In 1973, the Eagles experienced a musical phenomenon when one of their deep cuts turned into a classic hit. Throughout the 1970s, the Eagles were a steady force in classic rock with the music they made in Laurel Canyon that helped advance genres like classic rock and easy listening.
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One song that was instrumental in establishing the Eagles legacy is “Desperado,” which was written by Eagles titans Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Originally a deep cut off their 1973 album of the same name, “Desperado” would go on to become one of their career-defining songs – thanks in large part to Linda Ronstadt.
Months after the Eagles released Desperado in April, Ronstadt included a cover of the title track on her album, Don’t Cry Now, which arrived in October 1973. Though Don’t Cry Now didn’t chart very high on the Billboard Hot 100 (it only made it to No. 45), the album remained on the chart for more than a year. This likely contributed to the popularity of “Desperado” which was released as a single off Ronstadt’s album.
“That song didn’t get much attention until Linda Ronstadt recorded it,” Henley told Rolling Stone in 2016. Her rendition won the favor of Henley, who called it “poignant and beautiful” in the 2013 documentary, History of the Eagles. Though it was never officially released as a single by the band, it soon became a staple in their catalog and is their second most-performed song in their live shows across their more than six-decade career.
“Desperado” also marked a pivotal moment in the Eagles’ career, as it helped shape the album’s overall Western theme and marked the beginning of Henley and Frey’s illustrious songwriting partnership.
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“’When I play it and sing it, I think of Ray Charles — Ray Charles and Stephen Foster. It’s really a Southern gothic thing, but we can easily make it more Western,’” Henley recalled of the writing process to The Uncool. Henley had the melody and chords for the song in 1968 but had a different title. The song was inspired by his friend Leo. “Glenn leapt right on it — filled in the blanks and brought structure. And that was the beginning of our songwriting partnership … that’s when we became a team,” he continued.
Like the song, Desperado wasn’t a huge hit on the charts, peaking at No. 41 on the Billboard 200. However, it’s been certified platinum in the U.S. for sales of more than two million copies and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000.
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