272 Hello Eagles - One of These Nights

Chart  entered :   9  August  1975

Chart  peak : 23

Number  of  hits : 10

Perhaps  Smokey  opened  the  door  for  the  real  thing  just  a  few  weeks  later. I  always  associate  this  record  with  leaving  the  cub  scouts  as  I  heard  it  on  the  radio  after  coming  back  from  a  sports  afternoon  which  was  probably  the  last  event  in  which  I  participated. There's  no great  story behind  my  departure. My  three  best  friends  had  all  dropped  out  earlier  in  the  year  and  I  didn't  really  fancy  moving  up  into  the  Scouts  by  myself  ; there  was  also  a  desire  to  free  up  some  time  as  I  was  having  private  tuition  on  another  evening  to  get  my  maths  up  to  speed.

Eagles'  chart  story  in  the  UK  begins  exactly  halfway  through  the  group's  original  lifespan. All  their  big  selling  U.S. singles  prior  to  this  one  were  released  in  the  UK  and  got  some  support  from  Radio  One  but  were  resolutely  ignored  by  Slade  and  Sweet  fans  and  they  didn't  see  any  chart  action  until  the  glam  tide  had  receded.

Eagles  were  originally  four LA-based  musicians  pulled  together  to  back  Linda  Ronstadt  on  her  debut  album  and  at  a  gig  in  Disneyland. All  had  a  background  in  the  emerging  country  rock  genre. Guitarist  Bernie  Leadon    had  been  in   bands  with  two  ex-Byrds, Dillard  and  Clark  with  Gene  Clark  and  the  Flying  Burrito  Brothers  with  Chris  Hillman.  Bassist   Randy  Meisner  had  played  on  Poco's   first  LP  but  had  been excised  as  much  as  possible  after  quitting  the  band. Guitarist  Glen  Frey had  been  in  the  duo  Longbranch  Pennywhistle  with  songwriter  JD  Souther  who  would  subsequently  co-write  much  of  Eagles'  material  without  joining  the  band. Drummer  Don  Henley  was  a  re-located  Texan  and  the  least  experienced  having  made  just  the  one  single  with  his  band  SHILOH. If  I  find  the  time  I  may  come  back  and  expand  this  section  but  for  now  we'll  pick  up  the  story  from  the  formation  of  Eagles.

The  guys  decided  to  form  their  own  band  in  early  1971  and  were  quickly  signed  up  by  David  Geffen  for  his  new  Asylum  label. Their  first  single  was  "Take  It  Easy"  in  May  1972  a song  started  off   by  Jackson  Browne  and  finished  off   by   Glen.  It  reached  number  12  in  the  US  and  has  become  the  definitive  country  rock  hit  encapsulating  the  relaxed  vibe  of  the  LA  rock  scene. It  has  been  held  up  by  the  band's  numerous  critics   as  representing  the  band's  entire  oeuvre  which  is  doubly  unfair , firstly  because  it's  a  sprightly  attractive  tune  in  its  own  right  and  secondly  because  the  band  were  much  more  versatile  than  they're  usually  given  credit  for.  This  is  obvious  from  their  second  single  "Witchy  Woman"  written  by  Don  and  Bernie  and  partly  inspired  by  the  adventures  of  F  Scott  Fitzgerald's  wife  Zelda.  It's  a  straight  hard  rock  song  with  no  country  trimmings  and  while  the  lyrics  may  be  nothing  more  than  a  series  of metaphors  for  sexual  obsession  it  does  conjure  up  a  mood  of  night  time  dread  not  too  far  removed  from  The  Green  Manalishi . It  reached  number  9  and  was  the  best  song  on  their  eponymous  debut  LP  which  reached  22  ; it  was  also  the  only  song  Don  helped   write   or  sang  lead  on  which  I  don't  think  is  a  coincidence. The  third  single  was  Jack  Tempchin's  "Peaceful  Easy  Feeling"  which  reached  22  and  is  as  soporifc  as  the  title  suggests.

The  band  then  had  a  mild  case  of  "Second  Album Syndrome"  with  the  follow-up  "Desperado"  which  was  a  concept  album  based  on  ideas  of  the  Old  West.  It  sold  less  than  its  predecessor  peaking  at  41  although  it  did  make  a  mark  in  the  UK  reaching  number  39.
 Although  the  title  track  is  the  best  known  song  on  it  the  two  singles  were  "Tequila  Sunrise" ,( US : 64 )  a  Henley/Frey  mid-pacer  about  a  man  choosing  to  have  another  drink  rather  than  tackle  his  wife  about  her  adultery  and   the  rockier  "Outlaw  Man"  ( US : 59 ) a  David  Blue  song  of  outsider  nihilism  with  a  driving  guitar  solo,

The  third  album  "On  The  Border"  in  1974  saw  personnel  changes  with  producer  Glyn  Johns  being  jettisoned  after  two  songs  and  Bernie's  friend  Don  Felder  being  added  to  the  line  up. He  trades  guitar  solos  with  Glen  on  the  first  single  "Already  Gone" ,  a  Jack  Tempchin / Rob  Strandlund   song  about  getting  the  last  word  in  a  break-up  with  a  driving  beat  and  killer  chorus. The  second  single  "James  Dean"  a  rather  messy  attempt  at  a  lighter  pop  song  was  a  mis-step  peaking  at  number  77  but  that  was  soon  forgotten  when  the  third  single , the  mellow  country  ballad   "Best  Of  My  Love"  went  all  the  way  to  the  top  in  March  1975.

"One  of  These  Nights"  was  the  lead  single  for  the  album  of  the  same  name. Written  by  Don  and  Glen  the  verses  exudes  the  same  spooked-out  feel  as  "Witchy  Woman", a  call  for  companionship  in  the  night  although  the  chorus  soothes  the  mood  somewhat. With  Randy's  high  harmonies  and  coiled  spring  of  a  bassline  - best  heard on  the  arresting  intro  - it's  closer  to  Saturday  Night  Fever  than  country  rock   with  Don's  distorted  guitar  solo  a  distant  ancestor  to  Eddie  Van  Halen  on  Beat  It.  It's  Glen's  favourite  track  and   was  certainly  their  best  record  to  date  unsurprisingly  following  its  predecessor  to  number  one  in  the  US.  This  time  we  bit  as  well.