John Oates has released the second song from his upcoming album Reunion. “Long Monday,” a cover of a John Prine song from 2005, follows the LP’s title track, which was released earlier this month.
The song first appeared on Prine’s album Fair & Square. “I chose to record ‘Long Monday’ due to the evocative nature and down-to-earth beauty of the song’s story,” Oates said in a press release announcing the song. “I think it’s important to respect a songwriter’s work. Because of that, I wanted to remain faithful to the lyrics and melody while, at the same time, making it my own as far as the arrangement.”
You can hear Oates’ cover of “Long Monday” below.
Reunion marks Oates’ first solo studio album since 2018’s Arkansas. He’ll support the LP with a U.S. tour; you can see the dates below.
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The album will be released on May 17. He had earlier said that “the idea for writing a song about a ‘Reunion’ came to me when I began to think about the true definition of the word. It came together when my 100-year-old father told me that he was making ready to be together with my mother, who had passed away some time ago. I wanted to write about the idea of reconnecting with the most essential part of our soul and our spirit.”
What’s Going On With Hall & Oates?
Oates recently said that he and longtime performing partner Daryl Hall are finished. The duo had a falling out in November 2023 after Hall filed a lawsuit against Oates in an attempt to block Oates from selling his share in their music business. Hall said he was “blindsided” by Oates’ actions; Oates noted that he was “deeply hurt” by Hall’s accusations.
Two weeks ago Oates said, “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve moved on. I feel like I have a new lease on my creative life.”
John Oates 2024 TourApril 28 – Corona, CA @ Dos Lagos AmphitheaterMay 2-3 – Phoenix, AZ @ Musical Instrument MuseumMay 7 – St. Louis, MO @ City WineryMay 8 – Chicago, IL @ City WineryJune 7-8 – Cedaredge, CO @ Grand Mesa Songwriter FestivalJune 25 – Cincinnati, OH @ Memorial HallJune 26 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre + BallroomJune 27 – Rochester, NY @ Rochester International Jazz FestivalAugust 15 – Cape May, NJ @ Cape May Convention HallAugust 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Folk FestivalAugust 22 – Newton, NJ @ The Newtown TheaterAugust 24 – Beverly, MA @ The CabotAugust 25 – Nantucket, MA @ Dreamland
