Celebration of "Hell Freezes Over"!

[SteveJoburg]

There's a discussion in the Documentary thread about the credits on HFO and it made me wonder about something else (and right now I can't even remember what it was because I got sooooo sidetracked). Anyways, I read this on Wiki and found it rather interesting. Not that I understand it, but it sounds cool anyways. LOL

Now I just need someone to actually explain it to me. I think I have a general idea tho.

At the risk of really opening a can of worms, I knew I would find a thread about this here and I have to bring this up for (hopefully) a healthy discussion...

On Sunday night I watched HFO for the first time since getting what I consider a really good surround system. (It took me many years to achieve that dream!) It was a revelation to hear 7BR on the DTS track, with the voices separated... My wife and I replayed the track a few times, each walking around the room listening with our heads at each speaker...

We instantly thought we knew who was in each channel. But, seeing the Wikipedia insert quoted above, I have to disagree, and I'm hoping some fellow board members with the ability to listen to the DTS 5.1 track will either agree or disagree with me. Now, if what I think is correct, it not only proves the Wiki section wrong, but also brings into question the recording date of that version of 7BR, which I have always thought was recorded on the 1980 tour, and that is what I've always seen in liner notes.

Firstly, there are very clearly, definitely, 5 voices on the track. Not 4. Frey is NOT repeated in the centre channel.

This I am convinced of and I think few people would disagree with me: Henley is in the front left channel. Frey is in the front right channel. We are pretty sure that the centre channel is actually Felder... He does the lower part of the harmony and you can hear the inflections in his voice.

What I am really battling with are the voices in the rear channels... Rear right is probably Schmidt but I really think it's Randy Meisner. Rear left, I believe, is Leadon... Try as I might I can't convince myself its Walsh. If it is, he is singing very differently to the way I am used to hearing him sing lead.

So... At best the only real major difference is that Felder is in the centre channel and one of the 5 voices you hear... At worst, the version on the DVD is from an older tour and includes a line up of Frey, Henley, Meisner, Leadon and Felder... But I've listened to the track and the CD version from Eagles Live back to back and I am also pretty certain its the same recording...

Someone tell me I'm either a genius or mentally unbalanced... Please!

[sodascouts]

According to the credits on the liner notes, the recording of Seven Bridges Road was made on July 28, 1980 in Santa Monica, CA. I'm not sure why they would use a different, earlier version and lie about it, so I think it's more likely that mixing in the control room might have affected the tones. As far as I know, they didn't start performing Seven Bridges Road as part of their setlist until after Bernie had left the band and Felder/Walsh were both members. I daresay it's not Bernie Leadon you hear on that audio channel.

[SteveJoburg]

Soda I know... I would never think it was intentionally done at all. I was also not sure of when they did start using 7BR as a vocal warm up and I knew someone would clear that up for me, thank you...
As I said I'm willing to accept that it's Tim in the one rear channel, which means the other must be Joe, although it just doesn't sound like him to me... But I'm still 100% sure that the centre channel is Don Felder, NOT Glenn.

[Brooke]

Hmmmmm, I must see if I can hear this on our system at home.......

[SteveJoburg]

Hmmmmm, I must see if I can hear this on our system at home.......

Please do Brooke? Even if you can tell me which vocal you think is coming out of the centre channel?

[zeldabjr]

Darn...Wish I had a system like this so I could check this out...lol

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I don't have the audio system to listen to it either, but, I would think it would be a five-part harmony with Glenn, Don H., Timothy, Joe, and Don F. since it was in 1980. I always thought that Felder was singing the low part as well.

[SteveJoburg]

Darn...Wish I had a system like this so I could check this out...lol

I'm quite pleased with my new system so you're welcome to pop over.

It's probably about a 20 hour flight, give or take... I'll put the kettle on so long.

[Brooke]

I will check this out as soon as I can!

SJ, I actually have a cousin in law that lives in SA! I've heard him say their flight takes around 22 hours! Give us a head start or the kettle will be dry!

[GlennLover]

I must have another listen. I definitely heard a single voice in each speaker. I'll see if I can tell which is which. I'm quite sure I identified Don, Timothy & Glenn before. At least I think I did.