The Inspiration for Hotel California
- Thread starter TheGLOV
- Start date
If you pay attention to the lyrics you'll realize "Hotel California" is a song about putting avocados on everything.
Have you told the original song writer this? And did he concur sir?
First I heard of the matter as you say.
Felder was mistreated and underpaid horribly during his time with Frey and Henley. It was shameful how he was treated. Rest in peace Frey, but he was basically a total asshole while he was alive.
true
I think Henley in particular is a highly gifted musician and singer, but he comes across as a bit of a jerk, as did Frey. Frey as much as said it was he and Henley who had the only solo careers and kept people interested in the Eagles as a result- when in fact Joe Walsh had every bit as big a career. Luckily for the Eagles, Joe is an easy guy to get along with, because he had every bit as much right to be a prime donna as Frey or Henley did.
I played golf with Felder years ago at an event I held with my magazine... Handicap Rankings for musicians around the World.
Fielder was a great guy... Very engaging... Was talking about this book and also some " interesting" stories about the Eagles.
Like most rock and roll bands... They were no " choir boys" which is what his book exposed.
Interesting tidbit was that Austin was the favorite City to play.... Why? Because the women/girls were amazing... straight from Felder.
And yes...Henley could be a real prick...
Wrong again 21 -- Don Henley and Glen Frey started and kept the band together. Not all of the Indians can be Chiefs, so Don and Glen had the foresight to start additional companies that the band (everyone) profited from, and Felder thought he should have been paid the same as Don and Glen. Of course, confidence is an integral part of being on top in the recording industry, but Felder bitched and moaned about everything until he finally walked into the sunset.
Saw one of the Eagles last concerts this past summer and Henley's intimate concert this past fall -- one of the greatest bands ever. Writing skills, harmony and performance were top notch....always.
I read Felder's book too...I'm glad he wrote if for no other reason than to respond to Henley and Frey.
Little known fact is Felder sued Eagles, Inc. and won...big time. They tried to buy him off in 2002 and he sent their check back.
Here's what I get from 2001, Felder had the audacity to ask about the money...that's it, and he was canned.
Frey and Henley screwed him twice....took what belonged to him then fired him.
Nobody talks about it but Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh just took it....they didn't come to Felder's defense at all.
Felder's trying to stand up for them too and they walk away from him. Good buddy's!
Felder says him and Walsh were tight, and they haven't talked since then.
"History of the Eagles Part 1 and 2"......right up there for me as one of the best ever documentaries I have seen.
Someone said it above - Frey could be a real f'n prick to people. Henley was too. Major assholes.
It's always about the money at the end of the day isn't it? There can be no democracies in bands. Name a band that has one. The closest I could point to are The Heartbreakers. They have been good with each for a LONG time. Whether it be the Beatles, Stones, Dead, Eagles, etc., there is always a power play to some point going on. And don't think that the E Street Band was a happy contingent either.
And you are entirely out of your element here. You want to throw rocks at me when it comes to sports, fine, but you have zero clue. I have met every member of the Eagles, and knew nearly everyone in their management, all of whom I met long after the break up at the end of The Long Run: Felder was horribly mistreated, and in fact, and this is FACT, for one song in particular, which was FELDER'S SONG, their manager conned Felder into a dinner that night, while Henley went into the studio and sand Felders' song....the final version with Henley on the vocal ended up on the album, a direct stab in the back of Felder.
In addition, Frey picked a fight with Felder on stage during a political benefit show, of which there is hard evidence on tape, you can look that up on youtube. Frey and Henley made a disproportionate sum of the money, but the writing, recording, and rehearsing was clearly a BAND thing. Leadon wasn't treated well, and neither was Meisner. Frey and Henley took over the songwriting AFTER the first record was recorded and AFTER Geffen signed them.
It's you who is "wrong again", don't start a gunfight with a knife.
And the Heartbreakers kicked Stan Lynch out of their band as well. Petty is far from an angel.
If every member of Deep Purple from start to finish were to come to the ceremony, there wouldn't be enough room in the entire hall, let alone the stage. That band has had about 2,000 members, lmao. The odds on somebody not liking somebody else are damn good, but everyone is well into old age by now haha.
I can tell you with unequivocal accuracy that Don Henley and Glenn Frey were two of the biggest, total assholes in music history.
There is a lot of conflict when it comes to Stan Lynch, that's for sure. You could listen to ten different stories on why he left from his being very vocal (against) on TP's side TW project to other stuff that ranges across a lot of different issues. I guess I am saying that Heartbreakers seemed to have been pretty stable for some period. But I don't disagree with what you are saying.
After watching last night, I wonder if Jackson Browne and Eagles would consider something beyond just last night.
Accurate, and well said. It was ugly, in reference to Stan, who was one hell of a great drummer. As far as Browne goes, it would be something special if he and the remaining members would do something together, but I would like it if they included both Bernie and Don Felder in the mix. I don't believe it's possible for Meisner to come aboard however. Leadon is just such a great musician and an awesome guy too, I would hope he is included. Hell, maybe even Souther can come along.
I never really cared for the Eagles much, more of personal tastes. But it always seemed to me that drugs and booze had to have had a big part in their issues. Frey had a huge habit and big ego, no way some of this was not attributed at least partly to the Scarface quantity of blow he did. As you well know, a major pile of Coke was never far removed from these guys, particularly Frey. I think it had to have made him a bit crazy.
1. Felder couldn't sing it anywhere near as well as Henley- not that many people could.
2. The fight with Fry was because Felder dissed Alan Cranston- they were playing at a fundraiser for Cranston
That was all covered in depth in the special on them, and was common knowledge before that. None of this is to suggest that either Fry or Henley were/are guys you would want to call friends- they were both dicks
The fact that Henley could sing it better was irrelevant: The point was that they went behind Felders' back and shit on him by recording the vocal secretly. Felder did not "diss" Alan Cranston, he questioned the direction of the band going in a political direction, and hardly said anything, it was just a reaction that Frey didn't like because Frey was, as you say, a total dick.
Of course Henley could sing it better, Henley was, and still is a fantastic singer, but both Felder and Walsh had sang their own songs in the band before. Walsh, while being one of the greatest guitar players in the history of rock music, is hardly an accomplished vocalist.
Wrong.
Henley was a great lyricist and had the best voice on certain songs.
Frey was really nothing other than a politically savvy opportunist since he couldn't really sing, write or play an instrument in the same league as his band mates.
Felder, and the other members who bolted about the same time, were far better musicians than Frey. Fielder may come off as bitter, but he is probably a better technical guitarist than any Eagle...including Joe Walsh.
Henley is the supreme arrogant prick...and he got Frey to support him. The others were just musicians who trusted in their band mates...Henley screwed it all up.
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Petty, Felder and the Allmans all grew up playing with and against each other. There was some real musical takentb( especially guitar) coming out of northern Florida at the time.
Don Felder was one of Tom Petty's earliest guitar teachers. Felder is a truly fantastic musician, which is another reason he worked so well with Walsh. Is he in a league with Duane Allman? Debatable, but I tend to think he is, he simply doesn't have the legend that the elder Allman had in early death and tragedy. Another topic I suppose...
