Songs you wished you could switch lead vocals

[YoungEaglesFan]

I've been looking through old threads at discussions about underrated songs and ranking your favorite albums but something I haven't seen is a thread dedicated to Eagles songs you wish someone else had sang lead on. Hearing Glenn sing TITTL made me think about this more. Me personally I'd like to hear Glenn sing some of dons songs like best of my love or wasted time. I'd like to hear his smoother voice on that stuff. What about you guys?

[Pippinwhite]

Hey YEF -- I think there is such a thread, because I think I've posted on it. LOL. I'm sure one of our diligent moderators can merge this thread with the current one if that's the case.

Having said that, I love hearing Glenn sing "Desperado". There's a clip from 1984 when he was on the Letterman show where he sings it. It's on YouTube.

If I could hear Glenn sing "One of These Nights," along with "You Never Cry Like a Lover," I'd be a happy camper, for sure. :grooving:

[thelastresort]

Though my favoruite Glenn lead vocals are amongst his softer ones (New Kid in Town and Tequila Sunrise), I think he had a brilliant rocking voice (see Out of Control and the superb Somebody) and I don't think he ever got to properly unleash the latter after the Henley takeover began. On that basis, I would have loved to hear Glenn have a go at something like Life in the Fast Lane or Victim of Love.

(I do love Joe's version of Take It to the Limit though, he has a wonderfully delicate voice when he wants it.)

[BillBailey1976]

"The Henley takeover" I like that phrase.
I have always wondered about that. I know in "History" Glenn plays it off like he wanted to sing less...but I just don't know that I believe that.
The thing that didn't make sense was the way he talks about his vocal participation getting less...and then makes the comment "We had Don Henley". That would have made sense if Henley were a recent addition. But he'd been there since the beginning. They'd always had Don Henley.
Was there Label pressure, band pressure, management pressure?

[scottside]

I think Don Henley became a better singer as time went on with each successive album. The other thing is that he has a natural "grit" to his voice that Glenn doesn't have and maybe Glenn thought it best to have Don sing those songs that benefited by that edge. It's really hard to say for sure, but I think Glenn would've done a great job on a number of those more rocking songs. Maybe they wouldn't have been quite the same, but they would've worked out fine.

[UndertheWire]

I don't think it's a coincidence that the "Henley Takeover" followed their first #1 which was sung by Henley. This followed on four singles which didn't chart highly (Tequila Sunrise, Outlaw Man, Already Gone, James Dean) and were all sung by Glenn.

[buffyfan145]

I've wondered this too and agree with a lot already posted and how Glenn sang less lead vocals in the late 70s and Don sang most. I always liked Glenn's version of TITTL and now Joe singing it works too. I loved that vid too of Glenn singing "Desperado" and how Timothy sang "Peaceful Easy Feeling" in his recent solo shows in honor of Glenn. I always thought Glenn could've sang "I Can't Tell You Why" as well since there's a similarity to his 80s solo songs.

[Delilah]

I got the impression Glenn wasn't very confident about his voice, esp. being in a band with Henley. Felder wrote that Glenn would not want anyone around in the control room when he was singing. Randy said he admired how Glenn kept working on his vocals till he got it right.

I love Glenn's voice but I don't think he could have pulled off "One of These Nights" and sing those R-n-B falsettos the way Henley did. He just didn't have Henley's range. I suspect this is why he handed off "Most of Us Are Sad" to Randy b/c again, he didn't have the range to hit those low notes. Of course, Glenn did improve over time.

I think Henley singing "Tequila Sunrise" or Glenn singing "Victim of Love" would be interesting.

[BillBailey1976]

I got the impression Glenn wasn't very confident about his voice, esp. being in a band with Henley. Felder wrote that Glenn would not want anyone around in the control room when he was singing. Randy said he admired how Glenn kept working on his vocals till he got it right.

I love Glenn's voice but I don't think he could have pulled off "One of These Nights" and sing those R-n-B falsettos the way Henley did. He just didn't have Henley's range. I suspect this is why he handed off "Most of Us Are Sad" to Randy b/c again, he didn't have the range to hit those low notes. Of course, Glenn did improve over time.

I think Henley singing "Tequila Sunrise" or Glenn singing "Victim of Love" would be interesting.


I remember reading, I think in Don Felder's book, about how long Glenn worked on "City Girls" at the beginning of Lyin Eyes. It talked about cutting the tape and splicing so much that the room would be covered in pieces of cut audio tape.

[Pippinwhite]

I guess it just goes to show everyone has their insecurities. I can't imagine Glenn feeling he couldn't sing as well as DH. He's a different singer, yes, but not inferior. Also, I think it just took a couple more years for his voice to develop in the upper and lower ranges, which is not uncommon. On his solo stuff ("Somebody" comes to mind), he's more than able to handle songs in the higher ranges.
DH has that great, growling rocker voice and I love hearing him sing, but Glenn's tenor -- well, it just sends me and it has since I was about seven and heard "Lyin' Eyes" for the first time on the radio. My dad liked that song, but I remember telling him I loved that song so much! LOL. Glenn's voice is so pure and expressive. Sigh. Yeah, fangirl moment here. Excuse me. :inlove:

[New Kid In Town]

I would have loved to hear Glenn sing "Life In The Fast Lane". I think he did an incredible job on "Desperado" on Letterman when he sang it. I like it almost as much as Don's version.
Glenn could rock a song - look at HT, AG and OOC. I never understood why Glenn never sang LITF and some of the other songs on HC & TLR. He certainly could easily have handled them.

"The Henley Takeover" side is interesting. I think in the beginning Glenn thought it was better for Don to sing lead but later, based on some interviews he did back in the 80's, he indicated he had given up too much and would never do something like that again.

IMHO - and just my opinion, I think the Eagles suffered when they went from multiple lead singers to just Don. I love his voice but, I think they missed something when it just became all about Don. Glenn, Randy, Joe and Tim all should have had more than one song on an album. I think this is one of the major reason why so many people think of Don as the only one who could sing and dismiss Glenn as the "least talented Eagle" to quote people on you tube.

[Pippinwhite]

NKIT -- I think you have a point there. And some people think that a rock singer is supposed to sound like DH, and that's pretty much it. Guess they forget about Paul McCartney, who can sing rockers with the best of them, and then turn around and croon "And I Love Her". Glenn was much the same.

I think having different voices on lead really helped contribute to the Eagles' unique sound. But then you hear over and over in HOTE that many of the decisions they made were made "for the good of the Eagles." Still (not bashing DH here), I wish Don had said, "Hey. Let's have Glenn sing on this one." And maybe he did, but maybe Glenn felt he wouldn't do as well on it and declined. As I said, it just goes to show we all have our insecurities.

Yeah, the "All Don, all the time" thing wears on me a little. And I think it definitely contributes to the whole "Glenn Frey, talentless hack, lands on his feet in the best American band" mess. Sheesh. :roll:

Fortunately, we know better.

[UndertheWire]

I think Glenn sang a verse or so of LITFL during the "Party of Two" tour. Of course, I can't find where I put the download.

[BillBailey1976]

I think Don always has been about what was best for Don. Not that he shouldn't be, but it seems that way. With Glenn deferring to him, he kept getting much more of the Eagles lead duties, then look even at the resumption. Compare solo inclusion.
HFO 4 to 2
Farewell 1, 4 to 1
LROoE 3 to 0
Millenium 4 to 1

[BillBailey1976]

Hey YEF -- I think there is such a thread, because I think I've posted on it. LOL. I'm sure one of our diligent moderators can merge this thread with the current one if that's the case.

Having said that, I love hearing Glenn sing "Desperado". There's a clip from 1984 when he was on the Letterman show where he sings it. It's on YouTube.

If I could hear Glenn sing "One of These Nights," along with "You Never Cry Like a Lover," I'd be a happy camper, for sure. :grooving:

Didn't Glenn do "Desperado" on Live in Dublin?

[Pippinwhite]

BB1976 -- Yep, he sings it on the Live in Dublin album, too. Forgot about that.

[scottside]

I think Glenn sang a verse or so of LITFL during the "Party of Two" tour. Of course, I can't find where I put the download.

I saw Glenn sing most of LITFL in 1993 during the Party of Two tour, but that was hardly the optimum opportunity because he had a nasty cold and Joe was pretty drunk and out of it. Joe started singing it and Glenn took over. That show was a strange experience, more like a party than a concert, but even so, much of it was surprisingly good.

[groupie2686]

I would have loved to hear Glenn sing "Life In The Fast Lane". I think he did an incredible job on "Desperado" on Letterman when he sang it. I like it almost as much as Don's version.
Glenn could rock a song - look at HT, AG and OOC. I never understood why Glenn never sang LITF and some of the other songs on HC & TLR. He certainly could easily have handled them.

"The Henley Takeover" side is interesting. I think in the beginning Glenn thought it was better for Don to sing lead but later, based on some interviews he did back in the 80's, he indicated he had given up too much and would never do something like that again.

IMHO - and just my opinion, I think the Eagles suffered when they went from multiple lead singers to just Don. I love his voice but, I think they missed something when it just became all about Don. Glenn, Randy, Joe and Tim all should have had more than one song on an album. I think this is one of the major reason why so many people think of Don as the only one who could sing and dismiss Glenn as the "least talented Eagle" to quote people on you tube.

Do you have a link to the interview where Glenn said he had given up too much? I'd like to read that.

I agree, I think the Eagles were best when they all shared lead vocals. I think Glenn stepped back too much, to the point where not only do people dismiss Glenn as the "least talented Eagle," but some don't even know who he was, but they all know Don Henley. Glenn had a very versatile voice - he could do rockers or sing very softly when he wanted to. He had a very strong voice, perhaps stronger than Henley's; you can almost always hear him in their harmonies. I'm thinking of Seven Bridges Road or their "my daddy was a handsome devil" early on; Glenn's voice almost drowns the others out. I think Glenn sold himself and his talent short.

It's hard to imagine Life in the Fast Lane or One of These Nights sung by anyone other than Henley, but I would have said that about Desperado, and I think Glenn did a great job with it. Same for Take It to the Limit. This is more recently, but I think Glenn could have done Busy Being Fabulous.

And BillBailey, yes, he did Desperado on Live in Dublin.

[thelastresort]

Frey sold himself short in terms of both his voice and guitar abilities, certainly as the Eagles progressed through the 70s. That said however, I also believe that if at any point Glenn had thought 'I will sing lead on this song', or 'I will play that solo' then it would have happened. I do not doubt for a second though that Glenn was interested in anything other than what was best for the band, be that that Henley sang the leads, or Joe and Felder stayed on guitar when a piano needed to be played: I would have loved Glenn to have played guitar live on I Can't Tell You Why (with the fiddle of Joe onto piano and Felder onto organ, which he could play), but instead he took his duty as the best pianist in the band and let Felder / Smith get most of the glory for his finest lead guitar contribution he ever made to the band.

The mugs on YouTube who call Glenn a fraud or the least talented Eagle or whatever only say that because, to his immeasurable detriment, he allowed that to happen for the good of everything else. What he lacked for onstage however he more than compensated for behind the scenes: arrangement, production, the ability to write songs like there's no tomorrow, the ability to play just about any instrument (probably only bettered by Joe in that regard) and above all his tenacious, all guns blazing defence and leadership of the band. No other Eagle could contribute those in their entirety.

[Delilah]

I think Don always has been about what was best for Don. Not that he shouldn't be, but it seems that way. With Glenn deferring to him, he kept getting much more of the Eagles lead duties, then look even at the resumption. Compare solo inclusion.
HFO 4 to 2
Farewell 1, 4 to 1
LROoE 3 to 0
Millenium 4 to 1

I'm guessing without looking at all of the set lists that those Don solo songs were Boys of Summer, Dirty Laundry, All She Wants to Do Is Dance and Heart of the Matter. These were very big hits for Don, not only in terms of chart success but also sales. I believe DL went gold, as did his first solo album; his other albums went platinum and were top 10 albums. He won Grammy awards for his solo work and also scored top 10 hits with his duets with Stevie Nicks and Patty Smythe. He has also won critical acclaim, being listed as one of the 100 Best Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine. His Building the Perfect Beast was ranked among the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by RS.

His solo work was quite high-profile so it does seem the Eagles would want to capitalize on that. I enjoy Glenn's solo material, I own some of it and I just bought his Live in Dublin cd. But I am not surprised that Henley's solo songs outnumbered Glenn's.

I haven't read through Soda's Pebble Beach thread entirely; it's something I'd like to do when I can do so uninterrupted. But I have read parts of it. Something that stuck out in my mind was when someone asks Glenn if he plans to add some solo songs to the Eagles setlist. His reaction indicated he didn't seem warm to the idea (it would be interesting to know why). So I'm not sure that Henley was singing more of his own stuff b/c he was doing what was best for Don, or that's just the way it worked out. Besides, he was getting paid more than the others so he should have sang more leads.

[FreyFollower]

I got the impression Glenn wasn't very confident about his voice, esp. being in a band with Henley. Felder wrote that Glenn would not want anyone around in the control room when he was singing. Randy said he admired how Glenn kept working on his vocals till he got it right.

I love Glenn's voice but I don't think he could have pulled off "One of These Nights" and sing those R-n-B falsettos the way Henley did. He just didn't have Henley's range. I suspect this is why he handed off "Most of Us Are Sad" to Randy b/c again, he didn't have the range to hit those low notes. Of course, Glenn did improve over time.

I think Henley singing "Tequila Sunrise" or Glenn singing "Victim of Love" would be interesting.
Of course Randy's version of "Most of Us Are Sad" is beautiful. But Glenn wrote it, so I feel he would have no problem singing it. And mainly, I would KILL to hear him sing that one line: "I will sing you far away...."
It seems I remember reading that at a private show Glenn was doing, fans were demanding "Hotel California". They said he finally relented, saying he couldn't play it, but what the heck. I don't know if it's true, but would love to have heard that.
Not saying leads should have been switched. But everyone would like MORE leads from their favorite. I wish they had made more records.

[Freypower]

I don't think it's a coincidence that the "Henley Takeover" followed their first #1 which was sung by Henley. This followed on four singles which didn't chart highly (Tequila Sunrise, Outlaw Man, Already Gone, James Dean) and were all sung by Glenn.

And after this alleged takeover, who sang two of the next number ones and ALL subsequent Grammy winning songs except for Hotel California?

Glenn.

[Freypower]

I'm guessing without looking at all of the set lists that those Don solo songs were Boys of Summer, Dirty Laundry, All She Wants to Do Is Dance and Heart of the Matter. These were very big hits for Don, not only in terms of chart success but also sales. I believe DL went gold, as did his first solo album; his other albums went platinum and were top 10 albums. He won Grammy awards for his solo work and also scored top 10 hits with his duets with Stevie Nicks and Patty Smythe. He has also won critical acclaim, being listed as one of the 100 Best Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine. His Building the Perfect Beast was ranked among the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by RS.

His solo work was quite high-profile so it does seem the Eagles would want to capitalize on that. I enjoy Glenn's solo material, I own some of it and I just bought his Live in Dublin cd. But I am not surprised that Henley's solo songs outnumbered Glenn's.

I haven't read through Soda's Pebble Beach thread entirely; it's something I'd like to do when I can do so uninterrupted. But I have read parts of it. Something that stuck out in my mind was when someone asks Glenn if he plans to add some solo songs to the Eagles setlist. His reaction indicated he didn't seem warm to the idea (it would be interesting to know why). So I'm not sure that Henley was singing more of his own stuff b/c he was doing what was best for Don, or that's just the way it worked out. Besides, he was getting paid more than the others so he should have sang more leads.

Please provide a source for this assertion, because as far as I am aware Don & Glenn were paid the same (BOTH of them were paid more than the others). Also, Glenn wrote the setlists.

It should be remembered that The Heat Is On & You Belong To The City were in fact bigger chart hits than any of Don's songs. But in my view chart success should not have been a deciding factor in how the setlists were composed. Presumably HFO became the Henley & his backing band show also because Henley had the highest profile. This may have been true, but it totally destroyed the balance of that show. The tour was far more balanced, and even included Smuggler's Blues, on which Henley even deigned to play drums.

The video of Glenn singing LITFL seems to have disappeared. I thought he did an excellent job. I would also have liked to have heard him sing songs like Victim Of Love, The Sad Café & what would have been wrong with HIM doing King Of Hollywood? He could have even possibly have done the title track from LROOE, given how distinctive his backing vocals are on that song.

[New Kid In Town]

Groupie - No, I am sorry I do not have the link. I remember reading it in a newspaper article in the early 80's. Almost all of those old articles have disappeared. I am paraphrasing from what I remember but, he pretty much said he had given away too many vocals and too much power to Don. I was not surprised about either comment as I figured that was part of the struggle (along with other things) that broke them up.

I would have loved to see a "Party of Two" Tour although I know Joe was was in his worst phase of addiction during that time period. How did Glenn sound(despite the severe cold) singing LITF ? I also would have loved to see him sing VOL and Sad Cafe. I think he would have done an incredible job on both songs.

I think Glenn most definitely sold himself short in terms of his singing and guitar abilities. His jokes regarding his abilities did not help things. I think it is interesting we have rarely seen/read any compliments from Don, Tim or Joe regarding Glenn's singing/guitar abilities. He sure praised all of them, including Randy and Bernie(rightly so). I think one of the few times I saw Don praise Glenn was in the special RS issue after Glenn passed.

[Pippinwhite]

NKIT-- So true. I think it was a case of "didn't realize what you had until it was gone." Although Joe has always been very complimentary of his bandmates. And I've heard Tim say nice things about Glenn, too. I think it would be so against their personalities not to give credit where credit is due. But it's a fact Glenn was always so generous in praising the abilities of his colleagues. And he might have criticized some of the things Don F. did, but never would you hear Glenn say the man wasn't a fine musician. That would have never happened.

Maybe I "get" Glenn's self-deprecating humor, though. My parents were a little older when I was born, and are of pretty much the same generation as Glenn's folks. Grew up in the Depression, worked hard -- just good, solid working folks.

Not surprisingly, Glenn was in the gifted program at school. So was I. If his mom and dad were anything like mine, he heard, "Don't be such a know-it-all. Nobody likes a know-it-all" every day of his childhood. I know I did. And if they were anything like my parents, they had absolutely no idea what to do with their smart little kid in the early going. So you grow up thinking that you might be smart/talented, but showing it off isn't going to win you any friends. So you pull back a little and decide that maybe you'll be less smart in front of your buddies, or you'll make jokes about it. And eventually, you start doubting your gifts. It's a fine line to walk.

I think that's one reason Glenn worked so hard. It was in his blood, but also, I know it was in the back of his mind that he was going to work hard, put in the time to getting his vocals or whatever right, so no one could say, "Well, you're smart, so you don't have to work as hard as other people." I heard it. I know he did.

Call it armchair psychoanalysis, but I understand that mindset so well. And selling tens of millions of records and writing Grammy-winning songs still doesn't quite erase that from your psyche. You'd think it would, but some habits don't fade so easily. It's taken me a long time to be able to say, "Look. I'm smart. I didn't ask for it. I was born this way. I'm not trying to make you feel stupid. But I'm not apologizing for being what I am, either." It's been a long time coming. But I still hear "don't be a know-it-all" echoing, too. So, I get it.

[UndertheWire]

I would have liked to hear Randy sing another rocking song. I like his voice on Take the Devil and Tryin' a lot more than on his other songs.

Watching the start of that 1973 BBC show, I was reminded of how remarkable it was that the first four songs each had a different lead singer. It was certainly a selling point with me.

FP, the success of the Glenn-sung later singles shows that the move to more Henley-sung songs wasn't necessarily the right way to go. However, back in 1974/5 when they finally had that #1, I could see them thinking that Henley's was the voice people wanted to hear and Glenn going for it because the success of the band meant more to him than personal glory. Also, with the OotN, there were compromises to keep Bernie on board.

[BillBailey1976]

Please provide a source for this assertion, because as far as I am aware Don & Glenn were paid the same (BOTH of them were paid more than the others). Also, Glenn wrote the setlists.

It should be remembered that The Heat Is On & You Belong To The City were in fact bigger chart hits than any of Don's songs. But in my view chart success should not have been a deciding factor in how the setlists were composed. Presumably HFO became the Henley & his backing band show also because Henley had the highest profile. This may have been true, but it totally destroyed the balance of that show. The tour was far more balanced, and even included Smuggler's Blues, on which Henley even deigned to play drums.

The video of Glenn singing LITFL seems to have disappeared. I thought he did an excellent job. I would also have liked to have heard him sing songs like Victim Of Love, The Sad Café & what would have been wrong with HIM doing King Of Hollywood? He could have even possibly have done the title track from LROOE, given how distinctive his backing vocals are on that song.

Even with Smuggler's Blues, I think Glenn only did 2 solo songs for the HFO tour. SB and You Belong to the City. I remember really hoping he'd do "The Heat is On" and was kind of disappointed he didn't.
I think easily you could have taken one of Don's solos and plugged in The Heat is On or Lover's Moon, to have balanced the solos out more.

[UndertheWire]

It's funny how talk of switching vocals as become about Glenn singing less.

I'm trying not to make this too negative. One thing that sticks in my mind is a comment from Glenn when he was promoting No Fun Aloud about singing in a different way and that Bob Seger had told him he could do it. A year or two later, Henley did an (audio) interview and made a comment about Glenn not having the right voice for that kind of music whereas he did. I'm sure there are people who would agree with Henley (the interview certainly did) but I'm with Bob Seger.

Anyway, if you have band members who criticise your efforts, it may push you to do better but it may also damage your confidence.

[BillBailey1976]

Sorry...didn't mean to make it about that...but I guess when you think about it..there are a lot more songs that people would like to hear Glenn do, as opposed to Glenn songs that people would want to hear Don do....and I guess that's because Don did sing so many.

I think Henley would have done very well singing Heartache Tonight.
I would like to hear that.

I think Glenn would have done very good with Train Leaves Here This Morning.
Really, any of Bernie's songs could easily have been Glenn's.

[Delilah]

Please provide a source for this assertion, because as far as I am aware Don & Glenn were paid the same (BOTH of them were paid more than the others). Also, Glenn wrote the setlists.


Sorry, that was sloppy posting on my part, assuming everyone knew Don and Glenn were getting paid more. This is what I should have said:

Being one of the 2 highest paid members of the band, Don should have been singing more leads and bringing more to the show.


It's funny how talk of switching vocals as become about Glenn singing less.

I'm trying not to make this too negative. One thing that sticks in my mind is a comment from Glenn when he was promoting No Fun Aloud about singing in a different way and that Bob Seger had told him he could do it. A year or two later, Henley did an (audio) interview and made a comment about Glenn not having the right voice for that kind of music whereas he did. I'm sure there are people who would agree with Henley (the interview certainly did) but I'm with Bob Seger.


I'm not surprised that the discussion has become about Glenn singing less. I'm not trying to cause waves by any means but the board seems to be going back to what it was originally, a forum for Glenn Frey fans.

I remember that interview. If I'm not mistaken, Don said Glenn did not have the voice for RnB, which I believe Glenn tried to tackle on The Allnighter. He seemed to have moved away from that sound on his next albums, which were not as successful as No Fun Aloud and The Allnighter.

[chaim]

About the "Henley takeover". I'm probably wrong since I don't remember the band mentioning it, but perhaps one of the reasons Don sang more and more is that he was writing more and more of the final lyrics (even when someone else had the initial lyrical idea)? Perhaps it was natural for him to sing the lyrics he had been obsessing over.

[VillageGirl]

I am a bit puzzled as to how this thread titled, " Songs you wish you could switch lead vocals on" has become all about Glenn being screwed out of singing leads, Glenn's lack of confidence due to his band mates lack of support, and Don hogging all the leads. I can understand maybe one or two posts saying this, but the majority of posts here seem to have gone off topic. I came to this thread thinking it would be about what the title suggests, but it feels like I clicked on the heated "Eagles 3.0" thread, which I avoid at all costs.

Not trying to cause waves, but it seems this thread has gone way off topic.

Anyway, in response to the original thread title, I can't think of any songs I would want to change. I love them just the way they are.

[groupie2686]

I'm not surprised that the discussion has become about Glenn singing less. I'm not trying to cause waves by any means but the board seems to be going back to what it was originally, a forum for Glenn Frey fans.



Sometimes in the course of a discussion, things get off-track. I've read a lot of the dissension on here over the past few months and all I have to say is, can't we all get along? We're all Eagles fans. Sure, not everyone is going to agree on everything, and everyone (or many people) have a favorite member of the band, but we're all here because we love this band and its music.

[UndertheWire]

The way to bring a thread back on topic is to post something on that topic. If you don't want it to be all about Glenn, post about one of the others.

Earlier, I posted that I'd like to hear Randy on some of the more rock songs. Has he ever tried Life in the Fast Lane?

[Pippinwhite]

I'll do my part to get things back on topic. I'd like to hear Bernie sing "Best of My Love." I think he would sound great on that song.

[VillageGirl]

I too would love to hear Bernie singing Best of my Love! Not saying that I would necessarily want him to replace Don, as I love the way Don sings it. But it would be interesting to see Bernie give it a whirl.

I absolutely love Randy's voice. I think he too would have done a great job on BOML, as I think his voice would be perfect for that song.

[Delilah]

Anyway, in response to the original thread title, I can't think of any songs I would want to change. I love them just the way they are.

I pretty much love the songs the way they are, too. Although if Randy had more leads, I could live with that. 8)

That being said, in an alternate universe, I could see Glenn or Randy singing "Nightingale." Also, Randy singing "Saturday Night." As I posted in the Bernie forum, it would be interesting hearing his version of "Hollywood Waltz", "Tequila Sunrise" and "The Last Resort." I realize Bernie wasn't around when TLR was recorded, but this is an alternate universe after all. I continue to be curious about Don F's "Victim of Love." I would like to hear that.

AFAIK, Randy hasn't performed LITFL. He said in an interview that he contributed some guitar parts and I often wondered if that short guitar bridge in LITFL was something he came up with.

[VillageGirl]

In an alternate universe, I would love to hear Randy, Glenn, and Bernie on more leads! Randy singing ICTYW would be incredible to hear.

For some reason, I am drawing a complete blank on Nightingale. It has been awhile since I listened to it. Delilah, you inspired me to give it a listen again :)

[Delilah]

Yay! I'm sure you'll enjoy re-hearing it, VG. To me, Randy's backing vocal is what sets it apart from other versions, even Jackson's original. :thumbsup:

[Freypower]

About the "Henley takeover". I'm probably wrong since I don't remember the band mentioning it, but perhaps one of the reasons Don sang more and more is that he was writing more and more of the final lyrics (even when someone else had the initial lyrical idea)? Perhaps it was natural for him to sing the lyrics he had been obsessing over.

Agreed.

For those who think the topic became about Glenn I can only apologise. I think I have made my feelings clear on this point & will not pursue it.

As I am the only person who has mentioned the shamefully neglected Long Road Out Of Eden, I might suggest that Tim could have sung I Love To Watch A Woman Dance. There! I suggested someone else sing one of Glenn's. :sigh:

[BillBailey1976]

Agreed.

For those who think the topic became about Glenn I can only apologise. I think I have made my feelings clear on this point & will not pursue it.

As I am the only person who has mentioned the shamefully neglected Long Road Out Of Eden, I might suggest that Tim could have sung I Love To Watch A Woman Dance. There! I suggested someone else sing one of Glenn's. :sigh:

To kind of piggyback on the LRoOE theme, I think I like the arrangement of How Long from the 1973 Voorburg show better, with I think all 4 of the guys singing solo parts. I know for sure, Glenn, Don and Randy all sing parts, and I think Bernie sings some lead on it toward the end. Randy leads the "Everybody feels alright, you know I heard some poor fool sing....". I would love to have seen Tim tackle that or maybe Joe in the studio version.

[New Kid In Town]

I don't know how this got to be all about Glenn. I did state songs I would have loved to hear him sing. So, I guess I was one of the guilty parties. As I stated in my previous thread, I would have loved for Randy, Bernie, Joe and Tim all have more lead vocals. That is what I liked about the first two albums and what I think made the Eagles special. All those guys who could have been lead singers in any other band.

[chaim]

Threads tend to go off-topic a bit in every forum I've ever been in. I don't know why this Glenn thing irritated so much, but it's over now and we're back on track.

[BillBailey1976]

I don't know how this got to be all about Glenn. I did state songs I would have loved to hear him sing. So, I guess I was one of the guilty parties. As I stated in my previous thread, I would have loved for Randy, Bernie, Joe and Tim all have more lead vocals. That is what I liked about the first two albums and what I think made the Eagles special. All those guys who could have been lead singers in any other band.


After listening to more and more of Randy's songs lately, i really wish he'd gotten more lead time.
I could have seen him taking on Victim of Love.....and boy I'd love to hear the demos of Felder singing VOL. Since they did it several times with him singing lead.

[maryc2130]

There were links posted here at some point to Felder singing VOL live. They weren't bad, but I think the Eagles made the right decision in having Henley sing it on the album. Definitely the right decision.

Most songs I wouldn't change the lead vocals on. Glenn does a credible job on Desperado, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original, IMHO. Ditto for Joe on LITFL. I think Glenn could have done a decent job on LITFL.

For live shows, I would have liked to see Timothy or Don sing TITTL instead of Glenn. Glenn's version is okay, but he doesn't sing high enough for the song. (Again, just my opinion.) Nobody could touch Randy's version.

On the current tour, people have stated some displeasure with the way Vince Gill sings HT. Having Deacon sing it is one option. I think Don could do a great job, but he has enough vocals. Why not give it to Joe? I'd like to hear his version of it, and there's no question it would rock!

I liked both Timothy and Don's live versions of PEF, but still liked Glenn's the best.

I agree that Don likes/liked to sing lead on the songs he wrote most of the lyrics for. And why not? The songs probably have more personal meaning for him. It's hard to imagine anyone else in the band singing TLR or even HC.

[chaim]

T
I agree that Don likes/liked to sing lead on the songs he wrote most of the lyrics for. And why not? The songs probably have more personal meaning for him. It's hard to imagine anyone else in the band singing TLR or even HC.

There was no hint of "he shouldn't have" in my comment. I was only stating one possible reason why he sang more and more.

[Scarlet Sun]

Felder singing VOL . . . but I think the Eagles made the right decision in having Henley sing it on the album.
I don't agree. YMMV

[BillBailey1976]

There were links posted here at some point to Felder singing VOL live. They weren't bad, but I think the Eagles made the right decision in having Henley sing it on the album. Definitely the right decision.

Most songs I wouldn't change the lead vocals on. Glenn does a credible job on Desperado, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original, IMHO. Ditto for Joe on LITFL. I think Glenn could have done a decent job on LITFL.

For live shows, I would have liked to see Timothy or Don sing TITTL instead of Glenn. Glenn's version is okay, but he doesn't sing high enough for the song. (Again, just my opinion.) Nobody could touch Randy's version.

On the current tour, people have stated some displeasure with the way Vince Gill sings HT. Having Deacon sing it is one option. I think Don could do a great job, but he has enough vocals. Why not give it to Joe? I'd like to hear his version of it, and there's no question it would rock!

I liked both Timothy and Don's live versions of PEF, but still liked Glenn's the best.

I agree that Don likes/liked to sing lead on the songs he wrote most of the lyrics for. And why not? The songs probably have more personal meaning for him. It's hard to imagine anyone else in the band singing TLR or even HC.

That would be cool to hear, but I was specifically wondering about the version that would have been on HC. I am just so curious as to how that turned out.
I can't figure out why they didnt include a snippet in the doc. You'd think since they were making the point that it wasn't good enough, they'd have played a bit to show that.

[Scarlet Sun]

That would be cool to hear, but I was specifically wondering about the version that would have been on HC. I am just so curious as to how that turned out.
I can't figure out why they didnt include a snippet in the doc. You'd think since they were making the point that it wasn't good enough, they'd have played a bit to show that.
Because it was good enough

[BillBailey1976]

Because it was good enough


bingo!!! :p I think you've hit the nail on the head!!

[Freypower]

There were links posted here at some point to Felder singing VOL live. They weren't bad, but I think the Eagles made the right decision in having Henley sing it on the album. Definitely the right decision.

Most songs I wouldn't change the lead vocals on. Glenn does a credible job on Desperado, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original, IMHO. Ditto for Joe on LITFL. I think Glenn could have done a decent job on LITFL.

For live shows, I would have liked to see Timothy or Don sing TITTL instead of Glenn. Glenn's version is okay, but he doesn't sing high enough for the song. (Again, just my opinion.) Nobody could touch Randy's version.

On the current tour, people have stated some displeasure with the way Vince Gill sings HT. Having Deacon sing it is one option. I think Don could do a great job, but he has enough vocals. Why not give it to Joe? I'd like to hear his version of it, and there's no question it would rock!

I liked both Timothy and Don's live versions of PEF, but still liked Glenn's the best.

I agree that Don likes/liked to sing lead on the songs he wrote most of the lyrics for. And why not? The songs probably have more personal meaning for him. It's hard to imagine anyone else in the band singing TLR or even HC.

I don't have a problem with people thinking someone else should have sung TITTL but I don't understand why they think it should have been sung high just because Randy sang it that way. As I have said on numerous occasions Glenn put his own spin on it & didn't try to be a clone (because he couldn't).

I actually think Glenn could have sung TLR, but never mind. But as for VOL, it's the lyrics thing again, Henley wrote the lyrics. Therefore Henley sang it. It's a totally Henley lyric which Felder with his limited vocal abilities could not have interpreted well enough. I know SS has heard Felder's version, but as I never will hear it I can't comment on it any further.

[BillBailey1976]

I don't have a problem with people thinking someone else should have sung TITTL but I don't understand why they think it should have been sung high just because Randy sang it that way. As I have said on numerous occasions Glenn put his own spin on it & didn't try to be a clone (because he couldn't).

I actually think Glenn could have sung TLR, but never mind. But as for VOL, it's the lyrics thing again, Henley wrote the lyrics. Therefore Henley sang it. It's a totally Henley lyric which Felder with his limited vocal abilities could not have interpreted well enough. I know SS has heard Felder's version, but as I never will hear it I can't comment on it any further.

I like Glenn's version of TITTL...but I think that it will always be compared to the original. And, the song itself is (IMO) only an average song lyrically, and Randy's high notes were what made it stand out. I think that's why people immediately think it needs to be sang higher.
I would have liked to have heard Glenn sing it in the 70s or 80s when his voice was at it's peak. I think 2000 was the first time he sang it wasn't it?
I wonder why they chose after all that time to do it?

I often wonder what goes into which songs are selected. That would have been an amazing book....The why and how of the Eagles setlist, and which songs were added, dropped, etc. Like Witchy Woman? Why not during HFO? That along with Glenn not doing The Heat is On was a disappointment. I am soo glad they added WW on the HOTE tour.

And BTW...I really do appreciate Glenn not "trying" to copy Randy's voice on the song. I think that makes a song seem a bit fake..when the singer tries to Parrot somebody else's rendition.

[Freypower]

I like Glenn's version of TITTL...but I think that it will always be compared to the original. And, the song itself is (IMO) only an average song lyrically, and Randy's high notes were what made it stand out. I think that's why people immediately think it needs to be sang higher.
I would have liked to have heard Glenn sing it in the 70s or 80s when his voice was at it's peak. I think 2000 was the first time he sang it wasn't it?
I wonder why they chose after all that time to do it?

I often wonder what goes into which songs are selected. That would have been an amazing book....The why and how of the Eagles setlist, and which songs were added, dropped, etc. Like Witchy Woman? Why not during HFO? That along with Glenn not doing The Heat is On was a disappointment. I am soo glad they added WW on the HOTE tour.

And BTW...I really do appreciate Glenn not "trying" to copy Randy's voice on the song. I think that makes a song seem a bit fake..when the singer tries to Parrot somebody else's rendition.

Yes, I agree with all of that. I don't know why they decided to revive TITTL.They did THIO very briefly during HFO. I have a version of them doing it in London. It just sounds wrong for the Eagles; wrong. Frey fan that I am, even I can't deny that.

I have a further answer to maryc's post. Much as I would rather totally ignore the current incarnation, I would suggest that Henley, Walsh & Schmit apparently do not wish to sing any of Glenn's songs, all of which have been given to Deacon & the other person (I know; how petty I sound). My own view is it would have been more of a tribute to Glenn if HWS had in fact sung one of his songs each. But that is another issue.

[maryc2130]

I don't have a problem with people thinking someone else should have sung TITTL but I don't understand why they think it should have been sung high just because Randy sang it that way. As I have said on numerous occasions Glenn put his own spin on it & didn't try to be a clone (because he couldn't).

I actually think Glenn could have sung TLR, but never mind. But as for VOL, it's the lyrics thing again, Henley wrote the lyrics. Therefore Henley sang it. It's a totally Henley lyric which Felder with his limited vocal abilities could not have interpreted well enough. I know SS has heard Felder's version, but as I never will hear it I can't comment on it any further.

I do agree that Glenn was right not to try to copy Randy's version. He couldn't come close to hitting those notes, even in his younger days. (And neither could anyone else in the band.) I guess it just doesn't sound right to me in the lower key.

When I said TLR, I meant The Last Resort, not the The Long Run. I didn't realize there were two songs with the same initials. I think Glenn might have done a pretty good version of The Long Run. He seemed to like singing along with it when Don sang it, anyway! I don't think The Last Resort would have been right with anyone else on lead vocal.

[Freypower]

I do agree that Glenn was right not to try to copy Randy's version. He couldn't come close to hitting those notes, even in his younger days. (And neither could anyone else in the band.) I guess it just doesn't sound right to me in the lower key.

When I said TLR, I meant The Last Resort, not the The Long Run. I didn't realize there were two songs with the same initials. I think Glenn might have done a pretty good version of The Long Run. He seemed to like singing along with it when Don sang it, anyway! I don't think The Last Resort would have been right with anyone else on lead vocal.

Fair enough - The Last Resort is Don from start to finish. 'Don's opus' I think Glenn called it. As you previously also mentioned HC,that is also for Don & nobody else.

[New Kid In Town]

I agree with MaryC & FP, HC and The Last Resort are DH songs. Truthfully, IMHO, TITTL is Randy's song. I like Glenn's version but no one can come close to Randy. That is no knock on Glenn - just MHO that Randy owns that song. I think Glenn could have done TLR and LITFN. And I too would have loved to hear Don Felder's version of VOL.

Side Note: Don gave an interview in 2016 stating he would not do any of Glenn's songs. It may have been the March 2016 interview with the Montreal newspaper but I am not sure. Anyway, he did state he would never sing any of Glenn's songs again - That I am sure about reading. I thought Tim did a beautiful job on PEF and even Joe's TITTL was good last year.
As I stated earlier, I would have loved to hear more songs from Glenn, Randy, Bernie, Joe and Tim. I loved the Eagles when they all sang as they had great, unique voices.
*Please, I AM NOT making this a Glenn form, I am just responding to other people's posts.

[Witchy Woman]

Honestly, I don't wish any lead vocals were switched, as I feel the vocalist that was chosen is the correct fit. Having said that, I think it would be interesting to hear some songs sung by someone else, just for curiosity's sake.

[maryc2130]

I agree with MaryC & FP, HC and The Last Resort are DH songs. Truthfully, IMHO, TITTL is Randy's song. I like Glenn's version but no one can come close to Randy. That is no knock on Glenn - just MHO that Randy owns that song. I think Glenn could have done TLR and LITFN. And I too would have loved to hear Don Felder's version of VOL.

Side Note: Don gave an interview in 2016 stating he would not do any of Glenn's songs. It may have been the March 2016 interview with the Montreal newspaper but I am not sure. Anyway, he did state he would never sing any of Glenn's songs again - That I am sure about reading. I thought Tim did a beautiful job on PEF and even Joe's TITTL was good last year.
As I stated earlier, I would have loved to hear more songs from Glenn, Randy, Bernie, Joe and Tim. I loved the Eagles when they all sang as they had great, unique voices.
*Please, I AM NOT making this a Glenn form, I am just responding to other people's posts.

I guess Don went back on his word, as he sang PEF when I saw him in Boston in June. It was the last song, after Desperado, and he dedicated it to Glenn. Don did a great job with it and his band members contributed beautiful harmonies. I still prefer Glenn's version, but it was a nice tribute.

[OntheBorder74]

I always thought even Don did a great job of Nightigale that it was just a Glenn song and more suited to his smooth, sweet nasal tone. Also would've liked hear Glenn try OOTN or Wasted time for a change

[maryc2130]

I always thought even Don did a great job of Nightigale that it was just a Glenn song and more suited to his smooth, sweet nasal tone. Also would've liked hear Glenn try OOTN or Wasted time for a change

With all due respect, I don't think Glenn had the range for those songs. Well, maybe Wasted Time.

[Pippinwhite]

Don't underestimate Glenn's range, especially a little later on, once his voice matured a little. He gets some good notes on some of his solo songs and you can always pitch songs down a little. I don't know that on OOTN, he'd have gone into the falsetto that Don does, but I think he could have made it a sexy blue-eyed soul song. When it was released, it was very much what was popular at the time. But I can hear Glenn doing it with a more soul feel that would probably have been wonderful. LOL.

"Wasted Time" wouldn't have been a problem at all. It's not that high. But it was well-suited for Don's particular style.

I'm still wishing it was "You Never Cry Like a Lover." Gawd. That would have been a toe-curler for me. Heheheh.

[Freypower]

Don't underestimate Glenn's range, especially a little later on, once his voice matured a little. He gets some good notes on some of his solo songs and you can always pitch songs down a little. I don't know that on OOTN, he'd have gone into the falsetto that Don does, but I think he could have made it a sexy blue-eyed soul song. When it was released, it was very much what was popular at the time. But I can hear Glenn doing it with a more soul feel that would probably have been wonderful. LOL.

"Wasted Time" wouldn't have been a problem at all. It's not that high. But it was well-suited for Don's particular style.

I'm still wishing it was "You Never Cry Like a Lover." Gawd. That would have been a toe-curler for me. Heheheh.

Glenn really didn't sing lyrics like WT or especially YNCLAL, but he could have sung OOTN. He probably wouldn't have done all the falsetto stuff which goes on for too long in my view.

[YoungEaglesFan]

I would have killed to have the band release like both of the greatest hits albums with some smaller hits but only with different lead vocals. That would have been so cool. I Would have also loved to hear all seven of the guys doing harmonies together. SBR could have been simply divine if they had everyone. Henley, Randy and tim doing three part harmonies up top with Glenn with bernie or joe in the middle with joe/bernie with felder at the bottom would have been something to hear