The Eagles announced they will embark on a final tour ‘The Long Goodbye’, starting from New York on September 7. Initially, thirteen shows have been announced, with more expected to come along the way.
The band’s statement opens by reflecting on the time that passed since they came together in 1971:
“The Eagles have had a miraculous 52-year odyssey, performing for people all over the globe; keeping the music alive in the face of tragic losses, upheavals and setbacks of many kinds.”
In the statement, the band referred to their managers, crew, and musicians, and shared their gratitude. They also said that their time to farewell had come:
“Credit and thanks go to our longtime management team, our dedicated road crew, and our exceptional backup musicians for providing skilled and steadfast support, throughout these many years. We know how fortunate we are, and we are truly grateful. Our long-run has lasted far longer than any of us ever dreamed. But, everything has its time, and the time has come for us to close the circle.”
The band ended their statement by referring to their fans, thanking them:
“We hope to see as many of you as we can before we finish up. Most importantly, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for embracing this band and its music. At the end of the day, you are the reason we have been able to carry on for over five decades. This is our swan song, but the music goes on and on.”
Steely Dan will accompany the Eagles over the course of the tour. Two bands did not only make appearances in each other’s songs, but as Glenn Frey once said, the Eagles were influenced by Steely Dan, in terms of writing lyrics. He said:
“We were listening to a lot of Steely Dan records at the time and we were impressed with the way that they could make ‘junk sculpture’ lyrics about nothing and make them work into a song.”
The group also showed these associations in their songs as well. In Steely Dan’s 1976 song ‘Everything You Did’, there is a line that goes:
“Turn up The Eagles, the neighbors are watching”
While The Eagles wrote in ‘Hotel California’:
“They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can’t kill the beast.”
You can listen to Steely Dan’s song below.