We’re The Eagles From Los Angeles

Visit the Places the Eagles lived, worked and frequented.

Glenn Frey opened the Eagles’ concerts with, “Thank you. Good evening, we’re the Eagles from Los Angeles.” But, they weren’t. Randy Meisner hailed from Scottsbluff, Nebraska; Glenn Frey from Detroit, Michigan; Don Henley from Linden, Texas; Bernie Leadon from Minneapolis, Minnesota; Don Felder from Gainesville, Florida; and Joe Walsh from Wichita, Kansas.

Clip from “History of the Eagles”
Produced by Alex Gibney, Directed by Alison Ellwood, Jigsaw Productions, ©2013

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The Troubadour

The Troubadour at 9081 N. Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood is where Don and Glenn first saw Randy with Poco.

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Dan Tana’s

Dan Tana’s at 9071 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood is where, in 1975, Glenn Frey and Don Henley wrote the lyrics to “Lyin’ Eyes” on a napkin at table 4.

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Before Dan Tana’s opened, it was another Italian restaurant called Domenico’s.
Note the Pacific Red Cars. ~ Photo Circa 1940s

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Asylum Records

On September 12, 1971, the Eagles signed with Asylum Records.

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The Eagles’ Homes

In 1971, when the Eagles signed with Asylum Records, they lived here:

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Randy

23936 Victory Blvd., Canoga Park (Woodland Hills), Los Angeles

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Glenn Frey and Don Henley

2112 Hightower Dr., Los Angeles

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Bernie Leadon

1180 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga

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A map for perspective on where the Eagles lived when they first met. ~ Google Maps
Randy ~ 23936 Victory Blvd.
Bernie Leadon ~ 1180 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Glenn Frey & Don Henley ~ 2112 High Tower Dr.

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Olympic Studios

In February of 1972, the Eagles left Los Angeles for England to record their first album, “Eagles” at Olympic Studios.

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Wally Heider Recording

After listening to a tape of the “Eagles” album, David Geffen and Elliot Roberts decided that it needed another song with Henley on lead vocals. “Nightingale” was previously recorded at Olympic Studios in London, but Glyn Johns decided that it did not work. Geffen tried to record the song with another production team. Johns was angered by the attempt to record it behind his back, but agreed to re-record it at Wally Heider’s in Hollywood. It was included in the album in spite of Johns judging it as unsatisfactory.

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Asylum Records

On Aug. 11, 1972, the Eagles signed their option for renewal with Asylum Records at 9120 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles

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New Homes For The Eagles

Three of the original four Eagles lived in different places by this time.

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Randy

Randy moved to 4100 Arch Dr., North Hollywood

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Glenn Frey

Glenn moved to 8321 Lookout Mountain, Los Angeles

The entrance to 8321, 8323 and 8325 Lookout Mountain

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The section nearest Lookout Mountain Avenue is the entrance area. (See the two pictures above this picture.) The triangle above, and on the left, was Glenn’s property. The 8323 property is to the right of Glenn’s property. The 8325 property is the area above Glenn’s property and the 8323 property. Glenn had a hideaway. All photos: Google Maps Images

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Don Henley

Don moved to 8511 Cole Crest Dr., Los Angeles

In “History of the Eagles”, Henley would describe this house as the house on stilts that would sway when the wind would blow. Google Maps, 2017

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Bernie Leadon

Bernie still lived in the Topanga Canyon Boulevard house. Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan (the Governor and First Lady of California), would move into this house with Bernie from 1974-75.

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Another map for perspective on where the Eagles lived in 1972-73.

Randy ~ 4100 Arch Dr.
Glenn Frey ~ 8321 Lookout Mountain Ave.
Don Henley ~ 8515 Cole Crest Dr.
Bernie Leadon ~ 1180 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Google Maps

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Island Studios

In 1973, the Eagles left Los Angeles again for England to record their second album, “Desperado” at Island Studios.

As Glenn Frey said in “History of the Eagles”, he was going to England to record where Led Zeppelin recorded. This is where Led Zeppelin recorded “Stairway to Heaven”. In 1977, Queen would record “We Are the Champions” at this studio also. ~ Photo: Basing Street Studios, by “View of the Mirror”, Dec. 4, 2011

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“Desperado” and the Paramount Ranch

The Paramount Ranch Movie Western Town near Agoura Hills, California, formerly the old back lot for Paramount Studios, served as the location for the cover of the Eagles’ second studio album, “Desperado”. ~ Photo Trekkerimages Photography

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The Paramount Ranch was destroyed by the Woolsey Fire in November of 2018. The “Western Town” burned to the ground. The only surviving structures were the church and the train station. ~ Photo: “Donate to “The Paramount Project” to Rebuild Paramount Ranch’s Western Town” ~ Nov. 17, 2018.

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(Click to play)

Video clip from “Laurel Canyon A Place In Time”, a two-part documentary, directed by Alison Ellwood, and aired on Epix on May 31 and June 7, 2020.

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The Record Plant ~ Los Angeles

In late September of 1973, the Eagles were once again in London at Olympic Studios to record their third studio album, “On the Border”. They only cut two tracks “Best of My Love” and “You Never Cry Like a Lover”, before returning to the US with the intent of changing their producer. The rest of the album was recorded at The Record Plant in Los Angeles after hiring Bill Szymczyk to produce.

This picture of the January 10, 1978 electrical fire that destroyed “Studio C” at the Record Plant in Los Angeles is the only picture that was found. It took 13 months, but “Studio C” was rebuilt. In 1985, the Third Street facility was closed, but reopened again in January of 1986 at 1032 Sycamore Avenue in Hollywood.

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Don Felder’s Home

(Click to play)

In 1974, Don Felder joined the Eagles. He rented a house in Malibu, a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County. ~ Clip from “History of the Eagles”.

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Elektra/Asylum Records

On August 21, 1974, the Eagles terminated their 1971 contract with Asylum Records and signed with Elektra/Asylum Records (A Division of Warner Communications, Inc.) as Eagles, Ltd.

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Criteria Studios

The Eagles would record “One of These Nights” in 1974-75 at Criteria Studios in Miami and return to the Record Plant in Los Angeles.

Criteria Studios, 1755 Northeast 149th St., Miami, Florida, changed several times. It became The Hit Factory in 1999, and then in 2017, it reverted to Criteria Studios again.

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Criteria Studios ~ Google Maps Image 2018

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Randy’s Home

2519 Zorada Dr., Los Angeles

Randy purchased Rick Nelson’s home in Nichols Canyon in the Hollywood Hills.

(Click on map and then box in lower right corner to enlarge and play)
Google Earth

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“Joe had come up with a lick and he, Randy, and I jammed on the idea over at Randy’s house one night. It eventually evolved into “Life in the Fast Lane”. Randy had bought Ricky Nelson’s old house, which overlooked Universal Studios and had a 360-degree view. . .there was so much of Rick in that property, even his children’s painted handprints on the bathroom tiles.” ~ pg. 175

“Heaven and Hell My Life In The Eagles (1974-2001)”, by Don Felder with Wendy Holden ©2008

After Randy and his family left this residence, it was purchased, remodeled and sold by Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia De Rossi.

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In 1974, I moved to a place at the corner of Ridpath and Kirkwood in Laurel Canyon, and we had poker games every Monday night during football season.”

Glenn Frey ~ Vanity Fair “An Oral History of Laurel Canyon, the 60s and 70s Music Mecca”, by Lisa Robinson, Feb. 8, 2015

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Joe Walsh’s Home

In December of 1975, Joe Walsh joined the Eagles. Joe was elusive. No information on where Joe lived during this time was found.

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Lucy’s El Adobe Café

This was a hangout for rock and roll celebrities in the seventies. Just about everyone who recorded for Elektra/Asylum could be seen here, which would include the Eagles, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and her then boyfriend, Jerry Brown, the Governor of California.

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“Hotel California” Album Locations

From March to October of 1976, the Eagles recorded their fifth studio album, “Hotel California”. They returned to Criteria in Miami, Florida and the Record Plant in Los Angeles.

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“Hotel California” ~ The Album

The Beverly Hills Hotel

There is not a Hotel California in Los Angeles. The cover of the album is a picture of the Beverly Hills Hotel at 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills, which was shot by David Alexander using a cherry picker to raise the camera. ~ Source: Rockandrollroadmaps ©2022 ~ Photo: Google Earth

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The Lido Apartments

The “Hotel California” gatefold lobby shoot was taken at the Lido Apartments at 6500 Yucca St., Los Angeles. ~ Source: Rockandrollroadmaps ©2022

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Don Felder’s “Hotel California” Memories

All quotes are from “Heaven and Hell My Life In The Eagles (1974-2001)”, by Don Felder with Wendy Holden ©2008

“The record company was pushing us to get going on the new album. We relocated to a ranch out near Calabasas, just outside Los Angeles, to listen to what new material everyone had and to rehearse. The actual recording was to be done and mixed later by Bill, the Soul Pole, at the Record Plant in L.A. and at Criteria Studios in Miami.” ~ pg. 170

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“We were at the Calabasas ranch, with old wagons in the yard. Photographer David Alexander was taking our photos.” ~ pg. 171

^{Photos by David Alexander}

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“The final recording and editing of the Hotel California album took place at Criteria Studios, so we rented, among other houses, 461 Ocean Boulevard, Miami Beach, the white stucco beach house made famous by Eric Clapton and his comeback album, called 461 Ocean Boulevard released in 1974.” ~ pg. 173

“We had some of our best times as a band in that place. It was right on the beach, and every Saturday and Sunday, we’d lie around the living room, watching football on the television, and then during halftime we’d go out and play touch football on the beach. . . .then go back in and drink a bunch of beer and watch some more football.” ~ pg. 173

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This is the end of the tour

Some of the many homes the Eagles lived in after Randy left the Eagles in 1977:

Randy

Randy returned to Nebraska, where he purchased a peach-colored stucco house in Mitchell. Mitchell was a town of about 2,000 at that time. Later he also purchased an 80-acre farm. He later left the farm in the stewardship of his father when he returned to California and the music industry. Among many other homes, Randy also rented a condo in Palm Springs, California and has lived on Eureka Dr. in Studio City for the past 39 years.

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Bernie Leadon

Bernie lives on a farm in Hohenwald, Tennessee.

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Don Henley

Don purchased a home in Woody Creek, Colorado and in 1996, he built a house in Preston Hollow, Texas (just north of Dallas). He recently purchased a home in West Hollywood.

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Glenn Frey

Glenn purchased a home on Snowmass Creek Road in Snowmass, Colorado next to his buddy Jimmy Buffett. Later, he purchased Jimmy Buffett’s house. He also lived in Los Angeles.

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Don Felder

Don lived on his boat after divorcing his wife, Susan, and then would rent a house in Los Angeles off of Mulholland Drive.

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Joe Walsh

Joe had homes in Studio City and Beverly Hills, with the Studio City home being his primary residence.

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