I have mentioned this in the past on other Felder related video's but it bears repeating. My wife and I saw Felder and his band perform at a small Indian casino in northern Wisconsin several years ago. There were maybe 200 people at most in the audience. Don Felder and his band played as if they were in a packed stadium of 80,000 screaming fans. It didn't matter that there were only 200 fans in attendance, they put on an awesome performance second to none. After the show, Don Felder hung around and signed autographs and took photographs with fans. Don Felder is a class act. Thanks Don.
Hi T C, I will say the same around 2 years ago Don Felder came up to Edmonton, Alberta and play at the Indian casino name River Cree and about 300 peoples came out to see his show and we were really enjoy it. He also hung around for at least another 30 mins to chat with the fans. very humble and class.
Same for me about 11 years ago at a small club in New Hope, PA. He may not be packing stadiums like the current version of The Eagles, but it was one of the best shows I've ever attended and given the size of the venue I felt more connected to the performers. Class act, amazing performance.
It's kind of the ugly side of rock and roll when great musical talent like Mr. Felder play smaller venues and Joan Jett gets into the hall of fame 2 years before the Eagles.
Don Felder was and is an amazing guitarist. Would be great if Henley could honestly acknowledge Don's incredible contribution to the Eagles. I'd love to see a joint Joe Walsh and Don Felder gig.
@@BruceWax79 As we know, Boys of Summer is 90% Mike Campbell and Henley would have never even heard the tape if Tom Petty hadn't made the biggest mistake of his career (his admission), by passing on it.
@@charlie-obrien I don't know if passing on that song was Tom Petty's biggest mistake. The boys of summer reached number 5 on the charts. He also gave Stevie Nicks the song "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around". That single reached number 3 and launched Stevie's solo career helping her Bella Donna album reach number 1. If he had put that song on his own album instead of giving it to Stevie he likely would have had a number 1 album that year.
Felder is the man behind this masterpiece. Yes, the lyrics were beautifully written, but the intro and the dueling guitars are magic. Also, Felder taught a young Tom Petty to play guitar so we also must recognize that as well. Don doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
Actually, seeing how Felder hasn't had to have a "regular working stiff type day job" in 50 plus years I do believe he does have all the credit he needs $$$$
Felder deserves major credit for taking the Eagles from a " country rock " band to international mega-star rock band status. Henley may have written some incredible lyrics, but Felders guitar work is instantly recognizable from the opening notes and he also helped push Walsh to grow as an artist.
Walsh was already an established and amazing guitarist with the James Gang and as a solo artist long before he joined the Eagles. He’s the one that truly turned the band into a real rock band.
Don Felder IS Hotel California. I saw the Eagles on May 22, 1977 at the Cap Center in Landover, Maryland with my wife of now 58 years. We have seen many a concert in our lives, and this one topped the bill. The opening act was Linda Ronstadt. Perhaps the best concert we ever saw , and we have seen many. This song is perhaps my favorite song of all time, love the dueling guitars, the words, the music, and the awe it left me with.
You are a very lucky man getting to see this show. I'm sure you've seen the Eagles have posted a few live songs from that very show on their RU-vid channel. Even through the screen it's very powerful, I couldn't fathom being there in person.
I agree that Hotel California would not have existed without the opening riff written by Don Felder. But the fact is that is all he contributed. He didn't write a single word. In fact the ending was all Joe Walsh!
Felder is brilliant but there’s probably truth in that statement. It’s hard not to get carried away with the instrument you compose on, you sort of assume the rest of the instruments and vocals will find their place. Felder had a slow progression here, not a rock guitar song, so it probably was different for a rock guitarist like him. It’s similar as to why songs composed on piano work a lot better for vocalists, because typically people aren’t playing lead on piano. Hardest to be a rhythm guitarist for many reasons, restraint is the biggest.
When I learned that he is the one who found THE Guitar for Jimmy Page which ended up being Jimmy's # 1 ... that is when it made me realize what a True Legend this man is .. not just with the Eagles , but as a Musician who just has a special feel for what is right and what works ..
Met him at bdl Airport in Hartford a few years back. Pink converse white pants and yellow shirt lol He zipped by and headed to get an Uber and I was like hey man just a fist bump, he was like no prob were playing the casino and you should come. I couldn't but he was soooo cool ill never forget it.❤🙏🤔🎸🎸🎸
A group of artists that formed a band in an era never to be repeated again. Everything aligned at that time to make it a wonderful world to live in and I loved every second of it. The music from that time is still played today and popular among the youth and old around the world.
There is just no beating it. I was born in 90. And can say 60-80’s were the absolute best. Still to this day no artist can hold a flame to the artists like beatles, zeppelin, floyd, stones, acdc, metallica. The list goes ON AND ON! What a time to be alive for all of that.
I went to the Hotel California tour in Houston. I was 17. I grew up in this masterful generation of the best music and I got to see most all the great bands live. What a time that was. We had no idea how lucky we were. But , thank God for You Tube and music preservation, we will never forget and we can relive those wonderful years that we took for granted.
This song is great and their most well known of course ,. but go Listen to Turn to Stone.. their Dual Leads on that Song is something on a completely different Level .
Sadly, even L.A. wasn't ghetto and full of cRap like today. Linda Rondstat, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles defined Southern CA music in the 70s. It was country rock. Hard to believe when you compare it to the Southern CA of today.
And at that time.... we took it for granted .... we were going to live forever...and ride that wave... Gee were we wrong... life is so short..... And so is such exceptional musicians and their unique sound..
Ahh too true, I heard this song at a bar my Dad played cards at . There was an old juke box there at the entrance where they posted a lookout man. That moment in time has never left me. My Dad recently passed away and my 19 year old daughter loves that song and the Eagles. Now I listen to Desperado and Tequila Sunrise. Just enjoy the times while you are able.
The chord progression is the genius of the song, Felder never get's enough credit, ask anyone, name an Eagles song, first one to mind will probably be Hotel California. Totally spiritual a drug for the soul.
The fills that Felder does on Lyin Eyes are pure genius. He turned a simple song into a complex masterpiece. The 1977 live version at Capital Center is amazing.
Yeah, unfortunately for many bands the chemistry between individuals clash in ways that ends up being destructive, instead of fostering creativity through difference.
True that! He was not only a part of the writing but also the sound....but Henley never have home or any members the respect they deserved....not even to Fry
@@truemanmontfort8031 Henley merely talks as if he is the ultimate musical and lyrical authority. Glenn is really pretty worthless in the overall scheme of things other than some great lyrics, he cannot play his guitar, he isn't as good a singer as Henley, meisner, and as far as Joe, I'd personally rather hear Joe sing any song outside of the eagles than Glenn other than the eagles songs Glenn sang and that's only because that's how I got to know those songs
Yes because he gave them a rock edge and had great technical ability which Joe didn't plus the fact that I really don't like songs like peaceful easy feeling and tequila sunrise much at all
The Eagles were never the same after they fired Felder. They were still fantastic musically, but I always thought they were like a car running on three wheels after he left. Don Felder is so talented, one of my biggest guitar heroes since I first heard him play when I was just a young boy back in the mid 70's.
Don Felder as a Flamenco guitarist you carved a path for me in ways that opened doors for me. You opened people up to new horizons. Thank you so much for your gift and thank God for this song. !!
My mom has a crush on Don, so I took her to his show at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. I have played guitar for 35 years and my keen ear allows me to hear mistakes other people do not pick up. Don's entire band were FLAWLESS. The singing, bass playing, drumming and guitar playing were professional level. I have seen many bands over the years, but Felder's actually sounded like it was done in the studio. They were that good.
No other song had such effect on me the first time i heard it! can't forget that moment.. hot summer night listening to this intro and legendary solo on a low quality radio at bed side. I felt happiness, excitement and hope at the same time during all that night. It made me buy my 1st guitar! 45 years later, that feeling comes back each time our band plays it. After 45 years though, we are not able to put the same intensity and feeling that Don and Joe put in that solo!
When visiting Anaheim California as a kid in the early 1970's we stayed in a really nice hotel for more than a week. Away from the rest of the hotel noise, A nice view, a big room located by the pool, it became like a favored resting spot for the family. We had to leave town for a few days and when we returned my dad asked for the same room back. He was told that it wasn't available because some rock band had destroyed it. I wonder...
So when Fry and Henley play rough tracks of songs they are developing and played them to to Felder and Walsh did the 2 guitarist say "hmm, this is a cluster of vocals, where do we play guitar to make it interesting?
@@6412mars yes and completely unaware of how egotistical they sound. They can never be decent human beings. Anything to point out that they were the creative genius and make it sound as if everyone else was unimportant and being done a favor being allowed to play in the band
Right. Henley and Frey are not great music writers, excellent lyricists, and the opposite with Joe and Felder. I somewhat understand when Glenn says he had some trouble determining where the vocals go if they were guitar licks as opposed to a chord progression riff since it is a rhythm based guitar riff that generally begins a song as well as being the foundation of which the tune is built around. That said, Frey never misses an opportunity to slight Felder by discrediting him and Henley in general always talks as if he is the industry expert on what is "good," music, art, poetry, literature, song lyrics and in a way that suggests that anyone looking to write a song should get his approval
This song alone probably swelled most all their heads to the point of irrational thinking. I guess it was too good and the competition too great for any one or two members to take real credit. So there you have it, a genuine collaboration.
@@skooby_doobie_doonkann3334 All due respect, I think Joe IS an excellent lyricist. Pretty Maids All In a Row, Rocky Mountain Way, Life's Been Good, Life of Illusion just to name a few. I get your point...Frye and Felder were better lyricists than Walsh. I just wanted to point out that Walsh was pretty good at laying down some words.
Got to meet Joe Walsh in Ohio once, and Don Felder just a few years later (~2018) before a concert. All I can say is Joe is just as cool and charismatic as you can imagine, as he is on stage, and Don was a very nice guy who genuinely really liked seeing his fans -- met with him one more time after the show and he shook my hand and gave me some souvenirs, asking me how I liked the show as a young guy. I've seen The Eagles live too but these guys are so much more real than all the other members combined.
Felder wrote this song twice, pretty much. Once for the electric version, and again for this one. He is a complete talent, in the likes of songwriting and the guitar, and the band was lucky to have him.
Yes indeed, Felder is a class act. How Henley could treat this master piece of a man like trash is beyond words. Just think of what they would accomplish today having Don Felder back in the band! But Henley is too full of himself to recognize this.
The ironic thing is....Henley is a lousy drummer. Watching him attempt a drum fill looks like he's trying to fit a square block in the round opening. Painful.
This was one of the most beautiful song I think I have ever heard. I just had to learn how to play it on guitar. I did what a beautiful solo instrumental piece of music. Playing the song, finger style guitar instrumental. He is absolutely a beautiful piece of music. Thanks guys for Right Aid. Such a beautiful song.👍🏼👍🏼😁🎸🎼🎶🎵🎸❤️
Seems to me Glenn Frey was trying to minimize Don Felder's guitar work and contribution to The Eagles. Apparently It was all about the money for "Mr. Frey". Old saying "the love of money is the root of all evil". Another one comes to mind. "Can't take it with you". "We" are better than "me". Don Felder has so much class ~ kimie.
Henley is incredibly money hungry too. The guy is still fighting mp3s twenty years later after every other artist gave up. He has appeared in front of congresses to get the likes of RU-vid to ban free music and he employs over 60 people to roam the internet to take down Eagles content.
Eagles with hair. Eagles mastering their craft. With each contributing their exceptionalism at the perfect time. Never to be Be compared to. Exclusive!
Hi I just wanted to thank you again for being so supportive and following me on my journey. I love inspiring and encouraging others. People like you help me to keep showing up! Hope you are having an amazing day🎸🎶🎶
Love Mr. Felder and all his music ! I would love to meet him one day !!! I'm on kidney Dialysis for my second time and his music makes me feel alive ! Thank you sir !!!
Hi I just wanted to thank you again for being so supportive and following me on my journey. I love inspiring and encouraging others. People like you help me to keep showing up! Hope you are having an amazing day🎸🎶🎶
Take It Easy, Witchy Woman, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Desperado, Tequila Sunrise, One of These Nights, Lyin' Eyes, Take It To The Limit, Life In The Fast Lane, New Kid In Town and The Last Resort would all have been released even if Hotel California hadn't... so would hardly say it "put them on the map".
It’s funny to me that Joe Walsh was (and is) the most reasonable member of the band. He knew who he worked for and he knew how to collaborate without a lot of petty crap and drama. Saying a lot for a guy who lived a hard life during those days. Glad he landed on his feet and seems more grounded than ever.
Joe was a trumpet player who took up guitar because he felt he had something to say, as did many artists during the 60s. Much easier to play and sing on guitar than with trumpet.
In 1994 they released a video of “ when hell freezes over “ I got my hands on that video and I knew I was going to be a guitar player. I was 10 years old. I was going to learn that amazing solo if it killed me. I would sing it note for note out loud daily. Fast forward to today… that solo is my party trick. All my friends and family request me to play it.
Very few of the Eagles biggest hits were Frey or Henley's ideas/creations. "Take It Easy" was mostly written by Jackson Browne, "Take It To The Limit" by Randy Meisner (became #1), and of course, "Hotel California" with Don Felder's iconic guitar intro that set the tone for what became the group's "anthem", just to name several.
No doubt Don Felder And Walsh were the magic that brought us this beautiful infinite diamond of a song. No Felder no Hotel California. No Walsh the song would have had a totally different feel to it.
@Armando Chavez Though Walsh played terrifically on HC, Felder actually wrote and composed Walsh’s guitar parts during the beach house days and later taught the parts to him in the studio.
Little did they know, this song would be played on every jukebox in every bar every day for the next three decades. Therefore training the next generation to hate it like nails on a chalkboard.
Some say that "Hotel California" was copied or, lets say "inspired" by Jethro's "We used to know", which might possibly be true. On the other hand, "Hotel California" is an amazing song for itself and apart from the chord progression, it is a new song: The lyrics, the arrangement, the intro, the solos, it's just wonderful.
Yep…sure has a similar chord progression to Tull’s We Used To Know. Also the overall rhythm pattern has a similar cadence. That said, there is added creativity here that is unique to the Eagles, especially in their multiple guitar blends. Music has become quite the saturated field. Most songs seem to be a variation of one or more other songs. Who threw the first stone in the sound-pond conundrum at its best. Related copyright laws are insanely restrictive and out of touch with current trends. Give an artist 10 to 15 years of rights, then open source . Doing such may actually expand the creative song writing talent pool.
I love how Don and that "other" guy have minimized their past band mates and turned them into evil jerks................I am sure I know who the jerks are in that band.
I was,, "pressured" to attend a concert of a country band years ago Diamond Rio. My spouse and circle of friends couldn't wait to go as they were fans but I'm not a fan at all but I went for them. Well when we got their and were seated we waited for about 45 minutes. The band however was running really late, so a roadie/stage hand hooked up a CD or tape player to the bands speakers. It was the album Hotel California. I got to listen to a FANTASTIC concert that night.
I so wish I could hear this song with fresh ears. To hear it when it was first released must've been special. To have it shoved down your throat every other song on supposed "classic rock radio" ruined it for me long, long ago. I just shake my head in dismay when I hear young kids go, "Oh yeah I love classic rock....like "Hotel California" by The Eagles." I would much rather have these kids get excited by "A Good Feelin' To Know" by Poco!
