Eagles

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Eagles
Left to right: Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, Don Henley, Don Felder (circa 1977)
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre(s)	Rock Country rock
Years active	1971–1982; 1994–Present
Label(s)	Asylum Geffen Records
Website	eaglesband.com
Members
Glenn Frey Don Henley Joe Walsh Timothy B. Schmit
Former members
Bernie Leadon (1971–1976) Randy Meisner (1971–1977) Don Felder (1974–2001)

"The Eagles" redirects here. For the British band of the same name, see The Eagles (UK band). For the bird, see Eagle. For other uses of "Eagle", see Eagle (disambiguation).

Eagles are an American rock music group that was formed in Los Angeles, California in the early 1970s. With five number one singles and four number one albums, the Eagles were among the most successful recording artists of the 1970s. At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Hotel California, ranked among the ten best-selling albums according to the Record Industry Association of America. The best-selling studio album Hotel California is rated as the 37th album in the Rolling Stone list The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. They are also the best-selling American band ever (followed by Aerosmith), with Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 being the best selling album in the US to date (at more than 9 million copies sold, and 15 million units sold worldwide, making it the 2nd best selling album of all time after Thriller by Michael Jackson).^{[citation needed]}

They broke up in 1980, were disbanded for 14 years, but reunited and have since toured regularly, making new fans in the process and continuing to record. The Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

1 Overview
2 History
3 Band members
- 3.1 Awards
4 Discography
5 References
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Overview

The Eagles' early music was a hybrid of country and bluegrass instrumentation grafted onto the harmonies of California surfer rock, producing tender ballads and soft top-down country-flavored pop-rock about relationships, cars, and the wandering life. The originators of this genre were gifted singer/songwriters, among them Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, and Warren Zevon.

The Eagles took the singer-songwriter ethos to a group setting with increased emphasis on arrangements and musicianship, and the group's early sound became synonymous with the southern California country rock. On later albums the band dispensed with bluegrass instrumentation and gravitated to a more straight-ahead rock sound.

[edit] History

[edit] Formation and success

The band formed in 1971 when Linda Ronstadt's then-manager, John Boylan, extracted Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner from their previous affiliations. They were short a drummer until Frey phoned Don Henley, whom he had met at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. The band backed up Ronstadt on a two-month tour, then decided to form their own band, which would become the Eagles.

Their first album, Eagles, was filled with pure, sometimes innocent country rock, and yielded three Top Forty singles. Their second, Desperado, was themed on Old West outlaws and introduced the group's penchant for conceptual songwriting. Those two albums were produced by Glyn Johns, who previously worked with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. The band wanted to rock, but Johns tended to extract the lush side of the band's double-edged music.

To record their third album, On the Border, they at first worked with Johns but after completing two tracks, turned to Bill Szymczyk to produce the rest of the album. Szymczyk brought in Don Felder to add slide guitar to a song called "Good Day in Hell," and the band was so impressed that two days later they invited Felder to become the fifth Eagle. On the Border yielded a #1 Billboard single in the song "Best of My Love", which hit the top of the charts on March 1, 1975.

Their next album, One of These Nights, had an aggressive, sinewy rock stance. The album further displayed the growing strength of the Henley/Frey songwriting team, particularly on the album's title track and the Grammy Award winning "Lyin' Eyes". Between the album and the subsequent tour, Bernie Leadon left the group, disillusioned about the direction the band's music was taking.

The group replaced Leadon with Joe Walsh, a veteran of such groups as the James Gang and Barnstorm and a solo artist in his own right. The addition of Walsh made the group's aim perfectly clear: they wanted to rock. The title track from One of These Nights hit #1 on the Billboard chart August 2, 1975. The song itself has often been cited by Frey as his all-time favorite Eagles tune^[1]. By this time, members of the band started clashing with each other and there were intra-band fights.

Meanwhile, in early 1976, Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) was released. It went on to become the best-selling album in US history, selling over 29 million copies to date.^{[citation needed]}

The group's next album, Hotel California, came out in late 1976. "New Kid in Town" was a #1 hit in Billboard on February 26, 1977 and "Hotel California" on May 7, 1977. "Life in the Fast Lane" was also a huge hit, becoming a catch-phrase in the process, and established Joe Walsh's position in the band with its more hard rock sound. The striking, mournful ballad "Wasted Time" closed the first side of the record, while an instrumental reprise of it opened the second side. The album concluded with "The Last Resort", the song that Frey to this day refers to as Don Henley's greatest work. In all, Hotel California is generally considered to be the Eagles' masterpiece, and has appeared on several lists of the best albums of all time; it is also easily their best-selling studio album, with 16 million copies sold to date in the US. The title track itself is widely recognized as one of the greatest classic rock songs of all time, and Don Felder's guitar work in particular is one of the most recognizable in rock history. ^{[citation needed]}

During the final leg of the ensuing tour, however, Randy Meisner decided he had had enough hotel rooms in his seven years as an Eagle and left the band for the relative quiet of Nebraska to recuperate and begin a solo career. The Eagles replaced Meisner with the man who had succeeded him in Poco, Timothy B. Schmit. 1977 saw (what was at the time) the entire Eagles line-up performing instrumental work and backing vocals for Randy Newman's album Little Criminals. However, the album credits them as individual performers rather than as the Eagles, possibly to avoid a contract dispute with the Eagles' record label.

In February 1978, the Eagles went into the studio to produce their final studio album, The Long Run. The album took two years to make, but yielded the group's fifth and last #1 single in Billboard, "Heartache Tonight" (November 10, 1979). The tour to promote the album intensified personality differences between band members, made worse on the night of November 21, 1980 when Henley was arrested for cocaine, Quaalude, and marijuana possession after a nude 16-year-old prostitute had drug-related seizures in a hotel room. Henley was subsequently charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In addition, Glenn Frey and Don Felder had to be separated by police and fellow band members backstage at a 1980 fundraising concert for California Senator Alan Cranston. Frey claimed that he confronted Felder after he heard him insult Senator Cranston under his breath.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Break-up

The tour ended on July 31, 1980 in Long Beach, California, when tempers boiled over into what Bill Szymczyk memorably described as "The Long Night At Wrong Beach." Frey and Felder spent the entire show describing to each other the beating each planned to administer backstage - "Only three more songs until I kick your ass, pal," Frey recalls Felder telling him near the end of the band's set. Felder recalls Frey making a similar threat to him just as they began to sing "The Best Of My Love." As soon as the show was over, mayhem broke out. Frey launched an assault on Felder, who protected himself with his guitar. Within seconds, the rest of the band had joined in. It took a dozen roadies to pull the warring factions apart.^[2]

It was the end of the Eagles, although the band still owed Warners a live record from the tour. Eagles Live (released in November 1980) was mixed by Frey and Henley on opposite coasts - the two decided they couldn't bear to be in the same state, let alone the same studio, and as Bill Szymczyk put it^{[citation needed]}, the record's perfect three-part harmonies were fixed "courtesy of Federal Express." After credits that listed no fewer than five attorneys, the album's liner notes simply said, "Thank you and goodnight."

[edit] Resumption

In 1993, an Eagles country tribute album Common Thread was released. Travis Tritt insisted on having the Long Run-era Eagles in his video for "Take It Easy", and they complied. After the "Take It Easy" video was completed the following year, the band reunited, after years of public speculation that it would. The personnel were the five Long Run era members, supplemented by additional players on stage. "We never broke up, we just took a 14 year vacation" announced Frey at the taping of their first live performance in April, 1994. The ensuing tour spawned a live album entitled Hell Freezes Over (named for Henley's recurring statement that the group would get back together only when hell froze over), and two new singles -- "Get Over It" and "Love Will Keep Us Alive".

Controversy followed on September 12, 1996 when the band dedicated "Peaceful Easy Feeling" to Saddam Hussein at a United States Democratic Party fundraiser held in Los Angeles.

In 1998, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During the induction ceremony, Frey, Henley, Felder, Walsh, and Schmit performed together, and former members Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner rejoined the band for the performance, where the band played "Take it Easy" and "Hotel California". Several subsequent reunion tours would follow (without Leadon or Meisner), notable for their record-setting ticket prices.

In February 2001, Don Felder was fired from the group; Felder and the Eagles filed lawsuits against each other. In 2003 the Eagles released a new single, the September 11-themed "Hole in the World".

As of 2006 the Eagles consist of Frey, Henley, Walsh, and Schmit. On their Farewell Tour I they are supplemented by eight additional players: a drummer/percussionist (Scott Crago), guitarist Steuart Smith (to play Felder's parts), two keyboard players (Michael Thompson and Will Hollis), and a four-person horn section (Al Garth, Bill Armstrong, Chris Mostert and Greg Smith) that also can play violin and additional percussion.

On June 14, 2005, the Eagles released a new DVD entitled Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne featuring two new songs: Glenn Frey's "No More Cloudy Days" and Joe Walsh's "One Day at a Time". The band will tour Europe in the summer of 2006.

Don Henley has recently said a new Eagles album is on the way and they are aiming for it to be out by Christmas 2006. The new album is reportedly titled The Long Road To Eden.

[edit] Band members

1971 - 1974	Glenn Frey - guitar, piano, vocals Bernie Leadon - guitar, banjo, mandolin, vocals Randy Meisner - bass, guitar, vocals Don Henley - drums, vocals
1974 - 1976	Glenn Frey - guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals Don Felder - guitar, vocals Bernie Leadon - guitar, banjo, mandolin, pedal steel guitar, vocals Randy Meisner - bass, vocals Don Henley - drums, vocals
1976 - 1977	Glenn Frey - guitar, keyboards, vocals Don Felder - guitar, vocals Joe Walsh - guitar, keyboards, vocals Randy Meisner - bass, vocals Don Henley - drums, vocals
1977 - 1982	Glenn Frey - guitar, keyboards, vocals Don Felder - guitar,organ, vocals Joe Walsh - guitar, keyboards,vocals Timothy B. Schmit - bass, vocals Don Henley - drums, vocals
1982 - 1994	Band not active
1994 - 2001	Glenn Frey - guitar, keyboards, vocals Don Felder - guitar, vocals Joe Walsh - guitar, keyboards, vocals Timothy B. Schmit - bass, vocals Don Henley - drums, guitar, vocals
2001 - present	Glenn Frey - guitar, keyboards, vocals Joe Walsh - guitar, keyboards, vocals Timothy B. Schmit - bass, vocals Don Henley - drums, guitar, vocals

[edit] Awards

The Eagles have won four Grammy awards:
- 1975 Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus: "Lyin' Eyes"
- 1977 Record of the Year: "Hotel California" (single)
- 1977 Best Arrangement for Voices: "New Kid in Town"
- 1979 Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group: "Heartache Tonight"
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
On December 7, 1999 the Recording Industry of America honored the group with the Best Selling Album of the Century for Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975).
The Eagles were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.

[edit] Discography

US chart positions are Billboard Hot 100 unless otherwise noted.

[edit] Studio albums

1. Eagles (June 1, 1972)	2. Desperado (April 17, 1973)	3. On the Border (March 22, 1974)	4. One of These Nights (June 10, 1975)
5. Hotel California (December 8, 1976)	6. The Long Run (September 24, 1979)

[edit] Live albums

1. Eagles Live
(November 7, 1980)

2. Hell Freezes Over
(November 8, 1994)

3. Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne
(July 18, 2005)

[edit] Compilation albums

1976 Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) (compilation) #1 US (29x Platinum), #2 UK [#1 selling US album of All Time]
1982 The Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (compilation) #52 US (11x Platinum)
1984 The Best of the Eagles (European compilation) #8 UK
1994 The Very Best of The Eagles (1994) (European compilation) #4 UK
2000 Selected Works: 1972-1999 (box set) #109 US (1x Platinum)
2001 The Very Best of the Eagles (2001) (European compilation) #3 UK
2003 The Very Best of the Eagles (2003) (compilation) #3 US (3x Platinum), #9 UK (called The Complete Greatest Hits in Europe)

[edit] Hit singles

From Eagles

1972 "Take It Easy" #12 US
1972 "Witchy Woman" #9 US
1972 "Peaceful Easy Feeling" #22 US

From Desperado

1973 "Tequila Sunrise" #64 US
1973 "Outlaw Man" #59 US

From On the Border

1974 "Already Gone" #32 US
1974 "Best of My Love" #1 US
1974 "James Dean" #77 US

From One of These Nights

1975 "One of These Nights" #1 US, #23 UK
1975 "Lyin' Eyes" #2 US, #23 UK
1975 "Take It to the Limit" #4 US, #12 UK

From Hotel California

1976 "New Kid in Town" #1 US, #20 UK
1977 "Hotel California" #1 US, #8 UK
1977 "Life in the Fast Lane" #11 US

Non-album single

1978 "Please Come Home for Christmas" #18 US, #30 UK

From The Long Run

1979 "Heartache Tonight" #1 US, #40 UK
1979 "The Long Run" #8 US
1980 "I Can't Tell You Why" #8 US

From Eagles Live

1980 "Seven Bridges Road" #21 US

From Hell Freezes Over

1994 "Get Over It" #31 US
1994 "Love Will Keep Us Alive" #1 (Adult Contemporary) US

From The Very Best of the Eagles

2003 "Hole in the World" #69 US

[edit] References

^ "A Peaceful Easy Feeling," Detroit Free Press, October 14, 2003
^ http://www.eaglesfans.com/info/articles/old_devils.htm

[edit] See also

Winslow, Arizona has a unique tribute to The Eagles' song "Take It Easy"
Best selling music artists (world-wide)
Best selling music artists in the United States

[edit] External links

[edit] Official websites

[edit] Fansites

[edit] Others

Discography
Eagles
Glenn Frey \| Don Henley \| Joe Walsh \| Timothy B. Schmit
Randy Meisner \| Bernie Leadon \| Don Felder
Studio albums: Eagles \| Desperado \| On the Border \| One of These Nights \| Hotel California \| The Long Run \| The Long Road To Eden
Live: Eagles Live \| Hell Freezes Over \| Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne
Compilations: Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) \| Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 \| The Very Best of the Eagles

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