Post by dave on Aug 1, 2015 14:47:18 GMT -5
35 Years Ago: The Eagles Implode
By Jeff Giles July 31, 2015
The Eagles‘ music has always had plenty of mellow grooves and beautiful harmonies, but behind the scenes, there have been plenty of times when peaceful, easy feelings between the band members were in decidedly short supply.
The low point arguably occurred July 31, 1980, when the group — already worn down after the interminable process of recording 1979's The Long Run — wound up its tour in support of the album with a benefit show in support of California Senator Alan Cranston. During a meet-and-greet before the concert, an exchange between Cranston and guitarist Don Felder proved too much for Glenn Frey to take.
According to Frey, when Cranston thanked each member of the band for doing the show, Felder responded with “You’re welcome, Senator … I guess.” Embarrassed and enraged, Frey fired back at Felder, sending years of pent-up tension unraveling onto the stage.
“I felt Don Felder insulted Senator Cranston under his breath, and I confronted him with it. So now we’re onstage, and Felder looks back at me and says, ‘Only three more songs till I kick your ass, pal.’ And I’m saying, ‘Great. I can’t wait,’” Frey later recalled. “We’re out there singing ‘Best of My Love,’ but inside both of us are thinking, ‘As soon as this is over, I’m gonna kill him.’ That was when I knew I had to get out.”
Continue at:
ultimateclassicrock.com/the-eagles-break-up/?
In this group there are few angels, so it's hard to feel sorry for any of them. The egos of Henley, Frey, and Felder are legendary. Plus they're all as rich as Croesus from their toil in the rock and roll garden.
I've heard the Senator Cranston story, but always Frey's version.
One of the organizational aspects of the Eagles was probably a good idea, but also caused problems. They were not a group of five equal partners. And they did not all equally participate in the creative side of the music, nor the financial rewards. Mostly it was Frey and Henley who wrote the songs. And I believe in most incarnations of the band, they were the owners and Schmidt (earlier, Randy Meisner), Felder, and Walsh were employees. But what would the naked song be without one of Felder's or Joe's riffs or solos? In fact Joe Walsh moved the Eagles from an almost country western sound to a solid mainstream rock sound, an intentional plan. So, to most of us the Eagles were a great band with members who each contributed to the sound. But to themselves they were each competition that caused them what seems to be a lot of trouble.
By Jeff Giles July 31, 2015
The Eagles‘ music has always had plenty of mellow grooves and beautiful harmonies, but behind the scenes, there have been plenty of times when peaceful, easy feelings between the band members were in decidedly short supply.
The low point arguably occurred July 31, 1980, when the group — already worn down after the interminable process of recording 1979's The Long Run — wound up its tour in support of the album with a benefit show in support of California Senator Alan Cranston. During a meet-and-greet before the concert, an exchange between Cranston and guitarist Don Felder proved too much for Glenn Frey to take.
According to Frey, when Cranston thanked each member of the band for doing the show, Felder responded with “You’re welcome, Senator … I guess.” Embarrassed and enraged, Frey fired back at Felder, sending years of pent-up tension unraveling onto the stage.
“I felt Don Felder insulted Senator Cranston under his breath, and I confronted him with it. So now we’re onstage, and Felder looks back at me and says, ‘Only three more songs till I kick your ass, pal.’ And I’m saying, ‘Great. I can’t wait,’” Frey later recalled. “We’re out there singing ‘Best of My Love,’ but inside both of us are thinking, ‘As soon as this is over, I’m gonna kill him.’ That was when I knew I had to get out.”
Continue at:
ultimateclassicrock.com/the-eagles-break-up/?
In this group there are few angels, so it's hard to feel sorry for any of them. The egos of Henley, Frey, and Felder are legendary. Plus they're all as rich as Croesus from their toil in the rock and roll garden.
I've heard the Senator Cranston story, but always Frey's version.
One of the organizational aspects of the Eagles was probably a good idea, but also caused problems. They were not a group of five equal partners. And they did not all equally participate in the creative side of the music, nor the financial rewards. Mostly it was Frey and Henley who wrote the songs. And I believe in most incarnations of the band, they were the owners and Schmidt (earlier, Randy Meisner), Felder, and Walsh were employees. But what would the naked song be without one of Felder's or Joe's riffs or solos? In fact Joe Walsh moved the Eagles from an almost country western sound to a solid mainstream rock sound, an intentional plan. So, to most of us the Eagles were a great band with members who each contributed to the sound. But to themselves they were each competition that caused them what seems to be a lot of trouble.
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