Darryl Hall's Dreamtime

Oh, Darryl Hall. 

He wrote several Hall and Oates songs, sang lead, and took the lead roles in their videos. With that kind of exposure, his solo,albums should sell like mad. It’s a natural extensions of his art.

No one buys Darryl Hall without John Oates’ name attached.

In late 1984, Hall and Oates release Big Bang Boom. It was a huge album. “Out of Touch” was a number one song. The follow up songs were Top 10 hits. They toured through most of 1985 to giant stages. 

Hall and Oates were known for their love of soul music from Philadelphia. Take a listen to their song, “She's Gone.” In 1985, Hall and Oates took the stage with David Ruffan and Eddie Kendricks and recorded a live album. 

It's difficult to top a year like this. They needed a break. John Oates reconnected with family. Darryl Hall did a solo album. 

“Dreamtime” was the lead off track. Hall's singing is strong. He sustains this opening howl note. The guitars don't overtake the music or Hall's voice. The drums are light and bouncy. Mix in some keyboards and you have a fun fast song. 

Dreamtime was a top 5 hit in America. It seemed like a promising start to a solo career. It happened for Phil Collins. Mick Jagger had solo success about that time in the 1980s. 

‘Dreamtime” was Hall’s only top 10 hit. For a solo hit, it was a great song. That solo career didn’t happen. He would release more critically acclaimed solo albums. None of those songs would hit the heights of “Dreamtime.”