Don Felder in the Press/Blogs/etc.

[New Kid In Town]

JMHO, but in the crazy, far chance Don H. ever accepted Felder back into the band that would be the end of Deacon in the band. And, that could be the end of touring and their money draw. I think Don has his own issues with Den F., and would never do anything to upset the money train he has going now.

[chaim]

I agree with everything Austin said about Steuart Smith.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

You know, the ironic part of all this is that I can recall, when asked about making Steuart an official band member, Glenn stating something to the effect that at that point in the band's career they didn't really see a need for any more line-up changes. Although I can't remember when, I also believe Don and Steuart may have also made similar justifications. It was probably all around the time of the release of LROOE. My My - how things have changed.

[sodascouts]

It wasn't just Glenn who had a problem with Felder. I can't imagine Henley ever welcoming Felder back. Maybe, just maybe, if Felder apologizes, they might do some kind of benefit one-off... but Felder will never be an Eagle again. That ship hasn't just sailed, it's sunk.

[Delilah]

Don Felder is interviewed in a recent issue of Parade magazine where he discusses creating music for his new album. It is also mentioned that he will be involved with an art exhibit at the Met!


Next month, Felder and his white Gibson double neck electric guitar of “Hotel California” (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hotel-california/635770200?i=635770202) fame will be featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock and Roll (https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2019/play-it-loud)exhibit.

https://parade.com/859386/nancyberk/eagles-guitarist-don-felder-says-follow-your-dream-no-matter-what-youre-pursuing/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

[sodascouts]

Don Felder is interviewed in a recent issue of Parade magazine where he discusses creating music for his new album. It is also mentioned that he will be involved with an art exhibit at the Met!

https://parade.com/859386/nancyberk/eagles-guitarist-don-felder-says-follow-your-dream-no-matter-what-youre-pursuing/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Thanks! It says Felder and his Gibson double neck guitar will be featured at the Met's exhibit of instruments... I wonder if he will make an appearance at the exhibit's opening?

[Tony Trout]

I know that I'm straying off-topic here but.....way back in the 2000s, Gibson released a dead-on copy of Don's beloved '59 LP & they also released a dead-on copy of that gorgeous Gibson EDS1275 double-neck!!

Man, if I had the $$$$, I'd love to have one of those Gibson EDS1275 double-neck guitars!!!



2469

[FreyFollower]

Don on an AXS tv special Sunday:

Sun Mar 24, 9pmE, 11:30 pmE.
America Salutes You:Guitar Legends 2
"The all-star concert honoring military veterans, filmed at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles, California, features performances and interviews from Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Emily Estefan, Sammy Hagar,
Joe Bonamassa, Robby Krieger (Doors), David Navarro (Jane"s Addiction), Stephen Stills (CSN&Y), and Don Felder (Eagles)."
Not sure if this is new or not.



Glad to see Don and the others honoring our vets!:thumbsup:

[NightMistBlue]

Ooh Robby Krieger. I must see if I get AXS. Like most people, I have hundreds of channels and end up only watching a few.

[Delilah]

Thanks! It says Felder and his Gibson double neck guitar will be featured at the Met's exhibit of instruments... I wonder if he will make an appearance at the exhibit's opening?

It sounds like he will be there. According to the museum link, some of the artists will be “lending” their performances so he might even play live. :shrug:

[Delilah]

Don’s appearance at the Met will be broadcast tomorrow on CBS This Morning.

https://mobile.twitter.com/metmuseum/status/1112112324305997824

[sodascouts]

Don’s appearance at the Met will be broadcast tomorrow on CBS This Morning.

https://mobile.twitter.com/metmuseum/status/1112112324305997824

Thanks for the heads up! My DVR isn't catching things like it used to!

[CAinOH]

And if you missed it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ5O-FzqfGA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6rsgAjYBf4

[sodascouts]

And if you missed it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ5O-FzqfGA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6rsgAjYBf4

Thanks!

[WalshFan88]

That's cool.

Don posted earlier on FB that Jimmy Page was in the front row watching and he said he's glad he didn't make any mistakes otherwise he'd never live it down and he was very nervous about playing in front of Pagey.

Jimmy is a masterful guitarist, but so is Don but it's still cool to hear the big names still get nervous, as someone who's also a performer/guitarist.

[NightMistBlue]

Don with The Dark Lord himself! https://m.facebook.com/donfeldermusic/photos/a.555610197885310/2037664129679902/?type=3

[CAinOH]

Interview with Don Felder for People magazine (video) where he talks about teaching Tom Petty how to play the guitar:

https://people.com/music/don-felder-taught-a-scrawny-buck-toothed-tom-petty-how-to-play-guitar/

[WalshFan88]

I'm sure Tom would have loved to hear Felder's description of his physical appearance back then.....not! I find it funny because Don has had so much plastic surgery and dental work to try to change his own teeth and facial appearance. I'm sure it wasn't meant with malice, but it did come off wrong and very ironical, lol. I'm sure Tom wouldn't have been upset. He seemed like such a laid back and authentic guy. RIP Tom.

I really would love to hear some new stories from Felder besides "Here's how I wrote Hotel California", "I taught Tom Petty how to play guitar", "I learned slide guitar from and hung out with Duane Allman", "I've tried reaching out to the guys but only reach their lawyers", etc. At this point, I would almost love a new book from Felder with more stories of his life that aren't negative or unpleasant but some life stories and positive experiences from his childhood, through the Eagles years, and after he left the Eagles. Maybe some more guitar information than just what I mentioned above or tales from the studio. Something! I feel like any DF interview these days is going to be like a broken record. I would love to hear something new from Felder and I'd love to hear more about his life that doesn't involve the things I mentioned above. Truthful or not, I just want some new things for him to talk about. I personally think he's experienced more and has more insight than just the things he chooses to talk about over and over and over.

Let's hear some of those for a change, Don!

[chaim]

Yeah, the bit about Tom's physical appearance was...uncomfortable to hear. It's like, did he look funny until he became famous?

[chaim]

And yeah, I'd like to read a book like Austin described above. Now that he got the "bad, bad Glenn and not nearly as bad Don (Henley), but bad nevertheless" thing out of his system in the book and in subsequent interviews , I'd love to hear what he has to say about life and music.

[WalshFan88]

Yeah, the bit about Tom's physical appearance was...uncomfortable to hear. It's like, did he look funny until he became famous?

It seemed quite shallow of Felder, but maybe I shouldn't have been surprised.

[WalshFan88]

And yeah, I'd like to read a book like Austin described above. Now that he got the "bad, bad Glenn and not nearly as bad Don (Henley), but bad nevertheless" thing out of his system in the book and in subsequent interviews , I'd love to hear what he has to say about life and music.

Exactly. Now that is a book I would love to read. There has to be more to share than just how badly he was treated by "The Gods" or that he wrote Hotel California sitting on the beach.

[WalshFan88]

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/don-felder-eagles-guitarist-album-glenn-frey

And here's more of the same! Sigh.

[chaim]

Where does he discuss "working with Glenn Frey"? I couldn't find it.

[WalshFan88]

Where does he discuss "working with Glenn Frey"? I couldn't find it.

Glad I'm not the only one. I couldn't find anything about it either, unless they are referring to the "type A personalities" and conflict parts. I don't see anything else.

[chaim]

Incidentally, when did (co-)writing HC become such a big thing? Was it after Don wrote the book that he started touring the world giving lectures about it or was it a huge issue already? I remember listening to a radio show about the album in the 90's. Glenn was interviewed and he discussed every track briefly. I think that was the first time I heard that Don F came up with the initial track. Glenn mentioned it as one fact among others. Not a big deal. Today it's almost like a religion and that house in Malibu is like a religious shrine or something.

So, when did it become such a huge issue?

[chaim]

(To be fair, Don is also asked about it all the time.)

[WalshFan88]

Incidentally, when did (co-)writing HC become such a big thing? Was it after Don wrote the book that he started touring the world giving lectures about it or was it a huge issue already? I remember listening to a radio show about the album in the 90's. Glenn was interviewed and he discussed every track briefly. I think that was the first time I heard that Don F came up with the initial track. Glenn mentioned it as one fact among others. Not a big deal. Today it's almost like a religion and that house in Malibu is like a religious shrine or something.

So, when did it become such a huge issue?

Honestly, I think it became a big deal after Felder's firing. And certainly with that book.

He clings to Hotel California honestly because I think he in his heart realizes he wasn't as important to the band as he'd have liked to have been. He wasn't a good singer or songwriter in the terms of arrangement and lyric composition. He was a great guitarist, that's all. He didn't have the power that Glenn and Don had. That bothered him. I think he sees that as his crowning achievement (and again, HC is my favorite song and Felder did play great on that and came up with the chord progression that started it, so there's his props for that). I think it's a form of validation for him. He certainly wasn't going to get it as a lead singer.

To me this all started when he was booted because he needed to remind everybody, but most importantly himself that HE started what became Hotel California - the Eagles biggest song. And depending on when you ask him, he may even take more credit for HC than he deserves, lol. He still sometimes claims that the band wanted the track to be just like his demo tape, and Walsh had to learn his solo that Felder said he created for him to play on it! But in a guitar documentary he clearly states how Walsh was the one responsible for the triads in that outro solo and that he did his own thing. I think he can exaggerate at times.

I think Don still has a lot of insecurity issues after all these years, and probably some regret towards his own ego and behavior in the 70s, and definitely the HFO period that led to his dismissal from the Eagles. He had an ego problem in the HFO period, but really at the heart of that is always the opposite, which is insecurity and poor self-esteem. He probably felt like he didn't get enough praise from "The Gods". I think it really hurt his pride to have to call Glenn to ask for his job back and he still isn't over it. He is/was a great guitarist, but that's where it stops. He wasn't multi-faceted and he certainly wasn't and still isn't a singer. He didn't want to play second fiddle to Don or Glenn. He wanted to sing songs and stand in front. He gets to do that now in his own solo band, much to my chagrin. I think he'd be so much better served by finding a singer who can do the material better and let him do what he does - which is play great guitar. I don't think he will ever do that though because I think he's still too proud after all this time, which is a shame.

In a way, I still feel bad for Felder and the firing thing. He did bring a lot of it on himself but he just never seemed happy. And I genuinely mean that. For years I denied it was mostly his fault, and while I've become more wise about what went down, I still feel bad for him. I think he needed the Eagles, and unfortunately it wasn't reciprocal. Unfortunately there is nothing anyone could have done to help him.

[chaim]

Makes sense and it's possible. I'm still wondering when and why everyone in the media business became so obsessed with him (co-)writing HC. It seems that for years everyone in the world has wanted to discuss it with him and it's like every interviewer's favorite song ever. I remember when it used to be just a great Eagles song.

[New Kid In Town]

Makes sense and it's possible. I'm still wondering when and why everyone in the media business became so obsessed with him (co-)writing HC. It seems that for years everyone in the world has wanted to discuss it with him and it's like every interviewer's favorite song ever. I remember when it used to be just a great Eagles song.

Truthfully, I don't think the media has much more to discuss with him. And, in all fairness, he gets asked about it in every interview. Same with the "I tried to reach out to them" line. That does get on my nerves. He says that when he knows they were under a court order not to contact each other. I wish he would just say "no comment" or "that was a long time ago" and move on with his interviews.

[WalshFan88]

Makes sense and it's possible. I'm still wondering when and why everyone in the media business became so obsessed with him (co-)writing HC. It seems that for years everyone in the world has wanted to discuss it with him and it's like every interviewer's favorite song ever. I remember when it used to be just a great Eagles song.

I think it’s honestly because that’s all they know about him or maybe he even has a list of things to ask him before each interview. It’s about the only thing most folks know about him. No one refers to him and his work on OOTN, by comparison.

[WalshFan88]

Truthfully, I don't think the media has much more to discuss with him. And, in all fairness, he gets asked about it in every interview. Same with the "I tried to reach out to them" line. That does get on my nerves. He says that when he knows they were under a court order not to contact each other. I wish he would just say "no comment" or "that was a long time ago" and move on with his interviews.

Amen, NKIT! I think you nailed it.

[New Kid In Town]

Amen, NKIT! I think you nailed it.

Thank You Austin !

[chaim]

"House in Malibu". Now THERE'S an album title for Don. 😁

[WalshFan88]

"House in Malibu". Now THERE'S an album title for Don. 😁

Haha yes. Kenny Chesney has “Beer In Mexico”, Don can have “House In Malibu”! Lol.

[chaim]

Jonesy's Jukebox. Haven't watched it yet, but one of the things discussed is how Hotel California was born.

https://youtu.be/Iz_VvSt1YSo

[chaim]

I've watched sixteen minutes so far. Don is actually pretty funny, relaxed and entertaining.

[WalshFan88]

I'll check it out, chaim. Thanks!

I was really hoping he'd have some new talking points with his new album and all.

[chaim]

I'll check it out, chaim. Thanks!

I was really hoping he'd have some new talking points with his new album and all.

The discussion about the new album is mostly "such and such played on the album" stuff. If you want to hear him talk about the music and songs, it's probably not worth a listen.

[WalshFan88]

The discussion about the new album is mostly "such and such played on the album" stuff. If you want to hear him talk about the music and songs, it's probably not worth a listen.

I listened to it. It was good.

Of course we got to listen to the HC story again but I thought overall it wasn't too bad.

[chaim]

I enjoyed it, but the bit about the new album was disappointing. Nothing but name dropping.

Felder interviews are more enjoyable to watch these days. He seems relaxed.

[Delilah]

An interview with Don from last month where he discusses collaborating with other artists in the past as well as for the new album. I found this part about “Sad Cafe” interesting:


“The funny part is that I spent about a year and a half here in New York City, where I am now, learning to play jazz, learning to improvise,” Felder said.
“… Henley knew that, and would throw things at me to do. When they needed a solo somewhere, (he would say), ‘Don, just make up something,’ so I’d plug in and make up something. Like the middle of ‘Sad Cafe.’ It’s a very acoustic, light, electric-piano-and-acoustic sounding track, and Don said, ‘You need to do something on acoustic guitar here.’ So I went out and built a really intricate harmony — I think there was six acoustic guitars playing an acoustic harmony part together on that solo there, something that I’d never done, never heard of.”


https://www.bendbulletin.com/entertainment/music/6993760-151/don-felder-will-take-bend-to-the-limit

[Brooke]

I wonder if Don (H) remembers that? :lol:

[Delilah]

LOL Brooke, who knows? I’m surprised any of them can remember much from that time.

[sodascouts]

Interesting. I always love hearing tidbits like that.

[Delilah]

Another video interview with Don about his new album. Nothing really new but he does confirm he is a Gator fan and that he expects to be touring on and off for the next 18 months. :shock: I guess he plans to stay busy.

https://www.nbcmiami.com/on-air/as-seen-on/New-Music-From-Legendary-Guitarist-of-The-Eagles_Miami-509434132.html?amp=y&__twitter_impression=true

[sodascouts]

Interesting trivia: "Sun" was an Eagles reject from 1974!

http://www.noise11.com/news/don-felder-gives-life-to-sun-a-song-the-eagles-rejected-in-1974-20190517

[chaim]

I can definitely hear the Henley/Frey/Leadon/Meisner vocal sound in my head when I hear Sun. But the song probably would have been a bit too laid back for the Eagles at that time.

[chaim]

I find it interesting that Don said "they just brushed it aside" about Sun, when it took several decades and three records to record it himself.

[New Kid In Town]

I find it interesting that Don said "they just brushed it aside" about Sun, when it took several decades and three records to record it himself.

I agree Chaim. I can see why it was not included on OOTN album. They were not going to include a song about the birth of Don F's son. Although it was a beautiful and special time for him, it was not suitable for the album. Sounds like he still has a grudge all these years later ! And, this part of the article shocked me : "Don Felder wrote 16 or 17 songs for Eagles ‘Hotel California’. Only two, ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Victim of Love’ were used. He has not gone back and listened to the ones that weren’t used on the label but says they still exist. “As a matter of fact I was just thinking the other day that I should get back to my storage lockers and find those cassettes that they were on. I should give them a listen. There may be some interesting stuff on there”.

Do they mean he wrote the music to 16 or 17 songs or the lyrics too ? Just wondering....

[chaim]

I agree Chaim. I can see why it was not included on OOTN album. They were not going to include a song about the birth of Don F's son. Although it was a beautiful and special time for him, it was not suitable for the album. Sounds like he still has a grudge all these years later ! And, this part of the article shocked me : "Don Felder wrote 16 or 17 songs for Eagles ‘Hotel California’. Only two, ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Victim of Love’ were used. He has not gone back and listened to the ones that weren’t used on the label but says they still exist. “As a matter of fact I was just thinking the other day that I should get back to my storage lockers and find those cassettes that they were on. I should give them a listen. There may be some interesting stuff on there”.

Do they mean he wrote the music to 16 or 17 songs or the lyrics too ? Just wondering....

The way I've always understood it is that he had recorded istrumental tracks (the amount may vary from interview to interview). No lyrics and not necessarily even vocal melodies. Just how much structure they had (verse, chorus etc.), I have no idea. Could have been complete song structures or just riffs. I don't remember Don ever mentioning how complete the other ideas were. But they certainly weren't "songs". They were "song ideas". HC and VOL as well.

[chaim]

And yeah, they certainly weren't going to include a song about the new guy having a baby. But even with different lyrics it could have been a bit too laid back and sunny for the band at that point. Not enough edge. (Not that IWYP had edge!)

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I agree with both of your above posts, chaim. The original 'First Glimpse of My Son' was definitely not right for the One of These Nights album, especially since they already had IWYP. If you recall, Frey and Henley didn't want to include that song either, but acquiesced to mollify Bernie. Although, I like both songs, I also agree that neither was edgy enough for the direction the band was taking at the time.

[YoungEaglesFan]

Yeah I agree that this song wouldn’t have been a good fit for the album. Though I do wish that it would have been recorded at some point because I think would have been a good harmony song for them especially when they still had Bernie and Randy

[Delilah]

Interesting trivia: "Sun" was an Eagles reject from 1974!

http://www.noise11.com/news/don-felder-gives-life-to-sun-a-song-the-eagles-rejected-in-1974-20190517

I read this the other day and that item did catch my eye. At any rate it was sweet he wrote a song about his newborn son back then.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

For sure, Delilah.

[WalshFan88]

Sounds like he still has a grudge all these years later!

Don Felder is the king of holding grudges. Don never accepted the fact that he wasn't a singer/frontman. He still isn't, despite recording solo records and touring as the lead singer. He wasn't much of a lyric writer either. He wasn't going to be even as successful as Joe Walsh solo, who could sing and is a far better songwriter and lyricist than Felder. Hence why Joe has had songs on HC, TLR, HFO, and LROOE. Felder should consider himself lucky he got to sing on Visions on the OOTN album. I don't like that song. I think Felder is a great guitarist, but that's where his talent ends, unlike Joe Walsh or Glenn Frey. They could do it all.

[thelastresort]

The latest issue of Planet Rock has a brief feature on Felder, I think spliced from various sources and interviews, about how he wrote 'Hotel California'. It doesn't tell us anything we didn't know already, though he says his contribution to the album was '15 or 16 demo songs', having been told by Bernie Leadon that 'full songs' were Frey and Henley's job. The only bit that was new to me was that he thought it was too long but was delighted to be proven wrong by Henley's insistence.

They also reviewed American Rock'N'Roll in the same issue, calling it pleasant but unmemorable.

[chaim]

The latest issue of Planet Rock has a brief feature on Felder, I think spliced from various sources and interviews, about how he wrote 'Hotel California'. It doesn't tell us anything we didn't know already, though he says his contribution to the album was '15 or 16 demo songs', having been told by Bernie Leadon that 'full songs' were Frey and Henley's job. The only bit that was new to me was that he thought it was too long but was delighted to be proven wrong by Henley's insistence.

They also reviewed American Rock'N'Roll in the same issue, calling it pleasant but unmemorable.

He tells the "too long" story in his book, where he also implies that it was the first single from the album.

[thelastresort]

He tells the "too long" story in his book, where he also implies that it was the first single from the album.

Fair enough, it has been a long time since I read Felder's autobiography - as I said, it seemed cut and pasted from various sources so could well just be a rehash of what he said in H&H.

[sodascouts]

Fair enough, it has been a long time since I read Felder's autobiography - as I said, it seemed cut and pasted from various sources so could well just be a rehash of what he said in H&H.

It's always hard for me to remember what I've read as well - thanks for the link!

[chaim]

It's always hard for me to remember what I've read as well - thanks for the link!

Not sure if I'd remember it from his book alone, but he's told the story in countless interviews since - always implying that HC was the first (and only) single from the album even though NKIT was very successful before it. It's been one of those "enough already" things for me.

[New Kid In Town]

Not sure if I'd remember it from his book alone, but he's told the story in countless interviews since - always implying that HC was the first (and only) single from the album even though NKIT was very successful before it. It's been one of those "enough already" things for me.

Yeah, he seems to forget that NKIT was the first single released from the album, went to number one and won them a Grammy. Most people either don't know this or do not remember this as it was so long ago. So, they just take his word for whatever he says.

[Delilah]

He tells the "too long" story in his book, where he also implies that it was the first single from the album.

I guess I need to go back and re-read that part b/c I don’t remember that being implied at all.


Not sure if I'd remember it from his book alone, but he's told the story in countless interviews since - always implying that HC was the first (and only) single from the album even though NKIT was very successful before it. It's been one of those "enough already" things for me.

Again, this hasn’t been the impression I’ve gotten from his interviews (at least the ones I’ve read) but maybe that’s b/c as an Eagles fan, I’m already familiar with which songs were released from HC and when. I would think anyone who would bother to read Don Felder interviews is also an Eagles fan or at least a fan of the HC album. He may have a big ego but I don’t believe it’s so big it leads him to believe he has a lot of standalone fans apart from the Eagles fandom.

I’m a little confused about Felder’s motivation in trying to fool the world into thinking that 40 years ago, HC was released as a single before NKIT. What would he have to gain by that? Especially when such facts are easily verifiable via the internet. It’s such an inconsequential piece of history, too. Who would care enough to be impressed that HC the single was released before NKIT if that were true?

You also indicate that Felder could be implying that HC was the only single released. Again, anyone who would care enough to read a Don Felder interview is highly likely to already be familiar with NKIT and LITFL as hit songs. Few interviewers are going to sit down and chat with him about NKIT and LITFL (it would be nice to hear about his contributions to them though). They want to know about Hotel California.

I know Felder doesn’t have a lot of fans on this board and as such, is a frequent target of criticism, some of it justified and some of it understandable even if I don’t agree with it, but this one to me just doesn’t hold water.

[YoungEaglesFan]

From what I recall I believe (though I could be wrong) Felder says that Henley said something like “that’s gonna be our first single” at some point. It might have been during the listening party for the album. If I’m right, I still don’t think there’s any bad intentions involved as many of the members have made errors in recalling how things played out

[Delilah]

From what I recall I believe (though I could be wrong) Felder says that Henley said something like “that’s gonna be our first single” at some point. It might have been during the listening party for the album. If I’m right, I still don’t think there’s any bad intentions involved as many of the members have made errors in recalling how things played out

Thanks YEF, looking through the book, this is what it says on p. 173:

When the track was finally finished and laid down, and given its new name—“Hotel California”—Don said quietly, “I think this should be the single.”

“Are you crazy?” I cried, as Glenn, Joe, and Randy looked up in mutual astonishment. “This thing’s over six minutes long!...”

Felder continues to argue why radio won’t play it as is, then admits he’d “never been more wrong.” So Henley’s statement “this should be the single” could be alluding to leaving the song in its present state, rather than editing it down.

Of course it’s possible too that Henley meant that, in his opinion, HC should be the first single; then later for whatever reason the band released NKIT first. I still don’t read it as Felder trying to imply that HC was indeed the first single.

[chaim]

I guess I need to go back and re-read that part b/c I don’t remember that being implied at all.



Again, this hasn’t been the impression I’ve gotten from his interviews (at least the ones I’ve read) but maybe that’s b/c as an Eagles fan, I’m already familiar with which songs were released from HC and when. I would think anyone who would bother to read Don Felder interviews is also an Eagles fan or at least a fan of the HC album. He may have a big ego but I don’t believe it’s so big it leads him to believe he has a lot of standalone fans apart from the Eagles fandom.

I’m a little confused about Felder’s motivation in trying to fool the world into thinking that 40 years ago, HC was released as a single before NKIT. What would he have to gain by that? Especially when such facts are easily verifiable via the internet. It’s such an inconsequential piece of history, too. Who would care enough to be impressed that HC the single was released before NKIT if that were true?

You also indicate that Felder could be implying that HC was the only single released. Again, anyone who would care enough to read a Don Felder interview is highly likely to already be familiar with NKIT and LITFL as hit songs. Few interviewers are going to sit down and chat with him about NKIT and LITFL (it would be nice to hear about his contributions to them though). They want to know about Hotel California.

I know Felder doesn’t have a lot of fans on this board and as such, is a frequent target of criticism, some of it justified and some of it understandable even if I don’t agree with it, but this one to me just doesn’t hold water.

Analyzing why Felder would do that isn't something I'm going to do. I'm not saying it's a planned thing to try and fool people, but he always talks like HC was the first single. That quote from the book is why I mentioned the "only single" too. "This should be THE single." So it was released and he leaves it at that. We can read it in all kinds of ways. If Henley thought it should be the first single, but wasn't in the end, then Felder should have mentioned it. My main point is the "first" single, so that "only" addition in brackets could be deleted. This was the first and last time I will mention that. Anyway, if Felder had replaced "the" with "a", I'd have no problem with it. But he has said the same thing in interviews, so at least it wasn't a typo.

He also says in the book that because of the success of the single HC was the opening track at concerts. NWIT was a number one before it, so why wasn't it the opening song? I believe it was the combination of being successful, being the title track and a "tone setter".

I have to add that I don't know about the Eagles singles too much so after reading Felder's book I thought that HC was the first single. Later in this forum I learned that NKIT was a number one hit before it. This same thing was mentioned here several times by another member years ago - often when Felder had just told the same story in an interview.

[WalshFan88]

Not sure if I'd remember it from his book alone, but he's told the story in countless interviews since - always implying that HC was the first (and only) single from the album even though NKIT was very successful before it. It's been one of those "enough already" things for me.

Yep, I'm with you on that chaim. He tends to beat a dead horse. And it's an incorrect implication at that.

[WalshFan88]

Yeah, he seems to forget that NKIT was the first single released from the album, went to number one and won them a Grammy. Most people either don't know this or do not remember this as it was so long ago. So, they just take his word for whatever he says.

Oh I don't think it's forgetfulness, lol. He's biased towards his baby, that he helped to create (but is not 100 percent responsible for). That's fine. But facts are facts.

[chaim]

Hmmm, I could kindly remove the "first single" part from my comment since it was just a side note and had nothing to do with the actual point, but it's been quoted already.

I stand by my interpretation of Felder's words, but it has already been mentioned several times years ago, so I'm not going to fight this one for several pages.

[Delilah]

Analyzing why Felder would do that isn't something I'm going to do. I'm not saying it's a planned thing to try and fool people, but he always talks like HC was the first single. That quote from the book is why I mentioned the "only single" too. "This should be THE single." So it was released and he leaves it at that. We can read it in all kinds of ways. If Henley thought it should be the first single, but wasn't in the end, then Felder should have mentioned it.


Thank you for conceding that.

As far as Felder mentioning that NKIT turned out to be the first single, it would have been irrelevant if Henley indeed was referring to leaving the song over 6 minutes. Otherwise, I fail to see why it’s so critical that he mentions it.



He also says in the book that because of the success of the single HC was the opening track at concerts. NWIT was a number one before it, so why wasn't it the opening song? I believe it was the combination of being successful, being the title track and a "tone setter".


Yes, I agree - the band had other #1 hits and they were not used as the opening song at their concerts. HC was unique in its impact and tone relative to other Eagles’ songs.



I have to add that I don't know about the Eagles singles too much so after reading Felder's book I thought that HC was the first single. Later in this forum I learned that NKIT was a number one hit before it.

And no harm done, I presume(?).



I stand by my interpretation of Felder's words, but it has already been mentioned several times years ago, so I'm not going to fight this one for several pages.

I as well don’t want to continue quibbling over something that, imo, is pretty trivial. Since you say it has been mentioned several times already, it would be like beating a dead horse anyway.

[chaim]

Thank you for conceding that.

As far as Felder mentioning that NKIT turned out to be the first single, it would have been irrelevant if Henley indeed was referring to leaving the song over 6 minutes. Otherwise, I fail to see why it’s so critical that he mentions it.



Yes, I agree - the band had other #1 hits and they were not used as the opening song at their concerts. HC was unique in its impact and tone relative to other Eagles’ songs.



And no harm done, I presume(?).



I as well don’t want to continue quibbling over something that, imo, is pretty trivial. Since you say it has been mentioned several times already, it would be like beating a dead horse anyway.

"No harm done"? My point was that personally I got the impression from his book that HC was the first single, so his words can certainly be understood that way.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I would have to agree with you, chaim. And I also agree that it's not a huge deal, except that Felder has a habit of doing this kind of thing rather frequently. Anytime someone only tells only part of a story and leaves out other facts, it can easily result in folks misunderstanding or misinterpreting it. We can only guess whether it is intentional or not on his part, but there are other times when he has deliberately misrepresented or misstated facts when giving his version of events. So when someone does this kind of stuff repeatedly, it can call their motivation and/or credibility into question. However, like everyone here, I don't want to beat a dead horse either. There are plenty of examples documented throughout this forum if anyone cares enough to do the research.

[WalshFan88]

I would have to agree with you, chaim. And I also agree that it's not a huge deal, except that Felder has a habit of doing this kind of thing rather frequently. Anytime someone only tells only part of a story and leaves out other facts, it can easily result in folks misunderstanding or misinterpreting it. We can only guess whether it is intentional or not on his part, but there are other times when he has deliberately misrepresented or misstated facts when giving his version of events. So when someone does this kind of stuff repeatedly, it can call their motivation and/or credibility into question. However, like everyone here, I don't want to beat a dead horse either. There are plenty of examples documented throughout this forum if anyone cares enough to do the research.

Agreed, Dreamer.

[Delilah]

Don will be one of the hosts of a new series on AXS TV, “A Year in Music” which debuts on Sunday, July 7.


The ten episode season also features Pinfield’s examination of 1966, documenting the changing sound of pop music and the last glory days of classic crooners such as Frank Sinatra (July 14th); Felder’s trip to the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, where he breaks down the music of 1969’s Peace & Love Movement (July 21st); Brown’s in-depth look at 1983 covering the birth of MTV, the early days of music videos, and the rise of heavy metal (August 4th); and Pinfield’s dissection of 1975, fueled by trailblazing bands such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, and political unrest spurred by the economic crisis (August 11th). Other highlights include Felder’s discussion of the headlines that dominated 1973 — ranging from Disco to Watergate, and everything in between (August 18th)...


https://themusicuniverse.com/axs-tv-announces-year-music-series/

[My My]

Thanks, Delilah! Some of the episodes sound very interesting! Will try to remember to watch

[sodascouts]

Don will be one of the hosts of a new series on AXS TV, “A Year in Music” which debuts on Sunday, July 7.



https://themusicuniverse.com/axs-tv-announces-year-music-series/

I'll have to record this.

[Topkat]

Don will be one of the hosts of a new series on AXS TV, “A Year in Music” which debuts on Sunday, July 7.



https://themusicuniverse.com/axs-tv-announces-year-music-series/

Wow sounds like a great series. Would love to see it. I think AXS is available on my service but there is additional charge for it. I'm going to look into it even if l just get it for a month or 2. Really want to see this

[WalshFan88]

So while this is an Eagles topic, I wanted to post it here because my problem with it is directly with Don Felder.

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eagles-those-shoes/

He really cannot stop giving himself credit. "I created all the parts", "I wanted to write something Joe and I could play on" (gee, where have we heard that before?!), etc.

I highly doubt he wrote "all the parts", and that no one else contributed any musical parts to the song. I like how he has to come across when discussing Hotel California and now, Those Shoes, like he had to create Joe's parts for him. Like Joe isn't capable of writing his own parts, lol. It just doesn't sit well with me at all. For the longest time he basically made it seem that Joe just played the parts that Felder created for him on the demo. It wasn't until later he gave Joe credit for coming up with the outro solo triads and starting giving him more credit for that part. And his reluctance to admit that the ICTYW solo was not his own.

I also don't like how whoever wrote the article said that "when he wrote Those Shoes..." He helped to write is a much more accurate phrase, unless that journalist really thinks he wrote the whole song, lyrics and all.

[chaim]

I don't have time to read it right now, but does he say that he wrote the talkbox melodies in Those Shoes? I seem to recall reading that he wrote them with Joe. But I could be wrong.

[chaim]

Well, it was short, so I managed to read it. I remember reading that the talkbox parts weren't part of his initial demo.

[WalshFan88]

I don't have time to read it right now, but does he say that he wrote the talkbox melodies in Those Shoes? I seem to recall reading that he wrote them with Joe. But I could be wrong.

Yep.


He remembered creating all the parts, including the talkbox sections, then he “put it on a reel with a bunch of other song ideas for The Long Run and turned it in.”

I kinda remembered that too. But Don is a master revisionist, so I shouldn't be surprised.

[WalshFan88]

Well, it was short, so I managed to read it. I remember reading that the talkbox parts weren't part of his initial demo.

Yep I agree with you.

[chaim]

I checked Don's book and I'm a bit confused. He says he wrote all the music except Joe's solo, but then he says that they added the talk-box stuff later.
"For Those Shoes, which was accepted, I wrote most of the music - drum parts, bass, and guitar parts - except the solo, which was Joe's. I wrote it as a demo and gave it to Don and Glenn, and we added talk-box guitars and beefed it up a little."

Page 198, Heaven And Hell

[RushFanForever]

So while this is an Eagles topic, I wanted to post it here because my problem with it is directly with Don Felder.

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eagles-those-shoes/

He really cannot stop giving himself credit. "I created all the parts", "I wanted to write something Joe and I could play on" (gee, where have we heard that before?!), etc.


Yep, I'm with you on that chaim. He tends to beat a dead horse. And it's an incorrect implication at that.

Speaking of which, I think Don Felder should listen to this 'Guns N' Roses' song here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8X76NRiQLQ) for inspiration.

Sometimes I feel like Don's beatin' a dead horse
And I don't know why he'd be bringin' me down
I'd like to think that Don's love of song credits is worth a tad more
It may sound funny but you'd think by now
Don would be smilin'
I guess some things never change
Never change

[WalshFan88]

I checked Don's book and I'm a bit confused. He says he wrote all the music except Joe's solo, but then he says that they added the talk-box stuff later.
"For Those Shoes, which was accepted, I wrote most of the music - drum parts, bass, and guitar parts - except the solo, which was Joe's. I wrote it as a demo and gave it to Don and Glenn, and we added talk-box guitars and beefed it up a little."

Page 198, Heaven And Hell

He seriously needs to get his story straight. How anyone can take his word at this point is beyond me.

[WalshFan88]

Speaking of which, I think Don Felder should listen to this 'Guns N' Roses' song here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8X76NRiQLQ) for inspiration.

Sometimes I feel like Don's beatin' a dead horse
And I don't know why he'd be bringin' me down
I'd like to think that Don's love of song credits is worth a tad more
It may sound funny but you'd think by now
Don would be smilin'
I guess some things never change
Never change

Hahaha that’s perfect and oh so true.

[Delilah]

In this recent interview Don mainly discusses his new album. What is really interesting is that it appears Joe was close to being part of it! That would have caused some real buzz—and possibly some heads to explode, LOL.


Your song “Limelight” – not the Rush song, of course – but your song “Limelight” on this album features not one, but two brilliant guitar players – Richie Sambora who you mentioned, and actually you mentioned Orianthi as well. Tell me a little bit about this one.

When I wrote that I wanted to have a shuffle on this song. And originally, I would have loved to have had (Joe) Walsh play on that track with me because it’s right up his alley. Slide or the shuffle is Joe’s ticket, right. But we couldn’t work out a time and a date to get together to do it, and they (The Eagles) were on the road, and I was in the studio, and then I was on the studio and they were back. And so it was just next to impossible to be able to do that. So, I kept thinking, who else can I get to play on a shuffle, that’s right up their alley. And Sambora jumped into my mind, so I called Richie and he said, “Yeah, sure, come on out to my house...

https://classicsdujour.com/class-axe-don-felder-fills-second-solo-album-american-rock-n-roll-with-guitar-hero-whos-who-list-of-friends/

[sodascouts]

In this recent interview Don mainly discusses his new album. What is really interesting is that it appears Joe was close to being part of it! That would have caused some real buzz—and possibly some heads to explode, LOL.


Your song “Limelight” – not the Rush song, of course – but your song “Limelight” on this album features not one, but two brilliant guitar players – Richie Sambora who you mentioned, and actually you mentioned Orianthi as well. Tell me a little bit about this one.

When I wrote that I wanted to have a shuffle on this song. And originally, I would have loved to have had (Joe) Walsh play on that track with me because it’s right up his alley. Slide or the shuffle is Joe’s ticket, right. But we couldn’t work out a time and a date to get together to do it, and they (The Eagles) were on the road, and I was in the studio, and then I was on the studio and they were back. And so it was just next to impossible to be able to do that. So, I kept thinking, who else can I get to play on a shuffle, that’s right up their alley. And Sambora jumped into my mind, so I called Richie and he said, “Yeah, sure, come on out to my house...

https://classicsdujour.com/class-axe-don-felder-fills-second-solo-album-american-rock-n-roll-with-guitar-hero-whos-who-list-of-friends/


Indeed. I hope Joe wasn't just using his schedule as an excuse!

[thelastresort]

I genuinely don't like thinking like this, but Felder has an incredible ability for being economic with the truth. He and Joe haven't spoken, to the best of my knowledge, for 18 years. I know Glenn's passing will have had an impact on how they all perceived their relationships but I wouldn't be surprised if it was just Felder asking and Joe saying 'Sorry' outright. I can't believe, with all the wonders of technology and transport, that being on a relatively slowed-paced tour for a couple of years has put Joe out for the count.

Again, not to be cynical - I honestly hope I am wrong!

[Delilah]

Indeed. I hope Joe wasn't just using his schedule as an excuse!

Yes, that is a definite possibility. It indicates however that the lines of communication between them are perhaps more open than many of us thought.

So much time has passed since the firing, lawsuit and book, I can see the Henley and Azoff mellowing enough to look the other way if Joe were to work with Felder again, especially with Glenn’s death bringing things into perspective. Life is too short to dwell on the negative and harbor non-ending resentment.


I genuinely don't like thinking like this, but Felder has an incredible ability for being economic with the truth. He and Joe haven't spoken, to the best of my knowledge, for 18 years. I know Glenn's passing will have had an impact on how they all perceived their relationships but I wouldn't be surprised if it was just Felder asking and Joe saying 'Sorry' outright. I can't believe, with all the wonders of technology and transport, that being on a relatively slowed-paced tour for a couple of years has put Joe out for the count.

Again, not to be cynical - I honestly hope I am wrong!

I appreciate your thoughtful post, TLR, and I agree that it would seem something could have been worked out in this technological day and age. Felder has said in interviews that he wanted to “jam” with other musicians on this album, so I think it was important to him to work personally with Joe. Kind of like when Timothy wanted his solo album recorded entirely in his house; even when a big name like Alison Krause couldn’t make a personal visit, he went on and made the album without her.

[Brooke]

Wow, I can't imagine Joe being on Felder's album, even if it has been 18 years! I wonder if it was wishful thinking on DF's part. Kind of like a dream that is so vivid that over time you think it really happened! :hmm:

[chaim]

I can see Joe playing on Don's record. Eagles has changed. When Glenn was alive there was, understandably, this Felder vs. Eagles thing. But with the band being what it is now - with Vince Gill, Deacon Frey - the band's not necessarily worth keeping a personal "war" going with Don on as well. Just a thought, it's not something I believe is the truth.

[Delilah]

I can see Joe playing on Don's record. Eagles has changed. When Glenn was alive there was, understandably, this Felder vs. Eagles thing. But with the band being what it is now - with Vince Gill, Deacon Frey - the band's not necessarily worth keeping a personal "war" going with Don on as well. Just a thought, it's not something I believe is the truth.

You may not believe it’s the truth, but what you say makes sense. People do change.

[WalshFan88]

I personally thought it would never happen, even now.

The guitar fan side of me would love to hear such a thing, but I have to admit it still doesn't seem quite right. At worst, it would seem like "Hey, Glenn's gone, we can do what we want now!" - which honestly doesn't set with me very well. That and the fact that Joe and Glenn were very close, much closer than Glenn and DH, IMO. I really don't think Joe would want to do it. There is no boat to rock per se, but just out of respect. However, if Felder is telling the truth (big if), then I kind of doubt Joe would say something came up if in fact Joe had committed to doing it in the first place. I think Joe has enough strength to say straight up I'm not doing it rather than "yeah sure I'll play on it, oh wait there is a date conflict, I'm sorry Don". And if by chance he had a change of heart/mind after initially saying yes or was pressured to do so, I'd like to think he could say so, in a respectful way. So who knows. Again, I would love it as a listener and as a fan of those two playing together, but the part of me that is a Glenn fan and one who doesn't want to feel like it was disrespectful doesn't necessarily want it to ever happen. And that's just me personally and how I might view it if this in fact came to fruition.

[chaim]

I'm not sure if Glenn really wanted to control Joe as much as to never have anything to do with a person (Felder) again. I can sort of see it happening when Glenn's Eagles was still out there, but for the rest of their lives? I'm really not sure.

[WalshFan88]

I'm not sure if Glenn really wanted to control Joe as much as to never have anything to do with a person (Felder) again. I can sort of see it happening when Glenn's Eagles was still out there, but for the rest of their lives? I'm really not sure.

And I'm not necessarily saying Glenn did want to control Joe, it's just more out of respect. There was a huge rift between Glenn and Felder, and Felder was mostly to blame, IMO. I think the closeness between Joe and Glenn would make Joe feel uneasy working with Felder again, even out of the Eagles. And while Glenn isn't around anymore or in the Eagles, I feel it would kind of still be a slap in the face so to speak.

Again, as a guitar fan and a fan of those two playing together I'd love it, but the idea of them working together, even now, makes me very uncomfortable. It's unfortunate, but I think DF has only himself to blame.

[chaim]

And I'm not necessarily saying Glenn did want to control Joe, it's just more out of respect. There was a huge rift between Glenn and Felder, and Felder was mostly to blame, IMO. I think the closeness between Joe and Glenn would make Joe feel uneasy working with Felder again, even out of the Eagles. And while Glenn isn't around anymore or in the Eagles, I feel it would kind of still be a slap in the face so to speak.

Again, as a guitar fan and a fan of those two playing together I'd love it, but the idea of them working together, even now, makes me very uncomfortable. It's unfortunate, but I think DF has only himself to blame.

I understand your point. It's a complicated issue, I'm not sure what to think.

[WalshFan88]

I understand your point. It's a complicated issue, I'm not sure what to think.

It is indeed. Honestly, it's just kind of icky to me. And it sucks to feel that way. I sure wish Felder would have held it together and that Glenn was still here. Just wasn't in the cards. :(

[chaim]

It is indeed. Honestly, it's just kind of icky to me. And it sucks to feel that way. I sure wish Felder would have held it together and that Glenn was still here. Just wasn't in the cards. :(

IMO Don F has been a bit more intelligent in some of the more recent interviews I've seen. At least in the Jonesy interview. Intelligent as opposed to pure emotion from a "me, me" place. Joe is always intelligent IMO. (The "Perhaps sometimes nobody is wrong" was one example). I feel that when Don F is more relaxed and doesn't feel threatened or wrongly treated, he can be a rather intelligent man. In that Jonesy interview he was very funny in a clever way in places. Something I don't recall seeing before. I hope there comes a time when he can look at things with less emotion actually say that he at least MAY have been partly to blame.

[chaim]

One crucial step in that direction would, IMO, be if Don admitted that the facts he chose to tell and omit in his book were carefully chosen. (like the Glenn photo!) If he could say that it was coloured very much by how he felt AT THE TIME. If these things happened, it wouldn't be as troubling IMO if Joe did something with him.

[sodascouts]

One crucial step in that direction would, IMO, be if Don admitted that the facts he chose to tell and omit in his book were carefully chosen. (like the Glenn photo!) If he could say that it was coloured very much by how he felt AT THE TIME. If these things happened, it wouldn't be as troubling IMO if Joe did something with him.

I would really be surprised if that were to happen, honestly.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Yeah - I guess I'm also kind of cynical about Felder's claim that he and Joe couldn't get together because of scheduling problems. I could be wrong, but somehow, I think if Joe had been truly interested, he would have made it happen. And while the publicity surrounding Felder's problems with the band focuses on Don and, especially Glenn, I think it's evident in Felder's book and the HOTE doc, that Joe and Timothy had their own issues with him. So, it's hard to say how much of a factor Glenn's passing plays in any chance of reconciliation.

And I agree that I would feel much better about Felder if he would just share the responsibility for the friction in the band. Maybe one day, but I'm not holding my breath.

[shunlvswx]

I think I remembered reading (I don't remembered where) that Joe said he had been in contact with Don.

I remembered the week Glenn died, Joe and Don were both at the NAMM conference. So unless either one of them didn't want to come up to each other that week or weren't there at the same time, that would had been a great opportunity to see each other and talk. You know their would had been a picture of them floating around the internet that day if they had seen each other. That would had been a great photo op and the press would had been all over that.

[sodascouts]

I think I remembered reading (I don't remembered where) that Joe said he had been in contact with Don.

I remembered the week Glenn died, Joe and Don were both at the NAMM conference. So unless either one of them didn't want to come up to each other that week or weren't there at the same time, that would had been a great opportunity to see each other and talk. You know their would had been a picture of them floating around the internet that day if they had seen each other. That would had been a great photo op and the press would had been all over that.

Hmm. True!

[WalshFan88]

One crucial step in that direction would, IMO, be if Don admitted that the facts he chose to tell and omit in his book were carefully chosen. (like the Glenn photo!) If he could say that it was coloured very much by how he felt AT THE TIME. If these things happened, it wouldn't be as troubling IMO if Joe did something with him.

Yep. And I agree with Soda. I don't see that happening, sadly.

[WalshFan88]

I think I remembered reading (I don't remembered where) that Joe said he had been in contact with Don.

I remembered the week Glenn died, Joe and Don were both at the NAMM conference. So unless either one of them didn't want to come up to each other that week or weren't there at the same time, that would had been a great opportunity to see each other and talk. You know their would had been a picture of them floating around the internet that day if they had seen each other. That would had been a great photo op and the press would had been all over that.

Oh you bet! The press/paparazzi would have been all over that, let alone any guitar companies who's booth they were in.

Simply put, Joe doesn't want to associate with Felder. I can't blame him. I like to think he does it out of respect for Glenn, but it's very well possible Joe has his own beef with DF.

[sodascouts]

Oh you bet! The press/paparazzi would have been all over that, let alone any guitar companies who's booth they were in.

Simply put, Joe doesn't want to associate with Felder. I can't blame him. I like to think he does it out of respect for Glenn, but it's very well possible Joe has his own beef with DF.

Well, we can't know. I will say that Joe is not openly antagonistic towards Felder like Henley, though. I think he even was complimentary towards his skills in an interview a while back but sadly, my memory is not good enough to tell you when or where.

[Delilah]

Well, we can't know. I will say that Joe is not openly antagonistic towards Felder like Henley, though. I think he even was complimentary towards his skills in an interview a while back but sadly, my memory is not good enough to tell you when or where.

I agree, Soda. We really can’t know what’s going on behind the scenes or what they’re thinking. Joe has been more or less neutral over the years based on his interviews, and not bad-mouthing anyone. If anything the revelation awhile ago that Don F and Joe were exchanging messages at radio stations shows at the least a friendly acknowledgement between them. I do remember a fairly recent interview where Joe was fondly recalling playing with Don F. Unfortunately I don’t think I saved it.

[WalshFan88]

Well, we can't know. I will say that Joe is not openly antagonistic towards Felder like Henley, though. I think he even was complimentary towards his skills in an interview a while back but sadly, my memory is not good enough to tell you when or where.

I think if there was truly nothing between them, Joe would have done that record.

I think Joe isn't one to rock the boat, and while he may not be one to badmouth anyone, I don't think he wants to hurt his friend Glenn and work with Felder. There is a big difference between exchanging friendly comments about playing together, and actually wanting to sit down and talk/work with the guy. All that being said, I'm still pretty confident that there is still at the very least, a friction between those two.

[UndertheWire]

I'm not sure if this has been posted before. Although the subject matter is familiar, to me, the tone is different - more mature and reflective. Possibly it's because it was an interview for a magazine that is sold by the homeless.

https://www.bigissue.com/interviews/don-felder-i-think-i-lost-my-long-term-vision-with-alcohol-and-drugs/

[sodascouts]

I'm not sure if this has been posted before. Although the subject matter is familiar, to me, the tone is different - more mature and reflective. Possibly it's because it was an interview for a magazine that is sold by the homeless.

https://www.bigissue.com/interviews/don-felder-i-think-i-lost-my-long-term-vision-with-alcohol-and-drugs/

I agree. One of the best interviews I've read of him.


I think I lost my long-term vision in the Seventies, when I got involved with alcohol and drugs. It’s an easy downfall for people who come from humble beginnings and are overwhelmed by the tsunami of wealth and fame and admiration. I’ve seen it and seen it and seen it. I was fortunate though. There was a night – by then I was married, and I had four kids – I came home at one o’clock in the morning after a month away. I woke up hungover, and there was my little two-year-old daughter tapping on my arm, saying, daddy, daddy, wake up! And I felt horrible. That was a lifesaver for me. It wasn’t just a tap on my arm, it was a tap on my psychic shoulder saying, you can’t do this. So after that I really pulled in my consumption. I stood and watched the rest of the band go absolutely overboard with it all, and I’d just go to bed. I had something more valuable to me than getting high, and it was my family. I saw myself standing above the rabbit hole I’d seen so many people fall down, and if I hadn’t pulled it in I could still be down there now.

I appreciate this because he doesn't try to blame anybody else. He accepts that he made poor choices regarding alcohol and drugs, and that it was up to him to choose to pull back. No "Oh everyone else was doing it, how was I supposed to say no..."

This puzzled me, though:


I think my wife and I would still be together today if the band hadn’t been on the road between 10 and 11 months a year. When you’re away all the time, and every room is an empty hotel room, and there’s a lot of partying going on it’s easy to forget what’s going on at home. All sorts of things can happen on the road. I don’t use that as an excuse – I accept I did that, and I suffered the consequences. I deserve everything that happened to me. And sadly, my children grew up with mostly an absentee father. When the band broke up I tried to make up for that. I made a solo record but I didn’t tour. I stayed at home, I became the school soccer coach. I felt I owed them that time.

But they got divorced decades later??

[New Kid In Town]

Soda - This is just my take on it. Don claims he and his wife grew apart when he was on the road ans she started her jewelry business. Perhaps he means if he was home more she would not have wanted to start her business to fill in her time while he was gone. However, I thought she started the business in the early 80's after the Eagles broke up and he was home and not touring. While he was touring she was having their children and raising them. I did read his book but it was many years ago so, I can not remember the time line for all of this. I believe they divorced around 2001. He was the one who asked for the divorce saying he did not love his wife any more. If I remember right, she was shocked by his request for divorce. How long after they separated did he start dating the new gf ?

PS - Am I reading this wrong or does he seem to have a more balanced attitude and understanding regarding his father than he did when he wrote the book ? Thanks UTW - it was an interesting read.

[shunlvswx]

I wonder if he and Kathrin are still together, but than again. There was that strange Instagram post when Tom Petty died.

[chaim]

If I could relive one moment in my life, I would rather watch my child seeing this world for the first time again than coming up with a chord progression! 😃 The HC progression is a variation of an already-used progression anyway.

But yeah, I definitely think that Don has been more mature lately in interviews.

[Delilah]

Don will be one of the hosts of a new series on AXS TV, “A Year in Music” which debuts on Sunday, July 7.



https://themusicuniverse.com/axs-tv-announces-year-music-series/

Just a reminder for those interested that Don will be hosting tonight’s episode about the year 1969.

[My My]

Thanks for the reminder, Delilah. I forgot about it, but the 1969 episode is being shown again this Wednesday the 24th at 9:00.

[Delilah]

No problem, My My. :-)

Did anyone get to watch this? I thought Don did a good job, but the segment seemed short - only 30 minutes to discuss such an important, eventful year in music.

[My My]

Yes, I watched it last night. I thought that Don did a good job too. I thought it was interesting when he said something about the singer-songwriter movement of the late 60's laid the foundation for the California sound that would define 70's supergroups like Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles and then a picture of them flashed on the screen. No mention of course, of his invovlement in the band. It was much shorter than I expected. It was more like a bunch of bullet points that could each have had their own program. I'm hoping that they rerun A Year in Music 1977. I watched the trailor and it looked like it would be good.

[WalshFan88]

I'm continuing this discussion from the Don Felder Europe tour thread. Since this wasn't specific to that tour, I thought I'd move the discussion over here.

Here's the post I'm replying to from thelastresort:


I did toy with the idea of doing the London gig, I certainly could have gone had I wanted, but having seen clips of Felder's solo gigs over the last few years I decided not to for exactly the reason you state. I would love nothing more than to see Don play the opening lines of Hotel California and tear it up on all the other Eagles songs he played lead for, but I just cannot get along with him attempting to sing Don Henley's parts, or the butchered attempts at Seven Bridges Road or Peaceful Easy Feeling, songs he arguably has no natural right to cover at all (of course, he can play what he wants, but you get what I mean...). Yourself and the rest of the forum know how I feel about the latest incarnation of the Eagles and I want to keep my memories of songs seeing songs like Already Gone and Life in the Fast Lane as 'pure' as possible - for exactly the same reason I do not go and watch the current band live I cannot go and see Felder live.

I agree fully he would benefit from having someone who actually has natural vocal talents on board - his astounding talents on guitar (I have seen very few who play with such apparent ease) should be more than enough to make him the star of the show..


My response:

I honestly think he just is too proud to do so. I think he just has too much ego, even as a successful world-class guitarist from a best-selling band - he still feels the need to do it all himself and hog the spotlight. What is there left to prove? You're a phenomenal guitarist, a good writer of guitar parts, you have more money than you'll ever need, and you have the respect of a lot of your contemporaries. There is nothing left!

But he wasn't Glenn or Don. And that's ok. But you can tell he compared himself to Glenn a lot and was resentful he wasn't going to be as good of a leader or a singer as Glenn was. And because of that - he wasn't happy. He wanted the control, money, and vocal talent Frey and Henley had. He never got it, kept whining, and got the boot. And now that he has control of his band with his own name on it, he won't give anything up, even for the improvement of the band. See, Glenn was a leader and was a strong personality. He wasn't insecure nor arrogant. He wanted control of the Eagles. Felder did too, but sheepishly and shyly. He wanted control but didn't know how to get it and wasn't going to ever get it. So he throws Frey under the bus in the book for being controlling, big ego, nasty, greedy, etc. Except I don't associate any of that with Glenn. However, in hindsight sadly, I do with Don Felder. Glenn was not a narcissist. A narcissist isn't confident. A narcissist uses over the top arrogance and grandiose self-worth to cover up their deep-rooted insecurity and lack of contentment with themselves. Glenn was humble with nothing to prove. Felder has no one to blame but himself for his firing. Felder even at the age of 71 is still insecure, still unhappy, and still plays the victim. I feel sorry for Don Felder. There is no need to compare himself to anyone. Not all of us are natural born leaders like Glenn Frey. Not all of us have the golden throat that Don Henley has.

I'm not saying he's not a nice guy to his fans, but the man is definitely everything personality-wise that he raked Glenn Frey over the coals for being (which he wasn't) in his book. Two control-seeking personalities is a no go in most cases. I'd argue that Henley is probably more laid back than Felder, in the whole power/control thing. The difference is, Glenn would tell you to your face - Felder had to be passive-aggressive about it and while he was bold, like when it came to asking for his job back on the phone, it wasn't from a place of confidence like Glenn had. It was desperation and arrogance. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance. There's also a difference between having the guts to stand behind what you mean actively, and doing it passive-aggressively in an indirect unsure sort of way. I'd argue Felder didn't have courage or confidence to make that call, but rather arrogance. He didn't have the guts to do it in person or to confidently do it over the phone. It reeked of insecurity the way he retells it. It wasn't guts that he had to do it. He quickly backed off when he was told no by Glenn himself. He was never going to be happy with the fact that he wasn't Glenn or Don. Not a singer, not a prolific songwriter. A great guitarist.

As long as he's still too proud and full of himself to add a singer (or 2), focus on his guitar playing, start acting more grateful and self-aware, and quit whining about only hearing from lawyers - I won't pay a dime to see him ever again. I refuse to support that kind of behavior and more than that - it's not a good listening experience, IMO. He has the right to play. Not the right to butcher Don Henley and Glenn Frey's vocals. I want to hear him play his guitar, and I want to hear this music done in the right way by people who can pull it off. Felder needs to come to terms with what Don and Glenn tried to tell him in the 70s and again in the HOTE doc - you aren't a singer. Point blank, no sugar coating. No amount of Auto-Tune will make you sing like Don Henley. And likewise, no amount of sound effects will make Henley play guitar like Felder.

[chaim]

If Don has to use a pre-recorded vocal track live, it sure means that hiring a singer would be a good idea.

[WalshFan88]

If Don has to use a pre-recorded vocal track live, it sure means that hiring a singer would be a good idea.

Agreed.

[Delilah]

This is a recent interview with a German magazine, Don Felder im Interview: “Es war wie ein Rausch” Von David Numberger (https://classicrock.net/author/david-numberger/) - 21. September 2019 (Don Felder in an interview: "It was like a rush" By David Numberger - September 21, 2019)

Most of it is pretty similar to the content of other interviews. Using google translator, here are a couple of statements that stood out to me.


Because you mention Mick Fleetwood: you both played in the biggest West Coast bands of the 70's, HOTEL CALIFORNIA and RUMOURS came out almost at the same time. Was there no rivalry between you?

No, in fact there was a great friendship between both groups. Stevie Nicks has even donated Don Henley for a while. We also went on tour together for almost a year: Whoever happened to be higher in the local charts of the respective city, was allowed to headline that evening.

So you liked the music of Fleetwood Mac?

Absolutely, you can bet on that! Who does not?

(some time ago, the topic of who headlined when the Eagles toured with Fleetwood Mac came up so this is relevant to that)



Do you have hobbies?

Lately I've been so busy performing, songwriting, studio work and PR that I only played golf once last year. My handicap was 7, now it is around the 14th. I did a diving training, but I have not been diving for more than five years. My ticket is useless, because if you're out of practice and rusting, then something can happen every second and you fly against a mountain. But my plan looks like this: the next three years are hard work, I want to release another album and go on tour. Then I switch back a gear to have a few years in my life really fun. Then I meet friends, play golf, look for warm water with a white sand beach, put up a small chair, drink drinks with a small umbrella and have a beautiful blonde with a tiny bikini around me. (Laughs)

There seems to be a glitch here in the translation and instead of “diving” maybe it should be “flying”(?). But it sounds like he wants to release another album? Wow. Maybe someone fluent in German can help out.

https://classicrock.net/don-felder-interview/

[WalshFan88]

Yes, I think there is a translation issue. Case in point "Stevie Nicks has even donated Don Henley for a while".

Oh really Don?! Who did she lend him to? Curious minds want to know! :hilarious:

[YoungEaglesFan]

I think I recall Felder saying he would go diving a few times in his book. I think that translation is right actually.

[chaim]

Yes, I think there is a translation issue. Case in point "Stevie Nicks has even donated Don Henley for a while".

Oh really Don?! Who did she lend him to? Curious minds want to know! :hilarious:

Yeah, that was PRICELESS!

[sodascouts]

Because you mention Mick Fleetwood: you both played in the biggest West Coast bands of the 70's, HOTEL CALIFORNIA and RUMOURS came out almost at the same time. Was there no rivalry between you?

No, in fact there was a great friendship between both groups. Stevie Nicks has even donated Don Henley for a while. We also went on tour together for almost a year: Whoever happened to be higher in the local charts of the respective city, was allowed to headline that evening.


LOL about "Donated"!

The idea that they would trade off headlining from city to city based on the local charts surprises me. It seems that would be logistically difficult, as wouldn't it be something you'd want to plan pretty far out in advance? And I always had the impression that the groups were pretty much neck and neck back in the day. Very interesting.

[KingWalsh]

Here’s a Don Felder story from ultimate classic rock

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/don-felder-rush-alex-lifeson/

[sodascouts]

Thanks! Interesting how they all seem to run in the same social circles. Guess it's not that surprising, though!

[thebagels]

Don actually sings live here because the vocal track didn't kick in at the beginning of the song, so they had to turn his mic on. For some reason, the backing vox are also live, which doesn't seem usual for this song. He also messed up the ending to the third chorus (he started to sing "woo hoo hoo" instead of "already gone"). In his current band, I don't begrudge him for lip-syncing because he has to play very complicated guitar parts (which he does do live), but imo he ought to hire a lead singer for his band. I also don't know why he uses additional guitar tracks in HC, TIE, and Those Shoes; all of those additional tracks could be removed from his show by hiring the right singer/guitarist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMix1XZqUWM

[UndertheWire]

I'm not fluent in German but I think "hat ... gedatet" should translate to "dated" which is much less entertaining than "donated".

As for flying vs diving, I vote for both. Two sentences, one for diving and then one for flying. The word translated as "ticket" is Flugshein which certainly implies flight.

[Delilah]

This is quite late but thank you for your input about those German words, UtW.


*****

This interview was published earlier this year prior to Don’s February show in Pennsylvania. Some of the interesting (at least to me) highlights are that his latest album was called the “biggest guitar album of the year” by Guitar Player magazine and that he almost retired when he was 52.

This quote stood out - which songs would those be?

“Some of the Eagles songs we do from the early ’70s sound better than when the original band plays them.”

Also some advice from Bernie:


“Bernie Leadon said if you want to write with Don Henley and Glenn, don’t write melodies, don’t write the harmonies; just write a musical bed and leave room for them to write a song on top of it. I had a demo, and I gave the cassette to Henley and Glenn, and they liked the tracks that became ‘Victim of Love’ and “Mexican Reggae,” which is what “Hotel California” started out as,” Felder said. “I should go back and listen to the rest of that cassette and see what else is on it.”

“Former Eagle Don Felder looks to light up Jergel’s” by Scott Tady, Elwood City Ledger, Jan. 19, 2020. (https://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/news/20200119/former-eagle-don-felder-looks-to-light-up-jergels)

[chaim]

This is quite late but thank you for your input about those German words, UtW.


*****

This interview was published earlier this year prior to Don’s February show in Pennsylvania. Some of the interesting (at least to me) highlights are that his latest album was called the “biggest guitar album of the year” by Guitar Player magazine and that he almost retired when he was 52.

This quote stood out - which songs would those be?


Also some advice from Bernie:


“Former Eagle Don Felder looks to light up Jergel’s” by Scott Tady, Elwood City Ledger, Jan. 19, 2020. (https://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/news/20200119/former-eagle-don-felder-looks-to-light-up-jergels)

My guess is that Don didn't have specific songs in mind. Kind of him to say "original" band even though there's only guy who was involved in recording them. Of course, when it comes to EARLY 70's it's one person more than in Felder's band. But I have no doubt that Felder's versions are strong.

[WalshFan88]

My guess is that Don didn't have specific songs in mind. Kind of him to say "original" band even though there's only guy who was involved in recording them. Of course, when it comes to EARLY 70's it's one person more than in Felder's band. But I have no doubt that Felder's versions are strong.

Well said, chaim.

[Delilah]

My guess is that Don didn't have specific songs in mind. Kind of him to say "original" band even though there's only guy who was involved in recording them. Of course, when it comes to EARLY 70's it's one person more than in Felder's band. But I have no doubt that Felder's versions are strong.

Ok, I was thinking he was referring to the early line-up(s) playing the songs but now that you put it that way it does seem he means the current line-up (since he uses the present term “plays”).

[KingWalsh]

So apparently Mr. Felder was part of a charity livestream for Feeding America/RocktheRelief this past week. Did anyone catch it? Some videos are posted of other musicians, and there is a promo with Don in it but not a performance. I just found out now. Too bad...would’ve been neat to see. http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2020/7/3/alice-cooper-peter-frampton-among-artists-participating-in-r.html

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Thanks for the heads up, KW.

[thebagels]

So apparently Mr. Felder was part of a charity livestream for Feeding America/RocktheRelief this past week. Did anyone catch it? Some videos are posted of other musicians, and there is a promo with Don in it but not a performance. I just found out now. Too bad...would’ve been neat to see. http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2020/7/3/alice-cooper-peter-frampton-among-artists-participating-in-r.html

I watched it. Don played the HFO acoustic intro to HC in Bm and then modulated down to Gm for a more straight-ahead arrangement. The solos on the end were more similar to the album version. Sadly, it was not live; he was lip-syncing again, and some of the guitar licks that were heard did not match up with what he appeared to be playing.

[KingWalsh]

Wow,what a bummer. I don't know why Felder chooses to go about things this way. He has so much talent! Are you sure that the video and sound aren't "off" where it appears like the artist isn't playing what you hear? Cuz that's even more cringy if now he is "guitar syncing" why even do anything?

[edwardd19]

do you know where i can find footage of this ?

[chaim]

I have no doubt that Don lip syncs a lot, but I find it very hard to belive that he fakes any of his guitar playing. Additional guitar tracks? Maybe. Not playing his regular parts live? I'd have to see it to believe it. Even if I saw it I would probably question my eyesight for a minute. 😅

[Delilah]

This is an interview with David Myhre, a guitarist in Don Felder’s band who talks a bit about working with Don. David has played with other notable artists and has recorded his own solo material.


"It’s reaffirmed when you play with musicians that you idolized growing up, too. Seeing their approach and philosophy helps you to feel like you’re on the right path.”

We haven’t talked about Don Felder yet. Was that the case with him?



“Yeah, for sure. He has such a sound and style. It is just like ear candy. It has feel, it’s got articulation, you can sing what he’s playing. I’m such a melody guy and I love crazy fast riffs and he’s the perfect blend of all those worlds. It’s what I’ve always taken to as a listener. I think it’s the singer/songwriter side of me – then your playing starts mirroring that.

“We’re playing Hotel California, all these songs from the Eagles catalogue and you can sing those solos. Everybody knows every lyric, every part. It also helped me, when I was onstage, to be like, ‘OK, this is the feeling that you’re trying to chase’, or ‘I need a song like Heartache Tonight that gets people off their seat.’”

You got the gig after you sat in with Felder during a soundcheck jam in Nashville. What do you think helped you to land that job?
“A lot of it was that he saw some of my improv playing and, like I say, saw we were cut from a similar cloth as players. I think that was the biggest thing. The blues and rock background was something that he connected with. I also really rehearsed the songs and dived into the live arrangements, the original recordings - all the details, articulation - and really tried to embody the parts.

"There was no fooling him, so it was like method acting. I had to really immerse myself into that music and that catalogue. Over the years, I’ve definitely gotten more comfortable and perfected parts and, looking back now, it was a lot of gradual learning.”

Does Don Felder let you play his guitars?
“He has an insane guitar collection. It’s awesome. Just recently, we added a couple of Les Pauls into my rig that are ‘59 Reissues that he has, so you get spoiled really fast. It’s also been really awesome just seeing what kind of pick he plays with. He has like a nylon pick, which has the grip on it. That’s a big part of his sound, how that pick grabs the string. If you go back and listen to some of the stuff now, you’ll catch that.

David Myhre: “There was no fooling Don Felder. It was like method acting - I had to really immerse myself” (https://www.guitarworld.com/features/david-myhre-there-was-no-fooling-don-felder-it-was-like-method-acting-i-had-to-really-immerse-myself)by (https://www.guitarworld.com/features/david-myhre-there-was-no-fooling-don-felder-it-was-like-method-acting-i-had-to-really-immerse-myself)Matt Parker (https://www.guitarworld.com/author/matt-parker), Guitar World, April 16, 2020 (https://www.guitarworld.com/features/david-myhre-there-was-no-fooling-don-felder-it-was-like-method-acting-i-had-to-really-immerse-myself)

[Delilah]

Bumping the thread since the last post got kind of lost with the recent board issues.

[KingWalsh]

So Don and his gal Diane McInerney have split apparently....Hopefully when covid cools off maybe they can reunite. It doesn’t sound like a real break up....but just a sign of how crazy covid is interfering with everyone’s business....and keep in mind it’s the dailymail soooo....a little tabloidish

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8850649/Former-Eagles-guitarist-Don-Felder-73-fiancee-Diane-McInerney-49-end-engagement.html

[Delilah]

Aw, that’s too bad. I wonder if she gave back the ring. Some people in the comments are guessing she didn’t want to sign the pre-nup.

[KingWalsh]

Well, I guess I had wishful thinking...not sure what to make of this, haven't seen the actual posts...., and my daughter said Instagram stories only stay for 24 hours...so is he at it again with cryptic public comments after a breakup ? Didn't he do something similar with Kathrin?

https://popculture.com/celebrity/news/eagles-guitarist-don-felder-shares-series-cryptic-quotes-amid-inside-edition-host-diane-mcinerney/

[WalshFan88]

Don is a passive-aggressive person. His comments and cryptic messages are not to be surprising. This is typical Felder. Love him, hate him. It's like saying grass is green. Some stuff just can't be argued. That doesn't make him a terrible person or in any way take away from his wonderful talents as a guitarist/writer and his great achievements in music, but it can make him unlikable or exhausting/draining to be around.

Not only did he do that with Kathrin, he had to write a nasty little "one upping" song on Road To Forever called "You Don't Have Me" about our guys. He did it over the KCH awards. He's just passive about it rather than being forward and confident about it, or better yet, keeping the dirty laundry out of the spotlight. He would be the type to make cryptic messages because he doesn't have the personality to take responsibility or take risk and make a bold statement about anything. If Geffen thought Don Henley was a malcontent (and I agree wholeheartedly!), Felder is a double malcontent. But he bundles with it his woe-is-me I'm-the-victim stuff. He would be exhausting to be friends with, let alone in a romantic relationship with. Not to mention trying to be his business partner like our guys were. Nothing is EVER his fault, he's always innocent. This is the stuff Glenn and DH had to deal with from '74-'80 and '94-'00 and finally said "see ya!". I have no doubt Kathrin and Diane did the same. And his wife Susan. Who he excused away his infidelity as being this helpless guy, almost a rape victim from the way he makes it sound as if he had no control over that stuff. I'm not Susan, but even as a guy who's never met the man, that was just so lame to read in his book. At least own it, even a little bit. And you just wonder if he doesn't still talk about those "gods" in the Eagles that stole his gig away from him with his partner(s). He seems, at least on the surface, like an injustice collector, which is a bad trait to have. That doesn't necessarily mean he would be a criminal, lol, but it's highly suggestive of someone who has the personality type that could remember every little thing he thinks someone did wrongly to him and not let it go. But not everyone tries to enact revenge. Don probably still whines and makes little digs, but doesn't necessarily look for ways to seriously malign them after the fact.

[chaim]

I think the previous "cryptic" messages were worse - when Don and his ex were quoting songs by someone who had just died. Nice way to remember an old friend (or acquintance). These new ones are harsh too, when people know who he's talking about, but I don't find them quite as ugly.

[KingWalsh]

Walshfan88, wow don’t hold back :wink: I agree 100%, except maybe on the criminal aspect...ooof! I also thought the last post mentioned had to do with the Eagles Diss track/Road to Forever “You Don’t Have Me” And then he puts a play on words to Repurpose it For relationship, or just to slam Eagles since he’s in a mood? Idk. I just don’t get why he has to go through the trouble making these things public, especially relationship wise. His book was very passive aggressive and didn’t help his case in my opinion. And how he conducts himself on social media at times doesn’t help either. I guess I’m naive thinking that maybe at his age he would’ve finally outgrew that, but it’s a character trait so...and he did fess up somewhat to his days on the road “activities“ in his defense.

Chaim, ya that is pretty bad, so maybe he did mature a little? :dizzy:

His attitude is a darn shame, he is ultra talented but dang, exhausting isn’t the word. I am full aware nobody is perfect, and we all do things/say things out of anger, etc. Yet, I do believe he may be a rare breed of passive aggressive/ covert narcissist.

[shunlvswx]

Well, I guess I had wishful thinking...not sure what to make of this, haven't seen the actual posts...., and my daughter said Instagram stories only stay for 24 hours...so is he at it again with cryptic public comments after a breakup ? Didn't he do something similar with Kathrin?

https://popculture.com/celebrity/news/eagles-guitarist-don-felder-shares-series-cryptic-quotes-amid-inside-edition-host-diane-mcinerney/

Yes he did with Kathrin. It was around the time Tom Petty had died. Either he or Kathrin quoted a line from one of Tom's songs. We thought it was a strange IG post, but it looks like they had broke up. I don't remembered the media saying anything about it. I didn't even know he and Kathrin had brokeb up until Don got engaged to Diane.

TO tell the truth. I'm really not surprised he and Diane broke up.

[chaim]

Yes he did with Kathrin. It was around the time Tom Petty had died. Either he or Kathrin quoted a line from one of Tom's songs. We thought it was a strange IG post, but it looks like they had broke up. I don't remembered the media saying anything about it. I didn't even know he and Kathrin had brokeb up until Don got engaged to Diane.

TO tell the truth. I'm really not surprised he and Diane broke up.

They both quoted Tom Petty songs.

[WalshFan88]

Walshfan88, wow don’t hold back :wink: I agree 100%, except maybe on the criminal aspect...ooof! I also thought the last post mentioned had to do with the Eagles Diss track/Road to Forever “You Don’t Have Me” And then he puts a play on words to Repurpose it For relationship, or just to slam Eagles since he’s in a mood? Idk. I just don’t get why he has to go through the trouble making these things public, especially relationship wise. His book was very passive aggressive and didn’t help his case in my opinion. And how he conducts himself on social media at times doesn’t help either. I guess I’m naive thinking that maybe at his age he would’ve finally outgrew that, but it’s a character trait so...and he did fess up somewhat to his days on the road “activities“ in his defense.

Chaim, ya that is pretty bad, so maybe he did mature a little? :dizzy:

His attitude is a darn shame, he is ultra talented but dang, exhausting isn’t the word. I am full aware nobody is perfect, and we all do things/say things out of anger, etc. Yet, I do believe he may be a rare breed of passive aggressive/ covert narcissist.

Haha, no I don't think he's a criminal. I was just saying that that trait of injustice collectors are commonly seen in criminals that enact revenge, but a lot of people can be that way. It's just all about your impulse control on how you handle it. Do you whine or pout and make petty digs or do you choose to slip something extra into your neighbor's coffee, lol. I have no doubt Don is the former. He just likes to be petty.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Yep - I guess some people never change. Maybe the best that can be said is that he is consistent.

[thebagels]

Don is definitely an interesting guy. While he was very candid and open on the Howard Stern show, it seems like he now has a memorized script that he uses parts of for every interview he does. It smacks of insincerity to me. He also now includes a part in his show where he pretty much brags about himself for a few minutes before playing "The Long Run" (https://youtu.be/pDJvhAmiAsI?t=3699). He always ends this monologue with something along the line of "I never have to make another penny at music in my life, but I do it because I love to play for you" right before he starts lip syncing to his vocal track. Needless to say, this all seems pretty disingenuous to me.

[chaim]

Wow that was a long introduction to The Long Run. 😄 I sort of get it. I don't think there's anything wrong with being proud of one's rise from poverty to riches, but (what I see as) the fake modesty turns me off a bit.

Yeah, I watched some of OOTN and it sounded like the same old vocal track, although I didn't compare it with other videos this time.

As for scripted interviews, as long as he doesn't turn into a Paul Stanley...😂

[thebagels]

lmao at the Paul Stanley reference.

He has used the same vocal tracks at least since 2014 when he appeared on AXS TV. I have synced up the Parker Playhouse show with some songs on the AXS concert. From what I can gather, Timothy Drury triggers click tracks that also include Don's vocal tracks before every song (the tempos are also exactly the same for each song in 2014 and 2020). Some of the harmony singing is live, but that seems to depend on the guys in the sound booth and how they want to mix the live vocals and prerecorded vocals.

I had always gotten the sense that Don just wanted to play music and be spontaneous on stage based on his musical disagreements with the Eagles' meticulously-planned shows. But his reliance on technology and a show that is absolutely reproducible down to the last note and vocal inflection in any venue is rather off-putting and contradictory to his ostensible purpose. So much for "in the past, we had no Pro Tools; we had pros."

[WalshFan88]

I agree, thebagels.

His comment about not needing any more money reeks of egotism. It's just more subtle than an out and out person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The sheer irony in that he tells that line, and then immediately performs to tracks or autotuned vocals or lip syncs is just astounding. He is either oblivious to his own character and his own speech, or he just doesn't care. Either way, not a good look IMO.

Don has some issues. I love his guitar playing on those classic Eagles records, I love the parts of music he has written on those records, but I personally do not like the guy at all as a person. The sad thing is I use to lightly worship him and take his side. But once the rose colored glasses came off after I saw how he acted after Glenn's death and I started forming my own opinions with all of the interviews and videos and stories I had, it was obvious I was blindly following the guy into the abattoir. His victimization is attractive to some people. Some people including myself like to fight for the underdog. But he isn't a victim. At all!

[chaim]

lmao at the Paul Stanley reference.

He has used the same vocal tracks at least since 2014 when he appeared on AXS TV. I have synced up the Parker Playhouse show with some songs on the AXS concert. From what I can gather, Timothy Drury triggers click tracks that also include Don's vocal tracks before every song (the tempos are also exactly the same for each song in 2014 and 2020). Some of the harmony singing is live, but that seems to depend on the guys in the sound booth and how they want to mix the live vocals and prerecorded vocals.

I had always gotten the sense that Don just wanted to play music and be spontaneous on stage based on his musical disagreements with the Eagles' meticulously-planned shows. But his reliance on technology and a show that is absolutely reproducible down to the last note and vocal inflection in any venue is rather off-putting and contradictory to his ostensible purpose. So much for "in the past, we had no Pro Tools; we had pros."

That's a great point about not having any spontaneity after criticizing the Eagles for it. If he doesn't need any more money and plays just for the fun of it, he could do more spontaneous fun stuff (like playing different solo songs here and there) with his band and not worry about getting more crowd with Eagles hits. Now we basically have a "greatest hits of the Eagles" set and he "sings" Eagles stuff even from the first two albums - songs on which he didn't originally even play guitar.

This is just a personal thought, but for years I've had this feeling that he likes to have "casual fans" think that he was involved with those early songs too. In one interview years ago he said "originally, when we first started, there were five guys in the band", then named the original guys plus him. I guess he meant when they first started the company, but that's not what he said. In his book he said that Randy and Bernie were just as much responsible for GH1 becoming a big seller as Glenn, Don H and himself. Randy and Bernie were actually MUCH more responsible for it than him. So, although I don't REALLY think he does it intentionally, having a set list like this on every gig supports this "I was there" thing. IT certainly doesn't hurt him.

Like someone said, he's an interesting character. I don't think he's a bad person, but he does seem to have some issues, which show in certain ways. Having said that, most people seem to think he's just a humble, easygoing guy, so perhaps I'm wrong with my criticisms.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I, too, agree with thebagels observation about how much Don claimed to disagree with the Eagles' structured approach, yet he now seems to model it very closely.

And, chaim, to your point about most people's perception of Felder - I think most of those are casual fans who don't bother to inform themselves about interactions and dynamics about how the band operated. Their opinions are formed based on how much they like the artist as a performer rather than knowledge of their personality and actions. Having said that, as I've acknowledged many times on this board, none of us know any of these guys so we will never know all the details. However, there is plenty of information that has been made public where you can see patterns of each of their personalities to make more informed opinions if you are interested enough to do so.

[thebagels]

That's a great point about not having any spontaneity after criticizing the Eagles for it. If he doesn't need any more money and plays just for the fun of it, he could do more spontaneous fun stuff (like playing different solo songs here and there) with his band and not worry about getting more crowd with Eagles hits. Now we basically have a "greatest hits of the Eagles" set and he "sings" Eagles stuff even from the first two albums - songs on which he didn't originally even play guitar.

This is just a personal thought, but for years I've had this feeling that he likes to have "casual fans" think that he was involved with those early songs too. In one interview years ago he said "originally, when we first started, there were five guys in the band", then named the original guys plus him. I guess he meant when they first started the company, but that's not what he said. In his book he said that Randy and Bernie were just as much responsible for GH1 becoming a big seller as Glenn, Don H and himself. Randy and Bernie were actually MUCH more responsible for it than him. So, although I don't REALLY think he does it intentionally, having a set list like this on every gig supports this "I was there" thing. IT certainly doesn't hurt him.

Like someone said, he's an interesting character. I don't think he's a bad person, but he does seem to have some issues, which show in certain ways. Having said that, most people seem to think he's just a humble, easygoing guy, so perhaps I'm wrong with my criticisms.

I agree with most of what you said though I have no personal problem with him doing earlier songs as he says during his show that he joined in 1974, but he also acknowledges that PEF and TIE are from 1971. But I also think he's verbally tried to portray himself as being an integral part of the band from the beginning, which is not quite accurate as you said. Randy and Bernie actually had a lot more experience in the music business than Don and Glenn when the Eagles started. The most spontaneous DF performance I have ever seen was when he did a small show at a center for people with brain injuries (link below). Apparently he did acoustic solo versions of "Desperado" and "Best of My Love." Wish the entire songs were available online as I've never heard him do either of those songs anywhere else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wxLXtX-OD8

[chaim]

I agree with most of what you said though I have no personal problem with him doing earlier songs as he says during his show that he joined in 1974, but he also acknowledges that PEF and TIE are from 1971. But I also think he's verbally tried to portray himself as being an integral part of the band from the beginning, which is not quite accurate as you said. Randy and Bernie actually had a lot more experience in the music business than Don and Glenn when the Eagles started. The most spontaneous DF performance I have ever seen was when he did a small show at a center for people with brain injuries (link below). Apparently he did acoustic solo versions of "Desperado" and "Best of My Love." Wish the entire songs were available online as I've never heard him do either of those songs anywhere else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wxLXtX-OD8

Great to hear that he tells the audience when he joined the band and when the early songs were released. So at concerts he's certainly not trying to make anyone think that he played on PEF, TIE etc.

[chaim]

...and that ARBI thing was wonderful.

[thebagels]

Don was a part of Gibson's Veterans Day livestream. He said a short message and followed it up with his "American Rock and Roll" remotely-collaborative video.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/ex-eagle-don-felder-performing-today-on-rock-to-remember-virtual-concert-benefiting-veterans-with-ptsd/ar-BB1aVlhd