Bigger Than Both of Us

Bigger Than Both of Us is the fifth studio album by American pop rock duo Daryl Hall and John Oates. The album was released in August 1976, by RCA Records and peaked at #13 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. The album included the first of their six #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, "Rich Girl" as well as the singles "Back Together Again" (which reached #28) and "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" (which peaked at #39). Hall & Oates released a song titled "Bigger Than Both of Us" on their Beauty on a Back Street album one year later. "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" was covered by The Dramatics in 1979.

Bigger Than Both of Us
Studio album by Daryl Hall & John Oates
Released	August 1976
Studio	Cherokee, Hollywood
Genre	Rock[1] soul[1]
Length	34:51
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Christopher Bond
Daryl Hall & John Oates chronology
Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975) Bigger Than Both of Us (1976) No Goodbyes (1977)
Singles from Bigger Than Both of Us
"Do What You Want, Be What You Are" Released: 1976 "Rich Girl" Released: January 22, 1977 "Back Together Again" Released: April 1977

Cash Box said of "Back Together Again" that "A flowing introduction belies the syncopated phrases that are the foundation of this record's layered verses" and that it contains "some striking instrumental effects."^[2]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Christgau's Record Guide	C+[4]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Back Together Again"	John Oates	3:25
2.	"Rich Girl"	Daryl Hall	2:24
3.	"Crazy Eyes"	Oates	3:03
4.	"Do What You Want, Be What You Are"	Hall, Oates	4:33
5.	"Kerry"	Stephen Dees, Hall	3:50

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"London Luck & Love"	Sara Allen, Hall, Oates	3:01
7.	"Room to Breathe"	Allen, Hall	4:13
8.	"You'll Never Learn"	Hall, Oates	4:14
9.	"Falling"	Hall	6:12

Personnel

• Daryl Hall – lead vocals (except tracks 1, 3 and 8), backing vocals, keyboards, mandola, synthesizer, arrangements
• John Oates – lead vocals on tracks 1, 3 and 8, backing vocals, rhythm guitars, harmonica, arrangements
• Christopher Bond – lead guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, arrangements, string and horn arrangements
• Tom Hensley – acoustic piano
• Scotty Edwards – bass
• Leland Sklar – bass
• Jim Gordon – drums
• Ed Greene – drums
• Slugger Blue – "G kick" drums on "You'll Never Learn"
• Gary Coleman – percussion
• Tom Scott – flute, saxophone, Lyricon
• Charles DeChant – saxophone
• James Getzoff – concertmaster, conductor
• Stephen Dees – co-arrangements on "Kerry"

Production

• Produced by Christopher Bond
• Engineered and Mixed by John Arrias and John Mills
• Strings engineered by Armin Steiner
• Recorded at Cherokee Studios (Hollywood, CA).
• Mixed at Sound Labs (Hollywood, CA).
• Mastered by Allen Zentz at Allen Zentz Mastering (San Clemente, CA).
• Cover Artwork – Ron Barry
• Cover Concept and Design – Daryl Hall
• Cover Photo – Gribbitt Photography
• Insert Photo – Kathy Hohl and Sam Emmerson

References

1. Molanphy, Chris (January 15, 2022). "Rock 'n Soul Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
2. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 30, 1977. p. 18. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
3. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Bigger Than Both of Us – Daryl Hall & John Oates". AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
4. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: H". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.