The Eagles played the first night of the three-day festival held at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. Also appearing on the 19th were Bob Seger, Elvin Bishop and Joe Walsh.
Although promoters planned for only 50,000 concertgoers, it is believed that as many as 300,000 attended over the course of the weekend. Many lured by an ad for the festival in Rolling Stone magazine.
Ad for the festival in Rolling Stone, July 4th, 1974. This early ad does not mention Joe Walsh, who performed on the 19th. Bruce Springsteen was billed, but did not attend.
The festival was also aimed at those who may have missed Woodstock recalled John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band:
“A lot of us missed Woodstock, including some who were there. The 1974 Sedalia concert sounded like it was going to recapture that shows legendary vibe…just like the big time, only…smaller.” (Join Together: 40 Years Of The Rock Music Festival by Brant Marley, 2008)
The Eagles at the Ozark Music Festival. Photo by Richard Galbraith.
At the show, Randy wore a Cowtown Ballroom t-shirt. The Cowtown Ballroom was a music venue in Kansas City, MO, whose logo featured a reefer-smoking cow. The Eagles never played there, but they did play the Memorial Ballroom in Kansas City in December 1973. It’s possible that’s when Randy acquired the shirt.
The Eagles played to 200,000 at the music festival, California Jam, held at the Ontario Motor Speedway outside of Los Angeles. The concert was produced by ABC and simulcast on TV and radio on May 10th, 1974. Jackson Browne filled in on several songs with the band in the absence of Don Felder, whose wife went into labor on the day of the concert.
Ad from the Los Angeles Free Press, March 22, 1974
Two stages were used that were perched on 600 feet of railroad track. As one band played, the other stage was set up for the next act, then rolled onto center stage. The stages can be seen under the striped canopies. The semi-circle of trailers behind the stages were the bands’ dressing rooms.
Photo by Mark Sullivan.
The Eagles played a 45-minute set (only 20 minutes was televised) (Not in order of performance)
James Dean Blackberry Blossom Midnight Flyer Already Gone Take It Easy Tequila Sunrise Witchy Woman Peaceful Easy Feeling Early Bird Outlaw Man
Below is a clip of the Eagles’ intro from the radio simulcast on ABC’s KLOS-FM in Los Angeles:
Heading to the stage: L-R: Glenn Frey (behind the door), Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon, and road manager, Richie Fernandez.
Bernie, Randy (blue shirt), Glenn and Don
L to R: Randy Meisner, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon
Randy’s blue shirt with the hand-embroidered eagle was a gift from a fan named Terri “Woody” Smith. She also gave him a yellow shirt with the cover design from On The Border, also hand-embroidered (see it here).
Photos by Jeffrey Mayer.Photos by Julian Baum.
Randy performing “Midnight Flyer” from On The Border, which had just been released:
The footage below includes the five songs that aired in the televised concert on May 10th, 1974:
Below is a post-show interview with Bernie Leadon that appeared in the San Diego Door, May 14th, 1974. Although Bernie talked mostly about the band’s music and albums up to 1974, he did voice his frustration to interviewer Greg Leonard about the band’s mid-day performance at Cal Jam:
“Bernie had just returned from what he felt was a frustrating performance in the mid-day heat. When I met him he was nursing a glass of champagne trying to relax after the tension of playing outdoors, with no prior soundcheck, before nearly 200,000 people.”
Click below to read full article:
Reviews and further reading (click images to access articles).
Los Angeles Free Press, April 18, 1974
Daily Report, Ontario, CA, April 7, 1974
USC Daily Trojan, April 22, 1974
Circus, August 1974 (includes review of On The Border as well as California Jam.)
The Eagles played Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve 1974. Among their guests were Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Dan Fogelberg, J.D. Souther and Joe Walsh.
Los Angles Times, December 29, 1974
For this show, Randy played a Hagstrom HII BN bass. This bass has a different headstock than the red Hagstrom he often played during the mid-70s.
Daily Trojan (USC), January 10, 1975
Randy (left) with J.D. Souther
“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)
L-R: Randy, Joe Walsh, Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne.
Taken around the same time as another series of photos by Diltz from August 25th, 1974. The same September 1974 issue of Playboy can be seen in both sets.
These photos were taken on August 25th, 1974 en route to Norfolk, Virginia (possibly from New Jersey) where the Eagles were opening for the Beach Boys at Scope Arena that evening. Diltz shot another set of band photos around the same time (click here). The same September 1974 issue of Playboy appears in both sets.
This photo session was the first with new member, Don Felder. It took place at Record Plant studios during the recording of On The Border. One photo includes producer Bill Sczymcyk.
The purpose of the session was most likely to get a photo with Felder to use for ads and publicity for the Eagles’ upcoming 1974 tour in support of On The Border (below).
Ft Lewis Independent, March 29, 1974Triton Times, June 4, 1974
The photos show Randy wearing a t-shirt for the Joe Walsh & Barnstorm album, The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get (also produced by Sczymcyk.) He is also wearing the same yellow chamois shirt worn in the photos from London in March 1973 & the Topanga Canyon session in September 1973.
The inside story of the Eagles’ third album ON THE BORDER, released in 1974. It was their first album with producer Bill Szymczyk & guitarist Don Felder. The reviews called Randy’s “Is It True” the “most beautiful song on the album.”
