The smiling during interviews could be from shyness/awkwardness. That's my impression, he's a shy dude who's not very comfortable talking on camera.
He did well in the HOTE speaking segments though, in the sense that he got his point across and didn't do the nervous smiling.
In contrast, I wonder if the reason the HOTE interview segments with Randy are so much shorter - mere seconds, really - than his bandmates' is he was either too shy or too ill. But that's a whole other topic.
Back in the 70s, I think they were trying to show a certain attitude in publicity photos - "we're not laid-back, mellow people" - and so no smiles form Don Felder, although you can see plenty of smiles when he's playing.
He did some tv presenting in the 80s and probably had a bit of training in how to speak in front of a camera and I also suspect his current wife/fiance/girlfriend has played a part in the transformation.
He looks pretty relaxed to me in interviews, much more so than Glenn or Don Henley (Glenn developed that nervous "you know" tic). He said something about learning to treat the interviewers as friends.
I also get that vibe that Don is comfortable talking to interviewers. I think Don H was kinda the one who's nervous talking to interviewers. Glenn seems the most comfortable of all of them.
No offense to the other guys in the band but Joe is the king of wardrobe and comedy remember his brick suit?
That's basically it I think.
Speaking as a shy person myself, I smile when I do talk to let people know I'm not an @sshole because otherwise I'm pretty distant and reserved and definitely not good at small talk or conversation. I keep my in-person interactions with people I don't know short and sweet and that's how I like it. Just the facts and answer questions, say goodbye, and then run off to a secluded place. You gotta work to get to know me. I'm an introverted person also, I just prefer to be secluded (although it DOES wear on you after awhile). I'm not a partygoer (which is probably why I love uptempo party songs to live out that life through them lol).
I'm completely the opposite online. Outspoken, confident, chatty, etc. But in person I'm a different animal. I think part of it is the fact I don't have to do it face to face and I can show more of my personality without the social anxiousness of in-person interactions. People make me nervous, lol. I just prefer to only interact with those I know, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and I smile to lessen my tension and thereby make others feel more comfortable as well.
Yes, it's probably shyness and nervousness that are behind those quick smiles. But did he do that in the 70's? He may have been a bit more cocky then?
I'm that way too, Austin. Being an only child, I was very very shy. To truth about it. I really wasn't shy in school to think about it, but I also didn't have friends. When I got older I became shy and very nervous around people I don't know. I don't like talking to people I don't know. I'm usually quiet when I'm in a group. I'm not a huger. So I don't like a complete stranger or even somebody I know to come up to me and hug me.
I open up more when I'm around people I know and comfortable around.
I think Don got more comfortable over the years and it was probably Kathrin that helped him a little.
Felder, Don. Heaven And Hell: My Life In The Eagles, 1974-2001 (Kindle Location 4106). Orion. Kindle Edition.I even ended up cohosting a music video program for kids called Fun TV or FTV. My kids loved it. They were much more impressed with that than anything I’d done with the Eagles.