Q&A: Daryl Hall & John Oates

Can you explain how the dance number inclusion of "You Make My Dreams" in (500) Days of Summer occurred, and if there were any funny or interesting stories that came from that? Do you think that film is responsible for connecting your music to a younger generation?

As far as I know it was an artistic decision by the filmmakers and all I can say it that when I watched it in the movie theater the entire audience started clapping along to the music and the scene… I had never experienced that in a movie before.  The song seemed to embody the exhilaration of being young and falling in love.  The perfect marriage of visuals and music.

You’ve released many compilations. The new box set "Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Hall & Oates" is the most comprehensive to date, what else makes it special?

The fact that we were “hands on” in the creation of the Box Set.  We both worked closely with the folks at Sony Legacy all of whom had a real passion and commitment to making this collection something definitive and representative of the career we’ve had and the music we created together.

Was it tough narrowing down material from the vaults for the set?

Not a tough as you might think.  Many of the outtakes we found were not included on the original albums because they just weren’t that good.  The most interesting material was the live tracks from the early 70’s that I discovered on an old video tape from our first concert in London at the New Victoria Theater.

Your music continues being sampled and referenced by hip-hop artists, cult TV shows, and video games. How do you manage to be continually part of the cultural zeitgeist?

The true test of time for a songwriter and producer is whether the music they make holds up and still communicates and resonates with future generations. This is not something you can plan or expect but something that happens because of the authenticity of an artist’s unique way of expressing themselves.

What was your favorite album of 2009?

I can’t honestly say I have a favorite album and seldom revisit any albums, except perhaps those from my teenage years… but I do have a lot of favorite songs…too many to mention.

Which recent artist would you like to collaborate with and why?

If I mention one where would I stop? I think there is a welcome resurgence in the new generation of songwriters and artists in every genre from pop to R&B, to country and Americana. I am blessed to still be considered in their company.

Have you seen "Yacht Rock," the online show that lovingly parodies 70 & 80s era smooth music? What did you think of it?

To be parodied, I guess, just means you are well known enough to be iconic and recognized by the world… if you didn’t matter no one would use you as symbol.

Your music combines so many genres; folk, soul, rock, pop etc. What’s next for Hall And Oates?

Our collective musical history is our future.

You have 34 singles that have charted on the Billboard 100. Many fans come to you shows to hear these hits and you seem happy to play them but do you get tired of them? Musically, what do you do to make the music feel fresh to you?

We play the songs we still enjoy playing and luckily for us we have a lot of them.  Our band constantly re-invents the arrangments and  any song that feels “tired” gets put in the back room of the museum until we are ready for a new exhibit.

Many artists including Michael Jackson and Eddie Van Halen have admitted to borrowing from your work. Which artists have you borrowed from?

The entire history of American music that has come before us. Pre Rock and Roll, from our childhood through out our teens and twenties.

(500) Days of Summer is available on DVD and BD December 22.