Private Eyes

"Private Eyes"
Single by Hall & Oates
from the album Private Eyes
Released	1981
Format	7" Vinyl record
Recorded	Spring 1981
Genre	Pop
Label	RCA Records
Writer(s)	Daryl Hall, Sara Allen, Janna Allen and Warren Pash
Producer	Daryl Hall, John Oates, Neil Kernon
Hall & Oates singles chronology
"You Make My Dreams" (1981) "Private Eyes" (1981) "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (1981)

"Private Eyes" is the hit 1981 single by Hall & Oates and the title track from their album of that year. The song was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 2 weeks, from November 7 through November 20, 1981. This single was the band's third of six #1 hits (the first two being "Rich Girl" and "Kiss on My List") and their second #1 hit of the 1980s. Interestingly, it was succeeded by Olivia Newton-John's "Physical," which was in turn succeeded by another #1 hit from Hall and Oates, "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)."

In an interview with American Songwriter, Daryl Hall states: "That’s a real Janna Allen(co-writer and sister of Sara Allen) song. Janna, and I, and Warren Pash wrote that. Warren and Janna wrote most of the song, and I took it and changed it around-changed the chords. Sandy [Sara Allen] and I wrote the lyrics. It’s a real family song, the Allen sisters and me."

The music video featured the band dressed as detectives and was the first to feature the backup band of guitarist G. E. Smith, bassist Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, drummer Mickey Curry, and saxophone/keyboardist Charles DeChant. The song was co-written with Canadian songwriter Warren Pash.

The single carries a similar rhythm to the duo's number one hit from earlier that year, "Kiss On My List," with the difference being a handclap chorus that has made the song an audience-participation favorite at live Hall and Oates shows. It was one of the duo's first songs to appear in heavy rotation on MTV.

In popular culture

The song is performed by private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe in the Veronica Mars episode "Kanes and Abel's." After Veronica tries to bug Vinnie's office, he asks his receptionist (also his mother) who his favorite band is, then leans out the window and sings the song to an eavesdropping Veronica. At one point he changes the chorus from "Private Eyes" to "Veronica Mars/I'm watching you."

The Disney Channel ran a DTV music video of the song, set mostly to clips from the Goofy cartoon short How to Be a Detective.

Professional nerd secret agent Chuck Bartowski listens to the track while on a stakeout in an episode of the TV series, Chuck.

In episode 3x16 of Psych, An Evening with Mr Yang, Detective Lassiter is shown singing along to the song playing on his iPod.

The song used in a music video for a commercial to promote new episodes of the fourth season of Psych.

This 1980s single-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e