Randy Meisner

[Stjofön Big]

But of course Meisner had a lot of old rock in him! He played with Rick Nelson, way before joining the Eagles, as we all know. Meisner was an all round guy to have in your back, if you were quite new in the game.
And, as Uwe has pointed out, Wishbone's Argus is a great record. I first heard it on a come-down an early morning of fall '72. Got me thinking; I got to rearrange my life... So I did.

[Dave W]

We could just play six degrees of separation.  Fats Domino did "Ain't That A Shame", which was recorded by Cheap Trick, with Tom Petersson, who was a big user of Hamer basses, as was Martin Turner from Wishbone Ash.

Ta Da!   

Brilliant!

But of course Meisner had a lot of old rock in him! He played with Rick Nelson, way before joining the Eagles, as we all know. Meisner was an all round guy to have in your back, if you were quite new in the game...

Rick Nelson replaced him with Fang. That didn't end well.

[westen44]

Never a good trip, Stjofön, never a good trip... commiserations and enjoy the memories... I had a round trip of 1500 when I sorted my fathers place and on the way home, which I just wanted to do, I did it in the day, 0500 for the ferry and home at 2300... that was not a good trip, but I still have the memories...

Michael... the cover was from the set of the promo video, so I read some years back, as was the "dead-outlaw/gunslinger" shot with JD Souther and Jackson browne - Henry Diltz shot the cover and a shed load of other shots - it was a "short"...

Not that it probably matters so much now, but I always thought the Desperado photos had an authentic Old West look to them. 

[uwe]

I thought the Wild West image corny even at the time but it  did give a band of Linda Ronstadt sessioneers who were basically a faceless no-image band an image for a time. My initial perception of the Eagles was more influenced by their mystic Native American album cover art on such albums as One of these Nights and their initial Greatest Hits album, with his long hair Glenn Frey looked a little Native American, but once he cropped it and the moustache went post-Eagles he outed himself as the city-slicker he always was! Of course, the Native American imagery was as phony as the outlaws with gun belts stuff, none of them had any Native American roots though they did play with musical influences from there on Witchy Woman and Journey of the Scorcerer to name two (also Eagles favorites of mine).

As I'm writing this, Glenn Frey's lounge lizard After Hours CD is playing and the steel guitars are whining - when it comes to schmaltz the guy is utterly shameless but I like him better than Henley's pious earnestness.

By the way, was ever anybody from the Eagles a born Californian? Walsh is from Boulder, Colorado, I believe, Henley a Texan, Frey from Michigan, Meisner I believe from Nebraska, Felder from somewhere Dixey, that just leaves Leadon and Schmidt for Californian laurels, but I don't think they were either.

[westen44]

I thought Glenn Frey actually did look like he belonged to the Old West in those photos, even more than the others.  But he definitely is a city slicker.  Also, I appreciate his shamelessness now more than ever. 

[westen44]

Timothy B. Schmit is from California.  He ended up with the Carvin bass just by chancing upon one in a California store, the only place I know of where they sell Carvins in a store.  

Edit:

I didn't see the other post mentioning Schmit. 

[gweimer]

Timothy B. Schmit is from California.  He ended up with the Carvin bass just by chancing upon one in a California store, the only place I know of where they sell Carvins in a store.  

Edit:

I didn't see the other post mentioning Schmit. 

I remember Carvin when they were a mail order operation out of Escondido.  It's also the reason I never bought another Carvin after my first amp.

[westen44]

I remember Carvin when they were a mail order operation out of Escondido.  It's also the reason I never bought another Carvin after my first amp.

I've never played a Carvin.  I notice the reviews seem to be mixed.  From what I gather, Timothy B. Schmit literally wore his Carvin out, but never bought another one. 

[uwe]

Well, at least one of them then, though tellingly Schmidt is probably the most anodyne of them all!

Anyway, this thread has me now listening to the Desperado remaster, "faithless women" and all that ... ... love the Eagles' obsession with jiltin' wimmin when Henley and Frey coined the phrase in their groupie devouring heyday to lear'em, lov'em, leav'em (alluding to their trick to fly their "victims" in with the band Lear jet which apparently never failed to impress).

Tequila Sunrise plays ... I gotta tell this: When I first had a cocktail card before me, I knew nothing of cocktails except a Bloody Mary and a Pina Colada, so I ordered a Tequila Sunrise because I knew the song (unaware that that had been about a drink, I thought Tequila was a place in Mexico, which it possibly also is)!!! Years later I was embarrassed by someone quipping "that's a lady's drink". I still order it to this day and always think of the song and Glenn Frey when I do. My less than manly choice of cocktails is therefore directly influenced by The Eagles.

PS: Love the busy bass playing in Outlaw during the end - also one of the few darker songs sung by Frey.

[westen44]

Well, at least one of them then, though tellingly Schmidt is probably the most anodyne of them all!

Anyway, this thread has me now listening to the Desperado remaster, "faithless women" and all that ... ... love the Eagles' obsession with jiltin' wimmin when Henley and Frey coined the phrase in their groupie devouring heyday to lear'em, lov'em, leav'em (alluding to their trick to fly their "victims" in with the band Lear jet which apparently never failed to impress).

Tequila Sunrise plays ... I gotta tell this: When I first had a cocktail card before me, I knew nothing of cocktails except a Bloody Mary and a Pina Colada, so I ordered a Tequila Sunrise because I knew the song (unaware that that had been about a drink, I thought Tequila was a place in Mexico, which it possibly also is)!!! Years later I was embarrassed by someone quipping "that's a lady's drink". I still order it to this day and always think of the song and Glenn Frey when I do. My less than manly choice of cocktails is therefore directly influenced by The Eagles.

PS: Love the busy bass playing in Outlaw during the end - also one of the few darker songs sung by Frey.

As for Schmit, I actually do like his vocals.  Being in a band with so many great singers, though, it's natural that he still wouldn't get to sing much.  As has been noted, of course, he got the job because he could play AND sing.  

I haven't seen the details of how the Eagles derived maximum benefits from groupies. I can only imagine.  However, life being what it is and the opposite sex being so well-armed in the "game" of love, I'd bet that at least a few of the Eagles actually did experience being stung by faithless women in real life.  Just speculation on my part, though.  

I'm no expert on mixed drinks, but I've never heard a Tequila Sunrise referred to as a lady's drink.  It seems to me it's just a regular drink.  A Singapore Sling is a lady's drink.

As for the bass playing on "Desperado," I've listened to that album so many times that when I finally decided I'd stop just singing to it and actually play the bass to it, I found that I could effortlessly play the bass to every song.  But it was the natural way I'd play, not the way Randy Meisner would do it.  It made me appreciate his bass playing more than I might normally have.  Although that was quite some time ago, in a way, that was a kind of turning point for me.  It made me realize that Randy Meisner's bass playing was pretty damned good, and maybe mine wasn't quite so good as I had thought.  Better that than to overrate one's self, but stark reality can sometimes be more stark than originally planned.

I've never been in a band that covered an Eagles song.  However, after listening to some of those Eagles covers on YouTube, it seems to me it might be a good idea if more people realized sounding as good as the Eagles is not easy.  Thinking that you're doing so might be kind of delusional.    

[Dave W]

Tequila sunrise a lady's drink? Not that I've ever heard.

[uwe]

Is it not?!!!! This thread is a testosterone bandaid for my ailing manhood then! A world-travelled CEO of a hotel management group once told me and I took his word for granted. But of course all Brits are masters at deception, I should have known better. Repeat: Tequila Sunrises are manly. The sly smiles of bartenders in the past - mere figments of my imagination. The fact that Glenn Frey sings about a woman drinking it - just a gender coincidence. The mellow taste - naw, I know it's harsh now. Make way, mortals, make way for the fearsomely manly Tequila Sunrise gulper!!!

[uwe]

Schmidt's almost soprano like falsetto backing vocals are certainly an asset, during the hibernation of the Eagles he sang on a lot of other people's recordings. His bass playing, however, is capable yet totally uncommitted. And he doesn't get the One of these Nights intro quite right either! But does well with the unison bass/guitar lick in Life in the Fast Lane. You can't have it all.

[westen44]

An example of Timothy B. Schmit's outstanding vocals. 

I'm also throwing in a song with the same name by the Scorpions which has nothing to do with anything, but it's a good song, too.  It can be considered lagniappe. 

[uwe]

I ordered a tequila sunrise at a Munich hotel bar last night. On purpose. I watched the bar tender closely, nothing gave him away, he did not smile. Thanks guys.