Several now-classic songs first entered the world on June 1, 1972. It was on that day that The Eagles, which was comprised of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner, released their debut studio album, Eagles.
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The now-iconic album was recorded in London for just $125,000, Rolling Stone reported in 1975. It was produced by Glyn Johns, whom Frey told the outlet was “the key to our success.”
“He’d been working with all these classic English rock & roll bands… The Who, The Stones… he didn’t want to hear us squashing out Chuck Berry licks,” Frey said. “I didn’t mind him pointing us in a certain direction. We just didn’t want to make another limp-wristed L.A. country-rock record. They were all too smooth and glassy. We wanted a tougher sound.”
In a 2019 interview with John Beaudin, Leadon noted that, in addition Johns’ influence on the band’s sound, he also had a say in its makeup.
“Glyn Johns, by the way, was very adamant that Randy Meisner and myself should be pushed forward as well and it not turn into the ‘Don and Glenn Show’ immediately, which is, I think, what they wanted,” he said. “They were pretty pushy honestly, but Glyn Johns kind of created the balance that existed on the first two albums.”
The Success of The Eagles’ Debut Album
Speaking to Uncut in 2011, Johns recalled working with the band and shaping its sound.
“I tried to introduce more of that acoustic sound and concentrate on vocal blend and arrangements. On ‘Take It Easy,’ I got Bernie to play double-time banjo,” he said. “They all thought it was a bonkers idea but it worked. It was already a great song, but that one little thing made it different.”
“Some of them weren’t over enamored with that first record, but that wasn’t apparent when we were making it,” Johns added. “Once they had a couple of hits off it that was all OK, apparently!”
Indeed, the release was an incredible success, producing three Top 40 singles: “Take It Easy,” “Witchy Woman,” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.”
In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the LP No. 368 of the 500 greatest albums of all time list. The outlet improved Eagles‘ ranking in 2020, placing it in the No. 207 spot.
The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2001.
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
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