[15], The metaphorical character of the story related in the lyrics has inspired a number of conjectural interpretations by listeners. He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969.'" 01 of 10 Eagles - "Take It Easy" (1972) Eagles - "Take It Easy". "[46] In the 2013 documentary, History of the Eagles, Henley reiterated: On just about every album we made, there was some kind of commentary on the music business, and on American culture in general. "I don't see . So I said, Lets see if we can get him to play drums, and John went to talk to him and he said, All right.. The documentary won an Emmy Award in 2013 for Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming. It's a worthy observation. The Eagles came together in the 1970s, says Encyclopedia Britannica, originally backing up singers like Linda Ronstadt before issuing a self-titled album in 1972, reports Ultimate Classic Rock. Don Felder is a rock legend. Frey met drummer Don Henley in 1970. I think it will be his decision when its time to stop. Ill be okay with that, Henley tells Mason. Forbes reports that 2019 saw the current lineup of The Eagles playing 29 concert dates, grossing $73.4 million. Frey continued: "We decided to create something strange, just to see if we could do it. Consolidating his solo recordings and those with the Eagles, Frey had 24 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. "Originally I was supposed to sing lead on the track," Felder told Ultimate Classic Rock's Uncle Joe Benson on his radio show. Which doesn't mean the artist doesn't think about it all, every so often. [19], Henley decided on the theme of "Hotel California", noting how The Beverly Hills Hotel had become a literal and symbolic focal point of their lives at that time. . [11] They were signed to Amos Records and released an eponymous album in 1969, which contains songs he wrote such as "Run, Boy, Run" and "Rebecca", and "Bring Back Funky Women" he co-wrote with Souther. [32] The medication that he was prescribed to control the disease eventually led to colitis and pneumonia;[32] and, in November 2015, the Eagles announced they were postponing their appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors because Frey required surgery for intestinal problems and needed a lengthy recovery period. Henley says hell be fine when the end of the band happens. Henley tells Mason the new album is a return to his musical roots. King & Friends: 80 on the track "Drivin' Wheel". "[22], The Eagles recorded the track with Don Henley on lead vocal three different times, twice at the Record Plant in Los Angeles and finally at the Criteria Studios in Miami. But it was that time together that led to the formation of the Eagles later that year. LINCOLN, Mass. "Once in a while I would hear a remark from back in the back," he recalled, faking a British accent to say, I dont feel like a desperado. [Pictures]. It's a sociopolitical statement. In 1984 he recorded in collaboration with Harold Faltermeyer the worldwide hit "The Heat Is On," the main theme from the Eddie Murphy action comedy film Beverly Hills Cop; then, Frey performed "You Belong to the City" (from the television series Miami Vice, the soundtrack of which stayed on top of the U.S. album charts for 11 weeks in 1985). My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes. "), Hotel California (1976)Don Henley - 5: "Hotel California," Life in the Fast Lane," "Wasted Time," Victim of Love" and "The Last Resort" Glenn Frey - 1: "New Kid in Town" Randy Meisner - 1: "Try and Love Again" Joe Walsh - 1: "Pretty Maids All in a Row". Glenn Frey and Don Henley knew each other before they joined Linda Ronstadt's band in 1971. As with any band that's left an indelible mark on the music scene, salacious stories color in the outlines of the past. Souther and Jackson Browne. "Take It Easy". So we hired [Henley] to play drums. [2] In Miami, the band fine-tuned the instrumentation and the lyrics and recorded numerous complete takes. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 49 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". [4] Frey went to Los Angeles hoping to reconnect with his girlfriend, and he was introduced to J. D. Souther by her sister, Alexandra Sliwin, who was with Souther at the time. ", "Please Come Home for Christmas"/"Funky New Year" Single (1978) Don Henley: 2, Henley added a suave soft-rock glow to blues pianist Charles Brown's 1960 holiday track "Please Come Home for Christmas." [54] "Colitas" means "little tails" in Spanish; in Mexican slang it refers to buds of the cannabis (marijuana) plant. Frey and Henley were both interested in the tune after hearing the demo, and discussed the concept for the lyrics. In a 2009 interview, The Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder asked Henley if he regretted writing the lines "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969'" because wines are fermented while spirits are distilled. Suddenly we were getting famous and making all this money, and it just turned our little heads around. But the first side still flaunts theband's versatility, including Meisner on the banjo-heavy "Midnight Flyer" and Leadon on the silky "My Man. His death not only sent shock waves through the Eagles, it made lead singer and drummer Don Henley question whether or not the Eagles would ever perform as a band again. Henley was sentenced to a fine and two years' probation. In 2013, the two-part documentary History of the Eagles, directed by Alison Ellwood and co-produced by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, was aired on Showtime. Frey approached Don Henley to join Ronstadt. Randy Meisner dead: Eagles bassist dies of pulmonary disease - USA TODAY [55][56] According to Glenn Frey, the "warm smell" is "colitas it means little tails, the very top of the plant. Eagles band members Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Don Felder, Randy Meisner (GAB Archive/Redferns) He joked that he thought to himself, "I need to make a little note of this so I can . Don Henley says the Eagles are done. It was always Glenn Frey's band. "I said, You could sing like Smokey Robinson. It's just the same chord sequence. After the song went to number one, Frey called to congratulate Seger, saying "At least we kept the money in Michigan! Glenn Frey and Don Henley knew each other before they joined Linda Ronstadts band in 1971. And then I needed a guitar player. The Eagles are finished. All of us kind of drove into L.A. at night. Glenn Frey - Wikipedia In a 2003 interview with Cameron Crowe, posted on The Uncool, Henley talked about the roots of the album's title track. Henley and late guitaristGlenn Freyhave remained the group's guiding forces throughoutits numerous personnel and sonic shifts, writing the bulk of material and singing most of the lead vocals. ", Ironically, Meisner's brilliance on that signature song contributed to his departure from the band in 1977. Witchy Woman - Wikipedia People have the misconception that we were fighting a lot. The song was based on a song Henley started writing in 1968 about a friend of his named Leo. Don Henley, The Eagles' lead singer and Frey's co-writer on many songs, remembered his band mate in a statement: "Glenn was the one who started it all. Don Henley | Songwriters Hall of Fame Who Sang the Most Eagles Songs? Lead Vocal Totals - Ultimate Classic Rock But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. c. 1972 - present Related People: Don Henley See all related content Recent News Jul. The Eagles have performed "Hotel California" well over 1,000 times live, and is the third most performed of all their songs, after "Desperado" and "Take It Easy". (He also fronted the single's B-side, a fittingly funky cut with purring slap bass and dizzying waves of keyboards and guitars. Back in 1980, a 911 call from Henley brought the fire department to his Los Angeles home. The Eagles were closest to a vocal democracy in their early years, allowing each of thefour songwriters multiple leads apiece on their self-titled debut. [51], Takamine Guitars manufactures a Glenn Frey signature acoustic-electric guitar, the EF360GF. With a bit of talent and a lot of right-place-right-time serendipity, these four men DonHenley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner would go on to form (per AllMusic) one of those most influential rock bands to come out of the '70s:the Eagles. [17] Frey wrote or co-wrote (often with Henley) many of the group's songs, and sang the lead vocals on a number of Eagles hits including "Take It Easy", "Peaceful Easy Feeling", "Already Gone", "Tequila Sunrise", "Lyin' Eyes", "New Kid in Town", "Heartache Tonight" and "How Long". And we smelled a rat pretty early on. Paul Risley of Cornerstone Church in Burlington, Wisconsin, alleged that "Hotel California" referred to a San Francisco hotel that was purchased by Anton LaVey and converted into his Church of Satan. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. I never have. [citation needed], In 2009 Glenn Frey was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.[25]. None of that seems to have hurt Henley's job prospects any. Randy Meisner, founding member of the Eagles and singer of 'Take It to Don Henley: 'There's no partying, no alcohol, it's like a morgue "[2][22] Henley then wrote most of the lyrics based on Frey's idea, and sought inspiration for the writing by driving out into the desert as well as from films and theater. They were kind of breaking up; they decided to go their separate ways, but they were still really good friends. The Eagles | Members, Songs, & Facts | Britannica He shared the spotlight on two tracks: "Doolin-Dalton"(with Frey) and the mandolin-laced, group-penned "Saturday Night" (with Meisner). And then while I went to dinner, I think Don went out and sang it, just as a demo for me to hear how he heard it. [15][21] According to Frey's liner notes for The Very Best Of, the use of the word "steely" in the lyric, "They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast", was a playful nod to the band Steely Dan, who had included the lyric "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" in their song "Everything You Did". ", The band itself had their own reputation for rowdy, raucous, after-show debauchery, rivalling, according to Henley, even the intrepid Led Zeppelin. Lets do an R&B song,'" Frey told Cameron Crowe. They had really strong voices, really strong playing, really strong songwriting ideas and they had an extended pool of songwriters like Jack Tempchin and J.D. y'know?). ), Meisner and new guitarist Joe Walsh each handled one lead onHotel California's home stretch, and Frey took over on the sweetly crooned "New Kid in Town." Regardless of what Frey's official position within the band was, his legacy and impact was undeniable. [27], Frey was married twice. We had a lot more fun than I think people realize. [49] The road[50] which runs next to the high school (now a middle school) that he attended in Royal Oak, Michigan bears his name. Category:Eagles songs sung by Don Henley - Eagles Wikia Harmonic progressionit's almost a mathematical certainty that you're gonna crop up with the same thing sooner or later if you're strumming a few chords on a guitar. While Henley often dedicates the tune in concert to people like Rupert Murdoch and Bill O'Reilly, it might actually hit closer to home for the Eagles alumnus. The Shady Truth About The Eagles' Don Henley. We thought it was a pretty good joke. The front cover art for some overseas editions of the 45rpm single released was a reworked version of the Hotel California LP cover art, which used a photograph of the Beverly Hills Hotel by David Alexander, with design and art direction by Kosh. Desperado cast them in a bit of an outlaw light, though the album was more metaphorical than anything, as Henley said in 1980. [93][94], Although the Eagles were noted for their reluctance to license their songs for use in shows,[95] the song has been used in a number of films and television shows, such as The Big Lebowski (performed by the Gipsy Kings),[96] Absolutely Fabulous, American Horror Story, The Sopranos,[54] and the end credits of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While some biographies credit Don Henley and Glenn Frey as co-leaders of the Eagles(per AllMusic), one of these men was eventually deemed the real leader. The simple, evocative piano-based ballad is backed by strings, and as Henley explained in talking to Joel in front of an audience at the92nd Street Y in New York City on Sept. 20, 2015, he felt very intimidated by the circumstances and didn't feel that he had done his best. [60] The presence of E major gives a hint of B Dorian mode. According to the producer Bill Szymczyk, there were 33 edits on the twoinch master. Meisner's and Leadon's leads are relegated to the deepest cuts. He married dancer and choreographer Cindy Millican in 1990. [98], Partial credits from Richard Buskin and Bill Szymczyk. "[59], Other interpretations of the song include heroin addiction and cannibalism. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google. It can have a million interpretations. How Glenn Frey & Don Henley Became the Eagles, As Told by Linda "Each pair of players would set a chessboard up between them, and when we werent doing any takes, they would play chess. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don Henley, with whom he wrote most of the Eagles' material. Remember When the Eagles Fired Don Felder? He recorded the basic tracks with a Rhythm Ace drum machine and added a 12 string guitar on a four-track recording deck in his spare bedroom, then mixed in a bassline, and gave Don Henley and Glenn Frey each a copy of the recording. [2][3] They first recorded a riff, but when it came to recording the vocal, it was found to be in too high a key for Henley's voice, so Felder progressively lowered the key from E minor, eventually settling on B minor. [32] Billboard ranked it number 19 on its 1977 Pop Singles year-end chart. I can help you put this band together, and while youre waiting to get a record deal, you can play with Linda and you can have a gig. It was one of those kinds of situations where it was in everybodys advantage. Though "Desperado" was not a single from the album, it's since become a radio staple and one of the group's most enduring songs. I was told that I was going to be able to sing that, so I was quite disappointed and upset that I didn't get a chance to sing on that Hotel California record on 'Victim of Love.' It was also the beginning of the Frey-Henley songwriting team. ", The song's guitar solo was voted the best solo of all time by readers of Guitarist magazine in 1998,[8] and was ranked 8th on Guitar Magazine's Top 100 Guitar Solos. . "That was recorded in London, England, in a cavernous studio with the London Symphony Orchestra, he recalled, adding, I was terrified, and they were just bored sh-tless.". How did the Eagles form? Don Henley. He said, Im gonna do a band with Don. So I dont want be the one to call if off, Henley tells Mason. In a display of well-roundedness, different players fronted each of the LP's three singles: Frey on the low-key "Lyin' Eyes," Henley on the title track's disco-soul departure andMeisner on "Take It to the Limit. [42], Don Henley has given a number of explanations about the song, ranging from "a journey from innocence to experience"[11] to "a sociopolitical statement. "[10] In the 2013 documentary History of the Eagles, Henley said that the song was about "a journey from innocence to experience that's all."[11]. [3][4] Frey also attended Oakland Community College while in the band, and he learned to sing harmonies performing with The Four of Us. Its about excess, its about narcissism. Nobody was from California, and if you drive into L.A. at night you can just see this glow on the horizon of lights, and the images that start running through your head of Hollywood and all the dreams that you have, and so it was kind of about that what we started writing the song about. LOS ANGELES -- Don Henley, lead singer of the Eagles rock group, was arrested on charges of giving cocaine to a minor. When I came back and heard it, it was great. Mason heads to Linden, Texas, where Henley grew up, and where the artist talks about his childhood there, his early music influences, and life with the Eagles. It is not true. [19], In May 2012, Frey was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music along with Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Hell Freezes Over documents the band's 1994 reunion with a live set of classic material and an EP's worth of new studio cuts. (1972) " Witchy Woman ". Prosecutors claim the lyrics could be worth over $1 million at auction.
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