Don Felder and the Eagles

They did-- Souther has three credits, and Bob Seger helped with one. More on that album wouldve been merrier, though.

 

... Timothy B. Schmit

 

King Henry VIII saw Sir Thomas More as a threat even though they were I itially friends because he refused to accept Henry as the head of the church and told him he would not publicly speak against his marriage to Anne.

Yet Henry had More imprisoned and, ultimately, executed because he couldn't break him to his will.

The Eagles was Frey's band. Felder was made a partner yet complained about things. Frey wanted Felder to follow his and Henley's lead. He thought enough of him to make him a partner at first but he couldn't break Felder but recognized he was an essential to the band until he wasn't by questioning the King.

The Eagles were a faux democracy by the time Felder joined with Henley and Frey at its nexus.

I would disagree that Felder was the least important member. He co-wrote six songs over three albums and while he only sang on one, it was because really he wasn't a great singer.

 

Indeed. Henley and Frey's songwriting partnership reached its end. The Long Run was supposed to be a double album.

They weren't communciating well and we're having a hard time to writing together as well. I suspect that Frey's cocaine use probably contributed to the problem and whatever substances Henley was using as well. Frey became known as I recall as Teflon nose when he had to have his destroyed septum repaired.

 

Probably true but he had that one song on The Long Run.

 

A Warren Zevon song would have fit on The Long Run quite nicely.

 

Don and Glenn were getting these business ideas somewhere. Was Azoff manager for Felder as well as Don and Glenn? If so, he may have breached his fiduciary duties to Felder if he communicated with Don and Glenn only, because it sounds like Felder was "frozen out" of their business dealings, albeit being a full partner.

 

...and two on their last.

Everyone in that band was replaceable except Henley and Frey in their view but I think they found musicians that they had foemd a bond with that would allow them to lead. Heck, Joe Walsh was a star before they were but found being a solo artist to bevery draining so the Eagles proved a perfect match--it allowed him to work in a band context, continue his solo albums and tours and generate income, play.

 

Felder is the 2nd guitarist on the live Joe Walsh album "You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind" and they sound great together. A band or at least an album could be a good idea.

 

Frye has said one of his favorite Eagles songs was Schmit's "I can't tell you why"

 

Yep as part of Eagles. I think that helped with Felder's case.

 

I read felders book and he was a key piece of the eagles late 70's sound but...me thinks he overplayed his hand when all the reunion crap went down, he was a bit of a malcontent and you cant out-malcontent Don Henley

 

Schmit's importance in the band was he replaced Meisner with his beautiful high harmonies and bass, plus his ego didn't conflict with Frey and Henley. At first I didn't like Joe Walsh's addition to the Eagles, I preferred the Leadon country influence, but I grew to like the new sound with Walsh and Felder. I saw Frey and Walsh together in 1999. I really liked the show and I respect Joe for his openness about his battle and success in overcoming his addiction.

 

Don Henley is a dick and so was Glenn Frey. Did you see their interview segments on the History documentary? Both men looked unashamedly into the cameras and said dick things.

I'm Team Felder.

 

I'm guessing that would have been "My Sh!t's F**ked Up" ! They were pretty far down the road to disfunction at this point.

The movie exposed some things that made perfect sense. I think Walsh does feel a debt of gratitude that the Eagles reunion probably saved his life. It also seems that Felder had problems with more than money, as everything blew up around a political function. I'm not real sure how I would feel being compelled by bandmates to support causes that I don't support. Just so many dynamics to being part of a forced family as such.

FWIW, I thought Felder was far from dispensable. I saw them with Steuart Smith and while I guess he was technically fine, there was just none of the charisma of Felder's guitar. I thought he was brilliant and it was almost painful to listen without him. But then an Eagles show in the past decade was nothing more than a $200 a seat sing along. I'm glad I finally got a chance to see them, but would have never gone again.

 

Watching History of The Eagles, and then having read Rolling Stone Eagles articles over the last 20 years or so, I get the impression that Don Felder could be a thorn in the side of Glen Frey, kind of a constant irritant, and you don't want to be that towards the leader of your band. Even if your gripes have merit.

I remember one RS article where Joe Walsh is asked about Don not being in the Eagles anymore, and he responds, "Look, it's Glenn's band." Even though Joe was a star before the Eagles, and didn't really need them (although I'm sure his status as an Eagle was certainly a positive for his career), I get the impression he was pretty much deferential to Glenn and Henley. Felder wasn't, and arguably he didn't carry nearly as much water as Joe. So, I can kind of understand why he ended up on the outside looking in.

 

I don't care how many people hate the Eagles. Anyone who doesn't recognize the interplay between Felder and Walsh at the end of "Hotel California" as one of the great moments in rock doesn't know good guitar playing. Without Felder, it doesn't sound the same.

 

I don't think that's the case. They would have been partners when they were in the band but they lost their shares in Eagles Ltd. when they quit.

 

hey, I coulda been Don Felder's lawyer! There's a conflict of interest if Irving purported to represent all three of them and only two are privy to internal business information, distributions, and so forth. I'd have been angry too.

 

That would require Felder and Walsh to make sure they don't have any issues when Walsh didn't help Felder's case with Henley and Frey.

Also Irving formed a new corporation to funnel additonal profits for Henley and Frey that afelder's wasn't privy to.

 

When the Eagles reformed in the 90s, was Felder a full partner in the venture? In The History of the Eagles, Glenn says that the only reason Don was invited back in '94 was because Glenn and Don (Henley) were concerned that Joe was in no shape to come back to the band. If Joe had been healthy (read: sober) at the time of the reformation, Don would not have been included in The Eagles 2.0. Don was basically used as a lead guitarist insurance policy.

 

He was a full partner in Eagles, Ltd. it was Henley, Frey and Felder that were partners. That's one of the reasons why Henley and Frey formed a new corporation that Felder was kept out of and kept out of the loop on.

I don't doubt what Frey says and it wouldn't matter anyway because Henley and Frey set up their new company to funnel profits into.

 

I can see both sides of the situation.

I am assuming Leadon and Meisner were equal partners when they were in the band. They were founding members, and none of them had any clout to demand special privileges when the band started. Of course, Henley and Frey were the ambitious ones and always worked together, and the others didn't really team up for an alternative direction.

Then Leadon and Meisner left and were bought out. So then you have Henley and Frey.... and Felder. So you have Felder saying "hey, when I started up we were a team" and Henley and Frey saying "why do we need this guy."

But you can ask the same question about Meisner, why did he leave such a cash cow? Apparently never getting a say in a band he co-founded was too much for him?

I'd be a little more sympathetic to Henley/Frey if they had been more independent. But they were always willing to pull in outside talent for songwriting. But they still wanted to dominate the bad. A tad egocentric, even for rock stars. For his part I think Henley has one song in his career where he did not credit a co-writer.

 

That would be cool. A tour with both guys would be sweet. If The Eagles ultimately cease to exist after Frey's passing, I could see Walsh possibly playing with Felder.

 

Well technically Felder was (is? I don't know the details of their settlement) a full partner while Walsh and Schmitt were/are not.