Philly pals no more.
Daryl Hall and John Oates always wanted to be looked at as individuals for their talent — so their band name, Hall & Oates, never did them any favors.
Three years before Hall, 77, filed a lawsuit against his longtime music collaborator, Oates revealed why they never decided to flip the moniker to “Oates & Hall.”
“He’s taller and older than me, so there you go!” Oates, 75, told The Post ahead of their sold-out Madison Square Garden show in New York City in February 2020.
Years earlier, Hall would give his own take on their decision while speaking with the San Jose Mercury News.
“The reason we’ve always insisted on our full names is because we consider ourselves to be two individual artists. We’re not really a classic duo in that respect,” he told the newspaper. “We don’t really do a lot together other than share a stage.”
“We always wanted to be looked at as separate people,” the rocker continued. “It’s just one of those things. For the most part, people do relate to us as individual artists as well as for what we do together.”
Hall appeared to get annoyed when the outlet then informed him that when “Hall & Oates” is Googled, the question “Which one is Oates?” pops up.
“That’s what came up after all these years? ‘Which one is John Oates?’” Hall replied, laughing. “Well, that’s the f—— stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Hall and his organization, the Daryl Hall Revocable Trust, filed a lawsuit suing Oates, Oates’ trust, the John W. Oates TISA Trust, and its co-trustees in Davidson County Chancery Court on Nov. 16 in Nashville, Tennessee, according to court records viewed by The Post.
The documents are labeled as relating to a “contract/debt” suit and are currently sealed, but a source tells TMZ that the legal battle reportedly pertains to “the ground rules of who can sing what as a solo artist, along with money issues of course.”
One day later on Nov. 17, Hall was also granted a temporary restraining order from Oates, which will go into effect on Nov. 30.
On Thanksgiving Day, the musicians were both vocal in different ways. While Hall performed a concert showcasing Hall & Oates hits at the Tokyo Garden Theater in Japan, Oates took to social media.
“During this time of communal reflection and connection with loved ones, let’s not forget those experiencing challenges globally,” he cryptically wrote via Instagram.
“As we come together, consider reaching out to support those in need—whether through local charities or international humanitarian initiatives. May our collective efforts contribute to a more compassionate and supportive world.”
Hall and Oates formed in 1970 after meeting as undergrads at Temple University in Philadelphia. They released their debut album, “Whole Oats,” in 1972, and they’ve achieved six No. 1 hits, including “Maneater” and “Rich Girl.”
The pair’s most recent show took place in Laughlin, Nevada, on Oct. 22, 2022. They haven’t made a studio alum together, however, since 2006.
“Because we don’t have anything to say together creatively. How’s that?” Hall explained why to the San Jose Mercury News in his 2017 interview.
“We exist for what we did together in the past,” he added. “But as one grows up, one becomes more individualistic in one’s life. When you are 20 years old, you need a buddy. When you’re … 70 years old, you don’t need a buddy as bad. So what we do is work separately. And we’re very happy about it.”
Ahead of their 2020 MSG gig, the musicians also looked back on their career and best classics while speaking with The Post — but requested separate interviews at the time.
For 1976’s “Rich Girl,” Hall said: “Sara [Allen], my girlfriend at that time, had an old boyfriend who was a rich guy and he came over to the house and was acting pretty strange. And after he left, I sat there and went, ‘He’s a rich guy, and he’s gone too far . . . ‘ Blah, blah, blah. Then I said, ‘No, rich guy sounds terrible. I’ll change it to rich girl!’”
Years later, Oates would get the idea for 1982’s “Maneater” from “a beautiful girl who swore like a sailor.”
“The juxtaposition of this beautiful girl with this filthy mouth was just too good to resist. I thought, ‘Man, she would chew you up and spit you out.’ But it’s really a metaphor for New York City in the ’80s,” he told The Post. “The ‘Maneater’ is the city itself. New York City is what’s gonna chew you up.”
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