Photo Archive: Eagles, Vancouver, April 19th, 1972
Location: Backstage at Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC, Canada, April 19th, 1972. The band opened for Joe Cocker.
This photo of the group was published in the May 13th, 1972 issue of RPM, a Canadian trade publication. The caption referred to the band as “Eagle,” which may not be a misprint since they were also called Eagle at their next two shows in Spokane and Portland (also opening for Joe Cocker).
L-R: Randy, Bernie Leadon, Glenn Frey, Don Boas (with Kinney Services, the international distributor for Warner Bros, later known as WEA), Asylum Records general manager, John Hartmann, and Don Henley.
EAGLES
Festival Hall, Brisbane, Australia
January 20th, 1976
The Eagles kicked off a ten-day tour of Australia. This was the first show with Joe Walsh in the band.
For this show, Randy wore a shirt for Average White Band’s AWB album. He is also playing a rare Fender Telecaster bass.
Flying Across The Spectrum: The Eagles in Philly, 1975
The Eagles played The Spectrum in Philadelphia, May 17, 1975. Read about the show and listen to both songs Randy performed that night.
Chuck’s Cellar & The Origin Of The Eagles
Randy Meisner first met Glenn Frey & Don Henley when he filled in for Linda Ronstadt’s bassist at a place called Chuck’s Cellar in Los Altos, CA in June 1971.
EAGLES
Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles
December 31, 1974
Dan Fogelberg opened. They also invited a few guests to join them.
That’s Randy with the beard in the photos from the show.
“When midnight arrived, the Eagles treated everybody to a bluegrass treatment of ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ released a passelfull of balloons and let loose a gorilla who threw bananas to the audience. Then they invited a few of their friends, including Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and opening act Dan Fogelberg–on stage to join them for ‘Take It Easy.'” (San Pedro News-Pilot, January 4, 1975)
Joe Walsh was also among the guests.
Randy performed on New Year’s Eve at least nine times over the course of his career. Here are the other appearances:
Drivin’ Dynamics, Little Moon Lake, Torrington, Wyoming, December 31, 1962
Drivin’ Dynamics, Terry’s Arena, Terrytown NE, December 31, 1964
Pogo, Shrine Hall, Los Angeles, December 31, 1968
Roberts-Meisner Band, Calvary Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, December 31, 1987
Roberts-Meisner Band, Sheraton Harbor Island, San Diego, December 31, 1988
Meisner, Swan & Rich, Lake Of The Torches Casino, Green Bay, WI, December 31, 1996
World Classic Rockers, Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hilo, Hawaii, December 31, 2003
World Classic Rockers, Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hilo, Hawaii, December 31, 2005
*UPDATED* “There Was Magic When We Played Live” – The Eagles in Colorado, December 1971
In November and December 1971, the Eagles were sent to Colorado by David Geffen to develop their sound and audition for legendary producer Glyn Johns.
SONGBOOKS & TOUR BOOKS
Songbooks
These songbooks were released around the same time as each of the albums (Eagles & Desperado were published as one volume, back to back. Read one side, then flip it over to read the other). They included sheet music and lyrics for each song, accompanied by photos. The files below include abridged (shortened) versions of each these songbooks. All photos featuring Randy have been included. Presumably, of Randy’s three solo albums, only One More Song has a songbook.
***A couple of pages were accidentally left out of the Desperado and On The Border Songbooks. Those have been updated.
Eagles – Eagles Songbook
Published 1973, Warner Bros. Publications
Included as a two-in-one with the Desperado Songbook.
Eagles – Desperado Songbook
Published 1973, Warner Bros. Publications
Eagles – On The Border Songbook
Published 1975, Warner Bros. Publications
Eagles – One Of These Nights Songbook
1976 Warner Bros. Publications
Eagles – Hotel California Songbook
1977 Warner Bros. Publications
Randy Meisner – One More Song Songbook
1981 Warner Bros. Publications
Tour Books
To my knowledge, the Eagles only published two tour programs during Randy’s tenure with the band, one to coincide with their Japanese tour in 1976 and one for the U.S. and European tour in 1977. Tour programs were published for Randy’s Japanese tours in 1981 and 1983. The latter is extremely hard-to-find. The ’81 program is included below.
Eagles – Japanese Tour Book 1976
Book included a poster
Eagles – 1977 Hotel California Tour Book
Distributed in both Europe and America.
Randy Meisner – Japanese Tour Book 1981
EAGLES
Coliseum, Evansville, Indiana
December 17, 1973
Also on the bill were Bachman Turner Overdrive and Dan Fogelberg.
The review below includes a very brief interview with Glenn Frey, who said he was at a “low emotional ebb” after performing five nights in a row. It also has a couple of misprints, including the ages of the band members (“23 and 24”). At the time of the concert, Randy was the oldest at 27, Don Henley and Bernie Leadon were 26, and Glenn Frey was 25. Randy’s “Tryin'” is listed as “Keep On Moving” and “Sun’s Come Up” is “Ol’ 55.” The latter would appear on their not-yet-released album, On The Border in April 1974. Another song intended for the album, “Don’t Be Mean To Your Bad Man,” written by J.D. Souther and Glenn Frey, was also performed, but did not end up on the album. It later appeared as just “Bad Man” on Randy’s self-titled debut in 1978.
EAGLES
Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
December 13, 1973
Dan Fogelberg opened.
The review below also includes an interview with Don Henley and Glenn Frey backstage. Randy and Bernie did not contribute much, but “stuck their heads in to add dry wit from time to time.”
At the show, the Eagles played a couple of numbers that would eventually end up on On The Border, including “Good Day In Hell” and “Ol’ 55” (sung by Glenn, but the author incorrectly states it was sung by Bernie). They also played “Be Good To Your Badman” (aka “Bad Man”), co-written by J.D. Souther and Glenn Frey, which did not end up on On The Border, but did become the first track on Randy’s first solo album in 1978.
EAGLES
Atlantic Christian College, Wilson, NC
December 11, 1973
Randy wore the yellow Morehead jersey he purchased in the bookstore at Morehead State University when the band played a concert there the week before. He’ll wear it again in early 1974 during the taping of Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.
Photos from the Pine Knot yearbook, 1974
Nearing The End – The Eagles At Fort Worth, July 1977
The Eagles performed two nights in a row at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas on July 7-8, 1977. These shows marked the next to last concert appearances of Randy Meisner with the band.
EAGLES
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO
November 23, 1976
Randy’s “Take It To The Limit” was “really well-performed and the crowd reaction was instantaneous, long and loud–so long, in fact, that he told the crowd it was embarrassing him, and he looked as if it were.”
EAGLES
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
November 22, 1976
J.D. Souther opened.
Before the show, Randy, Don Felder, and J.D. Souther were spotted grabbing a bite at the Burger King down the street from Market Square Arena.
Randy’s performance of “Take It To The Limit” was the highlight of the evening and earned him a standing ovation.
“The man who stole the show, perhaps, was bass player Randy Meisner, who sang lead only once. The number was last winter’s giant hit, “Take It To The Limit.” Meisner had ’em cheering long before the finish of the song. His clean, crisp high vocals earned him the only standing ovation for an individual performance.”
Zach Dunkin, Indianapolis News, November 23, 1976
Review from Indianapolis News, November 23, 1976. Joe Walsh is incorrectly identified in the photo as Don Felder.
