The Eagles were the headliners at the Miami River Music Festival at Edgewater Raceway Park, located about 20 miles northwest of Cincinnati.1 Also on the bill were the Marshall Tucker Band, Fleetwood Mac, and New Riders Of The Purple Sage, among others. This concert may mark the first time “Take It To The Limit” was performed live.
All photos ©John Rockwood
At the concert, Randy wore a red shirt with another white shirt underneath, most likely as a nod to the Cincinnati Reds, who were at the top of their game in 1975. They would win the World Series three weeks later.
Photos ©John Rockwood.
According to the Lexington Herald, the festival was a “moderate success” despite “several hundred gatecrashers, several drug overdoses, a potential drowning and about 20 arrests.”
Some of the acts were flown in by helicopter, which was not unusual for large festivals. The Eagles performed around 3:45, then promptly left to “go home,” according to Bernie Leadon.
“The Eagles arrived about 2:30–guitarist Bernie Leadon said they were set to play at 3 p.m. (they came on about 3:45 p.m. and played a fine set which included all their big songs). Asked what they planned to do after their set, Leadon replied, ‘Go home.'” (Lexington Herald, September 25, 1975)
It’s possible that the first live performance of “Take It To The Limit” took place at the Miami River Music Festival. Although, it had not been part of the Eagles setlist during the summer of 1975, the Eagles likely added it for these late September concerts, their last concerts of the year, because it was getting more radio airplay (it was not released as a single until December.)2
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Notes:
- According to the Cleveland Scene, the Eagles were scheduled to perform at another music festival the day before the Miami River Music Festival. The Indian Summer Music Festival was supposed to be a big end-of-summer-wingding on Dragway 42 in Salem, OH, outside of Cleveland. The line up included the Eagles, Pure Prairie League, Average White Band, and Ike & Tina Turner. But the event was announced, then cancelled, all within the space of 10 days. ↩︎
- The first documented performance of “Take It To The Limit” took place one week later in Anaheim, CA on September 28th, 1975. Robert Hilburn mentioned the song in his review of the concert. Since the Eagles’ setlists rarely varied from show to show, it seems likely that “Take It To The Limit” would have been performed a week earlier at the Miami River Music Festival. It is also important to note that before the festival, the Eagles had been on a nearly three-week break and would have had time to work up an arrangement of the song. “Take It To The Limit” is not a song they would have performed unrehearsed or “on the fly.” ↩︎
It was sad to see Bernie leave, I think he like Randy just felt like hired hands and not a full founding members
I agree, and Randy himself has said the same.
AFAIK, neither Randy nor Bernie have ever said anything alluding to being hired hands – as I said, they were founding members along with Don and Glenn.
Randy and Bernie were never hired hands and in fact, they were always acknowledged by Don and Glenn as cofounding members of the group. The four original Eagles were full-fledged band members, but Don Felder was not a founding member.
Steuart Smith, the guitarist who unofficially replaced Felder when he got sacked, is a hired hand and he himself openly acknowledges that he is not a full member of The Eagles.
Here’s what Randy himself said in an interview in 1995:
“Don and Glenn were taking over at that point, and all of a sudden it was, `We don’t need you. You’re just a player in the group.’ I wasn’t feeling part of it anymore. So finally, I just left.” (Denver Westword, January 11, 1995)
David that’s not true. Randy himself did say he felt like he wasn’t part of the band as time went on, but that they treated him like “just an employee”. They used to be like family, but that changed as time went on, that’s why he left. They were not on equal ground. Don and Glenn let their egos get the best of them, and Randy wasn’t like that at all. That’s what ruined everything. Listen to his interviews. He is very honest about it all, not backstabbing or mean. Randy was a good guy, through and through.
Wouldn’t it be great if somebody who was at those earlier concerts reads this and can confirm, with proof, that Take It To The Limit was played in the July?
It would be. The Mississippi River Festival reviewer goes song by song practically. Unless he somehow didn’t recognize “Take It To The Limit” (One Of These Nights had only been out a month or so & it may not have been played on the radio yet). At many of those summer shows, Randy was singing “Too Many Hands.” Perhaps that was his song from OOTN they had rehearsed at the time. Nevertheless, I think it would have been cool to see TITTL performed with Bernie in the band.
I WAS THERE and the Eagles did indeed play Take it to the Limit. It was during that song that the “gate crashers” knocked down the gates, and then it became a free concert for the numerous people who were on the outside! They “took it to the limit” to get in!
That’s good to know. It seemed likely that he probably sang it. But good to have a witness. Great story! Thank you!
I was there also, I left a comment but it didn’t show up. I mainly went to see the Eagles, as mentioned in the comment I left the Marshall Tucker Band was awesome I thought, R.E.O. Speeedwagon was fantastic as always, don’t remember to much of Mac or others as I had two bottles of Jack D. with me. I partied hardy.
I was there as well i remember them playing one of these nights gate crashing went on for several minutes watching the rain of bottles and cans did you see the mound of bottles and cans before you start through the gates I stopped by and drank several bottles of beer before going through the gates first thing I saw was a sign that said pot 15 dollars a lid so i got me one best show ever seeing charlie Daniels and marshall tucker jaming together
I was there and all I remember is standing on the inside of track listening to one of these nights and watching it rain bottles and cans in where they were taking tickets between the finces people where crashing the finces the finces were torn down the people on the inside pulled it and people on out side pulled it down and the eagles we announcing it’s a free concert now
I was at this one I guess that makes me an old fart. I mainly went to see the Eagles, Marshall Tucker Band band was awesome though which did an excellent rendition of Jimi Hendrix Star Spangled Banner . I remember R.E.O. Speedwagon but not much of Fleetwood Mac or others. I had two bottles of Jack Daniels with which will explain it.
I really enjoyed this article Jessica. Lots of tidbits of very interesting information. Thank You so Much for All Your hard work!!!
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Thank you for posting this article. I attended this concert, but could never find anything written about it. I was starting to think I had imagined it!
I was there all day. I somehow was standing in the front row from the beginning of Fleetwood Mac’s set to the end of the concert. The Eagles definitely played Take It To The Limit. At the end of the song, Glenn shouted out “that’s one high singin’ SOB!” I don’t know how I found my way back to my buddies car. I hadn’t seen him since the REO set. It was a great day!
What a great story! Thanks, Joe!