By the late 1980s, Don Henley started working on his third solo album, The End of the Innocence, and was on the same label as Guns N’ Roses. In 1989, Henley even filled in for the band’s ailing drummer, Steven Adler, during their performance of “Patience” at the American Music Awards, while he was still working on The End of the Innocence.
“I was in the studio about two or three weeks later, and the phone rang,” Henley told Modern Drummer. “It was Axl. He says, ‘I got a proposition for you. We’ve got to play the American Music Awards, and our drummer’s sick. We want you to play the drums.’ I was a little taken aback by the proposition. So I told him I’d think about it and call him back.”
Henley obliged and said he was grateful the band was performing their ballad “Patience” and nothing heavier. “Fortunately, it was a ballad that we played, not a balls-to-the-wall number,” said Henley. “It was a piece of cake. There was really nothing to it. I think they were kind of rebelling about the whole thing. I understood that very well because I lived through one of those periods. So, in a way, I was reliving my past. Hell, I hadn’t seen Dick Clark since 1970.”
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“I Will Not Go Quietly”
Henley was returning the favor after Axl Rose contributed vocals to one of the hits on The End of the Innocence. The album delivered two top 10 hits, including Henley’s nostalgic title track and “The Heart of the Matter,” along with and star-studded lineup of musicians and special guests, including Mike Campbell, late Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro, Bruce Hornsby, Patty Smyth, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, and more.
On the album, Rose also sang backing harmonies on the harder rock “I Will Not Go Quietly,” which went to No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Written by Henley and Danny Kortchmar, “I’ll Not Go Wuiety” is a song of perseverance.
Woke up with a heavy head
And I thought about leavin’ town
I could have died if I wanted to
Slipped over the edge and drowned
But, oh no baby
I won’t give up that easy, no
Too many tire tracks in the sands of time
Too many love affairs that stop on a dime, well
Oh baby
Think it’s time to make some changes ’round here
Yeah, I’m gonna tear it up
Gonna trash it up
I’m gonna round it up
Gonna shake it up
Oh now baby, I will not lie down
I’m brave enough to be crazy
Strong enough to be weak
I see all these heroes with feet of clay
Whose mighty ships have sprung a leak
And I want you to tell me darlin’
Just what do you believe in now?
In the studio, Henley says he was so impressed by Rose’s singing that he secretly recorded him warming up his vocals.
“It was quite an experience,” Henley said of working with Rose. “He’s got a really powerful voice. It was something else. We were so amazed that we turned on the two-track and recorded him warming up, his little exercises, and stuff.”
Photo: Pete Cronin/Redferns
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