How Don Henley Reunited With Ex-Bandmate for Current Eagles Tour

Jim Ed Norman has put in a lifetime in the audio company, working as a producer and A&R person, inevitably locating his way to the top rated in which he turned president of Warner Audio Nashville.

So what’s he accomplishing out on the highway with the Eagles, conducting the 70 piece orchestra and choir on the current Lodge California tour?

Nicely, it’s the fruits of a 50-year romance with the California band, a single which took root in Texas a several a long time prior to that. It was a heat day as Norman walked the campus of North Texas Condition University. He read the seems of Led Zeppelin filtering out of a single of the apartment doorways. Inside, he held out an album by the Dillards and explained, “Hey, you have to have to look at this out.” The receiver was Don Henley and as Norman laughs, “The rest was geography.”

Henley and Norman wound up in the exact same band, Shiloh. They issued a one self-titled album in 1970, manufactured by Kenny Rogers, then split in 1971 as Eagles started to acquire shape. Henley would not ignore his previous bandmate. As shared in the pursuing interview, Norman been given a cellphone simply call just a few of yrs afterwards that would alter the class of his long run vocation in a huge way.

Starting with the Desperado album in 1973 and culminating in his get the job done on Resort California in 1976, Norman grew to become the arranger and piano participant for the Eagles. He stayed in the fold in the a long time that adopted, encouraging to create and set up Glenn Frey’s No Pleasurable Aloud in 1981.

Norman’s newest tour of responsibility provides his heritage with Henley and the Eagles entire circle. He not long ago spoke with UCR by using Zoom during a working day off on the road.

How did you end up back again in the Eagles blend for this Resort California tour?
It was truly Don – for the reason that Don and Glenn, very frankly, gave me [my first shot. There were many] conversations I experienced with people about [how] I’m an arranger and want to be an arranger, and I want to be concerned in this part of the business enterprise. It wasn’t right up until Don and Glenn gave me that shot on “Desperado” [that it finally happened]. So “Desperado” grew to become the 1st point that I at any time did. That imprimatur, if you will, designed it feasible. All of those people who I experienced been striving to influence [to] allow me do some arranging, they ended up calling indicating, “Oh, Jim Ed, we didn’t know you were an arranger. It was just that stamp of acceptance. [Then] Don identified as and reported, “We are heading to mount a Hotel California tour. We’re likely to complete the album in its entirety.” Mainly because of the job the orchestra performed on that record, [they wanted to feature that element as part of the tour].

Which is fantastic.
For the reason that you are a vinyl aficionado, if you keep in mind, the document very first came out and Aspect 1 ends with “Squandered Time.” You flip it above and I have been able to use the orchestral reprise of “Wasted Time” [that starts the second side] regularly in dialogue with college students by way of the years at universities across the nations around the world when I have spoken, as a reminder, normally do extra than you are requested to do. I was only anticipated to come in that working day with what it is they’d questioned me to do, but I had been so moved by “Wasted Time” and the melody and the splendor of it that I sat down and wrote this piece. As the fates would have it, there was time remaining in excess of soon after we obtained completed with what we necessary to do that day for the other tracks. I claimed, “Hey men, I have this piece. Would you be fascinated in listening to it?” Of training course, they wanted to hear it. Lo and behold, as a total shock to me, it ended up on the report as the reprise.

Listen to ‘Wasted Time’ by Eagles

It is a signature part of the album.
Nicely, thank you for declaring that. When which is your ilk and your life and what it is that you take pleasure in carrying out, you by no means seriously know how individuals will respond to it. It is been amazing to hear the roar that will come from men and women when they hear it. In some cases, it’s really energetic other situations, it’s a lot more sedate. I really don’t want to overstate it by declaring there’s an awe, but it’s like, “Oh my gosh, pay attention!” The orchestra has a moment. When initial offered with the plan that they were heading to do this [tour], fundamentally, it arrived down to, “Well, you can do all of it or none of it. You can redo the charts.” Below in Nashville at the Region Music Hall of Fame, they’re carrying out a tribute to Southern California country rock and interviewing tons of persons that ended up a component of that period of time in Southern California background and time. As they interviewed me, they questioned, “Do you have any memorabilia?” I claimed, “Yeah, I have received a pair of things” – a person of which ends up currently being the authentic score, for instance, on “Desperado.” I have other initial scores that go all the way back again to 1973. Small did I know in 1973 that there would be a use for an outdated score, but as I pulled it out, it had chicken scratch and all forms of notes.

That historical things is always so entertaining.
There would be a single that would say “MSG,” Madison Square Yard. The men had produced a change in the way they were being carrying out the end, let’s say. There was just one that had Wembley on there, a single that said the Forum. There ended up all of these notes throughout the rating that are pertinent to a distinct time or recording. That happened from ‘73 right until Resort California bought [played] reside and then that was the close of it. So it was, “Jim Ed, you can aid get charts with each other and then appear perform it, if you want” – since at the time, I was working here in the business enterprise, again in the report marketplace, doing the job A&R and making and what have you. The actuality is, my fiancee inspired me and claimed, “You definitely have to have to do this.” I demurred on the entrance close. Any person not too long ago when we had been on the street, one of the orchestras, we were being conversing about conducting [and] having written all of the areas, that’s also anything – for the reason that when they see “arranged by,” a great deal of moments, they really do not know that I’m the dude who arranged or wrote the component to begin with.

That is comprehensible, I guess.
There’s [also] people that grew up at times, with the Eagles. There is regard that comes [with being a conductor] and I normally have to apologize. I was telling them that I became a conductor the day we recorded “Desperado,” the to start with detail I at any time did. Likely into the studio, Glyn Johns and I go back again into the file space. I reported to him, “Hey Glyn, I observe they’ve received the chairs out there for the orchestra and two microphones. Nobody has any headphones.” All of the dates I’d viewed on television or been to dwell in Los Angeles, the orchestra experienced on headphones and they have been recording. Glyn, in his inimitable way, says: “Well, of course, you’re going to perform, aren’t you, mate?” I reported, “Well, I guess I am.” I grew to become a conductor in that second, as properly. I received the credit
rating for arranging and conducting as a end result. As I convey to the orchestra that tale at times when we chat, I say, this is these kinds of a instant that I can revel in – simply because it’s the music now that closes out the exhibit, as component of the encore.

Pay attention to ‘Desperado’ by Eagles

I would picture the full detail is a genuine encounter.
I get to essentially hear parts that I wrote that I never hear as strongly or maybe even adequately in my mind, on the record. Glyn experienced two microphones and it was my position as the conductor to make confident I obtained out of the orchestra what essential to transpire. Now, simply because I know those people things, I’m able to carry out correctly. I went from demurring about going on the road to staying inspired, and I realized [that it was something I needed to do]. I wake up a single night time and I can not sleep and I’m sitting down there heading, “I’m under no circumstances going to get to stand in entrance of a substantial orchestra conducting once more.” It just does not materialize the identical way. I suggest, I never want to lower price the chance, but it was just not likely that anything like this was heading to come about once more. Initially, it was to go to Vegas. Then, a couple of dates [were added]. COVID shut every little thing down, like it did for all of us. We started back again up all over again in the fall and carry on on down to the finish of Could.

I really don’t know to what extent there will be a final decision to even continue on more, but what it’s like is superb for me – to stand in front of the orchestra. There are times as I’m sitting there conducting, for a moment, I’m entirely exterior no matter what it is I’m undertaking. There’s no imagining going on. I’m just absorbing. I’m essentially a listener, as opposed to a person trying to make absolutely sure that factors keep in the cracks, and that we preserve up with the band and all of all those obligations that just one has. I’m privileged also that I have got some good individuals that journey. The concertmaster, Erica Swindell Kristine Kruta, the direct cellist and Diane Louie, who is the librarian. Diane, quite frankly is a much far better conductor than I am. I suggest, she’s a reputable conductor. She’s offered her entire lifestyle to that, and is encouraging and so beneficial. Then, we’ve got a wonderful contractor, Marci Skolnick, who places the musicians collectively almost everywhere we go.

Why do you assume men and women keep the Resort California album in this kind of large regard?
Excellent music. You know, I feel possibly its commentary on the point out of affairs at the time. It resonated. But I think it is about the fantastic music. There’s a well known estimate now with [Jack] Nicholson staying with Jackson [Browne] at a concert, and Jackson’s having it in and he turns to him and claims, “Repertoire.” [Laughs.] It runs through the gamut of what they are about as innovative folks. But I feel that [the LP] just wonderful – and [it has] fantastic performances. Everything on there is fantastic performances. There is a song that Vince [Gill] sings in the present, “Test and Enjoy Once again.” I come across at occasions that I’m sitting down there grooving on that, perhaps much more than everything else just because of the pocket that it hits and what occurs with it. It’s genuinely excellent and but it did not grow to be a solitary. They moved on to other things.

Hear to ‘Try and Love Again’ by Eagles

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