War Babies (Hall & Oates album)

For other uses, see War baby (disambiguation).

War Babies

Studio album by Hall & Oates

Released

October 19, 1974

Recorded

June – July 1974, Secret Sound Studios, New York

Genre

Art rock, progressive rock

Hall & Oates chronology

Abandoned Luncheonette
(1973)

War Babies
(1974)

Daryl Hall & John Oates
(1975)

War Babies is the third studio album by Hall & Oates, released in 1974, and their last of three albums for Atlantic Records before moving to RCA Records. The album was produced by Todd Rundgren.^[1] Rundgren and other members of Utopia, his then-recently-formed prog-rock band, perform on the record.

The album was a radical departure from the previous two albums, alienating fans of the blue-eyed soul material that dominated the albums. War Babies is a more rock-oriented LP with heavy keyboard work and sarcastic lyrical content. War Babies would be their first charting album, reaching #86 on the Billboard 200.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

Track listing

Side One

"Can't Stop the Music (He Played It Much Too Long)" (Oates) - 2:50
"Is It a Star" (Hall, Oates) - 4:41
"Beanie G and the Rose Tattoo" (Hall) - 3:01
"You're Much Too Soon" (Hall) - 4:08
"70's Scenario" (Hall) - 4:00

Side Two

"War Baby Son of Zorro" (Hall) -4:10
"I'm Watching You (A Mutant Romance)" (Hall) - 4:27
"Better Watch Your Back" (Hall) - 4:15
"Screaming Through December" (Hall) - 6:35
"Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters" (Hall, Oates) - 5:18

Personnel

Daryl Hall - lead vocals (3-10), backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, mandolin, vibraphone
John Oates - backing vocals, lead vocals (1, 2), keyboards, synthesizers, guitar
Todd Rundgren - lead guitar, background vocals
Richie Cerniglia - lead guitar on "Is It a Star"
"Admiral Television" - "soloist" [presumably TV-broadcast noise] on "War Baby Son of Zorro"
Don York - keyboards, arrangements on "Is It a Star", ARP String Ensemble on "70's Scenario"
Tommy Mottola - voice ["Erased Conelrad warning"] on "War Baby Son of Zorro"
John Siegler - bass
John "Willie" Wilcox [credited as "John G. Wilcox"] - drums
Sandy Allen - background vocals on "War Baby Son of Zorro" and "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters"
Gail Boggs - background vocals on "War Baby Son of Zorro" and "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters"
Hello People - background vocals on "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters"

Production

Produced and Engineered by Todd Rundgren
Assistant Engineer: David Lesage
Mastered by Jean Ristori at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York)
Art Direction: Bob Defrin
Artwork: Peter Palombi
Photography: David Gahr and Armin Kachaturian
Musical Assistance: David LaSage and Gene Perla

References

1 2 AllMusic

Hall & Oates

Daryl Hall John Oates

Studio albums	Whole Oats (1972) Abandoned Luncheonette (1973) War Babies (1974) Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975) Bigger Than Both of Us (1976) Beauty on a Back Street (1977) Along the Red Ledge (1978) X-Static (1979) Voices (1980) Private Eyes (1981) H₂O (1982) Big Bam Boom (1984) Ooh Yeah! (1988) Change of Season (1990) Marigold Sky (1997) Do It for Love (2003) Our Kind of Soul (2004) Home for Christmas (2006)

Live albums	Livetime (1978) Live at the Apollo (1985)

Compilation albums	No Goodbyes (1977) Rock 'n Soul Part 1 (1983) The Atlantic Collection (1996) The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates (2001) VH1 Behind the Music: The Daryl Hall and John Oates Collection (2002) Ultimate Daryl Hall + John Oates (2004) The Singles (2008)

Singles	"She's Gone" (1974) "Sara Smile" (1976) "Rich Girl" (1977) "Wait for Me" (1979) "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (1980) "Kiss on My List" (1981) "You Make My Dreams" (1981) "Private Eyes" (1981) "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (1981) "Did It in a Minute" (1982) "Maneater" (1982) "One on One" (1983) "Family Man" (1983) "Jingle Bell Rock" (1983) "Say It Isn't So" (1983) "Adult Education" (1984) "Out of Touch" (1984) "Method of Modern Love" (1985) "A Nite at the Apollo Live! The Way You Do the Things You Do/My Girl" (live) (1985) "Everything Your Heart Desires" (1988) "Love Train" (1989) "So Close" (1990) "Do It for Love" (2002) "Someday We'll Know" (2003) "Getaway Car" (2003) "I'll Be Around" (2004) "Without You" (2004) "I Can Dream About You" (2005) "Ooh Child" (2005) "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" (2006)

Hall solo albums	Sacred Songs (1980) Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine (1986) Soul Alone (1993) Can't Stop Dreaming (1996) Laughing Down Crying (2011)

Oates solo albums	Phunk Shui (2002) John Oates: Live at the Historic Wheeler Opera House (2004) John Oates Solo – The Album, The Concert (2006) 1000 Miles of Life (2008) Mississippi Mile (2011) The Bluesville Sessions (2012) Good Road to Follow (2014)

Related articles	Discography Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates Live from Daryl's House

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