With a prolific catalogue that crosses multiple genres and decades, there is no slight shortage of incredible Eagles songs that someone could cite as their favorite. There are the obvious picks—think “Hotel California”, “Desperado”, or this writer’s personal favorites, “One of These Nights”. But for Vince Gill, country icon-turned-rock ‘n’ roller who took on Glenn Frey’s role in the band in 2017, his favorite song isn’t one of The Eagles’ most popular. And in fact, the song appears on one of the most divisive albums in the band’s discography.
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Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2017, Gill listed “I Can’t Tell You Why” as one of his top five Eagles tracks. The song appears as the second track on The Eagles’ sixth studio album, The Long Run. The album was the first to feature original member Randy Meisner’s replacement, bassist Timothy B. Schmit, and the last to feature Don Felder. After The Eagles broke up for the first time in 1980, The Long Run also became the last Eagles album featuring the original lineup.
While the album might not hold too special a place in the original band’s hearts, “I Can’t Tell You Why” was a no-brainer for Gill. “It escapes me why Timothy B. Schmit never sang more. Glenn [Frey] composed the solo. It’s one of the most musical expressions I’ve ever heard,” Gill told Rolling Stone.
Vince Gill Echoed Timothy B. Schmit’s Sentiments From Decades Earlier
Timothy B. Schmit had big shoes to fill when he stepped into Randy Meisner’s role in the late 1970s. In addition to being a great vocalist and instrumentalist, the former bassist composed some of The Eagles’ most beloved hits, including “Take It to the Limit”. Schmit had the triply hard task of proving himself as a singer, bassist, and songwriter, all three of which he managed to do on “I Can’t Tell You Why”.
“It was all such a great ride,” Schmit told Music Radar of writing, recording, and releasing his original song with The Eagles. “I just kept pinching myself. I did work with Don [Henley] and Glenn [Frey] on that song. They co-wrote it with me. But it was one of those songs that was just ‘there,’ you know? It’s so simple and bare bones.”
Despite the song’s simplicity, it turned into something larger than Schmit’s initial idea. “I remember when it was being developed in the studio,” he continued. “I knew it was a great song—I thought, ‘Yes! This is an amazing debut for me.’ When we finally mixed it, we had a little listening party at the studio. As people were hearing it, Don turned to me and said, ‘There’s your first hit.’ That was pretty cool.”
Just under four decades later, Vince Gill made it clear he agreed.
Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
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