So Close (Hall & Oates song)

"So Close" was released as a single in September 1990, and it debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart the same month.{{cite web| title = 'So Close' - Hall & Oates | url = http://www.billboard.com/#/song/hall-oates/so-close/2062611 | publisher = Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.) | access-date = 2010-06-06}}

It peaked at number 11 in December and spent 19 weeks on the chart. "So Close" was Hall & Oates' 29th and most recent single to reach the Top 40 section of the chart, although they've had songs appear outside of the Top 40 since then. The song also reached number 11 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, number 14 on the Singles Sales chart,{{cite book | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | title = The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits | edition = 8th | publisher = Billboard Books | page = 272 | location = New York | year = 2004 | isbn = 978-0-8230-7499-0}}

and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart.

The single peaked at number four in Canada{{cite journal | date = 1990-12-01| title = RPM 100 Singles| journal = RPM| publisher = RPM Music Publications Ltd.| volume = 53| issue = 3| url = http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9085&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=tdk421rp3thdleq850emf4ee44 | access-date = 2010-06-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015035214/https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9085&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=tdk421rp3thdleq850emf4ee44|archive-date=2012-10-15}}

and ranked number 36 on RPM magazine's year-end chart.{{cite journal | date = 1990-12-22 | title = Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990 | journal = RPM | publisher = RPM Music Publications Ltd. | volume = 53 | issue = 6 | url = http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9139&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=tdk421rp3thdleq850emf4ee44 | access-date = 2010-06-06}}

It was less commercially successful in the United Kingdom, where it spent a sole week on the UK Singles Chart at number 69.{{cite book | last1 = Warwick | first1 = Neil | last2 = Kutner | first2 = Jon | last3 = Brown | first3 = Tony | title = The Complete Book of the British Charts | edition = 3rd | publisher = Omnibus Press | page = 484 | location = London | year = 2004 | isbn = 978-1-84449-058-5}}

"So Close" received generally mixed reviews from music critics. In the January 1991 issue of Spin magazine, writer Ted Friedman described the single as "overproduced" and "butchered", but added, "To hear what a gorgeous song it really is, check out the acoustic version that ends the album."{{cite journal | date = January 1991 | last = Friedman | first = Ted | title = Spins | journal = Spin | publisher = SPIN Media LLC | volume = 6 | issue = 10 | page = 72 | issn = 0886-3032}} The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music, edited by Colin Larkin, stated that producers Bon Jovi and Kortchmar "added a strong rock flavour to [Hall & Oates'] sound".{{cite book | last = Larkin | first = Colin | title = The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music | edition = 3rd | publisher = Virgin Books | page = 162 | location = London | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-1-85227-947-9}} Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that the song was the exception on an album that he felt was "largely undistinguished, relying more on sound than songcraft".{{cite web | last = Erlewine | first = Stephen Thomas | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=r8859|pure_url=yes}} | title = Change of Season - Review | publisher = AllMusic (Rovi Corporation) | access-date = 2010-06-06}}

A previously unreleased live version of "So Close", which appears on the 2009 box set Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall and John Oates,{{cite web | last = Graff | first = Gary | title = Hall & Oates Revisit Their Past On New Box Set | url = http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/267135/hall-oates-revisit-their-past-on-new-box-set | date = 2009-10-08 | publisher = Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.) | access-date = 2010-06-06}}

was called "impressive" by Ben Ratliff of The New York Times.{{cite web | last = Ratliff | first = Ben | title = Thinking Inside the Box (Musically, That Is) | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E7DB133FF934A15752C1A96F9C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=4 | date = 2009-11-27 | publisher = The New York Times (The New York Times Company) | access-date = 2010-06-06}}

;7" vinyl

{{Track listing

| title1 = So Close

| length1 = 4:11

| writer1 = Daryl Hall & George Green; co-written by Jon Bon Jovi & Danny Kortchmar

| title2 = So Close (Unplugged)

| length2 = 4:15

| writer2 = Hall, Green, Jovi, Kortchmar

}}

;12" vinyl, CD

{{Track listing

| title1 = So Close

| length1 = 4:11

| writer1 = Daryl Hall, George Green

| title2 = She's Gone (Unplugged; live performance from BBC Radio 1's "Into The Night" on 3 May 1990)

| length2 = 4:25

| writer2 = Daryl Hall, John Oates

| title3 = Can't Help Falling in Love

| length3 = 4:17

| writer3 = George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore

| title4 = So Close (Unplugged)

| length4 = 4:15

| writer4 = Daryl Hall, George Green

}}

On 12" version of the single:

• Track 3: "Can't Help Falling in Love" as featured on NME compilation "The Last Temptation Of Elvis."

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• Daryl Hall – lead vocals, backing vocals
• John Oates – backing vocals

• Kenny Aronoff – drums and percussion
• Waddy Wachtel – guitars
• Danny Kortchmar – guitars
• Randy Jackson – bass guitar
• Benmont Tench – keyboards
• Mel Terpos – guitar technician

{{Reflist}}

{{Hall & Oates}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:So Close (Hall and Oates song)}}

Category:1990 singles

Category:Hall & Oates songs

Category:Songs written by Daryl Hall

Category:Songs written by Jon Bon Jovi

Category:Song recordings produced by Danny Kortchmar

Category:Songs written by George Green (songwriter)

Category:1990 songs

Category:Arista Records singles

Category:Songs written by Danny Kortchmar