War Babies (Hall & Oates album)

War Babies is the third studio album by American pop music duo Daryl Hall & John Oates. The album was released in October 1974, by Atlantic Records. It was their last of three albums for Atlantic Records before moving to RCA Records. The album was produced by Todd Rundgren. Rundgren and other members of Utopia, his then-recently-formed prog-rock band, perform on the record.

The album was a radical departure from the previous two albums, alienating fans of the blue-eyed soul material that dominated the albums. War Babies is a more rock-oriented LP with heavy keyboard work, sarcastic lyrical content, and elements of hard rock. War Babies was their first charting album, reaching #86 on the Billboard 200.

On February 24, 2017, Friday Music released a remastered version of the album along with their first studio album, Whole Oats.

Personnel

 * Daryl Hall – lead vocals (3-10), backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, guitars, mandolin, vibraphone
 * John Oates – backing vocals, lead vocals (1, 2, 10), keyboards, synthesizers, guitars
 * Don York – keyboards, arrangements on "Is It a Star", ARP String Ensemble on "70's Scenario"
 * Todd Rundgren – lead guitar, backing vocals
 * Richie Cerniglia – lead guitar on "Is It a Star"
 * John Siegler – bass
 * John G. Wilcox – drums
 * Sandy Allen – backing vocals on "War Baby Son of Zorro" and "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters"
 * Gail Boggs – backing vocals on "War Baby Son of Zorro" and "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters"
 * Hello People – backing vocals on "Johnny Gore and the "C" Eaters"
 * "Admiral Television" – "soloist" [presumably TV-broadcast noise] on "War Baby Son of Zorro"
 * Tommy Mottola – voice ["Erased Conelrad warning"] on "War Baby Son of Zorro"

Production

 * Produced and Engineered by Todd Rundgren
 * Assistant Engineer – David Lesage
 * Mastered by Jean Ristori at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).
 * Art Direction – Bob Defrin
 * Artwork – Peter Palombi
 * Photography – David Gahr and Armin Kachaturian
 * Musical Assistance – David LaSage and Gene Perla