The classic Hall and Oates anthem ‘Maneater’ turns 40
The 1980s provided many timeless cuts, and a handful of the best came from the American duo Hall and Oates, with their blend of soft rock and soul so iconic, giving us hits such as ‘You Make My Dreams’ and ‘I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)’.
A pair of total legends who were formerly rivals, the type of combined power they espouse is a rare commodity in music, meaning that since they first broke through, they’ve been coveted among the very best of their generation. Whilst Daryl and John have created many incredible tracks, to many, their ultimate piece comes in the form of 1982’s ‘Maneater’, which features one of their most well-known choruses, and a funky, Supremes-inspired bassline.
Taken from the pair’s eleventh album, 1982’s H2O, the track was a resounding success. It reached number one on the American Hot 100 on December 18th of that year, only weeks after it first permeated the airwaves. It also marks a significant point in the pair’s career as it remained there for four weeks, more than any other of their other number ones.
At the time of the release, Hall touched on the refreshing sound of the song and mentioned that both he and Oates wanted to make music better with it. He said: “We try and take chances. Our new single ‘Maneater’ isn’t something that sounds like anything else on the radio. The idea is to make things better.”
When speaking to American Songwriter in 2009 about the track, Hall remembered that Oates wrote the demo, but it took some work to get the final product we all love today. He said he wanted to change the groove from Oates’ original one, and afterwards, when the pair showed it to the songwriter Sara Allen, who just so happened to be Hall’s partner, she told them how to wrap up the now-iconic chorus.
Hall said: “John had written a prototype of ‘Maneater’; he was banging it around with Edgar Winter. It was like a reggae song. I said, ‘Well, the chords are interesting, but I think we should change the groove.’ I changed it to that Motown kind of groove. So we did that, and I played it for Sara Allen and sang it for her…[Sings] ‘Oh here she comes / Watch out boy she’ll chew you up / Oh here she comes / She’s a maneater… and a… ‘I forget what the last line was. She said, ‘drop that shit at the end and go, ‘She’s a maneater,’ and stop! And I said, ‘No, you’re crazy, that’s messed up’. Then I thought about it, and I realized she was right. And it made all the difference in the song.”
Elsewhere, Oates revealed more information about the track. He explained that although people might assume that the lyrics are about a woman, they are much more profound. He said that it’s “about NYC in the ’80s. It’s about greed, avarice, and spoiled riches. But we have it in the setting of a girl because it’s more relatable. It’s something that people can understand. That’s what we do all of the time”. Interestingly, Oates’ admission came after he described the pair using the same approach on their earlier hit ‘I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)’.
‘Maneater’ is a legendary cut, and it will always be. So today, on its 40th birthday, why not give it a spin and remember the brilliance of Daryl Hall and John Oates as they take you on a trip down memory lane.
