here, and then the sun came out, and it kind of never went away. It was always better. It was just, it's just a vibe thing. I get it, man. I am not a fan of New York City. I go to, the only, I live outside of New York, right, and then Connecticut, right? I go into New York to go to doctors. That's all I can relate to in New York City is go to fucking doctors. Because you think they have the best ones? Not even these days. I go to Stanford.

Connecticut. But yeah, at least in that area. But I'm not a fan of New York.

Yeah, I have a love-hate relationship. I lived there for 20 years. New Yorkers all have a love-hate relationship. Of course they do. Just when you say it out loud, they get all pissy about it. How dare you not say it's the greatest city in the world? It's the greatest for you. It doesn't have to be the greatest for me. It had its time. It's a 20th century city. It's a 20th century city and we're in the 21st century. That's...

I don't think fair, but you know what? Okay. That's my opinion. You may be right. I have not been in New York enough.

to not living there. And of course the pandemic, I'll tell you, I don't know about that statement, but I will say this. They let the pandemic do to them kind of like what the 92 riots did to LA. They always said the, like the nightlife never really kind of came back in LA after that. And I feel like New York, I know they got hit very hard by the pandemic. Well, yeah, close proximity of the obvious reasons.

well and also they didn't make good decisions about the nursing homes so i understand why it was more traumatic there but i think they're still you know i mean at some point you got to let it go yeah and not let it ruin all of life because it can and yeah don't get me on my high horse with covert overreaction no we won't even go there no

I hear you. Good. As long as you hear me. No, I do. I do. I promise you I do. I have to wrap this up, but I could do it all night. Oh, shit. You know, like I was saying to you before, you don't really know who a person is. I never met you. You don't know who a person is.

you've loved them from afar and then when you meet them it could be like, "Oh, this guy's sort of a dick." So I can't tell you what a relief it is. - That goes both ways, by the way. - I appreciate that. I kind of wish, you know, I have a little emotional thing, a Simon and Garfunkel thing with you and your boyfriend. - Get over it. - No, we're-- - Get the fuck over that. - I wanna see you fishing together.

Great to meet you. Yeah, man. I'm glad you are who you are. It's really cool. All right. It's really cool. We'll do it again, I hope. Yeah, I'd like to. Thank you.