Honorary Mentions
“Help Me Through the Night” (Walsh, 1974). The original version of this lilting ballad—written and recorded for So What, Walsh’s last studio album prior to joining the Eagles—features Frey, Henley, and Meisner on harmonies, so it’s the first official collaboration between the Eagles and their future guitar hero. Frey and Henley, this time joined by Felder, reprised their vocal contributions for Walsh’s subsequent live album You Can’t Argue With a Sick Mind (1976), and the song later joined the Eagles discography by appearing in the video version of Hell Freezes Over. (The band’s live version didn’t make the Hell Freezes Over CD, though it did turn up as a B-side to one of that album’s singles.) In any version, the lovely, melodic track showcases Walsh’s vocals at their most sensitive, and the way the insistent bassline slow-dances with Walsh’s watery guitar figures is graceful and tender.
“One More Song” (Meisner, 1980). Three years after quitting the Eagles, Meisner offered a farewell of sorts with the title track of his second solo album. Written by occasional Eagles contributor Jack Tempchin, the tune is a bittersweet ballad about a band called the Silverados stretching out their final gig for sentimental reasons. Meisner tells the story well, his lived-in high tenor imbuing the cornball lyrics with emotion, but what makes the track special is the presence of Frey and Henley on harmony vocals during the choruses and the outro. This was the last time the three longest-serving founding members of the Eagles recorded together.
“All of You” (Felder, 1981). A moody slow jam with sexy harmonies and insinuating guitars, this piece demonstrates Felder’s gift for generating evocative soundscapes in need of stronger lyrics and vocals than he’s able to deliver; “All of You” is a solid track that easily could have become something special. In fact, given how much this richly textured number sounds like an Eagles song circa 1979, it’s possible “All of You” began as a Long Run-era basic track to which Felder hoped Henley would eventually add lyrics. (The guitarist briefly references such material in his autobiography.) If so, it’s a shame this one never coalesced because it would have provided a sensual companion piece for “I Can’t Tell You Why.”
“Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)” (Felder, 1981). Originally written by Felder for The Long Run and at one point bearing the just-for-laughs working title “You’re Really High, Aren’t You,” this swaggering cut was shelved until Felder was invited to contribute to the soundtrack of Heavy Metal, an animated riff on material from the adult-fantasy magazine of the same name. Felder wrote fresh lyrics and recorded a new version replete with his signature blistering fretwork. He also sings the (heavily processed) lead vocal. Giving the song even more Eagles gloss, Henley and Schmit sing harmonies.
“Rivers (Of the Hidden Funk)” (Walsh, 1981). Cowritten with Felder and developed for The Long Run, this euphonious number alternates between rubbery, bass-driven verses and luxurious choruses that showcase soulful group vocals. Although the lyrics suffer the frequent Walsh malady of beautiful opacity, it’s easy to imagine this number taking memorable shape with contributions from other band members. As is, the tune features characteristically meticulous guitar work from Felder (who plays the talk-box bits) and Walsh.
“Too Much Drama” (Mickey Thomas, 1981). Although the Eagles never released a version of this Long Run–era tune written by Henley and Frey, it found a home on Alive Alone, the second solo album by Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship fame. (One assumes that Bill Szymczyk, who coproduced Alive Alone, hipped Thomas to the tune’s existence.) Listening to the Thomas rendition, it’s easy to imagine an Eagles version sounding almost identical, especially because Felder plays nasty guitar throughout the track. “Too Much Drama” is a funky trifle driven by caustic throwaway lyrics, exactly the kind of loose jam that might have helped The Long Run become something warmer and weirder had it been a double album as originally intended.
“Told You So” (Walsh, 1983). Another unused Long Run track cowritten by Walsh and Felder, the latter of whom plays lead guitar on the track even though it appears on a Walsh album. There’s not much to the number except for the groove and the solos, but given the players involved, those elements are enough to generate interest. The hook is heavy and menacing. Even better, when Felder and Walsh dig into dual-guitar lines, the sound is as fierce as ever.
“Something’s Wrong” (Schmit, 1984). A respectable album track that finds Schmit pushing himself into a more blues-inflected pocket than usual, “Something’s Wrong” is nearly an Eagles reunion tune because Henley plays drums and provides backing vocals while Walsh lays down fierce solos. The sonics are better than the songwriting, but the sum effect is so punchy that “Something’s Wrong” underscores how powerfully various Eagles raise each other’s game.
“One Day at a Time” (Eagles, 2005 concert-only song). Introduced as an Eagles song on the Farewell 1 concert video, this Walsh-penned bopper about the challenges of living sober never became an Eagles studio track. Instead, Walsh recorded it for his solo LP Analog Man. It’s disappointing the song fell out of the band’s repertoire only because “One Day at a Time” is livelier and tighter than the numbers Walsh contributed to Long Road Out of Eden. Powered by an amiable guitar hook, sincere lyrics, and rich “ooh-ooh” harmonies, this number ranks among the strongest original pieces the band has presented since reuniting. Having said all that, the song is such a specific personal statement that its presence on a solo release makes sense. (The same could be said, however, of the vastly inferior “Last Good Time in Town.”)
Rumored Unreleased Tracks
“Big River,” “Carol,” etc. (circa 1971). Fans of the group’s first incarnation have long speculated about material the original Eagles may or may not have recorded prior to entering the studio for their debut album. Much of this chatter relates to the band’s brief residency in Aspen, during which the Eagles sharpened their chops on covers and in-progress originals. Cover tunes reportedly performed during this period include “Big River” and “Lucifer” (a pair of Bob Seger tunes with choice harmonies), “Carol” (the Chuck Berry classic), and “Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies” (a traditional bluegrass number). Some fans speculate that Leadon wrote one of the since-lost originals workshopped in Aspen, possibly titled “Rumble in the Tunnel.” Among the band’s rumored unreleased material, these early songs seem the least likely to have ever been properly recorded.
“Georgia Peach” and “Wait and See” (circa 1973–1974). Bootlegs of concerts from the Desperado tour include live versions of two songs that were apparently developed for the band’s third album, On the Border. Culling from these dubious sources, fans have sorta-kinda identified the tracks as “Georgia Peach” (sung by Leadon) and “Wait and See” (sung by Meisner). Based on clues parsed from the aforementioned bootlegs, Meisner’s tune is of particular interest because the song apparently sprawls across 11 minutes of extended jamming.
“Bad Man” (circa 1974–1976). Some reports indicate the band cut this Frey-Souther original, with Meisner singing lead, while accumulating material for either One of These Nights or Hotel California. (Meisner eventually re-recorded the song for his 1978 solo debut LP.) Incidentally, journalist Cameron Crowe, whose ride-along adventures with the Eagles helped inspire his movie Almost Famous, once reported that the band wrote something titled “When a Bad Boy Meets a Bad Girl in the Night” while developing material for One of These Nights. Is it possible the tune to which Crowe referred was actually “Bad Man”?
“Too Much Drama,” etc. (circa 1978–1979). Several titles have surfaced from the many song ideas that were discarded during the Long Run sessions. The Henley-Frey original “Too Much Drama,” which was fully composed and at least partially tracked by the Eagles, reached the marketplace in a different form when Mickey Thomas recorded the song. The Felder-written track “You’re Really High, Aren’t You” evolved into his first solo tune, “Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride).” Other songs developed for The Long Run that later emerged as solo tracks include the Felder-Walsh collaborations “Rivers (Of the Hidden Funk)” and “Told You So.” Further clues about abandoned and/or shelved material can be found on the band’s Selected Works box set, which features two audio collages comprising studio chatter, rehearsal grooves, and song snippets (notably a piece of “Too Much Drama”). It is worth noting that all parties involved consistently assert that no unreleased Long Run originals were ever fully recorded; moreover, it’s possible “Too Much Drama” is the only such number that ever gained a complete set of lyrics. Finally, because Felder claims he submitted more than a dozen song ideas that never made it to Eagles LPs, some fans wonder if several numbers on his first solo album are Long Run rejects. Presumably a studio log tucked away in an archive somewhere tells the whole story of what happened.
“People Can Change,” etc. (circa 1997). According to Felder’s autobiography, the Eagles reconvened in the studio after the conclusion of the Hell Freezes Over tour, but tension between Frey and Henley derailed the sessions. Nonetheless, Felder says progress was made on as many as five different tracks, including one called “People Can Change,” which Henley wrote (or cowrote) as a showcase for Schmit.
