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Topic: Family man, Hall and oates< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
jonnyw Offline




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Posted: Jan. 15 2007, 19:11

I'm sure we have had this before on tubular, but my dad asked me today, was mikes one the original? or was hall and oates the original?


Either way i dont like the hall and oates version.. too cheesey with the 80's synths.


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Reed and pipe organ.
Glockenspeil.
Bass guitar.
Vocal chords.
Two slightly sampled electric guitars.
The venitian effect.
Digital sound processor.
And Tubular bells.

Solo music - http://-terrapin-.bebo.com

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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: Jan. 15 2007, 21:32

Mike's is the original; Hall and Oates covered. Mike wrote the music; the lyrics were a group effort. According to Korgscrew, Maggie Reilly, Rick Fenn, Morris Pert, Tim Cross, and Mike Frye were co-authors but it is not clear as to who wrote which verses.

Here is some of what I found rummaging around in the articles section (search "family man" as a phrase to find more):

From: the 1991 Virgin Biography http://tubular.net/articles/91_xxb.shtml :

The Album, whose sleeve appropriately showed an aircraft in flight, was Oldfield's biggest since Ommadawn, returning him to Top 10 of the UK chart for the first time in seven years, while it also spawned two minor hit singles in the title track and Family Man. Both hits featured Maggie Reilly, who would play a prominent part in Oldfield's next big hit, but even before that happened, Daryl Hall & John Oates cut a cover version of Family Man which reached the USA Top 10 and the UK Top 20.

From: Stereo Review, July 1982: http://tubular.net/articles/82_07.shtml :

Just as the tour is designed to support the new album from one side, a single has been released to drum up a little interest from the other: "Family Man" is a playful foray into New Wave that's about an awkward, embarrassing exchange between a hooker and a reluctant john.

"It's a fun thing, but what worries me is that if 'Family Man' is a hit, everybody's going to be saying, "He must be making an album of things like that." But it's not like anything else I've ever done. It's good, but it's not representative...not important."

What is representative? That's not easy to define, even for Oldfield himself. Asked to give a name to the kind of music he makes, he was somewhat at a loss.

"It's just me. It relates to hundreds of different sorts of music in different ways, every little bit of music that ever made me think, "Oh, I like that" - English blues, English hard rock, a bit of bluegrass, Irish music, synthesizer music, classical music, even nursery rhymes and children's music."

From the Tubular Bells III press conference, September 5, 1998:
http://tubular.net/articles/98_09j.shtml :

About the party life in Ibiza, do you put something special into your playing of Family Man?

"Family Man was written ages ago, 15 years ago actually, it wasn't really connected with Ibiza. In fact I had other writers in the lyrics of Family Man. I wrote all the music in the chorus and those other writers wrote the verses. It's a great live song and I enjoyed it playing live."


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olracUK Offline




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Posted: Jan. 16 2007, 08:01

And something funny - all the writing credits for the Hall and Oates version quote "Kim Cross" :D

I'm sure Tim Cross saw the funny side of that.


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The answer is 42 - but what is the question?
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moonchildhippy Offline




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Posted: Jan. 16 2007, 19:34

Quote (Inkanta @ Jan. 16 2007, 02:32)
"It's a fun thing, but what worries me is that if 'Family Man' is a hit, everybody's going to be saying, "He must be making an album of things like that." But it's not like anything else I've ever done. It's good, but it's not representative...not important."

What is representative? That's not easy to define, even for Oldfield himself. Asked to give a name to the kind of music he makes, he was somewhat at a loss.

"It's just me. It relates to hundreds of different sorts of music in different ways, every little bit of music that ever made me think, "Oh, I like that" - English blues, English hard rock, a bit of bluegrass, Irish music, synthesizer music, classical music, even nursery rhymes and children's music."

Unfortunately I knew of the Hall and Oates :p  cover of Family Man long before I knew about Mike having written it . If I hear anything by H&O 80's cheesy pop, it makes me feel rather sick.

I too wouldn't say that Family Man is representative of Mike's sound, I guess it's perhaps a bit out of place on Five Miles Out, it doesn't seem to go with the flow of the rest of tha album.

Which brings me onto the question of what is  representative of Mike's music? I guess it's hard to define as Mike has covered so many genres of music over the years, Symphonic, Classical, Folk, Rock/Metal, Dance, Trance, Techno or what ever it's called.  I have heard of Mike as being described as "Progressive", I guess this could be so, infact I seem to remember reading that Mike's music could be called "Oldfield Progressive" , much as I hate to define music into restrictive categories I think "Oldfield Progressive" is much more open. Generally  Mike has written/writes music to please himself rather than pandering to the whims of Mr Branson, except for the latter part of the 80's .


--------------
I'm going slightly mad,
It finally happened, I'm slightly mad , just very slightly mad

If you feel a little glum to Hergest Ridge you should come.


I'm challenging  taboos surrounding mental health


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I'M SUPPORTING OUR SOLDIERS

BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!!
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Marky Offline




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Posted: Jan. 17 2007, 06:05

I knew Oldfield had been covered by Hall and Oats and fondly remember being told by a boy at school that it was they and not he who had written it, to the extent that he dared me to bet money on it. I took the bet and simply told him to go home and bring in his copy of the single to prove his point because I knew it would have writing credits. He went home alright but turned up with just the money instead.... ha ha ha! Evil, eh? Guess I owe Mike a quid but as I plugged his record perhaps I should send him a bill?

This was in the mid 1980s so with inflation....ummm....
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Bassman Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 13:39

Old thread, I know...

But every once in a while I'll pull out the Hall & Oates version just to see if maybe the passage of time will be kinder to it....

... nope.  Still lousy.  Nothing against them-I like their music.  If I had heard their version first it might have been a different story, but... nope.

Their version is just too mannered.  Like it's a polite approximation of the manic demeanor that MO's original cut so beautifully oozes.  Add to that the fact that it's far more effective to be sung by a woman.

How's this for an idea:  Mike cuts "Maneater" with Nikki Bentley.  She has a wicked voice!
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Harmono Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 15:12

About the lyrics and difference between the two versions.

Tim Cross: I wrote the majority of the words of Family Man, and it was based on Rick Fenn,who when offered the services of groupies etc would decline because he was "A family man"....it became a bit of a tour joke, so when we were searching for lyrical ideas, which were not Mike's strength I wrote the main part, Later, MO and Maggie Riley wrote an extra verse, which I really hated, because I'd left it in the air whether he would or wouldn't, and they'd rather artlessly pointed out the obvious. I felt completely vindicated when Hall and Oates left that verse off their version.

Tim Cross Q&A
http://tubular.net/articles/07_11.shtml
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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 17:23

They also managed to make a complete dog`s breakfast of a video for it as well

White soul boys go dope!

Crikey and I thought Hey Jude had a long fade out,but this one takes the (cheese) biscuit.Incidentally what the hell has Daryl Hall got on his feet for the She`s Gone video?Seventies or not there was surely no excuse for that sort of behaviour.Still they sounded a lot better in the 70`s though that`s for sure.

Can anyone remember those "Hall & Oates In The Community" sketches from Big Train a few years back?Could`nt find any of them up on youtube unfortunatly but they were absolutely hilarious.
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Bassman Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 17:40

I just sat through it again and I've decided I wasn't sufficiently hard enough on it the first time.

Marvel!  at their perfectly coiffed hair!

Gasp!  at the misogynistic concept of the harried husband!

Cringe!  at G.E. Smith playing electric guitar chords on an acoustic!

Pray!  that at some point Beavis & Butthead will appear to put it all into perspective!

Can I get an Amen, brothers and sisters!!!!????  Peace...out.
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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 17:44

Sorry but I just had to post a link for the She`s Gone video as well if only so you can see those shoes for yourselves.Watch out for some fantastic smoke ventrilliquisim from Mr Hall as well.What a truly talented dude.

"I`d pay the devil to replace her."  :p Heh heh I see what they did there,very subtle.

She`s Gone

God only knows what Beavis & Butthead would`ve made of this classic Bassman   :O Nice tune though,always quite liked it myself.
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Bassman Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 17:54

No words...

No words...

Should... have... sent... a... poet.
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Sir Mustapha Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 22:09

Wow, the Family Man video is total 80's overkill, and the Evil Moustache of DEATH is coming to get me at night... *shudder*!

And, of course, I had to drop a line to the "Oh the 80's were like soo much better than today's music" kids.


--------------
Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds.
Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com
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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 23:05

Quote (Sir Mustapha @ Mar. 22 2008, 22:09)
Wow, the Family Man video is total 80's overkill, and the Evil Moustache of DEATH is coming to get me at night... *shudder*!

And, of course, I had to drop a line to the "Oh the 80's were like soo much better than today's music" kids.

:laugh: Evil Moustache of Death heh heh..The guy failed the audition for The Village People apparently for looking too ridiculous.

Ah but Sir M I must pull you on your comment to the "80`s kids" Because if it was`nt for people like The Waterboys and Robyn Hitchcock who came out of the 80`s.Then IMO The Decemberists would`nt exist.Still fair comment though, and a great band.Nice to see another fan of them on the forum.

If there`s one decade I`d hate to be stuck in frozen in time it would have to be the 80`s.Although if it was possible to go back there it would be quite fun in a perverse sort of way just to show a nonchalant tired disdain for everything.Mind you now I come to think about it that was pretty much what I spent that entire decade doing anyway...Good grief what a waste of ten bloody years.
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Bassman Offline




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Posted: Mar. 22 2008, 23:42

I CANNOT allow you guys to make fun of Geraldo Rivera's moustache like this!

@ Dirk.  Do NOT consider the 10 years a waste-now or ever.  It is our moral OBLIGATION to ridicule the intolerable where ever it raises it's Mike Score-coiffed head.
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Sir Mustapha Offline




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Posted: Mar. 23 2008, 00:36

Quote (Dirk Star @ Mar. 22 2008, 23:05)
Ah but Sir M I must pull you on your comment to the "80`s kids" Because if it was`nt for people like The Waterboys and Robyn Hitchcock who came out of the 80`s.Then IMO The Decemberists would`nt exist.

I hope I didn't sound like I hate the 80's and everything that came from it. Overall, it was a pretty deplorable decade, but there's still quite  a handful of bands I really like that hit it big in the 80's: The Cure, Talking Heads, Rush (to an extent), Men at Work, R.E.M. and others. It's just that I shudder when I see people longing for the "good old days" when music was oh so much better than all the "crap" we have today when, in fact, music has always had its fair share of crap in every decade, and we have a ton of great music knocking on our doors everyday. If we refuse to stick our heads outside and listen is our own problem. Some people just insist in thinking of, say, the 90's as the decade of Britney and N'Sync when it was, in fact, the decade of OK Computer, The Soft Bulletin and Ágætis Byrjun. :)

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Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds.
Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com
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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Mar. 23 2008, 08:35

Quote (Bassman @ Mar. 22 2008, 23:42)
I CANNOT allow you guys to make fun of Geraldo Rivera's moustache like this!

@ Dirk.  Do NOT consider the 10 years a waste-now or ever.  It is our moral OBLIGATION to ridicule the intolerable where ever it raises it's Mike Score-coiffed head.

:D I knew I`d seen that guy somewhere before.

Sadly for some people during the 80`s though Bassman,ridicule was nothing to be scared of. :p I quite agree with your sentiment though.I shall re-evaluate my manifesto of negativity immediatly.

And hey Sir M you did`nt sound like you completely hated all things 80`s at all.I was just having a little nit-pick there I suppose. ;) In all reality many of my favourite albums were recorded during that decade in a list too long to mention.But the music that really sucked in the 80`s could really take the chrome off Imo.And chrome was all the rage back then was`nt it you could`nt bloody move for the stuff.
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Sweetpea Offline




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Posted: Aug. 31 2008, 14:57

Quote (Dirk Star @ Mar. 23 2008, 08:35)
In all reality many of my favourite albums were recorded during that decade in a list too long to mention.But the music that really sucked in the 80`s could really take the chrome off Imo.And chrome was all the rage back then was`nt it you could`nt bloody move for the stuff.

I have a lot of favorites from the 80s, too. I think it's stuff like Hall & Oates, et al, that give the decade a bad name.

I kinda miss parachute pants.


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"I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty
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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Sep. 01 2008, 08:06

[quote=Sweetpea,Aug. 31 2008, 19:57][/quote]
Quote
I kinda miss parachute pants.


:laugh: Yeah but if they ever make a comeback let`s just hope MC Hammer is`nt in them.Although saying that while I was away camping last week,I was heard to utter the phrase "Hammer Time" on more than one occasion whilst putting the pegs in.So I guess he never really went away at all somehow!?

I actualy listened to Mike`s Family Man song just a couple of weeks back and I was kind of sitting side on very close to the right speaker.Anyway I had`nt noticed that for some reason or other my left speaker was turned off.Until that is that the first of those little guitar runs that Mike plays on the track started to come in after the verses..WTF??..I kind of thought to myself at first tilting my head to one side slightly.Because I actualy thought for a second I`d been beamed back to the Hall & Oates version in some bizzare way.You know I always felt that they really butchered those guitar parts big time.And it was one of the main reasons why I never particularly liked their version of it.But the strange thing was that until that freak "one speaker moment" I`d never realised that there was actualy two guitar parts going on there slightly out of sync with each other.Or with some sort of delay effect going on there at least,I dunno I feel like I need to listen to it more closely now.Kind of one speaker at a time if that does`nt sound too sad or fan obsessed. :p Anyway I immediatly came to the conclusion that Hall & Oates obviously had a defective speaker on their 80`s boombox thing when they were trying to work out the guitar parts for that song.You know I can see them sat there now only half listening with their deely boppers on trying to do a Rubik`s Cube or something at the same time...They only learned one of the bloody guitar parts for crying out loud...Heathens!
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Major Gowen Offline




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Posted: Sep. 01 2008, 22:52

Quote (Dirk Star @ Mar. 22 2008, 17:23)
They also managed to make a complete dog`s breakfast of a video for it as well

White soul boys go dope!

Crikey and I thought Hey Jude had a long fade out,but this one takes the (cheese) biscuit.Incidentally what the hell has Daryl Hall got on his feet for the She`s Gone video?Seventies or not there was surely no excuse for that sort of behaviour.Still they sounded a lot better in the 70`s though that`s for sure.

Can anyone remember those "Hall & Oates In The Community" sketches from Big Train a few years back?Could`nt find any of them up on youtube unfortunatly but they were absolutely hilarious.

I remember the Big Train Hall & Oates sketch very fondly. They ended up in the canteen with the Eurythmics, providing the utterly surreal idea of rock duos being called in to solve council estates' problems. Big Train did like their musical absurdities, what with Keith Emerson and his keyboard solos in their Gladiator take-off: "Palmer drowned in a lake, and Lake became a slave in Parma" - glorious stuff.
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Dirk Star Offline




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Posted: Sep. 02 2008, 02:49

[quote=Major Gowen,Sep. 02 2008, 03:52][/quote]
Quote
Big Train did like their musical absurdities,


Yes they did some really fantasticaly inspired sketches involving groups and musical artistes etc.My own personal faves were the "George Martin gets held hostage" sketch, which I`ve already linked on this forum before."Chairman Mao singing Roxy Music`s Virginia Plain" uncannily very similar to the original.But my all time fave has to be the wild west shoot out between Chaka Khan & The Brothers Gibb. Such a greatly under-rated series imo,wish there had been more of them.
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