Randy videos on YouTube and other video sites

[NightMistBlue]

Love these! As far as I know, this appearance was his only on any TV show as a solo act. Of course, I'm always on the lookout for more!

Randy also appeared as a solo act (with his band the Silverados, naturally) on the Midnight Special in December 1980, the Merv Griffin Show in August 1982 and Solid Gold in October 1982.

You can see a tantalizingly brief clip of the Merv show performance "Playing in the Deep End" during a segment for the American Journal tv program in 1994, available on the L&M site.

I've been searching high and low for the Merv and Solid Gold videos but no luck.

[randysgirl]

I have also searched for the Solid Gold appearance. Can't find it anywhere. I would love to see that one.

[NightMistBlue]

Good to have you back, Randysgirl. Isn't it maddening? There are compilation DVDs of Solid Gold and many individual episodes, but no one seems to have the episode with Randy - and Karla Bonoff, whom I also love.

Wouldn't it be great if Randy put out a video retrospective of his career some day. I'm a dreamer.

[UndertheWire]

Can anyone tell me more about this live recording of Try and love again? The title says it's Randy and it's live but that's all. I can believe it's Randy but he sounds a lot different and much older than the Eagles studio recording.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDyIAWJ8u4E

[NightMistBlue]

This version sounds like it's from the Live In Dallas recording (alternate title "Alive in America"), from 1981 or 82.

The gals who run the L&M site have a rare video of Randy performing this song with Meisner Swan & Rich in June 1995, at the legendary Palomino Club in Los Angeles.

[Delilah]

Can anyone tell me more about this live recording of Try and love again? The title says it's Randy and it's live but that's all. I can believe it's Randy but he sounds a lot different and much older than the Eagles studio recording.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDyIAWJ8u4E

Somewhere I read that he was encouraged by someone-Val Garay, his producer?-to push himself vocally and sing differently. I think he surprised himself that he could. I'll have to dig around and figure out where I saw that.

[NightMistBlue]

He deliberately sang in a lower range for his solo career. He felt he had been sort of marginalized into a narrow musical role in the Eagles, only called on to play bass and sing the high notes. Like an actor who gets typecast.

I know that Val Garay had wanted to work with Randy for several years. Garay used to be the engineer on the Linda Rondstadt albums (she tells a funny/embarassing story about him in her memoir). I think he may have encouraged Randy to write more, and to collaborate with well-regarded songwriters Wendy Waldman and Eric Kaz. I don't know what Mr. Garay's musical input was beyond that. It would be interesting to know. Garay was already working with Kim Carnes at that time, and was moving in a synth-y/techno-y direction with her.

Randy gave credit to his manager at the time, Trudy Green*, for helping him to take on the challenge of doing interviews with the media and being a front man. Being a shy person, he was happy to let Glenn and Henley take over those duties in the Eagles. And this is just my theory, but I think Randy may have been a little insecure about his relative lack of education (he dropped out of high school in the 11th grade). He said something about his reticence around journalists, "Suppose they ask you something and you don't know the answer?" Randy was impressed that Henley went to college.

* Ms. Green went on to manage Heart and is currently in the big leagues, managing Mick Jagger and Aerosmith: http://www.artistshousemusic.org/videos/trudy+green

P.S. Delilah, I really love your avatar

[UndertheWire]

NMB, that you for that explanation. I prefer Randy singing lower as I'm not a fan of the high, piercing vocals. I've recently bought two of his solo albums (on one CD) but I haven't got around to listening.

[Delilah]

Very interesting, NMB, thanks. I wonder if what I read was in the liner notes of One More Song. Like you, I suspect not finishing high school made him self-conscious. And then he's in a band with Don Henley, with all his literary references and knowledge. Yet, Randy did manage to collaborate with some really talented people.

Thanks, re: my avatar, I love a smiling Randy

[randysgirl]

Until I saw HOTE I did not realize that Henley was an English major. Having been an English major also, I suddenly realized why I thought his lyrics were so great. Especially Hotel California. He was a poet.
Randy had less formal education but I thought his contribution to Eagles' lyrics were quite good. Randy's lyrics seemed to come from deep emotions and life experiences.