Eagles songs that *might* be better if Bernie sung them

[WS82Classics]

This was speculated upon a few months ago as it regarded Randy singing more Eagles songs. Thought it might be worthwhile to pursue this as it regarded Bernie.

Bernie would certainly have been a better vocalist for "Visions." Then again, so would Henley. I can also hear him doing "Pretty Maids All in a Row," "Please Come Home for Christmas," "King of Hollywood," "Sad Cafe," "Love Will Keep Us Alive," and "How Long."

Would have also made for a great harmonizer on the released live version of "Seven Bridges Road."

I'd be curious to hear what everyone else thinks on this subject.

[Scarlet Sun]

Hollywood Waltz

[UndertheWire]

I would have Bernie singing Glenn's songs. Of course, I wouldn't like to lose Glenn's versions and I doubt Bernie would have been better but I think they have a similar "warmth" and laid-back style. Bernie was even good with more energetic songs, like "Twenty-One".

[travlnman2]

I don't know but Doolin Dalton could be nice and MAYBE New Kid In Town I feel that would be a Bernie type of song.

[Delilah]

I agree with Hollywood Waltz; I imagine he expected to sing that originally anyway. I think Tequila Sunrise and Last Resort would suit his voice.

[Freypower]

Bernie is a folk/country singer, not a rock singer. I disagree with the suggestion of The Last Resort, which requires a buildup of intensity I have never heard from Bernie; I have never heard him sing anything like that. Far better would be a low key song like Tequila Sunrise or PEF. I have no idea if he could sing an uptempo song; the closest he ever got was Twenty-One. He could have done Best Of My Love, perhaps. I hesitate to suggest any song he didn't play on.

[L101]

I don't agree with Bernie singing King of Hollywood, Sad Café or The last resort - his voice doesn't have that kind of intensity for those songs.

I like his voice but it is definitely more country rock and is suited to songs like Hollywood waltz, PEF or Tequila sunrise - nice laidback songs, just like Bernie !

[Jonny Come Lately]

The song that stands out most to me is Hollywood Waltz - I think that song would have suited his voice. The only problems would be that he plays pedal steel on that song, and singing while also playing that instrument strikes me as being very difficult if not impossible (admittedly it would have been possible in the studio, and the song was never played live IIRC). I also think I read somewhere once that the initial version of the song he co-wrote with his brother Tom had a different set of lyrics, and that he wasn't too keen on the changes that Don and Glenn made to the original lyrics (see here: https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/collaborators/tomleadon.htm) so I'm not sure whether he'd have wanted to sing the final version of the song.

I must admit that with a few exceptions I personally find it difficult to imagine the Eagles singing songs that were actually sung by another band member. I tend to agree with L101 in thinking that his voice is best suited to country rock, and I also agree that his voice is perhaps better suited to most of Glenn's songs than Don's (to a point - he'd do a good job with Tequila Sunrise I think, but I couldn't imagine him doing, say, Outlaw Man). If I had to choose a post-Bernie song for him, I couldn't really imagine him singing anything from Hotel California or especially The Long Run, so I would perhaps suggest Learn To Be Still as one that could have worked.

[WS82Classics]

Hmm, some interesting ideas. I especially like the thought of him doing "Peaceful, Easy Feeling," "Tequila Sunrise," and "Learn to Be Still."

"Hollywood Waltz" would have suited him, as well, but I don't know that it necessarily would have been better than the recorded take with Henley.

"New Kid in Town," a song after which I think he named one of his post-Eagles outfits, could have also worked.

[Annoying Twit]

I think Bernie has a comparatively generic voice compared to other members. I can't think of any songs that I would prefer him to sing. However, in the context of whole albums, having Bernie sing a few songs adds to the overall variety of the album and is a positive in that sense.

I can think of some Bernie songs that might be better if sung by others. But, I don't want to name them because I like having Bernie singing his songs, and wouldn't want to wish away those performances.

However, it's a bit of a copy to not mention any songs, so I'll say that if Bernie was given one additional vocal, then Pretty Maids All In A Row would be a candidate. (I realise that Bernie wasn't in the band then.) But that would cut Joe's only vocal on the album. What Do I Do With My Heart is another possible candidate. However, I don't think Bernie would do those better: just different.