3 Songs J.D. Souther Co-Wrote with Glenn Frey Outside of the Eagles (1969-1979)

In 1969, Glenn Frey and John David “J.D.” Souther performed as the country-folk duo Longbranch Pennywhistle and released their self-titled debut a year later. Years after the duo’s demise a year later, Souther became a longtime Eagles collaborator, co-writing “New Kid in Town,” “The Best of My Love,” “Heartache Tonight,” “Victim of Love,” “Doolin-Dalton,” “The Sad Cafe,” “You Never Cry Like a Lover,” and “James Dean.”

In between composing music for the 1980 romantic drama Urban Cowboy—”Hearts Against the Wind,” a duet with Linda Ronstadt, and a solo song, “The Moon Just Turned Blue”—and John Waters’ comedy Cry-Baby a decade later with “Doin’ Time for Bein’ Young,” performed by James Intveld, Souther also continued working with the Eagles’ Don Henley, who, like Frey, jumped into his solo career in 1982, including co-writing his 1989 hit “The Heart of the Matter.”

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Throughout the years, Frey and Souther also continued working together; Frey contributed guitar and backing vocals on Souther’s first three albums, from his 1972 self-titled debut through You’re Only Lonely in 1979.

Souther, called Frey “my first songwriting partner and best friend in L.A.,” following the Eagles member’s death in 2016, and the two had a string of songs co-written outside of the Eagles over 10 years throughout the 1970s.

“Bring Back Funky Women” (1969)

Written by Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther

Longbranch Pennywhistle featured a cover of James Taylor’s 1968 song “Don’t Talk Now,” along with songs written by Frey and Souther, along with one co-write, “Bring Back Funky Women.”

Got a friend who’s busy telling someone who you are
A friendly stranger busy selling silly dogs and foreign cars
You better get down, mama, before I lose my loving mind
And bring back funky women, my eyes are going blind

Lady magazine Madonna, I think it’s time you knew
That the pants you’re putting on, they ain’t equipped to love you
You have pleased every man you knew
But you never had a lover
And now you’re begging me to listen
Telling me lies that you told to your mother

A remastered version of the song later appeared on the 2018 compilation, Above The Clouds: The Very Best Of Glenn Frey, while another Longbranch Pennywhistle track, “Kite Woman” would reappear on Souther’s 1972 self-titled solo debut.,

“Last in Love,” Nicolette Larson (1978)

Written by Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther

The closing track off Nicolette Larson’s debut album, Nicolette, “Last in Love” was writte by Souther and Frey and was one of the original songs in the collection of covers the singer took on, from Sam Cooke‘s “You Send Me” and Neil Young‘s “Lotta Love”—the latter earning her a No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

On “Last in Love,” Larson, who started out as a backup singer for Young, sings about the naivety of falling in love.

Every now and then
voices on the wind
call me back to the first time
far away and clear
you can hear the tear drops
falling for the last in love

If I let you down
All I can say is “I’m sorry”
Now it’s’ all over town
So I don’t want to hear it from you

Please don’t look away it’s hard enough to say
This could go on forever
When the night is clear
I can hear the teardrops
Falling for the last in love

Souther later recorded “The Last in Love” for his 1979 album You’re Only Lonely, and it was later covered by George Strait on his 1992 album, Pure Country, a soundtrack to the film of the same name.

“‘Til the Bars Burn Down,” J.D. Souther (1979)

Written by Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther

Along with writing songs for Linda Ronstadt throughout the mid-’70s, Souther also released his own music. For his third album, You’re Only Lonely, which hit No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, Frey co-wrote one track with Souther: “‘Til the Bars Burn Down.” On the album, Souther also covered a song he originally wrote with Frey for Nicolette Larson (see above), “The Last in Love.”

Well, the sun is sinkin’
And people start thinkin’
At twilight
Tell me what can I do
‘Til a quarter to two
To feel alright
Well there’s always someone playin’
Down at the Hoo-rah Ranch
And all the wrong women dancin’ Jesus the swing

I’ll be there
I got a chair
I’m gonna stare
I’ll be there until the bars burn down

Photo: Richard McCaffrey/ Michael Ochs Archive/ Getty Images