The Eagles | Angels Bark

It’s time for another Battle of the Bands. Today I’m featuring an Eagles original, “Best of My Love” :

The song was written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and J.D. Souther. It was originally recorded by the Eagles (with Henley singing lead vocals), and included on their 1974 album On the Border. The band’s first Billboard Hot 100 number 1 single in March 1975, the song also topped the easy listening (adult contemporary) chart for one week a month earlier. Billboard ranked it as the number 12 song for 1975.

Here is the Eagles version so you can hear the original. This is NOT a contender for the contest though.

The BOTB contest today is between Aswad, a British reggae band, and Yvonne Elliman, American singer.

Aswad – (meaning “Black” in Arabic): The members of Aswad are UK descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean. Together they form a long-lasting British reggae group, noted for adding strong R&B and soul influences to the reggae sound. They have been performing since the mid-1970s, having released a total of 21 albums.

Here is their version of Best of My Love:

Yvonne Elliman – is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar. She scored a number of hits in the 1970s and achieved a US #1 hit with “If I Can’t Have You”. After a long hiatus in the 1980s and 1990s, during which time she dedicated herself to her family, she made a comeback album as a singer-songwriter in 2004.

Here is her version of Best of My Love:

Time to Vote! Tell us which version you liked better and why.

And when you’re done voting, please visit these other BOTB participants and check out their cool battles:

DISCLAIMER THAT APPEARS AT THE BEGINNING OF ALL A-Z 2015 PAGES:

Welcome to the A-Z Musical Tour of My Life! I have wanted to put something like this together for a long time now and the A-Z Challenge just seemed like the perfect opportunity. I’ve compiled stories, trivia, research, music videos and live concert footage on all the bands and musical artists who have been important to me over the years, especially during my youthful years in the 60s and 70s. At first glance, the posts may seem long – and some of them are due to the number of videos included – but it’s really laid out in a way that will enable you to scroll through and read, see or hear just what you want and then either move on to the next A-Zer or linger and listen to the great music that you’ll find here. By all means, bookmark my blog so you can come back! In addition to individual songs, there are some full albums here for those who may want to enjoy some music while they’re surfing or working. I hope you find that the stories are entertaining, the information educational and the trivia interesting. It would be a tremendous honor if you would bookmark the A-Z Musical Tour of My Life as a resource for great music and music information! Now, let’s get started with…

E is for the Eagles: Is there anyone who doesn’t love the Eagles? So many great songs, most of them really excellent cruising tunes, like Take It Easy, Already Gone, Life in the Fast Lane, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Lyin’ Eyes, Take it to the Limit, One of These Nights.

Formed in 1971, they quickly became popular and went on to be one of the best-selling bands of all time, having sold over 150 million records! In fact, no American band sold more records than the Eagles during the 1970s. They are the fifth-highest-selling music act and highest-selling American band in US history. They won six Grammys and were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Oh, and I did get Don Henley’s autograph back in either 1991 or ’92 when he came to be on the morning show for the classic rock radio station (Austin’s Z102), which is where I worked in advertising sales at the time. He was actually kind of rude and arrogant…

One thing I like about the Eagles when it comes to live performances is their songs sound the same as they do on the radio. Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you see a band live you can’t even recognize the song they’re playing because they’re doing something different? I don’t like that. I prefer the live versions to be in line with the studio versions. That’s why I’ve never been big on buying Live albums. That’s just me though. I’m sure many others would disagree. How do you feel about it? Let me know in the comments section.

I wish I could just post the entire Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975 album because it’s really hard for me to pick just a few. Here are the Eagles songs that are Must-Haves for my road-trips: Kick back for this block of Eagles classics!

Lyin’ Eyes – 1977 performance:

Take It Easy – 1977 performance:

Witchy Woman – a great performance from 1976 in Houston:

Already Gone – from the California Jam concert in 1974:

One of These Nights – Washington DC 1977 performance:

Take It to the Limit – 1977 performance in Houston, TX:

Peaceful Easy Feeling – 1974 performance, Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert:

Tequila Sunrise – a lyrics video:

And a few others:

Hotel California – This song always left me with an ominous feeling. Did it have that effect on you? I think it was the line in the lyrics “You can check out but you can never leave.” It always left me feeling kinda trapped. Weird. Love the song though. Here’s a lyric video:

James Dean – This will pick it up a bit. Fun song, James Dean. Live in Houston, TX, 1976:

Victim of Love – live at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand:

I Can’t Tell You Why – a lyrics video:

The Long Run –

In the City – this song always reminds me of the cult classic movie The Warriors. Do you remember that movie? I did a blog post on the film a few months back because my favorite movie theater, the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, had a “Tough Guy Cinema” night and they showed this movie for one night only. The Eagles In the City was in the ending scene soundtrack. Here’s a video with that final scene. (To see more about the movie, including a video of that famous “Warriors: Come out to play” scene and a Simpsons parody on that scene, plus the original movie trailer, see my blog post from last year when I did a double-feature day).

Those Shoes – performance from the Brook, the UK’s Southampton music venue:

Seven Bridges Road – I love the harmonies at the beginning of this song!

Wow, was that a great block of Eagles or what?! Let me know which Eagles songs are your favs. I thought I’d sneak in a Don Henley song here. Here’s his post-Eagles hit All She Wants to Do is Dance:

E is for the supremely talented Eric Clapton:

“Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, (born 30 March 1945) is an English musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and fourth in Gibson’s “Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.” (taken from Wikipedia article).

There are so many Clapton songs I could post here as music that both moves me and makes me move. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy.

Cocaine: (Live from Tokoyo 1988)

Layla (recorded with Derek and the Dominoes):

Can’t Find My Way Home (song written by Steve Winwood; performed by Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech as BLIND FAITH):

A few of Clapton’s later works from his 1985 album “BEHIND THE SUN”

She’s Waiting: (audio only; the video is just a static still of the album cover)

Also in 1985 Clapton released the “AUGUST” album. From that, two of my “gotta get up and dance” songs:

It’s In the Way That You Use It: (Official music video from the 1986 movie The Color of Money, starring the sexy Paul Newman and a young Tom Cruise):

Tearing Us Apart (audio only; the video is just a static still of the album cover):

E is for Eddie Money – an American rock musician, singer/songwriter with an interesting background: “Eddie Money was born Edward Mahoney into a large Irish Catholic family in Brooklyn and raised in Plainedge on Long Island. His father, grandfather, and brother were all New York City Police Department (NYPD) policemen, and Eddie was an NYPD trainee. As his interest in music intensified, he eventually ended his law-enforcement career in favor of becoming a full-time musician. He moved to Berkeley, California, and became a regular at area clubs, where he secured a recording contract with Columbia Records.” Most of his success came in the 70s and 80s with a number of Top 40 hit singles:

Shakin’ – (My favorite Eddie Money song): Performing in August 1982 in San Francisco:

Gimme Some Water

I Think I’m in Love

Take Me Home Tonight

Baby, Hold On – 1977 performance on the Midnight Special

Two Tickets to Paradise – 1978 appearance on the Midnight Special:

E is for Edgar Winter – an American rock and blues musician, known to be a multi-instrumentalist as he is accomplished on keyboards, saxophone and percussion instruments. Winter was born to John Winter II and Edwina Winter on December 28, 1946, in Beaumont, Texas. Both he and his late musician brother Johnny had albinism, and both were required to take special education classes in high school. Winter states, “In school I had a lot of friends. I wore a lot of white shirts to, like, blend in I guess. No one really gave me a hard time about being albino or taking special education classes. Then again, I wasn’t really popular.”

By the time Edgar Winter left his hometown of Beaumont, Texas in the 1960s, he was already a proficient musician. A child prodigy who achieved international success as a youth, Winter has found an audience in a number of major commercial entertainment media, including music, film and television. He is best known for these two songs:

Frankenstein:

E is for Emerson Lake & Palmer – a fantastic blend of genre styles, this English progressive rock “supergroup” ELP consisted of Keith Emerson on keyboards, Greg Lake on bass guitar, vocals and guitar and Carl Palmer on drums and percussion. They achieved success in the 70s and have sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The ELP sound is dominated by the Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer and piano of the flamboyant virtuoso Emerson. The bands compositions are heavily influenced by classical music in addition to jazz and hard rock. Many of their pieces are arrangements of classical music and they can be said to fit into the sub-genre of symphonic rock. Many of their simple acoustic ballads received heavy airplay. Enjoy their unique sound:

From the Beginning (video with lyrics):

Still You Turn Me On – from their 1973 album Brain Salad Surgery (a lyrics video):

Fire – SUPER CREATIVE VIDEO!! I love this one!

The following is a one hour documentary on Emerson Lake & Palmer documentary: Beyond the Beginning: The Story of ELP

E is for ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (ELO) – that British rock band known as “the English guys with the big fiddles,” they crafted their music with classical overtures and produced a stunning sound and fabulous performances. How they got their name: it is an intended pun based on using “electric” rock instruments combined with a “light orchestra” (orchestras with only a few cellos and violins that were popular in Britain during the 1960s).

Here are a few of my favorites:

Evil Woman (thought bubbles in the video are NOT mine)

Don’t Bring Me Down

Telephone Line

Mr. Blue Sky

Turn to Stone

Strange Magic

Sweet Talkin’ Woman

E is for Elton John – One of the most successful and prolific musicians of all time, Elton John’s career has spanned over 5 decades and he has sold over 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. He’s had more than fifty Top 40 hit and sixteen #1 hit singles.

The song that Elton frequently opens concerts with is Funeral for a Friend. That cut is the only entirely instrumental number on the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” album.

Video with Elton John performing Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding) live at Madison Square Garden. Greatest Hits – One Night Only.
This compilation 2003 Mercury Records Ltd. © 2003 Universal Music Operations Ltd. All rights of the manufacturer and of the owner of the work produced reserved.

My introduction to Elton John was with his 1975 album “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.” I played Bitter Fingers over and over and over. Still love that song. And I remember being captivated by the album cover art.

I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favorite album but one that I go to time and again is “Madman Across the Water.” There’s something about that album that pulls me in and the music permeates my being so that I just kind of escape into a bliss of melodies. Here is Elton John performing Madman Across the Water from his 1971 album “Madman Across the Water”. Live at BBC studios for the “Sounds For Saturday” television program. November 11, 1971:

I saw Elton John twice, but I can only find my concert ticket stub from 1989 when I saw him at the Capital Center in Washington DC. His concerts are mind-blowing and everyone is completely mesmerized by him. His showmanship is fantastic and he really appreciates and adores his audiences…and it shows. Don’t ever pass up an opportunity to see this man in concert, no matter how much it costs!

Here are just a few (okay, more than a few…) of my favorite Elton John songs, listed in no particular order:

Levon – Live at BBC Studios, November 11, 1971:

Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me – Live at Monserrat:

Rocket Man –

Benny & the Jets – live at Madison Square Garden, on “Greatest Hits One Night Only” concert:

Daniel – 1973 performance:

Your Song – Live at the Royal Opera House:

Someone Saved My Life Tonight – 1976 performance:

Candle in the Wind (Goodbye England’s Rose) – I chose to post the later version of this song: “Candle in the Wind 1997” is a re-written and re-recorded version of Elton John’s 1973 hit song “Candle in the Wind”. It was released on 13 September 1997 as a tribute single to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. In many countries it was pressed a double A-side with “Something About the Way You Look Tonight”. It was produced by Sir George Martin. The original version of the song was written about Marilyn Monroe.