Glenn Frey: Eagles Album Saved Band

Steve Kroft Interviews Members Of The Legendary Band

(CBS)  Here is a good trivia question for you: what's the biggest selling album in American history? You're probably not going to get it.

It's the Eagles' "Greatest Hits 1971-1975," which was released, ironically, a year before some of their greatest hits. Along with the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin and Garth Brooks, they are among the top five all-time best selling artists in the U.S.

As correspondent Steve Kroft reports, what's new is that three weeks ago they released their first new material in 28 years, a double album called "Long Road Out Of Eden," which opened at number one on the Billboard charts and has already gone platinum. But like everything else the Eagles have ever done, the process wasn't easy or peaceful, which is probably why you have never seen them sit down together for a television interview. Until now.

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Kroft and the 60 Minutes team met them last month at a stripped down rehearsal hall in Los Angeles. Four lead singers, with just as many styles, careers and egos, were honing the first new Eagles songs in nearly three decades, saving harmony for their music.

"There's a certain sound that we make when we sing together. That over the past 35 years has become ingrained in people's minds. And you know, I can't sound like that with anybody else except these guys," Don Henley explains.

Co-founders Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit are all pushing 60 now, and have been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for nearly a decade. There is nothing left to prove except that they can do it again, one last time.

It all began in 1971 with a smooth California sound that was part country, part rock, and an antidote to the turmoil of the late 60's. Their debut album produced three of their many hits.

Thirty-six years later, Glenn Frey and the Eagles look different, but they still sound the same. And fans line up to pay hundreds of dollars for their rare three-hour concerts.

Asked why he thinks the band is still so popular, Frey tells Kroft, "Take It Easy, Witchy Woman, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Desperado, Tequila Sunrise, Already Gone, Best of My Love, One of These Nights, Lying Eyes, Take It to the Limit, Hotel California, Life in the Fast Lane, New Kid in Town, I Can't Tell You Why, The Long Run, Heartache Tonight."

"It was important for you guys to come up with new material and not just go out and play the old songs?" Kroft asks.

"Well weren’t gonna, we were gonna be done. We’d been the guardians of the Eagles legacy for some time now and I wouldn’t wanna have it end - you know you're just sort of doing a caricature of yourself, your just doing a tribute to yourself. We either had to fold our tent or make a record. And fortunately, and I'm so glad we did, we decided to make a record," Frey says.

There are 20 new songs crafted to fit with their body of work, and they feel comfortable and familiar. In Los Angeles, they were still learning how to play them in a drill they call the "circle of fear."

Why is it called the circle of fear?

Says Frey, "There's nowhere to hide. You like to kinda come out here and see that everybody's got it and we're all, you know, singing the right things."

"And to do that it's repetition. You have to do it over and over and over," Schmit explains.

"Yeah, just 'cause you wrote 'em don't mean you can play 'em," Walsh adds, laughing.

[Fastballinside]

Oh BTW - for all of you debating DB vs. Eagles...come on. Obviously DB are very talented and obsessive in the studio, they are crazy tight in their play, but let''s be honest...all of their songs sound the same after awhile.

BTW - I should have added Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band to my earlier post...I think they have contributed to American Music. I''m sure there are some of you out there that will poo poo Bruce as well, but if you have listened to all of his music and realize that he has NEVER sold the rights to his music to anyone for anyprice....well...nevermind.

[Fastballinside]

I''m not as old as most of you guys obviously are, but...because of my brother who is 11 years older, I grew up listening to a lot of great 70''s and early 80''s music. The Eagles stand out...always have. There are statements in these pages that talk about the lack of real musical talent since the 70''s, however...there has been some really creative and talented music in the last 20 years, it doesn''t matter if I like it or not. I would include U2, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Eminem, Police, Billy Joel, Lyle Lovett, Stevie Ray Vaughen, John Mayer (yes he is pop but guitarist know he is real) and there are more. I like some, appreciate others. There are so so so many more out there that will never see the light of day in terms of distribution success, but they are out there. All you guys stuck in the "good ole times" need to get real. There were fantastic musicians 20, 30, 100 and 300 years ago and believe it or not, there are many out there today, you just need to know how to filter out the noise.

P.O.!

[cattlekate]

And one more thing - I want all of my money and time back from These Greeks Don''t Want No Freaks.

That song sucked. Just sucked.

It was a travesty and crappy filler to stick on The Long Run, Timmeh''s first studio album with The Eagles.

It featured Joe Walsh, and I think was helped to be written by Jimmy Buffett, - a drunken colaberation after Buffett''s wedding in Aspen in 1975.

It was a horror song. Something Hitchcock would have never written or produced.

I cannot tell you how much time I spent recording the album, and then lifting up the stylus so I could get a tape without that horrible "song."

The Eagles did the best songs ever, but also one of the worst - These Greeks Don''t Want No Freaks. Gah!

And I am still pissed off about Felder''s cruel and unreasonable dismissal - he also wrote one of the Eagle''s best unknown classics - Those Shoes.

[allisonxb-2009]

I just wonder how Ed BradlEy would have done with this exceptional group. Sure miss his STYLE !!!

[mightyfee]

I''m not quite sure what the "message" is that "The Wal-Mart thing" delivers. The Eagles (and some of their fans, apparently) want us to "get over" out petty gripes about this and that, gripes which they can''t voice because they are mega-millionaires. Those millions were built to a large extebnt on the backs of many epople who can no longer afford to see them live because of the ridiculous ticket prices they demand.

Besides, what do these guys have to "protest" about? They want more tax cuts maybe?

[cattlekate]

Just to make it clear: The founders of the band were Don, Glenn, Randy, and Bernie.

CBS - don''t be like FAUX News and try to rewrite history. Some of us are still around and remember the good ol'' days.

PS Ericsh - you are so right! Do you remember the horror you felt when MTV insisted Ann Wilson''s image be stretched out, so she wouldn''t look so fat, on the videos from Alone? That was a travesty.

[cattlekate]

From the mid 1970s to now, the only time Timmeh wacked off his hair was in the early eighties. That was so sad. Perhaps he gave it to a wigs for cancer place.

In 1984, he released Playin It Cool, which gave a song, So Much In Love, to Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

The album had a few goofy songs on it, but did have Tell Me What You Dream, probably one of the greatest ballads ever written. It got little airplay, at least until Restless Heart did a cover.

Restless Heart''s version was blah. Timmy''s was so nice and dreamy. Occasionally you will hear it on Safeway''s mix, as you wheel your cart down the frozen foods section.

[cattlekate]

Now back to the cutest guy the band ever had - Timmeh.

He not only replaced Randy in the Eagles, he had also replaced Randy in Poco. He also did backup for Linda as well.

Timmeh''s sweet falsetto voice quickly got Poco airplay on top-40 stations, altho Poco was drifting back and forth between a Flying Burrito Brothers kinda bluegrass-country sound, and a more ballady-country rock sound.

Timmeh''s long hair added a rockish look to the band, and he helped the band produce a more-top-40 album, probably Poco''s best, Crazy Eyes, with Gram Parson''s long and haunting ballad, Crazy Eyes, and JJ Cale''s breath-catchingly-beautful Magnolia.

Gesus CBS - dont you have any post-fifty Eagles & Poco groupies on your staff?

[cattlekate]

"Co-founders Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit" Please correct this.

Joe Walsh replaced Bernie Leadon in 1976, probably partially as a result of Bernie hooking up with Patti Davis and letting her say she was a co-author of I Wish You Peace. Eventho Ronnie''s daughter was pretty and cool, she still was Ronnie''s daughter.

Timothy B. Schmit replaced Randy Meisner after Randy collaborated on the Eagle''s greatest album, Hotel California. It may have been due to Randy becoming too religious.

The founders of the band were Don, Glenn, Randy, and Bernie. They sang back up to Linda Ronstadt prior to splitting off and creating their unique LA-country-rock sound.

The greatest guitarist the Eagles had, Don Felder, joined in 1974 as a slide guitarist, and wrote the music to the Eagles'' greatest song, Hotel California, which Don and Glenn originally didn''t like and thought was too Mexican. Don was cruelly fired in 2001 and it was the Eagles'' loss.

[devinsbuddy]

It''s been too long since their last album! Their latest makes this 60+ year old feel eo much younger. Right now they have total control of my iPod. Thanks for the interview!

[katchef]

Bought the CD and I''m thrilled. What I was disappointed about in the interview was that Steve never got on to the music. This is, as I have explained to my son, his first protest album. Those of you who are under thirty (I''m over 40 and counting)and trying to wrap your head around the Wal-Mart thing, grow up. It was a great delivery device for a message. But, it is a long road out of Eden.....

[mightyfee]

Won''t buy the CD, won''t see them in concert, even though I can afford it. The prices these vultures charge for live performances are inexcusable, and the fact that they''ve signed an exclusive distribution deal with union-busting, poisonous Chinese junk-peddling Wal-Mart is despicable. The Eagles'' collective social conscience is on a par with that of Grover Norquist, Henley''s precious Walden posturing notwithstanding. They are arguably among the most talented songwriters America has ever produced, and their greed, egotism, callousness toward their audience, and complete lack of concern about the condition of the country makes me shut them off whenever they''re on my radio, despite how much I idolized them growing up.

Donny boy, you''re no Jackson Browne . . .

[erichsh]

Don McLean identified a single point in time in "American Pie" when he sang about "the day the music died". I''m referring, of course, to August 1, 1981, the day that MTV went on the air, the day that "Video Killed The Radio Star". Ironically, sadly, and prophetically, that Buggles song was among the videos aired that fateful day. I remember at the time how put off I was with the sheer, unadulterated *** that all of a sudden replaced the great 70''s bands - a pattern that has only gotten worse since 1981. Genuine musicians were all of a sudden replaced with good-looking, dancing clowns for the videos - and today, they don''t even pretend to dance, sing, or play an instrument - just look nasty and spout out a string of expletives. It only makes me more proud of the music from my 70''s roots - Eagles, Boston, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zep, etc. I can''t think of a single band founded in the 80''s or 90''s that still instills passion and retains the avid following that so many of the 70''s bands still have.

[steeplejack3]

I only read the article and did not see the video but it seemed that Kroft, for all the acimony talk, never asked about Don Felder and the reasons he was "excused" from the band.
BTW...Chevy Chase was the first drummer for Steely Dan...that and 50 cents gets ya nothing. An indiosyncratic musical experiment that is talented but great? I don''t think so.
Essentially, the Eagles are like fast food...pleasant,popular but not much nutrician...Henley alone is deeper. Having been gone 14 years, now it seems they are everywhere. Saying that there Farewell Tour I gave them permission to have Farwell Tour XXVI or whatever is bogus and a tad silly.

[denn034]

I''ve got that album. It''s great and the Eagles are great as well. Go Eagles.

I give the Eagles a lot of credit for there accomplishment. Theres just not a lot of bands out there willing to do what they have, are even try these days. Bob Dylan once said its been a long time since anybody came out with some real music, music that has some real meaning to it and sounds good.

[klawkat]

Steely Dan was/is not a ''band'' but two musicians-Walter Becker and Donald *****-with pick-up session players. They couldn''t tour as they were unable to reproduce the ''studio'' sound until very recently. As for the Doobies, basically, it was Michael McDonald for me. If he sang lead (Takin'' It To The Streets, What A Fool Believes),I loved it. If not, Doobies just average. For me, the Eagles, along with the Allman Brothers and Earth,Wind and Fire are the great AMERICAN bands of all time.

[rebeccabrow1]

The return on the $11.88 that I spent at Wal-Mart was pure pleasure! The Eagles ARE the greatest American band! I can only compare them to the Beatles but then they weren''t American. Kudos to the Eagles and Wal-Mart for putting the CD out there at an affordable price for the working American. Love the CD, love the Eagles!

[charlienys]

does anyone know if CBS will be replaying the interview with the Eagles anytime???

[evadk-2009]

From the article: Co-founders Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit are all pushing 60 now, ...
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CBS/60 Minutes must not have a Rock ''n'' Roll fact-checker. The original band members were Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner and Don Henley, with Henley being the last addition to the "original" group.

I''ve liked all of the various manifestations of the group, but the first mix was my favorite if I had to pick one. I do think Joe Walsh was a particularly cool addition. They''re all cool with me.