On the Border (the song)

[groupie2686]

Maybe you all can help me out with something I've been wondering for a while...who is the really deep voice in On the Border? The one singing "Never mind your face, just show us your card." I thought it must be Glenn or Bernie, but it doesn't sound like either one to me.

[chaim]

I think the common conception is that it's Bernie. Also, Glenn obviously sings one line there and so does Randy, which would indicate that all of them sang a line. If so, it must be Bernie.

[YoungEaglesFan]

I’m 99% sure it’s bernie. It’s more process of elimination than anything else

[chaim]

Unless it's the "late arrival".

[groupie2686]

Thanks. I thought it might be Bernie, because they each had one line in that section of the song, but it didn't really sound like him.

[sodascouts]

I've wondered about that, too - it doesn't sound like any of them to me, and like chaim I thought it could have been one of Felder's early contributions. However, Bernie would make sense, so odds are it's him.

[New Kid In Town]

I think it is Bernie. I thought they were finished with the album and Felder only added over dubbed guitar to GDIH and AG.

[chaim]

I think it is Bernie. I thought they were finished with the album and Felder only added over dubbed guitar to GDIH and AG.

Felder has said that he played in the title track as well, so he played more than I thought. (Probably the lead guitar in the intro. I know Glenn played the licks in the quiet middle part, because Don H has said he likes Glenn's licks there.)

[OntheBorder74]

I assumed it was bernie simply as they all took turns and Glenn is at the end before Don. It's a little corny the idea sought of dosent work for me to much like they were aping Motown groups and didnt feel natural but it was a fun track which made it refreshing from the serious ballads.

[Scarlet Sun]

they were aping Motown groups
Eddie - Melvin - Paul - Dennis :grooving:

[That AMC Guy]

In the Quad version, each guy gets his own speaker:

"Nevermind your name, just give us your number." is obviously Randy and he's in Front Right.

"Nevermind your face, just show us your card." must be Bernie and he's in Back Right. I say "must be" because....

"And we wanna know, who's wing are you under?" is obviously Glen and he's in Left Back.

"You'd better step to the right or we can make it hard" is of course, the one and only Don Henley and he begins in Front Left but when he says the word "right", his vocals move from Front Left to front center to resume lead vocals.

[Delilah]

In the Quad version, each guy gets his own speaker:

"Nevermind your face, just show us your card." must be Bernie and he's in Back Right. I say "must be" because....


Thanks That AMC Guy. I’m pretty sure it’s Bernie singing that line. I love Glenn’s voice but I question whether he had the range to sing that low. And as you and others have said, it makes sense that they each would sing a line.

[chaim]

I think any of them could have hit that low E - perhaps even Randy. But it wouldn't have been a natural range for any of them.

[That AMC Guy]

You know, I never thought about it being Don Felder. But had he joined the group by that point? He's only credited on the album for "Good Day in Hell" and "Already Gone".

BUT, I've pulled apart the surround version of Seven Bridges Road and listened to the Don Felder vocal track. He's not the greatest singer but he can get kinda deep.

Geez, now you've got me wondering..... :nervous:

[Scarlet Sun]

Listen to Bernie singing bass on Silver Dagger. I'm almost certain it's him

[Pippinwhite]

IMHO (as always. LOL), after hearing the deconstructed SBR track, I have to go with Felder for the "show us your card" line. It's more about the timbre in the voice. Any of the guys could have "hit" that E, but the vocal timbre I hear in that bit seems to match what I've heard of Felder's low range more than Bernie's. He has a growl in his voice that I just don't hear in Bernie's vocals.
Obviously, this is completely subjective and based on my own particular ears, but that's my take on it, for what it's worth.

[Delilah]

Although Felder is an interesting possibility, I still think it’s Bernie. There’s an interview Don F gave that was posted in his thread a few months ago, I believe. In it he mentions overdubbing some guitar to the title track of OTB. If he had added a vocal, esp. a one-liner in a prominent part of the song, I would think he would have mentioned it.

[chaim]

IMO whoever sings that part doesn't use his natural voice. Well, it probably could never be Randy, but to me it sounds like someone singing with a "silly" voice. That's why I think it's hard to recognize the singer.

[Pippinwhite]

@chaim: Yep. Exactly. They were obviously goofing around a little. It very well could be Bernie.

[groupie2686]

IMO whoever sings that part doesn't use his natural voice. Well, it probably could never be Randy, but to me it sounds like someone singing with a "silly" voice. That's why I think it's hard to recognize the singer.

Exactly, that's why I was confused...after reading all this and listening again, I think it's Bernie...I thought Felder only added slide to Good Day in Hell for On the Border?

Hey, 100 posts!

[UndertheWire]

It makes sense for it to be Bernie. Why would he be the only one missing when he co-wrote the song?

[thelastresort]

Never have I thought the 'Never mind your face...' line was anyone other than Bernie, and I still don't. As others have said, he could sing low back in the early Eagles days, and I can hear similarities (though nowhere near as deliberate) on the likes of the vocal delivery in Bitter Creek. Given that it became rather obvious that Felder had the poorest vocals of any of the seven Eagles, I am not sure why they would forgo a proven lead singer in favour of a relative newbie who was hired exclusively on his guitar playing ability.

Edit - And maybe this is the cynic in me, but surely if Felder had sung on it, he would have mentioned it by now? The man has divulged practically every minute detail of the band and particularly his contributions over the past 16 years, and if there was such a shining example of his apparently inferior vocals, I can't help but think he would have mentioned it when discussing VOL for example.