Hall & Oates are icons in the music industry, hits galore in their catalog. Consequently, they've been in positions to work with other superstars and legends throughout their illustrious careers. One such instance saw the duo perform for Live Aid in Philadelphia on June 1985. The event is usually known for its high profile performances, all the stars to help good causes.
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This particular instance saw Hall and Oates bring out former Temptations members Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin. They would tag team to knock out records like "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," "The Way You Do the Things You Do" and "My Girl." It was a blockbuster effort in spotlighting Motown classics. This would've been plenty in any other context. However, the group still had one more surprise. What if they brought out Rolling Stones icon Mick Jagger for the proceedings too? What could that have been like?
Recently, in separate conversations with Billboard, the pair reveal what that massive moment was like.
Hall & Oates Talk About The Surreal Experience Performing With Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger comes on stage and he plays his solo records, "Lonely at the Top" and "Just Another Night" as well as the Rolling Stones' "Miss You." Finally, Tina Turner gets a piece of the action, taking an absent Michael Jackson's place. For the "Out of Touch" duo, it was massive for them to be apart of history.
"I felt the significance of it, that's the best way to put it," Hall tells the publication. "It was one of those moments where we knew something significant was happening." Meanwhile, Oates says, "At the time we were at the top of our game in the world of pop. And it was Philadelphia, so it made sense for us to be there. The vibe was great and the energy was just insane. It was something I'll never forget."
Additionally, when it came to rehearsing, it was surreal to see Jagger treat it like they were doing the full on performance. Still, at the end of the day, the pair knew that the performance would be bigger than themselves. "Considering what we were there for, which was starving people in Africa, it was a joyous event," Hall says. "I would just keep bumping into people and meeting people. Everybody was smiling and shaking hands. It was a really friendly event considering it was the top of the world's artists at the time. And 'cause we were at the end of the show I got to see everybody as they were performing, one after the other after the other. It was really the ultimate experience to watch as well as participate in."
