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Callin' Oates Brings Soul Duo To Your Phone Dial

by David Greenwald, L.A.  |   December 21, 2011 8:54 EST
Contour by Getty Images

Artists in this Article

Hall & Oates

Hall & Oates have a new hotline.

 

While cloud options abound for fans who'd like to hear the '80s duo on their smartphones, one developer has invented an old-school option that's gone from "Private Eyes" to viral sensation.

 

Call 719-26-OATES, the so-called "Callin' Oates" emergency hotline, and you'll be offered a handful of options from the band's catalog, such as, "To hear 'Rich Girl,' please press 2."

 

The line, which was still in service on Wednesday evening, went viral after a tweet from New York Times tech reporter Jenna Wortham earlier this week. It was developed by Michael Selvidge as a sort of initiation into Twilio, a San Francisco-based startup company which offers an API for handling calls and texts.

 

Over 60,000 people had dialed the line by Tuesday, Selvidge told the Atlantic Wire. While the service is certainly amusing, its creator added that his choice of musicians was no joke.

 

"I'm not trying to make fun of Hall and Oates," he told the site. "I do sort of recognize the cheesy factor but I actually do appreciate their music and I do actually listen to it and they are one one of my favorite bands. It's definitely an affectionate thing."

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