Why Glenn Frey was the song coach of the Eagles: “He got everybody up and excited”
Songwriting partnerships seem to be a complex dynamic. Like two stones rubbing against one another to make fire, they are largely conflicting relationships that have made some of our most dynamic duos resent each other in the wake of their achievements. But despite the chaos that swirled around the Eagles, Don Henley and Glenn Frey remained largely respectful of one another.
Together, they protected the sanctity of the band. Whenever it was under threat of sabotage from the remaining members of the band, the two would come to an unspoken agreement and defend the purpose of the band with dogged determination. In fact, at times, Frey was the muscle of the locker room, discipling the likes of Felder off-stage.
In Henley, Frey knew that he had a tender and impactful soul to deliver the Eagles sound. Unlike their heavier counterparts, Eagles lent into more delicate sensibilities and as such, their songwriting style was more like traversing a high wire, with outright corniness on one side and insipidness on the other. While the Eagles may have been mocked at times, don’t get it twisted, it was an undeniably hard sound to master.
So with a furrowed brow and heavy fist, Frey nurtured the band through thick and thin, encouraging Henley to fulfil his destiny as the bands vocalist. “Glenn had certain talents and personality traits I didn’t have. He was less inhibited, more brave about trying things as far as songwriting,” Henley explained.
He continued, “Songwriting was new to me, and he encouraged me and brought me out, I was a little bit shy and he would just sit there with a guitar and just sing anything. Even if it was lousy, just to get things going. He was a great encouragement and I admired his balls for the way he worked. He was a good coach, he got everybody up and excited.”
Little by little, the pair discovered the creative symbiosis and when they found their flow on tracks like ‘Desperado’ and ‘Tequila Sunrise’, they realised their shared creative sensibilities could create something deeply unique within the music industry.
Frey was of course a talented vocalist himself. More than just a layer in the band’s exquisite harmonic takes, he had the capability to being a frontman himself. But despite the otherwise gruff, controlling and unapologetic demeanour, when he was confronted with Henley’s voice, he knew that the direction of the band had to be funnelled through his voice.
Some of the bands most iconic moments have all come under the stewardship of Henley’s voice. ‘Life In The Fast Lane’, ‘One Of These Nights’ and ‘Hotel California’ were all sung by the Californian drummer, performances which his self-confessed coach would have listened to through the monitors with gleaming pride.
But it wasn’t any of those classics that sits at the top of Frey’s memory. No, for someone who has watched his songwriting ability grow from the ground up, his appreciation is saved for a deeper cut. “’Wasted Time’ is one of Don Henley’s finest moments as a singer. [It’s] one of my personal favourite ballads that we’ve ever written.”
