John Oates has revisited a song he recorded on tape in 1992, reshaping it as a 1960s-inspired doo-wop single about the uncertainty of young love.
by Paul Cashmere
John Oates has released “Goodnight Or Goodbye”, a song that began as a recording made more than three decades ago and has now been completed as a new single. Oates discovered the old tape and returned to the song with a specific musical idea, using 1960s doo-wop as the framework for a story about teenage uncertainty. The single is available on streaming platforms as Oates continues a series of solo performances through the remainder of 2026.
The release provides another example of Oates drawing on earlier periods of American popular music while continuing his work outside Hall & Oates. Rather than presenting the song as a newly written composition, Oates has identified its unusual history as central to the recording. The original version was captured in 1992, when Hall & Oates had already spent two decades building one of the most commercially successful catalogues in pop and soul.
Oates explained that the song was rediscovered on an old tape and that its subject matter suggested a retro treatment.
“I rediscovered this song on an old tape that I recorded in 1992. I wanted to tap into the uncertainty of young love, and it seemed like a ’60s retro approach kind of fit that teenage dilemma. Plus, I just wanted to find an excuse to do a ’60s-style doo-wop tune and sing all the background harmonies.”
The approach places vocal arrangement at the centre of the new recording. Oates has been both a lead vocalist and harmony singer throughout his career, and the layered backing vocals provide a direct connection to the vocal-group traditions that influenced American pop and R&B.
Oates began his recording career in 1966 with The Masters before meeting Daryl Hall at Temple University in Philadelphia. The pair formed Hall & Oates and signed with Atlantic Records by 1972. Their catalogue eventually included 21 albums, more than 20 Top 40 hits and 10 No. 1 records, with worldwide sales reported at more than 80 million units.
Although Oates became internationally identified with Hall & Oates, his solo recording career developed over several decades. His first solo album, Phunk Shui, was released in 2002, followed by 1000 Miles of Life in 2008, Mississippi Mile in 2011 and Good Road to Follow in 2014. His subsequent work has moved through blues, roots, Americana, R&B and soul, including Arkansas with The Good Road Band in 2018.
His solo catalogue continued with Reunion in 2024 and the self-titled Oates in 2025. The latter reflects the R&B, pop and soul influences that have remained part of his musical vocabulary. Oates has also maintained a live career encompassing full-band performances and more intimate shows built around songs and stories.
The decision to revisit a 1992 recording is consistent with a broader feature of Oates’ solo work: a willingness to explore music that predates his biggest commercial successes. His early influences included rock ‘n’ roll, folk and classic soul and R&B, while his later work has also incorporated country blues and traditional American styles.
Oates was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004 and entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Hall & Oates. His memoir, Change of Season, was published in 2017.
“Goodnight Or Goodbye” now gives Oates another recording connected to his long musical history, although its route to release is distinctly different from a conventional new composition. The song was written and recorded in an earlier period, rediscovered years later and given a fresh production approach designed around its original subject.
Oates will continue performing across the United States through December, with dates ranging from theatre and casino appearances to intimate music venues. The performances follow the release of “Goodnight Or Goodbye” and extend an active period for Oates as a solo artist.
Tour Dates
September 23, Lorain, OH, Lorain Palace Theatre
September 25, Niagara Falls, NY, Seneca Niagara
September 26, Niagara Falls, NY, Seneca Niagara
September 29, Phoenix, AZ, Musical Instrument Museum
September 30, Phoenix, AZ, Musical Instrument Museum
October 2, Menlo Park, CA, The Guild Theatre
October 3, Stateline, NV, Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
October 21, Winston, Salem, NC, The Ramkat & Gas Hill Drinking
October 23, Newtown, CT, Edmond Town Hall
October 25, East Greenwich, RI, Greenwich Odeum
October 27, Philadelphia, PA, City Winery Philly
November 7, Spokane, WA, Spokane Live
December 28, Beaver Creek, CO, Vilar Center
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