So Close (Hall & Oates song)
Encyclopedia
"So Close" is a 1990 song by American pop
duo Hall & Oates
. It was written by Daryl Hall
& George Green and co-written by Jon Bon Jovi
& Danny Kortchmar
, as well as produced by Bon Jovi and Kortchmar. The song was released as the lead single
from the Change of Season
album and peaked at number 11 in the United States and number four in Canada. An acoustic version of the song also appears on the album and as a B-side
of the single.
chart the same month.
It peaked at number 11 in December and spent 19 weeks on the chart. "So Close" was Hall & Oates' 29th and most recent single to reach the Top 40 section of the chart. The song also reached number 11 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, number 14 on the Singles Sales chart,
and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart.
The single peaked at number four in Canada
and ranked number 36 on RPM
magazine's year-end chart.
It was less commercially successful in the United Kingdom
, where it spent a sole week on the UK Singles Chart
at number 69.
magazine, writer Ted Friedman described the single as "overproduced" and "butchered," but added, "To hear what a gorgeous song it really is, check out the acoustic version that ends the album."
The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music
, edited by Colin Larkin
, stated that producers Bon Jovi and Kortchmar "added a strong rock
flavour to [Hall & Oates'] sound".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic wrote that the song was the exception on an album that he felt was "largely undistinguished, relying more on sound than songcraft".
A previously unreleased live version of "So Close", which appears on the 2009 box set Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall and John Oates,
was called "impressive" by Ben Ratliff of The New York Times
.
12" Vinyl, CD
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
duo Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
. It was written by Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall is an American rock, R&B and soul singer, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and producer, best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of Hall & Oates . Hall scored several Billboard chart hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, and is regarded as one of the best blue eyed soul singers...
& George Green and co-written by Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
& Danny Kortchmar
Danny Kortchmar
Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar is a guitarist, session musician, and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as David Crosby, Carole King, Graham Nash, Carly Simon and James Taylor helped define the signature sound of the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s...
, as well as produced by Bon Jovi and Kortchmar. The song was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from the Change of Season
Change of Season
Change of Season is the fourteenth studio album from Daryl Hall & John Oates, released in 1990. The lead single "So Close" was co-written with Jon Bon Jovi and Danny Kortchmar, and hit a high of #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Track listing:...
album and peaked at number 11 in the United States and number four in Canada. An acoustic version of the song also appears on the album and as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the single.
Release and reception
"So Close" was released as a single in September 1990, and it debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart the same month.
It peaked at number 11 in December and spent 19 weeks on the chart. "So Close" was Hall & Oates' 29th and most recent single to reach the Top 40 section of the chart. The song also reached number 11 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, number 14 on the Singles Sales chart,
and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart.
The single peaked at number four in Canada
and ranked number 36 on RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
magazine's year-end chart.
It was less commercially successful in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it spent a sole week on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 69.
Critical response
Music critics have given "So Close" generally mixed reviews. In the January 1991 issue of SpinSpin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine, writer Ted Friedman described the single as "overproduced" and "butchered," but added, "To hear what a gorgeous song it really is, check out the acoustic version that ends the album."
The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music was created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the 'modern man's' equivalent of the Grove Dictionary of Music which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms.-History of the encyclopedia:...
, edited by Colin Larkin
Colin Larkin (writer)
Colin Larkin was the editor and founder of the Encyclopedia of Popular Music, described by Jools Holland as 'without question the most useful reference work on popular music' and by The Times as 'the standard against which all others must be judged’....
, stated that producers Bon Jovi and Kortchmar "added a strong rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
flavour to [Hall & Oates'] sound".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic wrote that the song was the exception on an album that he felt was "largely undistinguished, relying more on sound than songcraft".
A previously unreleased live version of "So Close", which appears on the 2009 box set Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall and John Oates,
was called "impressive" by Ben Ratliff of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Track listing
7" Vinyl12" Vinyl, CD
Chart performance
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 6 |
| Canadian Singles Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
4 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
69 |