The Long Run (album)
Encyclopedia
The Long Run is the sixth studio album
by the Eagles, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music
). This was the first Eagles album not to feature founding member Randy Meisner
, who was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit
.
The album was originally intended to be a double album to be released in 1978 but was instead demoted to a single album. Some of the tracks that were left off the album would be cobbled together to compose the cut "Long Run Leftovers" which appeared on the band's 2000 box set Selected Works: 1972-1999
. Some of the bits in "Long Run Leftovers" were resurrected by Joe Walsh
on "Rivers (Of the Hidden Funk)" from 1981's There Goes the Neighborhood
and "Told You So" on 1983's You Bought It, You Name It
.
Also, the band recorded a Christmas single during the sessions. First of which was a cover of "Please Come Home For Christmas" by Charles Brown, which was released as a single in November 1978. The song's B-side was a Don Henley
and Glenn Frey
original called "Funky New Year" which was the band's song about the pitfalls of celebrating New Year's Day.
The Long Run took almost two years to complete and saw the Eagles move in a more hard rock direction that they started going in with its predecessor, 1976's Hotel California
.
When released in September 1979, The Long Run debuted at #2 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart and a week later hit #1 dethroning Led Zeppelin
's In Through the Out Door
and was the last #1 album of the 1970s where it reigned for eight weeks and has sold over seven million copies to date in the US alone (it was certified Gold and Platinum in early 1980 by the R.I.A.A.).
The album spawned three Top 10 singles, the chart-topping rocker "Heartache Tonight", the album's opening title cut and the ballad "I Can't Tell You Why". Those singles reached #1, #8, and #8 respectively. The band also won another Grammy for "Heartache Tonight". "In the City", is a song first recorded by guitarist Walsh for the soundtrack to the movie The Warriors. "The Sad Cafe" and "Those Shoes" received radio airplay, as well.
Additional personnel
Album - Kent Music Report
(Australia)
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the Eagles, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
). This was the first Eagles album not to feature founding member Randy Meisner
Randy Meisner
Randy Herman Meisner is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a founding member of Poco and the Eagles...
, who was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit
Timothy B. Schmit
Timothy Bruce Schmit is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as bass guitar player and singer for Poco and the Eagles. Schmit has also worked for decades as a session musician and solo artist.-Early career:Raised in Sacramento, Schmit began playing in the folk music group...
.
The album was originally intended to be a double album to be released in 1978 but was instead demoted to a single album. Some of the tracks that were left off the album would be cobbled together to compose the cut "Long Run Leftovers" which appeared on the band's 2000 box set Selected Works: 1972-1999
Selected Works: 1972-1999
Selected Works: 1972–1999 is a compilation box set by the American band Eagles, released in 2000. The box set consists of four CDs featuring their greatest hits, album tracks, previously unreleased live performances and 44-page booklet...
. Some of the bits in "Long Run Leftovers" were resurrected by Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
on "Rivers (Of the Hidden Funk)" from 1981's There Goes the Neighborhood
There Goes the Neighborhood
There Goes the Neighborhood is the fifth studio album by Joe Walsh, released in 1981.-History:The album's biggest hit "A Life of Illusion" was recorded in 1973 with Joe Walsh's first solo band Barnstorm but was not completed. The overdubs and final mixes were completed during the There Goes the...
and "Told You So" on 1983's You Bought It, You Name It
You Bought It, You Name It
You Bought It – You Name It is the sixth studio album by Joe Walsh, released in 1983 .-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic James Chrispell wrote of the album "Rather retro in feel, like the title, it harkens back to a wackier time...
.
Also, the band recorded a Christmas single during the sessions. First of which was a cover of "Please Come Home For Christmas" by Charles Brown, which was released as a single in November 1978. The song's B-side was a Don Henley
Don Henley
Donald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
and Glenn Frey
Glenn Frey
Glenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
original called "Funky New Year" which was the band's song about the pitfalls of celebrating New Year's Day.
The Long Run took almost two years to complete and saw the Eagles move in a more hard rock direction that they started going in with its predecessor, 1976's Hotel California
Hotel California
Hotel California is the fifth studio album released by the American rock band the Eagles, in late 1976. It is the first Eagles album without founding member Bernie Leadon and the first album with Joe Walsh. It is also the last album featuring original bass player and singer Randy Meisner...
.
When released in September 1979, The Long Run debuted at #2 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart and a week later hit #1 dethroning Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's In Through the Out Door
In Through the Out Door
In Through the Out Door is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded over a three week period in November and December 1978 at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and released by Swan Song Records on 15 August 1979...
and was the last #1 album of the 1970s where it reigned for eight weeks and has sold over seven million copies to date in the US alone (it was certified Gold and Platinum in early 1980 by the R.I.A.A.).
The album spawned three Top 10 singles, the chart-topping rocker "Heartache Tonight", the album's opening title cut and the ballad "I Can't Tell You Why". Those singles reached #1, #8, and #8 respectively. The band also won another Grammy for "Heartache Tonight". "In the City", is a song first recorded by guitarist Walsh for the soundtrack to the movie The Warriors. "The Sad Cafe" and "Those Shoes" received radio airplay, as well.
Side one
- "The Long RunThe Long Run (song)"The Long Run" is a song written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and recorded by the Eagles. The sound of the song is viewed as a tribute to the Stax / Memphis R&B sound...
" (Don HenleyDon HenleyDonald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
, Glenn FreyGlenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
) – 3:42- Lead vocal by Don Henley
- Slide guitar by Joe Walsh and Don Felder
- Guitar Solo by Joe Walsh
- Organ by Don Felder
- "I Can't Tell You WhyI Can't Tell You Why"I Can't Tell You Why" is a song from the Eagles which appeared on their 1979 album The Long Run. The song was written by Timothy B. Schmit, Glenn Frey, and Don Henley, and was the first Eagles song to feature Schmit on lead vocals....
" (Timothy B. SchmitTimothy B. SchmitTimothy Bruce Schmit is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as bass guitar player and singer for Poco and the Eagles. Schmit has also worked for decades as a session musician and solo artist.-Early career:Raised in Sacramento, Schmit began playing in the folk music group...
, Henley, Frey) – 4:56- Lead vocal by Timothy B. Schmit
- Guitar solos by Glenn Frey (played by Don Felder in live performance)
- Fender Rhodes Piano by Glenn Frey
- Organ by Joe Walsh
- "In the CityIn the City (Eagles song)"In the City" is a song written by Barry DeVorzon and Joe Walsh for the soundtrack to the film The Warriors. The song was first recorded by Walsh and released on The Warriors soundtrack album in 1979...
" (Joe WalshJoe WalshJoseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
, Barry De VorzonBarry De VorzonBarry De Vorzon is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and composer. His first composing big hit was the rock song "Dreamin'," sung by Johnny Burnette in 1960, although he had a number-one hit previously called "Just Married," which he wrote for Marty Robbins in 1958...
) – 3:46- Lead vocal by Joe Walsh
- Slide guitar by Joe Walsh
- "The Disco Strangler" (Don FelderDon FelderDonald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
, Henley, Frey) – 2:46- Lead vocal by Don Henley
- "King of Hollywood" (Henley, Frey) – 6:28
- Lead vocals by Don Henley & Glenn Frey
- First guitar solo by Glenn Frey
- Second guitar solo by Don Felder
- End guitar solo by Joe Walsh
Side two
- "Heartache TonightHeartache Tonight"Heartache Tonight" was revived four years later in a cover version by country music artist Conway Twitty. Released as the second single from his Lost in the Feeling album, Twitty's version reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the fall of 1983.Twitty's version featured the...
" (Henley, Frey, Bob SegerBob SegerRobert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
, J.D. Souther) – 4:27- Lead vocal by Glenn Frey
- Slide guitar by Joe Walsh
- "Those Shoes" (Felder, Henley, Frey) – 4:57
- Lead vocal by Don Henley
- Talk box guitars by Joe Walsh & Don Felder
- Solo by Joe Walsh
- "Teenage Jail" (Henley, Frey, Souther) – 3:44
- Lead vocals by Glenn Frey & Don Henley
- Synthesizer solo by Glenn Frey
- Guitar solo by Don Felder
- "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" (Henley, Frey) – 2:21
- Lead vocal by Don Henley
- Background vocals by "The Monstertones" featuring Jimmy BuffettJimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
- "The Sad Café" (Henley, Frey, Walsh, Souther) – 5:35
- Lead vocal by Don Henley
- Guitar solo by Don Felder
- Alto saxophone by David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
Personnel
- Don FelderDon FelderDonald William "Don" Felder is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1994 to 2001.-Early life and influences:...
: electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Glenn FreyGlenn FreyGlenn Lewis Frey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as a founding member of the Eagles. Frey formed the Eagles after he met drummer Don Henley in 1970 and the two eventually joined Linda Ronstadt's backup band for her summer tour. The Eagles formed in 1971 and...
: electric guitar, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Don HenleyDon HenleyDonald Hugh "Don" Henley is an American singer, songwriter and drummer, best known as a founding member of the Eagles before launching a successful solo career. Henley was the drummer and lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971–1980, when the band broke up...
: drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vocals - Timothy B. SchmitTimothy B. SchmitTimothy Bruce Schmit is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his work as bass guitar player and singer for Poco and the Eagles. Schmit has also worked for decades as a session musician and solo artist.-Early career:Raised in Sacramento, Schmit began playing in the folk music group...
: bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Joe WalshJoe WalshJoseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
: electric guitars, slide guitar, keyboards, vocals
Additional personnel
- Jimmy BuffettJimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
- vocals, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - The Monstertones - backing vocals
- David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
- alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions... - Bob SegerBob SegerRobert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
- backing vocals "Heartache Tonight" (not credited in liner notes)
Production
- Producer: Bill SzymczykBill SzymczykBill Szymczyk is an American music producer and technical engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of the 1970s, though he retired from the music business by 1990...
, The Eagles - Engineers: Ed Mashal, Bill Szymczyk
- Assistant engineers: David Crowther, Mark Curry, Bob Stringer, Bob Winder
- Mastering and remastering: Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
- Art direction: Kosh
- Design: Kosh
- Photography: Jim Shea
Singles
- "Heartache Tonight"/"Teenage Jail" - Asylum 46545; released September 18, 1979
- "The Long Run"/"Disco Strangler" - Asylum 46569; released November 27, 1979
- "I Can't Tell You Why"/"The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" - Asylum 46608; released February 4, 1980
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Billboard 200 | 1 |
Album - Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
(Australia)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
1 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Heartache Tonight" | Pop Singles | 1 |
| 1980 | "I Can't Tell You Why" | Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| 1980 | "I Can't Tell You Why" | Pop Singles | 8 |
| 1980 | "The Long Run" | Pop Singles | 7 |
Awards
Grammy Awards| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Heartache Tonight" | Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011.The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories... |