The Long Run
Studio album by
the Eagles
ReleasedSeptember 24, 1979
RecordedMarch 1978 – September 1979
Studio
Various
Genre
Length42:50
LabelAsylum
ProducerBill Szymczyk
The Eagles chronology
Hotel California
(1976)		 The Long Run
(1979)		 Eagles Live
(1980)
Singles from The Long Run
  1. "Heartache Tonight"
    Released: September 18, 1979
  2. "The Long Run"
    Released: November 27, 1979
  3. "I Can't Tell You Why"
    Released: February 4, 1980

The Long Run is the sixth studio album by American rock group the Eagles. It was released in 1979 by Asylum Records in the United States and the United Kingdom. This was the first Eagles album to feature Timothy B. Schmit, who had replaced founding member Randy Meisner, and the last full studio album to feature Don Felder before his termination from the band in 2001.

This was the band's final studio album for Asylum Records. It also turned out to be their last studio album as the Eagles disbanded in 1980 until 2007's Long Road Out of Eden after the band had reformed in 1994.

Three singles were released from the album, "Heartache Tonight", "The Long Run", and "I Can't Tell You Why". "Heartache Tonight" reached No. 1 on the singles chart and won a Grammy Award. The album was certified 7× Platinum by the RIAA and has sold more than eight million copies in the US.

Background

The album was originally intended to be a double album. The band could not come up with enough songs and the idea was therefore scrapped. The recording was protracted; they started recording in 1978, and the album took 18 months to record in five different studios, with the album finally released in September 1979.[1][2] According to Don Henley, the band members were "completely burned out" and "physically, emotionally, spiritually and creatively exhausted" from a long tour when they started recording the album, and they had few songs.[3] However, they managed to put together ten songs for the album, with contribution from their friends J. D. Souther and Bob Seger who co-wrote with Frey and Henley on "Heartache Tonight".[1] (Souther also got songwriting credit on "Teenage Jail" and "The Sad Cafe".)

According to Henley, the title track was in part a response to press articles that said they were "passé" as disco was then dominant and punk emerging, which inspired lines such as "Who is gonna make it/ We'll find out in the long run". He said that the inspiration for the lyrics was also "irony", as they wrote about longevity and posterity while the group "was breaking apart, imploding under the pressure of trying to deliver a worthy follow-up to Hotel California".[3]

Randy Meisner decided to leave the Eagles after an argument in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the Hotel California Tour in June 1977.[4] He was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who brought an unfinished song to the band, "I Can't Tell You Why". Schmit wrote the song based loosely on his own experiences; both Henley and Frey liked the song and they completed the song together.[5] Joe Walsh also contributed the song "In the City", which was first recorded by Walsh for the movie soundtrack for The Warriors, where it was credited to Walsh, not the Eagles.[6] Don Felder wrote the tune for "The Disco Strangler" using a four-on-the-floor disco beat as the basis for the composition. Henley wrote the lyrics. Henley intended the song to be an antidote to disco as both he and the rest of the band disliked disco, which was the most popular musical genre at the time.[7] The song "The Sad Cafe" was inspired by the Troubadour nightclub in Hollywood where the Eagles once played, and also by Dan Tana's restaurant that they frequented, while "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" was written as a homage to Sixties "frat rock" such as the song "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians.[3]

The album was produced by Bill Szymczyk, although the Eagles were listed as co-producers.[8]

Album pressing

The original vinyl record pressings of The Long Run (Elektra/Asylum catalog no. 5E-508) had text engraved in the run-out groove of each side, continuing an in-joke trend the band had started with their 1975 album One of These Nights:

  1. Side one: "Never let your monster lay down"
  2. Side two: "From the Polack who sailed north" (may be a reference to the producer of the album Bill Szymczyk)[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Smash Hits4/10[12]

In 1979 Rolling Stone wrote, "Overall, The Long Run is a synthesis of previous macabre Eagles motifs, with cynical new insights that are underlined by slashing rock & roll...(it) is a bitter, wrathful, difficult record, full of piss and vinegar and poisoned expectations. Because it’s steeped in fresh, risky material and unflinching self-examination, it’s also the Eagles’ best work in many, many years."[13] The Globe and Mail determined that "the Eagles' fawning synthesis of various kinds of rock and that roll sits less well the smoother it gets."[14] The New York Times stated that The Long Run "is neatly balanced among standard Eagles rockers, rather shallow social commentary, ballads and novelty numbers," and noted that the band's "mean streak" has "never been so apparent."[15]

Reviewing the album retrospectively in AllMusic, critic William Ruhlmann wrote that the album was a "major disappointment, even though it sold several million copies and threw off three hit singles," adding that the album "reportedly was planned as a double album before being truncated to a single disc. If these were the keepers, what could the rejects have sounded like?"[16]

Grammys

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1980"Heartache Tonight"Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal[17]Won

Commercial performance

When released in September 1979, The Long Run debuted at number two on Billboard's Pop Albums chart and a week later hit number one. It stood for nine weeks in the number one slot. The Long Run was first certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 1, 1980, and reached 7× Platinum status on March 20, 2001.[18] It has sold more than eight million copies in the US.[19]

The album generated three Top 10 singles, "Heartache Tonight", the album's title cut, and "I Can't Tell You Why". Those singles reached No. 1, No. 8 and No. 8 respectively.[1] The band also won a Grammy Award for "Heartache Tonight".[20]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."The Long Run"
Don Henley3:42
2."I Can't Tell You Why"
Timothy B. Schmit4:56
3."In the City"
Joe Walsh3:46
4."The Disco Strangler"
Henley2:46
5."King of Hollywood"
  • Henley
  • Frey
Henley and Frey6:27
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Heartache Tonight"
Frey4:27
2."Those Shoes"
  • Henley
  • Frey
  • Felder
Henley4:57
3."Teenage Jail"
  • Henley
  • Frey
  • Souther
Henley and Frey3:44
4."The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks"
  • Henley
  • Frey
Henley2:21
5."The Sad Café"
  • Henley
  • Frey
  • Walsh
  • Souther
Henley5:35

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes.[21]

Eagles

  • Don Felder – backing vocals, guitars, organ on “The Long Run”, talk box on “Those Shoes”
  • Glenn Frey – vocals, acoustic and electric rhythm guitars, keyboards, lead guitar on “I Can’t Tell You Why” and “King of Hollywood”
  • Don Henley – vocals, drums, percussion
  • Timothy B. Schmit – vocals, bass guitar
  • Joe Walsh – vocals, guitars, keyboards, talk box on “Those Shoes”

Additional personnel

  • Jimmy Buffett – backing vocals on "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks"
  • The Monstertones – backing vocals on “The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks”
  • David Sanborn – alto saxophone on "The Sad Café"
  • Bob Seger – backing vocals on "Heartache Tonight" (not credited in liner notes)
  • Joe Vitale – piano, electric piano

Production

  • Bill Szymczyk – producer and engineer
  • Ed Mashal – engineer
  • David Crowther – assistant engineer
  • Mark Curry – assistant engineer
  • Phil Jamtaas – assistant engineer
  • Bob Stringer – assistant engineer
  • Bob Winder – assistant engineer
  • Ted Jensen – mixing, remastering
  • John Kosh – art direction, design
  • Jim Shea – photography

Long Run Leftovers

It appears that several more songs were submitted for The Long Run, but did not make it. Some of these are included in the collection Selected Works: 1972–1999, with the title “Long Run Leftovers”, though in a barely-recognizable form. Joe Walsh later resurrected two of them, which surfaced on his solo albums: “Rivers (of the Hidden Funk)” on There Goes the Neighborhood (1981) and “I Told You So” on You Bought It, You Name It (1983). The music of both of them appear to have been written by Don Felder, with lyrics by Walsh. Felder is also credited for playing guitar on both songs.[22][23]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[45] 3× Platinum 210,000^
France (SNEP)[46] 2× Gold 200,000*
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[47] Gold 10,000*
Japan (Oricon Charts) — 247,000[48]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[49] Platinum 15,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[50] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[51] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[18] 7× Platinum 8,000,000[19]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Giles, Jeff (September 24, 2015). "36 Years Ago: The Eagles Grind to a Halt with 'The Long Run'". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  2. ↑ DeRiso, Nick (November 7, 2015). "35 Years Ago: The Eagles Limp Away With the Patched-Together 'Live'". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  3. 1 2 3 Browne, David (June 10, 2016). "Eagles' Complete Discography: Don Henley Looks Back". Rolling Stone.
  4. ↑ Andy Greene (July 16, 2015). "Flashback: The Eagles Play 'Take It to the Limit' in 1977". Rolling Stone.
  5. ↑ "Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles". Song Facts.
  6. ↑ "Joe Walsh: In the City". AllMusic.
  7. ↑ Felder, Don (May 9, 2008). Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001). John Wiley & Sons. p. 199. ISBN 978-0470289068.
  8. 1 2 Big Jay Sorensen (November 22, 2014). "This Week In History: The Beatles' 'Abbey Road,' The Eagles' 'The Long Run' & Bon Jovi's 'New Jersey'". WCBS-FM.
  9. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "The Long Run". Allmusic. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: E". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  11. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). Eagles. Simon and Schuster. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  12. ↑ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (November 1–14, 1979): 29.
  13. ↑ "The Long Run". Rolling Stone.
  14. ↑ McGrath, Paul (6 Oct 1979). "The Long Run The Eagles". The Globe and Mail. p. F8.
  15. ↑ Rockwell, John (5 Oct 1979). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C12.
  16. ↑ "The Long Run - Eagles - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
  17. ↑ "Past Winners Search". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  18. 1 2 "American album certifications – Eagles – The Long Run". Recording Industry Association of America.
  19. 1 2 "Eagles: Biography". Rolling Stone.
  20. ↑ "WINNERS: 22nd Annual GRAMMY Awards (1979)". The Recording Academy.
  21. ↑ The Long Run (booklet). Eagles. California: Asylum Records. 1979. Retrieved 2023-06-08.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ↑ Felder, Don (with Wendy Holden) (2007). Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974–2001). Hoboken, New Jersey: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. p. 219. ISBN 978-0-470-28906-8.
  23. ↑ "Eagles: The Long Run". Mojim Lyrics. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  24. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  25. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7866a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  26. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eagles – The Long Run" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  27. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  28. ↑ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – E". Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2012. Select Eagles from the menu, then press OK.
  29. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  30. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 23 February 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Eagles".
  31. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  32. ↑ "Charts.nz – Eagles – The Long Run". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  33. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eagles – The Long Run". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  34. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Eagles – The Long Run". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  35. ↑ "Eagles | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  36. ↑ "Eagles Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  37. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  38. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1979". RPM. December 22, 1979. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  39. ↑ "Les Albums (CD) de 1979 par InfoDisc" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  40. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1979 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  41. ↑ 年間アルバムヒットチャート 1979年（昭和54年） [Japanese Year-End Albums Chart 1979] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  42. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1980". RPM. December 20, 1980. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  43. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1980 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  44. ↑ Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 20, 1980). Billboard.com – Year End Charts – Year-end Albums – The Billboard 200. {{cite book}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  45. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  46. ↑ "French album certifications – Eagles – The Long Run" (in French). InfoDisc. Select EAGLES and click OK. 
  47. ↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1981". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  48. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  49. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Eagles – The Long Run". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  50. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('The Long Run')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  51. ↑ "British album certifications – Eagles – The Long Run". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
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