A few song questions

[OntheBorder74]

Thought I'd put some of my thoughts into one thread, just to undertsand a few things

1. what instruments aside from the banjo are in Journey of the Sorcerer, can't figure it out even though they played it live too

2. who is came up with the Indian/eastern sounding guitar section in Too Many Hands that starts at 2 minutes and 43 seconds in? Sounds so different to what the eagles usually play.

3. And finally more of a thoguht but is it possible that B sides can take a single to no 1. Wondering if Best of my Love made it to no 1 because of the cover of ol 55 on the flip side as I'm a fan of ol 55 but not so much of BOML?

Thanks, OTB74

[Freypower]

I don't believe JOTS was ever played live (someone correct me if I'm wrong but I doubt it). You can hear the usual drums, bass & (I think) acoustic guitar in it.

I imagine it was Felder who wrote the guitar parts of Too Many Hands as he has a writer's credit.

To my knowledge BOML/Ol '55 wasn't a double A side & I don't know if the flip side would have been played on the radio. I'm not a great BOML fan either, but many people love the song.

[GlennLover]

I don't believe JOTS was ever played live (someone correct me if I'm wrong but I doubt it). You can hear the usual drums, bass & (I think) acoustic guitar in it.

I believe that I have a bootleg of them playing JOTS. I'll check on that.

[UndertheWire]

Journey of the Sorcerer -
the liner notes mention fiddles by David Bromberg and strings by "The Royal Martian Orchestra" (which may just be a reference to Bernie Leadon's nickname rather than being a real musical group).

It was played live for a few shows. Setlist.fm lists 8 dates and it's on an audio bootleg from Philidephia, PA from 1975 . It sounds like there's a synthesiser in the mix. The live version is less lush but surprisingly similar to the studio version considering the limitations of a 5-piece band. Too Many Hands was also in that live set.

My understanding is the Billboard 100 chart takes into account radio plays as well as record sales and I assume only plays of the A side would count. So my feeling is that Ol' 55 wasn't a big part of the success of Best of My Love.

[GlennLover]

I found my disc with JOTS on it, but it doesn't say what year it is. Probably the same year or maybe the same concert that UtW mentioned. As well as TMH, You Never Cry Like A Lover is on the disc. Haven't we wondered whether they ever played it live?

[OntheBorder74]

I think it's 1975 cause thats hen one of these nights, my personal favourite eagles album, came out and based on this youtube of video of the same bootleg recording;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ufdz0BbEjc

I think your right the high pitched wails could be a synthesizer or a maybe like some of steel guitar; it has a cosmic feel to it.

The thought about ol 55 was probably too out there, it's just I love Glenn's singing in that song.

[scottside]

I saw JOURNEY OF THE SORCERER played in May of 1975 at the Capital Theater in Passaic, NJ. Bernie played banjo, Don Felder played slide and I'm pretty sure Glenn played acoustic guitar.

That same show also contained ONE OF THESE NIGHTS and TOO MANY HANDS. On the latter, Glenn and Don F played lead guitar and Bernie played 12 string acoustic.

This show was about three weeks before the album was released so they only gave us a taste of it.

[OntheBorder74]

That's interesting, probably felder on sldie that I'm hearing in the live version.And you're probably right it's felder doing the indian guitar bit, as he came up with the spanish reggae style of guitar sound of hotel california too

[UndertheWire]

Scottside, I'm impressed you remember so much. Do you remember if there was anyone else performing with them or how the achieved the "string" effect?

[Freypower]

They could only have played JOTS in 1975. That was when it was recorded & Bernie left the band after that.