The right guitar solo can make or break a rock track, an idea Don Felder kept in the back of his mind when writing his signature solo to “One of These Nights.” A lot was riding on this particular feature. Not only was it Felder’s first Eagles album after officially joining the band in 1974. But the track also marked a distinct shift in genre for the California rock band.
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Simply put, the old tricks and techniques weren’t going to cut it for the opening title track off their 1975 record. That’s why when Felder picked up his guitar to cut his solo, he wasn’t thinking like a guitarist at all.
Don Felder Imitated This Instrument On “One Of These Nights” Solo
When the Eagles first broke onto the scene in the early 1970s, they had an undeniably country twang to their easygoing, rock ‘n’ roll sound. But by the middle of the decade, the California band was branching into more soulful, pop-oriented sounds with songs like “One of These Nights” and “Lyin’ Eyes.” Don Felder was at the helm of this change, serving as the band’s newest guitar player. With the band’s new lineup and musical style to consider, Felder started to approach his guitar in a new way, especially on tracks like “One of These Nights.”
“If you listen to that guitar solo, it’s really an alto saxophone solo,” Felder explained to Guitar Player in a March 2025 interview. “I kept listening to this track, and it wasn’t like rock ‘n’ roll. It was almost like R&B at the time. So, I kept thinking, ‘You can’t go in there with some screaming, shredding guitar solo. I don’t shred, anyway. I kept thinking of David Sanborn [a prolific saxophonist who also appeared on albums by James Brown, Roger Waters, and Eric Clapton]. David and I were really good friends. I kept thinking, ‘What would Sanborn play?’”
Felder didn’t just try to adopt the creative perspective of his friend and colleague. The Eagles guitarist even considered the physical limitations of using a guitar, an instrument that doesn’t require the breath of its player to resonate, and a saxophone, which does. “It’s really a horn part,” Felder said of the solo. “It’s got places where a sax player would stop and take a breath; it’s an alto sax solo that I play on guitar.”
The Lead Guitarist Helped Contribute Another Iconic Part Of The Song
The Eagles’ 1975 track “One of These Nights” has several distinct sections. From its bass-heavy intro to Don Felder’s alto saxophone-inspired guitar solo to the song’s tight vocal harmonies, there are plenty of signature moments that helped make it such a successful song, garnering the Eagles’ first Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1976. Felder’s pseudo-sax solo was a notable part of the song, but it wasn’t his only creative contribution to the track.
In his 2025 interview with Guitar Player, Felder recalled jamming in the studio with Glenn Frey on piano, Bernie Leadon on guitar, and Don Henley on drums. Felder took up the bass as their bassist, Randy Meisner, was stuck in Nebraska because of the snow. “I decided I’m gonna play bass because it would sound weird without a bass,” Felder said. “So, I start playing and write that bass line for the song. When Randy came, I had to sit down and show him how to play it. I usually write the bass parts on all my songs, but I don’t play them.”
“I know the pocket,” Felder continued. “How it’s gonna work with the other tracks and the guitar ideas. I wrote the bass part for “Hotel California” and taught him that one, too.” Felder’s musical approach in the Eagles is a perfect example of becoming a better guitar player by approaching the instrument in an entirely different way.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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