The Perlich Post: John Oates shares reggae version of "Maneater"

Friday, May 19, 2023

John Oates shares reggae version of "Maneater" – as he first envisioned it!

John Oates originally came up with the idea for Hall & Oates' "Maneater" on a trip to Jamaica. Check out his new reggae version.

Here's the scoop...

May 19, 2023 – John Oates (of the iconic pop-rock duo Daryl Hall & John Oates) is thrilled to release his re-imagination of the hit song “Maneater” as the reggae tune he always thought it could be. Oates originally came up with the chorus hook idea in the reggae style after coming back from a trip to Jamaica in the early 1980s. Last year, while appearing on the critically-acclaimed Questlove podcast, Oates told that story and an avalanche of listeners messaged in that they would love to hear that version. This overwhelming response lead Oates to reach out to his producer friend, Native Wayne Jobson who organized a recording session in Kingston, Jamaica assembling a veritable “who’s who” of legendary reggae musicians. The result is an amazing remake of this classic hit.

The credits include:

Producer - Native Wayne Jobson (No Doubt, Toots & the Maytals, Lee “Scratch” Perry)

Drums - Sly Dunbar (Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Dylan)

Guitar - Chinna Smith (Bob Marley & the Wailers, Buju Banton)

Bass - Chris Meredith (Lauryn Hill, Burning Spear)

Keyboards - Robbie Lyn (Desmond Dekker, Peter Tosh, Missy Elliott)

Backing Vocals - Rome Ramirez (Sublime with Rome, Rome & Duddy)

Saxophone - Jim Hoke (Dolly Parton, Paul McCartney, Emmylou Harris)

Trumpet - Emmanuel Echem (Boyz II Men, Joss Stone, Kirk Franklin)

Oates says, “I tried to approach the reggae version of ‘Maneater' as if I was a new artist, as if I was not associated with Hall & Oates in any way. I wanted to see if I could reimagine it in a way that would make it fresh again and really work with the vibe of the players who were in that were in the studio in Jamaica.”

“Maneater” (Reggae Version) is the fifth release from his recent series of standalone singles including the Louis Armstrong cover “What A Wonderful World,” the Timmy Thomas cover “Why Can't We Live Together,” and originals “Disconnected” and Pushin’ A Rock.”

In support of his new music Oates will be touring through out the year. Check the dates below. Watch John discuss the origins of "Maneater" with Questlove followed by a clip of the reggae version of "Maneater"