Say It Isn't So (Hall & Oates song)

Last updated
"Say It Isn't So"
Say It Isn't So.jpg
Single by Daryl Hall & John Oates
from the album Rock 'n Soul Part 1
B-side "Kiss on My List"
ReleasedOctober 1983 (1983-10)
RecordedSeptember 1983 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City [1]
Genre Pop rock, blue-eyed soul
Length4:17 (album version)
3:56 (7" version)
6:45 (special extended mix)
5:15 (video version)
Label RCA Records
Songwriter(s) Daryl Hall
Producer(s) Daryl Hall, John Oates, Bob Clearmountain [1]
Daryl Hall & John Oates singles chronology
"Jingle Bell Rock"
(1983)
"Say It Isn't So"
(1983)
"Adult Education"
(1984)
Music video
"Say It Isn't So" on YouTube

"Say It Isn't So" is a song performed by American pop rock duo Daryl Hall & John Oates, and written by Daryl Hall. It was released by RCA Records in October 1983 as the first of two new singles from their compilation album Rock 'n Soul Part 1 , released that same year (see 1983 in music). The song was remixed as a "special extended dance mix" by John "Jellybean" Benitez, which topped Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart. [2] The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, behind coincidentally "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.

Contents

Composition and recording

"Say It Isn't So" was written by Daryl Hall during the duo's supporting tour for H2O . It was the first of two new songs recorded during the sessions for Rock 'n Soul Part 1. The sessions took place in September 1983 at Electric Lady Studio A in New York City. The song was produced by Daryl Hall and John Oates, with recording by Bob Clearmountain, who co-produced the recordings. The backing musicians on the song were bassist Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, saxophonist Charles DeChant, guitarist G. E. Smith, drummer Mickey Curry, and percussionist Jimmy Bralower. The song's arrangement was developed in the studio with backing vocals inspired by the Flamingos' version of "I Only Have Eyes for You" and a problem with a break in the song solved by Jimmy Bralower. [1]

Reception

Cash Box called it "a derivative and decidedly Motown-inflected outing" that is "more vital than nostalgic." [3]

Music videos

There were two versions of the video. The first version was once aired on MTV as part of the duo's special titled The Greatest & The Latest. The second version, which was on heavy rotation during the channel's heyday, was filmed on location in New York City.

Chart performance

Track listings

7" 45 RPM

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Say It Isn't So" Daryl Hall 3:56
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Kiss on My List"Hall, Janna Allen 3:48

12" 33⅓ RPM

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Say It Isn't So" (Special Extended Dance Mix)Hall6:45
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Say It Isn't So" (Dub version)Hall4:47
2."Kiss on My List"Hall, Allen4:24

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall & Oates</span> American pop rock duo (1970–2024)

Daryl Hall & John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, were an American rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall was generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily played the electric guitar and provided backing vocals. The two wrote most of the songs they performed, either separately or in collaboration. They achieved their greatest fame from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s with a fusion of rock and roll, soul music, and rhythm and blues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daryl Hall</span> American musician and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates (born 1946)

Daryl Franklin Hohl, known professionally as Daryl Hall, is an American rock, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the co-founder and principal lead vocalist of Hall & Oates, with guitarist and songwriter John Oates. Outside of his work in Hall & Oates, he has also released six solo albums, including the 1980 progressive rock collaboration with guitarist Robert Fripp titled Sacred Songs and the 1986 album Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, which provided his best selling single, "Dreamtime", that peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. He has also collaborated on numerous works by other artists, such as Fripp's 1979 release Exposure, and Dusty Springfield's 1995 album A Very Fine Love, which produced a UK Top 40 hit with "Wherever Would I Be". Since late 2007, he has hosted the streaming television series Live from Daryl's House, in which he performs alongside other artists, doing a mix of songs from each's catalog. The show has been rebroadcast on a number of cable and satellite channels as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adult Education (song)</span> 1984 single by Hall & Oates

"Adult Education" is a song by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates, released as a single in February 1984. The song was featured on the duo's second compilation album Rock 'n Soul Part 1 and was one of two new tracks that were recorded specifically for the compilation release. The single hit number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss on My List</span> 1981 single by Hall & Oates

"Kiss on My List" is a song by American duo Hall & Oates. It was written by Daryl Hall and Janna Allen, and produced by Hall and John Oates. It was the third single release from their ninth studio album, Voices (1980), and became their second US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single. It spent three weeks at the top spot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maneater (Hall & Oates song)</span> 1982 single by Daryl Hall & John Oates

"Maneater" is a song by American duo Hall & Oates, featured on their eleventh studio album, H2O (1982). It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 18, 1982. It remained in the top spot for four weeks, longer than any of the duo's five other number-one hits, including "Kiss on My List", which remained in the top spot for three weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Touch</span> 1984 single by Daryl Hall & John Oates

"Out of Touch" is a song by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates from their twelfth studio album Big Bam Boom (1984). The song was released as the lead single from Big Bam Boom on Thursday, October 4, 1984, by RCA Records. This song was their last Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, topping the chart for two weeks in December 1984. It also became the duo's fourteenth consecutive top 40 hit since 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)</span> 1981 single by Daryl Hall & John Oates

"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" is a song by American duo Hall & Oates. Written by Daryl Hall, John Oates and Sara Allen, the song was released as the second single from their tenth studio album, Private Eyes (1981). The song became the fourth number one hit single of their career on the Billboard Hot 100. It features Charles DeChant on saxophone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall & Oates discography</span>

American musical duo Hall & Oates has released 18 studio albums and 63 singles. The duo has had eight albums certified platinum and an additional six albums certified gold by the RIAA. They have also had six singles certified gold. Certifications have totaled 14 million albums and six million singles.

<i>Big Bam Boom</i> 1984 studio album by Hall & Oates

Big Bam Boom is the twelfth studio album by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates, released by RCA Records on October 12, 1984. It marked the end of one of the most successful album runs by a duo of the 1980s. RCA issued a remastered version in July 2004 with four bonus tracks. The lead single "Out of Touch" was a #1 pop hit, and charted in several other areas. Another song, the Daryl Hall and Janna Allen-penned "Method of Modern Love", reached #5, and "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid" reached #18.

<i>Rock n Soul Part 1</i> 1983 greatest hits album by Hall & Oates

Rock 'n Soul Part 1 is a greatest hits album by American musical duo Hall & Oates, credited as "Daryl Hall John Oates" on the album cover. Released by RCA Records on October 18, 1983, the album featured mostly hit singles recorded by the duo and released by RCA, along with one single from the duo's period with Atlantic Records and two previously unreleased songs recorded earlier in the year: "Say It Isn't So" and "Adult Education".

<i>H<sub>2</sub>O</i> (Hall & Oates album) 1982 studio album by Hall & Oates

H2O is the eleventh studio album by American pop rock duo Daryl Hall & John Oates, released on October 4, 1982, by RCA Records. It peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, making it the duo's highest-charting album, and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with sales of over two million copies. The album title is a play on the chemical formula for water, where "H" is for Hall and "O" is for Oates. It features three US top-10 singles, including "Maneater", the most successful single of their career, spending four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album marks the first appearance for longtime bassist and musical director Tom "T-Bone" Wolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One on One (song)</span> 1983 single by Daryl Hall & John Oates

"One on One" is a song performed by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates. Written by member Daryl Hall, the song was released as the second single from their eleventh studio album H2O in January 1983. Backed by minimalistic, synthesizer-based production, the song's lyrics incorporate various sports metaphors to describe seduction. Daryl Hall performs lead vocals, while John Oates provides backing harmony vocals. It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of three top ten singles from H2O.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Smile</span> 1975 single by Hall & Oates

"Sara Smile" is a song written and recorded by the American musical duo Hall & Oates. It was released as the third single from their album Daryl Hall & John Oates. The song was the group's first top 40 and first top ten hit in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Private Eyes (song)</span> 1981 single by Hall & Oates

"Private Eyes" is a 1981 single by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates and the title track from their album of the same name. The song was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for two weeks, from November 7 through November 20, 1981. This single was the band's third of six number one hits, and their second number one hit of the 1980s. It was succeeded in the number one position by Olivia Newton-John's "Physical," which was coincidentally succeeded by another single from Hall & Oates, "I Can't Go for That ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Man (Mike Oldfield song)</span> 1982 single by Mike Oldfield

"Family Man" is a pop rock song written by Mike Oldfield, Tim Cross, Rick Fenn, Mike Frye, Morris Pert, and Maggie Reilly. It became a hit song in 1982 for Mike Oldfield with Maggie Reilly as the vocalist. Daryl Hall and John Oates achieved success a year later with their cover version. In 2009, Maggie Reilly recorded another version of the song for her solo studio album Looking Back Moving Forward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Method of Modern Love</span> 1984 single by Daryl Hall & John Oates

"Method of Modern Love" is a song by the American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates. It was released as the second single from their 1984 album, Big Bam Boom. The song reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's Gone (Hall & Oates song)</span> 1973 single by Hall & Oates

"She's Gone" is a song written and originally performed by the American duo Daryl Hall and John Oates. The soul ballad is included on their 1973 album, Abandoned Luncheonette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Make My Dreams</span> 1981 single by Hall & Oates

"You Make My Dreams" is a song by American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates, taken from their ninth studio album, Voices (1980). The song reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1981. The track received 154,000 digital sales between 2008 and 2009 according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Dreamtime is a single from American singer-songwriter Daryl Hall. Co-written by John Beeby, it was issued prior to the release of his second solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Did It in a Minute</span> 1982 single by Hall & Oates

"Did It in a Minute" is a song performed by American duo Hall & Oates. Written by Daryl Hall with Sara and Janna Allen, the song was released as the third of four singles from the duo's tenth studio album Private Eyes in March 1982. Daryl Hall performs lead vocals, while John Oates provides backing harmony vocals.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wolk, Tom "T-Bone" (2006) [1983]. "The Rock 'n Soul Part 1 Sessions". Rock 'n Soul Part 1 (CD liner). Daryl Hall & John Oates. RCA Records/Legacy Recordings. 82876753972.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 116. ISBN   978-0-89820-156-7.
  3. "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 22, 1983. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4382." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  6. "Daryl Hall & John Oates – Say It Isn't So". Top 40 Singles.
  7. "Daryl Hall & John Oates: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  8. "Daryl Hall John Oates Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  9. "Daryl Hall John Oates Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  10. "Daryl Hall John Oates Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  11. "Daryl Hall John Oates Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  12. "Daryl Hall John Oates Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  13. "Hall + Oates".
  14. "Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 51. December 22, 1984. p. TA-19.