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ABC News September 14, 2017

Daryl Hall says he and John Oates 'don't have anything to say together creatively'

PHOTO: Daryl Hall and John Oates perform during the Daryl Hall & John Oats And Tears For Fears Concert at the Prudential Center, June 17, 2017 in Newark, N.J.
Brian Killian/Getty Images
Daryl Hall and John Oates perform during the Daryl Hall & John Oats And Tears For Fears Concert at the Prudential Center, June 17, 2017 in Newark, N.J.

While Daryl Hall and John Oates still tour together -- in fact, they're on tour now -- the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers haven't made a studio album together since 2006.

And it seems there's a very good reason for that.

"Because we don't have anything to say together creatively. How's that?" Hall bluntly told the San Jose Mercury News.

"We exist for what we did together in the past," he added. "But as one grows up, one becomes more individualistic in one's life. When you are 20 years old, you need a buddy. When you're ... 70 years old, you don't need a buddy as bad. So what we do is work separately. And we're very happy about it."

Hall, 70, also explained why their act's official name is Daryl Hall & John Oates, and not "Hall & Oates," as people often refer to them.

"The reason we've always insisted on our full names is because we consider ourselves to be two individual artists. We're not really a classic duo in that respect," he told the newspaper. "We don't really do a lot together other than share a stage."

The singer added, "We always wanted to be looked at as separate people ... It's just one of those things. For the most part, people do relate to us as individual artists as well as for what we do together."

But evidently, Hall's desire for him and Oates, 69, to be seen as "separate people" isn't entirely working.

The Mercury News informed him that when you so a Google search for "Hall & Oates," the first related question that comes up is, "Which one is Oates?"

"That's what came up after all these years? 'Which one is John Oates?'" Hall replied, laughing. "Well, that's the f------ stupidest thing I've ever heard."