Glenn Frey Discovered This Hit Eagles Song in His Mailbox

Nowadays, people protect songs as if they were one of the crown jewels. Rightfully so, they are sent with password-protected links, encryption codes, and other technical security methods. However, back in the 60s and 70s, musicians were seemingly far more easy-going in regards to how they shared their music and who they shared it with. That being said, Glenn Frey of Eagles discovered one of their many hit songs in a mailbox.

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Prior to 1974, the Eagles had reached mainstream success thanks to their iconic classics, “Take It Easy”, “Witchy Woman”, and “Peaceful Easy Feeling”. Their success was a culmination of hard work, talent, and opportunity. Regarding opportunity, it seems theirs just kept coming, as on one arbitrary day, Glenn Frey discovered Eagles’ hit “Already Gone” in his mailbox at his Coldwater Canyon home.

A Delightful Delivery for Glenn Frey

In a 2003 conversation with famed music journalist and film director Cameron Crowe, Glenn Frey divulged how he came into possession of the Eagles’ 1974 hit, “Already Gone”. He told the Almost Famous director, “I got a tape of the song from Jack Tempchin in my mailbox at 1740 La Fontaine Ct, the house in Coldwater Canyon where I lived for 16 years,” per The Uncool.

While it is fairly surprising to receive such a valuable piece of material in the mail, it seems Glenn Frey wasn’t all that surprised, as the package came from songwriter and frequent Eagles collaborator, Jack Tempchin. Tempchin wrote The Eagles’ hit “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and helped co-write other songs, including “It’s Your World Now” and “The Girl From Yesterday”.

“Already Gone” had the humblest of beginnings, given its method of delivery. However, those humble beginnings were quickly diminished after Eagles released the single in 1974. Following the single’s release, it peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for a total of 15 weeks. Furthermore, the track became one of Eagles’ many songs to appear on the Billboard country charts. Specifically, the single peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard Country chart.

Don’t get us wrong, one could view this piece of information as random and maybe even trivial. However, it does hold some meaning. Particularly, the moment serves as a testament, a testament to the simplicity that used to outline and uphold the music business. Oh, how the times have changed…

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images

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