When John Oates recently sat down with Reverb, he explained how the duo’s success really took off once they wrested creative control and began producing themselves. The pop/rock gems Oates helped to create led to some of the most indelible music of the ‘80s and made him an in-demand songwriter and producer for other acts at the time.
With his latest solo record Arkansas, Oates trades the pristine pop of his past for the rustic roots of American music. In a special Reverb Sessions performance, he treated us to two tracks from the new album—Mississippi John Hurt’s "Spike Driver Blues" and Blind Blake’s "That’ll Never Happen No More."
By way of introduction, Oates says that "Spike Driver Blues" is "the only song on the album that is done in the traditional way that Mississippi John Hurt did it. I think I probably changed a little bit over the years, but it’s always been one of my favorites."
After that fingerpicking workout, Oates goes on to play in the bluesy ragtime style for which Blind Blake is so revered, calling the Delta blues musician "pretty much the king of ragtime guitar pickers."
Be sure to check out the full performance above.