Joe Vitale joined Eagles as a touring musician between 1977 and 1980, being friends with the band’s long-term member Joe Walsh. He contributed to their iconic album ‘Hotel California’ by writing the song ‘Pretty Maids All in a Row’ with Walsh. He was also credited in the album ‘The Long Run’ and joined the band on their tours while establishing a solo career and collaborating with other artists.
He wasn’t exactly a member of a band in his career. He worked with CSNY, Ted Nugent, and Buffalo Springfield as a multi-instrumentalist and contributed to the songwriting process. However, when he first joined the Eagles on tour, it was a different and challenging experience for him, and he talked about this in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2020.
What Did Joe Vitale Say About Joining The Eagles?
There indeed is a vast difference between playing music while jamming and being with a band on stage. When you’re playing in a band, there needs to be a certain focus to know when your queue is, which adds pressure on the musician, especially when compared to the comfort of playing solo. Hence, Vitale thought it was more fun not to deal with arrangements.
However, he appreciated performing with an iconic band like the Eagles. Their fans never disappointed them in terms of appreciating their performances. Walsh had warned him before that he shouldn’t ‘jam’ on stage but instead play the same parts in every concert and show enthusiasm like he’s performing it for the first time. Even though he was reluctant, Vitale understood their point and did what they asked. When he was asked to describe this experience later, the musician said it was ‘impeccable.’
Here is how he talked about his experience with the Eagles:
“It’s challenging in the sense that sometimes it’s harder to play the same exact thing every night than it is being a musician where you just jam. When you’re playing and not having to deal with an arrangement, just having fun, you aren’t even thinking, ‘Okay, what’s the drum fill coming up on ‘Take It Easy?’
But you know what? I really appreciated that. People pay a lot of money to see an Eagles show. They get a great show, and nobody ever goes home disappointed. I don’t know if they ever had a bad review. I never read one. Their live show is just incredible. It’s impeccable.
Joe warned me about that. He said, ‘Listen, no jamming. Play the parts and play them every night. Play it like it’s your first time you’ve ever played it.’ I said, ‘No problem. I get it.'”
In the same interview, he stated his disappointment when the band first broke up in 1980, which lasted until 1994. According to him, Eagles are one of the greatest rock and roll bands in history, and it was a shame for them to break up, but even though they stayed apart for 14 years, it was terrific for them to reunite regardless of their issues.
