Randy Meisner
University Of The Pacific, Stockton, CA
November 10, 1982
Randy opened for Little River Band.
Randy Meisner
Randy Meisner
Universal Amphitheatre, Universal City, CA
November 12-14, 1982
Randy opened for the Little River Band.
Live In Dallas
In December 1982, Randy Meisner recorded a live concert at Nick’s Uptown Theater in Dallas, TX, which later aired on the radio and was released as a live album in Japan.
The Merv Griffin Show, August 3rd, 1982
Randy performed two songs on an episode of The Merv Griffin Show called “Top Music Makers,” which aired on August 3rd, 1982. Also featured on the program were Melissa Manchester, Ray Parker, Jr., and T.G. Sheppard. The show was co-hosted by Kal Rudman, a former DJ and longtime publisher of the music trade magazine, The Friday Morning Quarterback.
Dressed in a tie and playing an electric guitar (a vintage Gibson Les Paul Junior), Randy sang two songs from his latest album, the self-titled Randy Meisner, which had just been released on Epic: “Playin’ In The Deep End” and his then-current single, “Never Been In Love.” He was also interviewed (per Reelin’ In The Years Productions, who currently owns the footage).
This was Randy’s second appearance on The Merv Griffin Show. He also appeared on July 21st 1981 in an episode called “The Hit Makers.” Again, he performed two songs, “Hearts On Fire” and “Gotta Get Away,” and was interviewed.
Neither of these episodes of The Merv Griffin Show have ever been released.* A short 15-second clip of Randy’s performance of “Playin’ In The Deep End” was included on an episode of American Journal in 1994, which featured an interview with Randy about the Eagles’ “Hell Freezes Over” tour. The short clip shows a woman onstage with the band, possibly a backup singer. I’m not sure of her identity.
*Reelin’ In The Years Productions makes it clear on their website that they do not sell their footage to fans or collectors. It is only available to “clients in the entertainment industry,” documentaries, TV shows, etc.
PHOTOS
Randy was also photographed backstage.
Randy Meisner:
Montana State University at Bozeman, November 6, 1982
Randy opened for Little River Band
Randy with his band: Denny Carmassi on drums, Dixon House (top) on keyboards, Tom Erak on bass and Sterling Smith on piano. (Exponent, November 9, 1982)
Randy Meisner
Brassy’s, Cocoa Beach, FL
December 14, 1982
Florida Today writer, Billy Cox, attended the show. He had seen the Eagles back in 1975 at Greensboro (NC) Coliseum. He’d paid $10 (a lot of money in those days) for a seat behind the stage in the “nosebleed section.” But he didn’t complain. “We were lucky just to get in.” Now, seven years later, he was seeing Randy Meisner, one of the original foursome, at a Cocoa Beach nightclub.
Cox:
“It was strange to see him so close, and at only $5 a head. Not that he looked any different from the album covers, but here was some genuine symbolism. Randy Meisner, one of the Eagles’ original foursome (along with Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon), had wound up at Brassy’s nightclub in Cocoa Beach.
“His soprano rang with soaring conviction, and when he performed his two trademark songs, which established him on creative parallel with main songwriters Henley and Frey –“Take It To The Limit” and “Try And Love Again” –the old magic was clearly at work here.”
After the show, Cox interviewed Randy backstage, where he unloaded, in uncharacteristic fashion, about his former Eagles bandmates, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. “I’m tired of covering up for those guys,” he said. He was angry and didn’t care who knew it.
“You bet I’m (angry). I may get sued for this but I really don’t care. I’m tired of covering up for those guys…I’ve been protecting the scoop and I want the truth to come out. You want a story, you got one.”
RANDY MEISNER
Stage East, Stuart, Florida
December 15, 1982
Randy’s show was plagued with sound problems, especially on “Deep Inside My Heart” and “Never Been In Love.” Nevertheless, he remained friendly and pleasant onstage, even with his crew, who had to turn off a spotlight that was burning the side of his face. Both reviews below include portions of a backstage interview with Randy, who talked about his future plans, including an upcoming tour of Japan (“for some reason they love me “), as well as recording and producing a new album the next year in Dallas with live sound engineer Buford Jones. This album ended up as the Dallas LP, which was recorded at Nick’s Uptown Theater and released in Japan in 1983. It was reissued on CD in the U.S. as Live In Dallas in 2003.
RANDY MEISNER
University Of Florida Bandshell, Gainesville, FL
December 12, 1982
This was a free concert. The show started almost two hours late due to rain and temperatures in the 50s.
The preview of the concert below features a nice little write-up about Randy. The only inaccuracy is that it states that the first Poco album, Pickin’ Up The Pieces, made no mention of Randy. He is acknowledged in the credits, but not pictured.
Below, a couple tries to stay warm waiting for the concert to begin.
RANDY MEISNER
Univ. of Montana Field House, Missoula, MT
November 7, 1982
Randy opened for the Little River Band.
Randy spoke briefly backstage after the show, where he referred to himself, while he was a member of the Eagles, as “Harrison to Glenn and Don’s Lennon-McCartney.”
Photo Archive: Randy Meisner by George Holz, 1982
A photo from this session was used on the back cover of Randy’s final solo LP from 1982, Randy Meisner. Like his 1978 debut, he poses with one of his (green) cars. Here it’s a Jaguar XJS. This same car can also be seen in the People magazine article from January 1981.
Additional poses.
