You might be surprised to know that "Callin' Oates" — the Hall & Oates emergency phone hotline that was created in December of 2011 by Michael Selvidge and that went viral shortly thereafter — is going strong, serving up all of the classic Hall & Oates hits you're nostalgic for.
Back in 2011, NPR speculated about why so many folks were drawn to "Callin' Oates":
In the age of Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, why would you pick up your phone to listen to a tinny rendition of "Private Eyes," like you're on hold with customer service? It's hard to imagine why this would be an appealing way to listen to anything, unless you were trapped at the bottom of a well. . .
So obviously, it's not the music. It's the idea. It's the idea that if you pick up your phone and dial a number, a robot lady plays Hall & Oates music on command. People like making things happen and the weirder, the better. It's a Jack-In-The-Box for adults (and semi-adults). You press the button and something happens that you don't need to happen at all.
Does this ring true, almost a decade and a half later? Maybe? Personally, I think Callin' Oates is cool because it's silly, and fun, and provides a little bright spot in the midst of some incredibly challenging times (to say the absolute very least). Sprinkle in some nostalgia and you've clearly got a winning combination.
It's funny, back in 2011, NPR also predicted that Callin' Oates wouldn't have "an extraordinarily long shelf life" because "there's only so much time you can spend on the phone listening to 'Rich Girl.'" Oh how wrong you were, NPR.
I called the emergency hotline tonight and listened to Hall & Oates' 1981 hit, "Private Eyes." I was ten when I first heard it, and at the time thought it was an absolute banger (and, honestly, still dig it). If you had told 10-year-old me that a much older future me would be able to use a cellphone to get access to Private Eyes whenever I wanted—instead of having to listen to the radio and frantically hit "play" on my tape recorder when it came on—my mind would have been blown!
If you desperately need to hear some Hall & Oates—specifically "One on One" (1982), "Rich Girl" (1976), "Maneater" (1982), or "Private Eyes" (1981)—and want to try something more retro (and fun!) than Spotify or YouTube, check out Callin' Oats at 719-26-OATES (719-266-2837).
Ok, I'm off to have a little Hall & Oates dance party! Enjoy Callin' Oats!
Previously:
• Motorized kazoo-equipped Hall and Oates cover
• Pomplamoose covers Hall & Oates' 'Rich Girl'
• This Nine Inch Nails/Hall & Oates mash-up is a wonderful match made in hell
• Daryl Hall gets a restraining order against partner John Oates
• Danzig, Rollins, and Hall & Oates star in a hilarious gay satire of 90s comic books
• Mashup: Hall & Oates vs. Metallica
• Hall & Oates sue Haulin' Oats granola company
