The Barren Years Post HFO Years

[Funk 50]

Some are saying (in the Thing you do NOT like about the Eagles? topic) that it is unfair to blame Felder for the lack of Eagles activity during 1997 - 2000. I see it as simple basic deduction. They were all pretty active before the HFO resumption, except Felder and things certainly picked up since they sacked him. They've been constantly active, at their own pace, ever since.

As the HFO tour extended longer and longer, there were rumblings of the old tensions resurfacing but I expected older, wiser Eagles to survive them. When the HFO tour ended I expected nothing from the band. Solo albums, more than likely, but nothing as a band. The insistence, made at the start of HFO, that new material was part of the resumption deal, seemed to become unimportant.

The announcement of the Millennium shows, presumably after receiving a financial offer that they couldn't refuse, didn't signal any future promise to me but the announcement of Felder's sacking told me that the Eagles were a lot keener to carry on as a band than I thought they were.

They had all, as expected, released new solo material after HFO, apart from Felder, maybe Felder had prevented them knuckling down to producing a new pre-Millennium, Eagles album. I believe, from reading a section from Felder's book, that the Eagles did attempt to record, new band material, in the late 1990s, I also got the impression that Felder was the least keen about the 3 show Millennium tour that they did do before his sacking and he was certainly very unhappy with his financial cut of the proceeds.

As part of his lawsuit insisted on his immediate reinstatement to the band, I guess that, despite his discontent, Felder never threatened to quit the band so he'd be expressing his displeasure in other ways.

There have been a few other reasons suggested as to why the Eagles de-resumed for a couple of years after the HFO tour but I'm convinced that Felder was being intentionally difficult in an effort to increase his portion of the Eagles pie. :razz:

[MaryCalifornia]

I think the personal relationship between Don and Glenn was so tenuous when they fired it back up in 1994, they were going month by month. Not to mention all of the other issues that could have derailed the resumption - Joe's sobriety, Felder's disgruntlement, new babies and children, etc...The process of writing songs is so intimate and stressful, I think it took them a number of years to be comfortable enough to make the attempt to make a record.

Touring is one thing, writing and recording under the Eagles methodology is another. I don't think I have any backup for this, it just seems logical to me that making a record would be a step too far until they were comfortable (i.e. Felder gone, being sure they didn't hate each other, etc...) Maybe they just didn't have anything they liked.

[Freypower]

That sums up what I was trying to say in the other thread. After I saw them at the end of 1995 (and that tour had been delayed due to Glenn's illness).... they disappeared. I heard nothing from them until I read a Q Magazine article about their upcoming European tour which described Felder's firing. I put two & two together. It seemed obvious to me that just as he had been in 1980, he was the cause of the major problems prior to 2001.

[BillBailey1976]

I was listening to the "Farewell 1" cd today, and Don was talking about them preparing to go to the studio to start on a new album on Sept 11, but then after the attacks they didn't go to the studio that day, or many days after, but they did write "Hole in the World".....
I have heard statements similar to this from the Eagles for years and years, but never any new material.
Pre-HFO, there was talk that they were all in the studio waiting on Glenn. They were supposedly going to record a new album then. But when they finally did get back together, it was a live greatest hits, plus 4 songs.

Did they ever record the songs they were supposed to be doing over all these years? Were some of what they were going to record utilized on individuals solo albums?
I have never been sure about things like this.

[sodascouts]

I was listening to the "Farewell 1" cd today, and Don was talking about them preparing to go to the studio to start on a new album on Sept 11, but then after the attacks they didn't go to the studio that day, or many days after, but they did write "Hole in the World".....
I have heard statements similar to this from the Eagles for years and years, but never any new material.
Pre-HFO, there was talk that they were all in the studio waiting on Glenn. They were supposedly going to record a new album then. But when they finally did get back together, it was a live greatest hits, plus 4 songs.

Did they ever record the songs they were supposed to be doing over all these years? Were some of what they were going to record utilized on individuals solo albums?
I have never been sure about things like this.

I'm not sure either. They always claim that they throw away everything they don't use, but there is stuff floating around that puts the lie to that. I know that Tim has put rejected songs on his solo projects. I imagine Don and Joe would have done the same. Glenn never did an album of contemporary music, so anything he wrote that wasn't used with the Eagles would be in his effects somewhere. Wouldn't it be a treasure if some of those got released as special tracks or something...

[WalshFan88]

I don't think it's exactly fair to put the Eagles lack of activity in that timeframe on Felder's back.

Do I think he might have caused infighting, sure, but to not the extent it kept the band from getting anything done. I also think his firing was an overreaction to some extent in that if all he really did that broke the camel's back was question the money he was making, then I think it was a lame reason for firing him. There HAD to be other things he was bitching about or doing. Asking for a pay raise is a weak reason for someone to fire you unless you go on incessantly about it and bring everyone down. But asking questions about money once or twice before and after the contract was signed, ehh not so much. There has to be more to the story on what he did exactly that broke the camel's back. My guess is that he was stomping his feet and insisting on more money. Asking for a raise or equal pay every once in a while is not likely the reason methinks.

Anywho, I think even if Felder was bickering (and I'm sure he was), that's a poor reason to give as to why you aren't actively doing anything with the band.

[Brooke]

I don't think it's exactly fair to put the Eagles lack of activity in that timeframe on Felder's back.

Do I think he might have caused infighting, sure, but to not the extent it kept the band from getting anything done. I also think his firing was an overreaction to some extent in that if all he really did that broke the camel's back was question the money he was making, then I think it was a lame reason for firing him. There HAD to be other things he was bitching about or doing. Asking for a pay raise is a weak reason for someone to fire you unless you go on incessantly about it and bring everyone down. But asking questions about money once or twice before and after the contract was signed, ehh not so much. There has to be more to the story on what he did exactly that broke the camel's back. My guess is that he was stomping his feet and insisting on more money. Asking for a raise or equal pay every once in a while is not likely the reason methinks.

Anywho, I think even if Felder was bickering (and I'm sure he was), that's a poor reason to give as to why you aren't actively doing anything with the band.

I have to say you DO get tired of someone bringing up something constantly and finally, if they don't stop, it gets to you. I'm sure there was more to it, but......

[Delilah]

Some time ago, I came across a late-90s interview of Don Henley. He was asked about the Eagles' plans and his response was something along the lines of "Glenn prefers to spend time sailing rather than in the studio." Not one word was said about Don Felder. I wish I had saved the link b/c now I can't find the article.

[maryc2130]

I'm not sure either. They always claim that they throw away everything they don't use, but there is stuff floating around that puts the lie to that. I know that Tim has put rejected songs on his solo projects. I imagine Don and Joe would have done the same. Glenn never did an album of contemporary music, so anything he wrote that wasn't used with the Eagles would be in his effects somewhere. Wouldn't it be a treasure if some of those got released as special tracks or something...

Yes, Don has stated that the song "Waiting Tables" from Cass County is an Eagles reject.

[Annoying Twit]

Yes, Don has stated that the song "Waiting Tables" from Cass County is an Eagles reject.

it's very Eagleish, and could certainly fit on an early 70s Eagles album.. That would also explain the TBS writing credit. Stan Lynch is credited too. I wonder if he made changes to the song long after it was initially written.

[UndertheWire]

Some time ago, I came across a late-90s interview of Don Henley. He was asked about the Eagles' plans and his response was something along the lines of "Glenn prefers to spend time sailing rather than in the studio." Not one word was said about Don Felder. I wish I had saved the link b/c now I can't find the article.
It was probably this, from Marc Eliot,


I remember one night in the summer of 1997 talking with Henley over drinks at the Formosa in West Hollywood. I was writing my biography of the Eagles, and I asked Henley what he thought the essential difference was between him and Frey.
"If I had my way, we'd be out every night of the week playing somewhere," Henley said. "Glenn just wants to ride around the Mediterranean all day on his boat." Yeah, I thought to myself, maybe Frey was on to something. Maybe he knew when to walk away. Maybe he understood that adolescence can only take you so far, and it was time to check out of the Hotel California.
And maybe he understood it was that sense of "now" that pushed him to create the great Eagles music he did with Henley, and singing about living it up at the Hotel California, had become "then."
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/19/opinions/eliot-glenn-frey/index.html

[Delilah]

Yes, that line about the Mediterranean sounds right. However, I'm pretty sure in the interview I read, Henley was specifically answering a question about why the band wasn't doing anything at that point. It wasn't a retrospective type of article. At least, not to my recollection.

[BillBailey1976]

I'm not sure either. They always claim that they throw away everything they don't use, but there is stuff floating around that puts the lie to that. I know that Tim has put rejected songs on his solo projects. I imagine Don and Joe would have done the same. Glenn never did an album of contemporary music, so anything he wrote that wasn't used with the Eagles would be in his effects somewhere. Wouldn't it be a treasure if some of those got released as special tracks or something...

Oh that would be amazing!!! Maybe do a massive box set in a few years. All 7 Studio Albums, Eagles Live, HFO, The Millennium Concert (in full), Farewell 1 CD, an an album of rare, unreleased stuff.

[BillBailey1976]

Yes, that line about the Mediterranean sounds right. However, I'm pretty sure in the interview I read, Henley was specifically answering a question about why the band wasn't doing anything at that point. It wasn't a retrospective type of article. At least, not to my recollection.

I'm sure he probably used that line quite often, as it really does demonstrate a difference between their personalities.

Do you think we'll see that personality difference show up now that Don is at the wheel alone?

[sodascouts]

I'm sure he probably used that line quite often, as it really does demonstrate a difference between their personalities.

Do you think we'll see that personality difference show up now that Don is at the wheel alone?

Indeed. It's why I'm sure that if we'd lost a member while Glenn was still alive, the Eagles would have stopped. He just wasn't as into pushing the Eagles onward, no matter what. Ever since he walked away in 1980, his attitude towards the Eagles was "take it or leave it." He wasn't thinking his music would die if they weren't performing it constantly. He was "Eh, let's go sailing." That's why I have a hard time believing his last wish was that the Eagles must continue without him. He was already talking of winding the Eagles down after HOTE.

I remember reading somewhere that Don had said that the yearly Eagles meeting in January (they'd done this regularly in the later years) was called to basically ask Glenn if the Eagles were going to continue another year. While he was alive, whether or not the Eagles existed was up to Glenn. Now, it's up to Don. That's undoubtedly going to affect how things are done - it already has.

[maryc2130]

it's very Eagleish, and could certainly fit on an early 70s Eagles album.. That would also explain the TBS writing credit. Stan Lynch is credited too. I wonder if he made changes to the song long after it was initially written.

Yes, I would think that would be the case with Stan Lynch's name on it. I wonder if it was first written for LROOE, or if it was even earlier than that?

[WalshFan88]

I have to say you DO get tired of someone bringing up something constantly and finally, if they don't stop, it gets to you. I'm sure there was more to it, but......

Hence my comment about going on about it incessantly. I agree.

[New Kid In Town]

I think, as others have said, there were numerous reasons why they did very little after HFO. Taylor and Deacon started school, Don & Joe were having their kids and then there were the problems with Don F. JMHO, but from reading his book, it leads me to believe he was continuously bitching about about the pay/contract. Don F. makes a comment about his wife telling him to let it go and he states he refused to do so. Also, there was the relationship between Don and Glenn, which ran from hot to cold.

I think after spending nine years(71-80) being consumed by the Eagles 24/7, Glenn realized there was more in life. In fact, I remember reading an article years ago where he stated he was so consumed back then that he rarely took a vacation or had a personal life due to their non-stop touring and months and months of recording new albums. He indicated he felt he had not grown or experienced life like most young people in there 20's because his life consisted of hotels, concert gigs, air planes and "yes" people.
I think at that point Glenn was very happily married, loved being a Dad and wanted to spend as much time as possible with his family as he learned at a young age you can't get that time back again.

[UndertheWire]

A common thread in the stories of problems recording from 1990 to 2000 seems to be compaints about Henleys time-keeping. Recently, Henley has mentioned being nocturnal whereas after cleaning up, Glenn appears to have become a get up early and go to bed early person. That would have made it difficult for the band to have enough time in the day that they were both happy.

- In a 1992/93 interview, Glenn talked about how in 1990, he and Don were unsuccessful in their attempts to write together, in part because Don was still "living the Hollywood lifestyle" and Glenn wasn't.

- Felder wrote about tension for the Travis Tritt video when Henley was 45 minutes late arriving.

- David Spero talked about the charity show in Aspen in early 1994 where Henley asked about joining. Henley was told when sound check would start and that the door would be locked after that i.e. be on time or miss out.

- Felder wrote about the attempts to record in 1999 and mentions that they spent a lot of time waiting for Henley to turn up and that when he eventually did, he spent a lot of time on the phone. This annoyed Glenn (and my guess everyone else, too).

- we learned that much of LROOE was recorded separately in different studios, so possibly this allowed them to work at a time that suited the individuals.

Felder also wrote about "childish" behaviour from both Henley and Frey about whose studio and which mix to use.

Of course, none of this explains why firing Felder was a solution. Perhaps he complained about a lot of things - that part of his book has a lot of grumbling.

[maryc2130]

Indeed. It's why I'm sure that if we'd lost a member while Glenn was still alive, the Eagles would have stopped. He just wasn't as into pushing the Eagles onward, no matter what. Ever since he walked away in 1980, his attitude towards the Eagles was "take it or leave it." He wasn't thinking his music would die if they weren't performing it constantly. He was "Eh, let's go sailing." That's why I have a hard time believing his last wish was that the Eagles must continue without him. He was already talking of winding the Eagles down after HOTE.

I remember reading somewhere that Don had said that the yearly Eagles meeting in January (they'd done this regularly in the later years) was called to basically ask Glenn if the Eagles were going to continue another year. While he was alive, whether or not the Eagles existed was up to Glenn. Now, it's up to Don. That's undoubtedly going to affect how things are done - it already has.

No, now it is up to Don and Cindy Frey, who owns the other half the Eagles; and evidently Joe, Timothy, and Deacon were also on board. It's true that Glenn probably would not have wanted to continue, and I agree that it's hard to believe it was his last wish that the band continue without him. However, I also have a hard time thinking that if there is a heaven, and he's looking down at this, that he would be frowning at it. Of course, none of us knows how he would feel; we can only guess.

Still, I have a bit of a hard time with everyone saying it was Don's decision to go on. (Or alternatively, Don's and Irving's.) It was the decision of Don, the Frey family, Joe, Timothy, Deacon, and of course, Irving. But Don and Cindy's votes would have been the deciding ones.

[sodascouts]

You make a very good point, Mary. I hold Don to a higher standard because he actually was an Eagle. Perhaps that's not fair.

Side note: I think we have to be careful making declarative statements about ownership. We can speculate about how things were distributed after Glenn's death, but we don't know. I'd use words like "probably" when discussing it just so people don't start treating speculation as fact.

[Annoying Twit]

Indeed. It's why I'm sure that if we'd lost a member while Glenn was still alive, the Eagles would have stopped. He just wasn't as into pushing the Eagles onward, no matter what. Ever since he walked away in 1980, his attitude towards the Eagles was "take it or leave it." He wasn't thinking his music would die if they weren't performing it constantly. He was "Eh, let's go sailing."That's why I have a hard time believing his last wish was that the Eagles must continue without him. He was already talking of winding the Eagles down after HOTE.


Just so that I can understand, why would you say the bolded part? Has anyone claimed that Glenn's dying wish was that Eagles must continue without him?

I may have missed some context on this, and I really don't understand that bit.

[maryc2130]

You make a very good point, Mary. I hold Don to a higher standard because he actually was an Eagle. Perhaps that's not fair.

Side note: I think we have to be careful making declarative statements about ownership. We can speculate about how things were distributed after Glenn's death, but we don't know. I'd use words like "probably" when discussing it just so people don't start treating speculation as fact.

Someone had posted a link in another thread to California state records that showed that Cindy inherited Glenn's part of the Eagles' ownership, which was the only reason I stated it as fact. I can't remember which thread it was in, but I will try to find it.

[BillBailey1976]

Ownership doesn't in and of itself mean much as far as control of day to day operations. I have no idea how the day to day stuff is set up.
Don may have total control of that part, or Don and Irving. I really would doubt that Cindy Frey would want to be in the mix of making band decisions.
She may have up front gave her blessing for the venture, and may have some continued input, but as far as stuff like dates, how many? when? where?, I'd seriously doubt that she has much interest.

[Delilah]

Of course, none of this explains why firing Felder was a solution. Perhaps he complained about a lot of things - that part of his book has a lot of grumbling.

Interesting point about Henley's chronic lateness. As far as Felder's firing, I think it has less to do with addressing the barren years and more to do with the almighty dollar.


Ownership doesn't in and of itself mean much as far as control of day to day operations. I have no idea how the day to day stuff is set up.
Don may have total control of that part, or Don and Irving. I really would doubt that Cindy Frey would want to be in the mix of making band decisions.
She may have up front gave her blessing for the venture, and may have some continued input, but as far as stuff like dates, how many? when? where?, I'd seriously doubt that she has much interest.

I agree with both you and Soda. Without knowing exactly how the partnership is set up, and what Cindy's partnership status is, we can only speculate about the degree to which she can exercise control over "Eagles LTD" or whatever it is. Her involvement may only extend to receiving Glenn's share of the profits and other financial interests. Of course, it's likely Don and Irving do consult with her on the most important matters out of courtesy and respect.

[sodascouts]

Just so that I can understand, why would you say the bolded part? Has anyone claimed that Glenn's dying wish was that Eagles must continue without him?

Yes, someone had claimed that. It was on a completely unreliable user-edited site, but that doesn't stop people from treating it as gospel.

[Annoying Twit]

Yes, someone had claimed that. It was on a completely unreliable user-edited site, but that doesn't stop people from treating it as gospel.

It seems a rather odd thing for someone to claim. I did google it before posting, but didn't find the source.

[sodascouts]

It's in our mega 3.0 thread. I have a bad memory but I believe it was on setlist.fm.

[UndertheWire]

"in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
Benjamin Franklin

If Glenn left his shares to Cindy, it would be a transfer to a spouse and free of estate taxes whereas if he left them to anyone else, they would be subject to tax at 40%. Not proof but combined with her position as an officer of the corporations, it increases the probability.

They are corporations, not partnerships. Don Felder may still be a shareholder of Eagles Ltd but the other touring and recording corporations were set up after he left.

None of us know how Glenn would have felt about the band continuing, but the people closest to him seem to have accepted it.

[sodascouts]

True UTW.

Regarding the "barren years", another element at least in the latter part of the 90s, and one a bit related to our tangent, was sorting out all of the legal aspects of making new financial arrangements. It seems like there were a lot of lawyers being employed at that time.

[Delilah]

"in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
Benjamin Franklin

If Glenn left his shares to Cindy, it would be a transfer to a spouse and free of estate taxes whereas if he left them to anyone else, they would be subject to tax at 40%. Not proof but combined with her position as an officer of the corporations, it increases the probability.

They are corporations, not partnerships. Don Felder may still be a shareholder of Eagles Ltd but the other touring and recording corporations were set up after he left.

None of us know how Glenn would have felt about the band continuing, but the people closest to him seem to have accepted it.

Oh that's right, corporations. Thanks for the correction.

[Annoying Twit]

It's in our mega 3.0 thread. I have a bad memory but I believe it was on setlist.fm.

I checked the thread and setlist.fm. The only reference to setlist.fm from that thread is a post by Funk 50 which leads here: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/eagles/2015/christian-brothers-college-high-school-st-louis-mo-4bf8d736.html

Reading that, it doesn't appear to be a claim about any dying wish, but about Glenn's wish for that concert before his passing. I read through the 3.0 thread for a few pages after the post, but didn't find any more discussion on the setlist.fm quote.

Hence, i think that this is a misunderstanding, and that no-one has claimed that Glenn had a dying wish that the band play again.

[UndertheWire]

Sorry about my disjointed post yesterday. I had a few thoughts which I wanted to share but I didn't put in the time to make it coherant.

I know the corporation vs partnership may not seem like a big deal, but when talking about control of the company, I believe it is. It's hard to explain why without sending everyone to sleep. I agree with Delilah that we don't have enough information to know how decisions are made, but even if it was all written down in front of us, I'd take it with a pinch of salt. For example, Don Felder may have been CFO on paper but he didn't perform the duties. As Joe put it in his recent Rolling Stone interview "we all got to vote and then they did whatever they wanted."

I'm still not sure what any of this has to do with the barren post HFO years unless it's that the arguments about the business and control made it harder to work together creatively.

[BillBailey1976]

True UTW.

Regarding the "barren years", another element at least in the latter part of the 90s, and one a bit related to our tangent, was sorting out all of the legal aspects of making new financial arrangements. It seems like there were a lot of lawyers being employed at that time.

And that's the saddest part of all. Greed and ego. I should get this much because I'm this, and you should get this much because your that.....

I'm not sure who said it in the doc, but one of the members said that one of Felder's biggest hang ups was that he always looked at the band as a band in the truest sense of the word, where they all 5 go out and play, and split the profits 5 equal ways.

It sounds like the band stopped being that after "One of These Nights".
When Felder joined during "On the Border", they brought him in as an equal partner, but a couple years later when Bernie left, they absorbed his partnership, and brought Walsh in as a hired gun. Then the same thing was done when Randy left. They absorbed his share, and became 3 members and 2 players.
You go from having a vote of 3 out of 5 to make something happen, down to 2 out of 3, where the 2 were, as it seems, mostly sticking together on things.

And by HFO, it seems that Glenn and Don really wanted it to be 2 members and 3 players, but Felder was still part owner, with a 1/3 interest.
It sounds like they pretty much strong armed the situation to get more than everyone else during HFO, and that was the source of a lot of friction during the resumption.
Walsh and Schmidt had no choice but to be OK with it, because they had always been players, but Felder was an owner, a member, so I can see him having a harder time being relegated to a lesser status in the band.

[UndertheWire]

Without making a judgement about who was right, it's obvious that having conflicting views on business matters would make it harder to work together.

[maryc2130]

Ownership doesn't in and of itself mean much as far as control of day to day operations. I have no idea how the day to day stuff is set up.
Don may have total control of that part, or Don and Irving. I really would doubt that Cindy Frey would want to be in the mix of making band decisions.
She may have up front gave her blessing for the venture, and may have some continued input, but as far as stuff like dates, how many? when? where?, I'd seriously doubt that she has much interest.

I wasn't talking about day-to-day operations; I was talking about the decision to continue as the Eagles. In that case, she would have a vote and very likely exercise it, and in that case asking her would not be a courtesy (as someone else suggested). If she vetoed it, it would not have happened. But if she is half owner of the Eagles, she can be involved as she wants to be in the every day running of things. I doubt that she is involved in decisions such as choice of set lists, but if she wanted to be, it would be her right to do so, unless is was stated somewhere in a will or other legal document that she wouldn't be.

[Delilah]

And that's the saddest part of all. Greed and ego. I should get this much because I'm this, and you should get this much because your that.....

Walsh and Schmidt had no choice but to be OK with it, because they had always been players, but Felder was an owner, a member, so I can see him having a harder time being relegated to a lesser status in the band.

Very nice post, BillBailey. I would add that another element to Felder's perspective is that unlike Walsh and Schmit, he wasn't brought in as a replacement. He was there to specifically to enhance the band's sound with a more rock edge. He had to forge his own path in doing so and create all his guitar parts, and thus, part of the Eagles sound. He was there when the band went from moderately successful to super successful band at the top. I can see why he was reluctant to simply bow down and accept the new terms.

I do find it conflicting that some of those who claim Glenn had the final say in everything also hold Felder more responsible for the barren years than Glenn.
Please note: this is an observation, not a criticism. If Glenn preferred to sail around the world rather than tour, good for him.

[Funk 50]

The barren years ended when Felder was sacked. They've been very active ever since. If you ignore the HFO years (1994-1996), Felder didn't produce anything since the early 80s.

I don't think it was egos and greed that led to Felder's exit. I genuinely believe that they all wanted to continue playing as the Eagles where-as Felder's priorities seemed to be non-musical.

I feel that they still want to carry on playing as the Eagles. After continuing after Glenn's death, I've no idea what will cause them to stop. It looks like there will always be money to be made for whoever's on the payroll.

[BillBailey1976]

I wasn't talking about day-to-day operations; I was talking about the decision to continue as the Eagles. In that case, she would have a vote and very likely exercise it, and in that case asking her would not be a courtesy (as someone else suggested). If she vetoed it, it would not have happened. But if she is half owner of the Eagles, she can be involved as she wants to be in the every day running of things. I doubt that she is involved in decisions such as choice of set lists, but if she wanted to be, it would be her right to do so, unless is was stated somewhere in a will or other legal document that she wouldn't be.

I think you'd have to have to be very skilled in business law to know exactly how the Eagles work.
I went to corporationwiki.com and was looking.
Oh my gosh. There were bunches of Eagles related corporations listed.
One thing I noticed is that on most of them Don Henley was the president, and Glenn the VP, Treasurer, or Secretary.
I don't know what it means, but Don is listed as president of: Eagles Recording Company II, Eagles Touring II, and Eagles Merchandising II.
So, I have no clue as to what authority Cindy or Don or any of them have after looking at all that.

[UndertheWire]

Well, not completely barren as Don Henley put out an album in 2000 and Glenn was also writing but he let Max Carl record his songs.

[Delilah]

The barren years ended when Felder was sacked. They've been very active ever since. If you ignore the HFO years (1994-1996), Felder didn't produce anything since the early 80s.

I don't think it was egos and greed that led to Felder's exit. I genuinely believe that they all wanted to continue playing as the Eagles where-as Felder's priorities seemed to be non-musical.

I feel that they still want to carry on playing as the Eagles. After continuing after Glenn's death, I've no idea what will cause them to stop. It looks like there will always be money to be made for whoever's on the payroll.

Didn't Felder make music with the ill-fated Malibu Men's Choir (late 80s) including one track that ended up on the HFO? He and the other band members worked on songs for the later-named LROOE album before he was fired. They all submitted tracks for each other to hear. In fact, in Heaven and Hell Don F says, "I also had another up-tempo track with Latino rhythms, called 'Little Latin Lover,' with gut-string guitar. Glenn loved it." He added that together they had five or six tracks that weren't very good. Months later, Henley called it quits.

Felder also performed at The Millenium shows as well various benefits with the Eagles. I can't say exactly what the band was up to after he left but it's not like they immediately cranked out an album and went on a major tour (other than the summer one in Europe). Perhaps it's a matter of what constitutes "very active."

There's also the theory that Henley's solo success with Inside Job encouraged them to re-activate.

[maryc2130]

I think you'd have to have to be very skilled in business law to know exactly how the Eagles work.
I went to corporationwiki.com and was looking.
Oh my gosh. There were bunches of Eagles related corporations listed.
One thing I noticed is that on most of them Don Henley was the president, and Glenn the VP, Treasurer, or Secretary.
I don't know what it means, but Don is listed as president of: Eagles Recording Company II, Eagles Touring II, and Eagles Merchandising II.
So, I have no clue as to what authority Cindy or Don or any of them have after looking at all that.

That's very interesting. I am over my head as to the legalities, but I can't imagine why Don would appear to be the head of the Eagles; in name, anyway.

[groupie2686]

That's very interesting. I am over my head as to the legalities, but I can't imagine why Don would appear to be the head of the Eagles; in name, anyway.

So I took a look at corporationwiki.com and a lot of these corporations were filed in Texas. It is likely that Don was president because he had a Texas address and they needed someone with a local address to file there. There were probably legal and/or tax reasons why some of these corporations were filed in Texas and not California.

I'm a lawyer, so I know a bit about this, but take this with the caveat that I am not licensed to practice in Texas or California and the laws are different in every state.

It looks like a lot of these corporations were set up around 2000-2001, which suggests to me massive reorganization after Felder was fired, probably to remove his name from everything. Fans forget how much of a business the music business really is.

[sodascouts]

Thanks for your expertise. That makes sense. California tax laws are really out of control. Texas is a lot friendlier to businesses in that regard, and to wage earners too. In fact, I bet Don Henley is really happy to be a Texan on April 15th every year because Texas has no state income tax!

It is a business indeed. There's a heck of a lot of money involved here.

[UndertheWire]

I learned more about Delaware. I'dvenoticed quite a few of our US customers were incorporated in Delaware but hadn't thought much about it. It appears that Delaware doesn't tax royalties so it would be a good place for intellectual property. I put forward the theory that EPC of Delaware holds their publishing (Eagles Publishing Corporation?)

[groupie2686]

Soda, I didn't know Texas had no income tax, that makes sense that they'd want to incorporate there.

UTW - Eagles Publishing Company...you know, I was trying to figure out what the P stood for...

It seems like they kept lawyers and accountants very busy.

[New Kid In Town]

UTW - Delaware has no State Income Tax or Sales Tax. They also do not tax retirement pensions. A lot of people from NJ retire to Delaware for that reason. It is also a very business friendly state. Many banks and other businesses have their headquarters there due to the pro business tax laws.

[Delilah]

I learned more about Delaware. I'dvenoticed quite a few of our US customers were incorporated in Delaware but hadn't thought much about it. It appears that Delaware doesn't tax royalties so it would be a good place for intellectual property. I put forward the theory that EPC of Delaware holds their publishing (Eagles Publishing Corporation?)

Delaware has long been the state of choice to incorporate due to its flexible and pro-management laws. And it's not necessary to establish a principle place of business there to incorporate. Other states are catching up but much of the legal expertise is in Delaware law.

[BillBailey1976]

Someone help me out with this, but I saw an interview, where I think it was Glenn talking in 94 about a new album that would be out in the fall. Was he speaking of the HFO Live/Studio album, or were they planning an actual new material album that fell through?
Or was the HFO album originally intended to be all new songs, but they couldn't produce, and retreated to using the 4 new songs they had, plus adding in all the live stuff from the MTV show?

I have never been fully aware of exactly what was going on there.
If this has been discussed, please forgive me for repeating. I would gladly take direction to the thread it might be in.

[New Kid In Town]

BB - He was talking about the HFO cd, which contained four new songs. That was released in Nov./Dec/ 1994. The MTV Concert was shown on tv in Oct. 1994.

[BillBailey1976]

Thanks. I never was sure if that was it or not.
It seems there was always talk of a new album ever since 94 when they got back together.

It's like in Farwell 1, when Don talks about them supposed to go into the studio to start recording a new album on Sept 11, 2001, but that they didn't, and didn't for a while after, but they wrote Hole in the World, did they just forget about an album altogether, or did that eventually become LROOE?

You never know with them.

[shunlvswx]

Thanks. I never was sure if that was it or not.
It seems there was always talk of a new album ever since 94 when they got back together.

It's like in Farwell 1, when Don talks about them supposed to go into the studio to start recording a new album on Sept 11, 2001, but that they didn't, and didn't for a while after, but they wrote Hole in the World, did they just forget about an album altogether, or did that eventually become LROOE?

You never know with them.

I think that album became LROOE. It did take them about 6 years to finished. Glenn also wrote No More Cloudy Days when Farewell 1 came out, but was part of the LROOE album.

[BillBailey1976]

I think that album became LROOE. It did take them about 6 years to finished. Glenn also wrote No More Cloudy Days when Farewell 1 came out, but was part of the LROOE album.

That's right, they performed that song on the video.
I always wondered why Joe's song, "One Day at a Time" never made it on an Eagles album. Unless he just needed it too bad for his solo album.

[scottside]

If my memory is correct on this, the Eagles had started working on a new album before 2000. It had a working title of AT THE END OF THE DAY and was supposed to be a combination of new material and carefully chosen covers. Paul Carrack was rumored to be contributing material and I believe a Richard Thompson song was being considered. This was all while Don Felder was still in the band. Apparently, the whole project never got off the ground and it would appear that anything that was recorded was scrapped. The overall consensus at the time was that the songs were just not jelling properly. I don't recall the timeline as to how close this was to Felder's exit, but I'm guessing it wasn't too long before.

[UndertheWire]

Felder wrote about an unsuccessful attempt to record a new album in 1999. At the end of the year, they played three shows (The Millenium concerts). Felder was fired in February 2001. They started touring again on 29th May 2001.

ETA: I've looked at Felder's book and I'm a bit confused. He writes about an unsuccessful attempt to record an album (including Glenn singing "I love to Watch a Woman Dance" which Felder says was suggested by Henley). He also mentions Henley being almost finished on his latest solo record (which was released in May 2000), Felder later writes about a plan to record in 1999 . It's not clear if these are two different plans.

The timeline I have worked out is

August 1996 - End of HFO tour
January 1998 - RRHOF induction
June 1998 - Tiger Jam (other Eagles join Glenn for part of his set for this charity event)
November (?) 1998 - Glenn's 50th Birthday weekend with the band playing for guests
1999 - attempt to agree terms for recording new album, Felder decides his marriage is over
December 1999 - Millenium shows
2000 - Felder tells his wife it's over. Contractual negotiations about Selected works release including Millenium concert
February 2001 - Felder is fired
May 2001 - Eagles tour for first time in almost 5 years

[New Kid In Town]

UTW - That sounds correct to me. Having also read Don F's book, it seemed some of his information was jumbled and out of sequence but yours sounds right.

[sodascouts]

If my memory is correct on this, the Eagles had started working on a new album before 2000. It had a working title of AT THE END OF THE DAY and was supposed to be a combination of new material and carefully chosen covers.

I remember that Glenn said the Eagles were thinking of doing an album of covers of artists that influenced them. This was between After Hours and History of the Eagles. At least I think that was the timing of it. I definitely remember him talking about such a project. Perhaps it was when he performed Buffalo Springfield's "On the Way Home" at a solo show.

[scottside]

I remember that Glenn said the Eagles were thinking of doing an album of covers of artists that influenced them. This was between After Hours and History of the Eagles. At least I think that was the timing of it. I definitely remember him talking about such a project. Perhaps it was when he performed Buffalo Springfield's "On the Way Home" at a solo show.

I recall that incident because I was at one of the AFTER HOUR shows in which Glenn made mention of that (and I thought he did a killer version of "On The Way Home)" but the time period I referenced was way earlier and the songs they were going to cover were by people like Paul Carrack and Richard Thompson. There may have been others mentioned, but I can't remember the specifics. Carrack was no surprise actually since he worked with Timothy previously, but Thompson seemed unexpected although he has written a lot of great songs. I think the idea was to get a new album out and there weren't too many completed original songs lying around then. It's nearly 20 years ago now though so my mind is not quite as sharp as it used to be!