HALL & OATES - I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO)

Publicació: novembre de 1981

Llistes: EUA: #1 (1 setmana) Regne Unit: #8

"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" és una cançó del duo nord-americà Daryl Hall i John Oates, escrita per tots dos amb Sara Allen, i va ser llançada com a segon senzill del seu àlbum de 1981 "Private Eyes". La cançó es va convertir en el quart senzill número u de la seva carrera al Billboard Hot 100.

"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" va ser una frase que va utilitzar Daryl Hall quan se'l va pressionar perquè anés amb el que volia la gent en contra dels seus desitjos. Després d'una sessió de gravació de l'àlbum “Private Eyes” als Electric Lady Studios (Nova York), Hall, Oates i l'enginyer Neil Kernon van improvisar aquesta cançó. En una entrevista a Mix Magazine, Daryl Hall recorda: "Recordeu l'antiga caixa de ritmes Roland CompuRhythm? Vaig dirigir-me al estudi 1, em vaig asseure davant un orgue Korg que havia allà i vaig començar a tocar aquesta línia de baix que em ballava pel cap. És la vella història de l'estudi de gravació: l'enginyer va escoltar el que estava fent i va encendre la màquina de gravar. Ben fet, perquè sóc el tipus de persona que te una idea i se’n oblida. En uns 10 minuts van sorgir els acords, i després vaig escoltar un riff de guitarra, que vaig demanar a John, que estava assegut a la cabina, que toqués". John Oates continua en la mateixa entrevista: "Daryl va aportar aquesta gran línia de baix,i va tenir els acords deseguida. Després vaig connectar la meva Strat de 1958 directament a la taula i vam anar pel ritme". L'endemà Hall i la seva xicota Sara Allen van escriure la lletra. Hall recorda: "Vaig escriure la majoria de la lletra, però la Sara va aportar algunes idees. Vaig cantar i vam anar modelant la cançó, res tan simple com això!"

Michael Jackson va confessar que aquesta cançó va influir molt en la seva exitosa cançó "Billie Jean". Daryl Hall recorda que quan tots dos estaven gravant "We are the World", Jackson li va dir que esperava que no li molestés que li hgués copiat el ritme. Hall li va dir que va fer una bona feina en robar-li perquè ni tan sols se n'havia adonat.

John Oates (en una entrevista a Livedaily): "'I Can't Go for That' és una de les cançons més samplejades  del nostre catàleg, al menys pel que sabem. S'ha samplejat en moltes cançons. En puc citar cinc o sis versions en un moment. Simply Red va fer una cançó anomenada 'Sunrise', que era bàsicament 'I Can't Go for That', la cançó sencera. No era un sampler, era la bàsicament la cançó real. Només hi van escriure un vers diferent. Puff Daddy la va samplejar, De La Soul la va samplejar. M'agrada, quan es sampleja la nostra música. M'agrada quan la gent té una visió diferent del que fas. És un compliment".

"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" va fer de pont entre les llistes en música blanca i negre, que és un assoliment rar per a un artista blanc. Va arribar al número 1 a les llistes de R&B així com al Hot 100, fet insòlit llavors. 

Aquesta va ser la cançó que va fer fora "Physical" d'Olivia Newton-John del número 1 als EUA després d’estar-hi 10 setmanes. 

HALL & OATES - I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO)

Released: November 1981

Charted: US: #1  (1 week) UK: #8

"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" is a song by the American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates, written by both with Sara Allen, and was released as the second single from their 1981 album “Private Eyes”. The song became the fourth number one hit single of their career on the  Billboard Hot 100.

"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" was a phrase Daryl Hall used when he was pressured to go along with the crowd against his wishes. After a recording session for the Private Eyes album in Electric Lady Studios (New York City), Hall, Oates and engineer Neil Kernon improvised this song. In an interview with Mix Magazine, Daryl Hall recalls: "Remember the old Roland CompuRhythm box? I turned to the Rock and Roll 1 preset, sat down at a Korg organ that happened to be lying there and started to play this bass line that was coming to me. It's the old recording studio story: The engineer heard what I was doing and turned on the tape machine. Good thing, because I'm the kind of person who will come up with an idea and forget it. The chords came together in about 10 minutes, and then I heard a guitar riff, which I asked John, who was sitting in the booth, to play." John Oates continues in the same interview: "Daryl came up with this great bass line, using whatever sound happened to be on the organ, and Neil miked it and the drum machine. Daryl came up with the 'B' section chords, and then I plugged my 1958 Strat directly into the board, which was either an early SSL or a Trident." The next day Hall and his girlfriend Sara Allen wrote the lyrics. Hall recalls: "I wrote most of the lyrics, but Sara contributed some ideas. I sang the lead vocal, and there's the song, can't get any simpler than that!"

Michael Jackson has confessed that this greatly influenced his hit song "Billie Jean". Daryl Hall recalls that when they were both recording "We are the World" Jackson told him he hoped Hall didn't mind that he copped the groove. Hall told him he did a good job of stealing it because he didn't even notice.

John Oates (from an interview with Livedaily): "'I Can't Go for That' is one of the most sampled songs from our catalogue, maybe ever for all we know. It's been sampled on so many songs. I can name five or six versions of it. Simply Red did a song called 'Sunrise,' which was basically 'I Can't Go for That.' The entire song. It wasn't a sample, it was the actual track. He just wrote a different verse over it. Puff Daddy sampled it, De La Soul sampled it. I like it, when our music is sampled. I like when people have a different take on what you do. That's quite a compliment."

This bridged the gap between the black and white charts, which is a rare achievement for a white act. It hit #1 on the R&B charts as well as the Hot 100.

This was the song that knocked Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" out of #1 in America after a 10 week stay at the top spot.