 Daryl Hall sketched out the basic song one evening at a music studio in New York City, in 1981, after a recording session for the "Private Eyes" album.Hall started the Rock 1 setting on Roland CompuRhythm then began playing a bass line on a Korg organ, and sound engineer Neil Kernon recorded the result.Hall then came up with a guitar riff, which he and Oates worked on together.