Tag Archives: Timothy B. Schmit

♫ Wasted On The Way ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music, Social commentary

In the course of a conversation in the comments section of my post Day Is Done, Clive suggested this one by Crosby, Stills & Nash … one I always did like but hadn’t thought of in years!  I was definitely not aware of the song’s origins or meaning, though!  According to SongFacts …

Crosby, Stills & Nash got off to a very strong start, releasing their acclaimed debut album in 1969 and making a memorable appearance at Woodstock. The next year, they added Neil Young and released an even more successful album, Déjà Vu. The band was never supposed to be all-consuming, so each member took time off to work on solo albums and other projects. But once they drifted apart, they couldn’t find the gravity to draw them back together.

Fans made deep emotional connections to their songs and clamored for more. In 1974, they finally returned to action, releasing a compilation album called So Far that sold over 6 million copies and setting out on the first-ever rock stadium tour. The tour tested their bonds, and a planned album of new material was abandoned after just a few recording sessions. It wasn’t until 1977 that they released another album (CSN), this time without Young.

They clearly had something special when they made music together, but the forces of pride, ego, and addiction intervened. Graham Nash reflected on this when he wrote “Wasted On The Way.” In a Songfacts interview, he explained: “We had wasted a lot of time arguing with each other and debating how we should do this or do that, and that’s what I wanted to say: We wasted a lot of time. CSN&Y only did what, three albums? We had wasted a lot time, and I just wanted to make my partners realize that.”

“Wasted On The Way” was the lead single from Daylight Again, the group’s first album since CSN in 1977. Neil Young wasn’t part of it – after their 1970 album Déjà Vu, he didn’t make another with the band until American Dream in 1988.

The song was a solid hit, earning airplay on Pop, Rock, and Adult Contemporary radio. The next single, the Stephen Stills composition “Southern Cross,” also did well and the album sold over a million copies – not bad for a band that formed 20 years earlier and only worked together sporadically.

David Crosby was, in fact, wasted around this time, a point disc jockeys often made when playing the song. His drug abuse got really bad in the late ’70s and was an issue when they recorded this song in late 1980 and early 1981. He was arrested for freebasing cocaine in 1982 just a few months before the song was released. Crosby only sobered up after spending much of 1986 in jail, which he says probably saved his life.

Timothy B. Schmit, whose band the Eagles had recently broken up, sang on this song along with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

The song charted at #9 in the U.S., #96 in Australia, and nowhere else as far as I can tell.

Wasted On The Way

Crosby, Stills & Nash

Look around me
I can see my life before me
Running rings around the way it used to be
I am older now
I have more than what I wanted
But I wish that I had started long before I did

And there’s so much time to make up everywhere you turn
Time we have wasted on the way
So much water moving underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away

Oh, when you were young
Did you question all the answers?
Did you envy all the dancers who had all the nerve?
Look around you now
You must go for what you wanted
Look at all my friends who did and got what they deserved

So much time to make up everywhere you turn
Time we have wasted on the way
So much water moving underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away

So much love to make up everywhere you turn
Love we have wasted on the way
So much water moving underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away
Let the water come and carry us away

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Graham Nash
Wasted on the Way lyrics © Nash Notes

♫ I Can’t Tell You Why ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

This has been a long week, don’t you thi … um … wait … it’s only Tuesday???  Wow, feels like it should be Friday!  I’ve got the Friday night tireds!  But, maybe some Eagles’ tunes will perk me back up … ya think?  Let’s find out …

I almost didn’t do a music post tonight, so distraught am I over the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  But, I figure since I’m not likely to sleep anyway, why not listen to some music and share with my friends?  Continuing on with Eagles’ Week, I have chosen one of my most favourite Eagles’ songs.

Eagles bass player Timothy B. Schmit, who replaced Randy Meisner in 1977, sang lead and was the primary songwriter.  According to Schmit …

“It was co-written by me and Don (Henley) and Glenn (Frey). I did bring a portion of that song, unfinished, to them back then, because I was new in the band and they wanted to introduce me on a good note, no pun intended. And I had this little piece of a tune that they really liked. It was loosely based on my own experiences.”

Glenn Frey played lead guitar on this song, which was rare at the time since Don Felder or Joe Walsh usually played lead, relegating Frey to rhythm.  In an interview with Bob Costas, Frey said that this and One Of These Nights were the two Eagles songs he helped write that he would put into a time capsule to represent the Eagles best work.

Now here’s something that might surprise you.  Jimmy Buffett sang background on this track and David Sanborn played saxophone. Timothy B. Schmit is the one who came up with the term “Parrotheads” to describe Jimmy Buffett’s fans.

I Can’t Tell You Why
Eagles

Look at us baby, up all night
Tearing our love apart
Aren’t we the same two people who live
Through years in the dark?
Ahh
Every time I try to walk away
Something makes me turn around and stay
And I can’t tell you why

When we get crazy
It just ain’t to right (try to keep you head little girl)
Girl I get lonely too
You don’t have to worry
Just hold on tight (don’t get caught in your little world)
Cause I love you
Nothing’s wrong as far as I can see
We make it harder than it has to be
And I can’t tell you why
No, baby, I can’t tell you why
I can’t tell you why

Every time I try to walk away
Something makes me turn around and stay
And I can’t tell you why
No, no, baby, I can’t tell you why
I can’t tell you why
I can’t tell you why

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Don Henley / Timothy B. Schmit / Glenn Lewis Frey
I Can’t Tell You Why lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Eb Music Services

♫ Take It To The Limit ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

I played this one just over two years ago during what became ‘Eagles Week’ here on Filosofa’s Word, and for some reason it popped into my head this evening.

I’ve picked one of my favourites for this morning’s post, but if you have a favourite that I haven’t already played, let me know and I’ll squeeze it in this weekend!

Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Glenn Frey wrote this song. Meisner sang lead, making this one of only three US Top 40 Eagles songs not sung by Don Henley or Glenn Frey, the others being I Can’t Tell You Why and In the City.

Meisner, who is from rural Nebraska, was the most subdued member of the band, describing himself to Rolling Stone as “Shy and nervous about putting myself on the line.” He was a founding member of the Eagles, but left in 1977 as tensions rose and the lifestyle became too much for him. Leaving the band may well have been a good mental health decision. Don Felder, who joined the band in 1974, said:

“Really the only thing you can do when you’re in the Eagles is eat, breathe, and sleep Eagles. I mean, you’re either on the road, writing in the studio, or doing press – it’s just all consuming.”

The high note at the end of this song was not easy for Randy Meisner to hit. He could pull it off in the studio, but not always in concert, since he would get nervous. At one point, he asked to take the song out of the set, which became a source of contention and a factor in him leaving the band.

In the 2013 History of the Eagles documentary, Glenn Frey and Don Henley recall a show where Take It To The Limit was planned as the encore, but Meisner refused to do it. Frey says that he got in a fight with Meisner backstage, and that Henley made sure security at the venue stayed out of it so they could settle it. Meisner left the band soon after and was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who was in the band Poco.

The song reached #4 in the U.S., #16 in Canada, and #12 in the UK

Take It to the Limit
Eagles

All alone at the end of the evening
And the bright lights have faded to blue
I was thinking ’bout a woman who might have loved me
I never knew
You know I’ve always been a dreamer
Spent my life runnin’ ’round

And it’s so hard to change
Can’t seem to settle down
But the dreams I’ve seen lately keep on turning out
And burning out and turning out the same
So put me on a highway and show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time
You can spend all your time making money
You can spend all your love making time
If it all fell to pieces tomorrow
Would you still be mine?
And when you’re looking for your freedom
Nobody seems to care
And you can’t find the door
Can’t find it anywhere
When there’s nothing to believe in still you’re coming back
You’re running back, you’re coming back for more
So put me on a highway and show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time

Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Glenn Frey / Don Henley / Randy Meisner
Take It to the Limit lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

♫ Take It To The Limit ♫

Posted on by under music

I really didn’t start out with the intention of making this “Eagles’ Week”, but I started on Wednesday playing Tequila Sunrise, then someone asked for Lyin’ Eyes, and when I jokingly said perhaps it ought to just be Eagles’ week, a couple of people jumped on that!  So … I’ve decided to finish out the week (through Sunday) with more of … the Eagles!  

I’ve picked one of my favourites for this morning’s post, but if you have a favourite that I haven’t already played, let me know and I’ll squeeze it in this weekend!

Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Glenn Frey wrote this song. Meisner sang lead, making this one of only three US Top 40 Eagles songs not sung by Don Henley or Glenn Frey, the others being I Can’t Tell You Why and In the City.

Meisner, who is from rural Nebraska, was the most subdued member of the band, describing himself to Rolling Stone as “Shy and nervous about putting myself on the line.” He was a founding member of the Eagles, but left in 1977 as tensions rose and the lifestyle became too much for him. Leaving the band may well have been a good mental health decision. Don Felder, who joined the band in 1974, said:

“Really the only thing you can do when you’re in the Eagles is eat, breathe, and sleep Eagles. I mean, you’re either on the road, writing in the studio, or doing press – it’s just all consuming.”

The high note at the end of this song was not easy for Randy Meisner to hit. He could pull it off in the studio, but not always in concert, since he would get nervous. At one point, he asked to take the song out of the set, which became a source of contention and a factor in him leaving the band.

In the 2013 History of the Eagles documentary, Glenn Frey and Don Henley recall a show where Take It To The Limit was planned as the encore, but Meisner refused to do it. Frey says that he got in a fight with Meisner backstage, and that Henley made sure security at the venue stayed out of it so they could settle it. Meisner left the band soon after and was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who was in the band Poco.

The song reached #4 in the U.S., #16 in Canada, and #12 in the UK

Take It to the Limit
Eagles


All alone at the end of the evening
And the bright lights have faded to blue
I was thinking ’bout a woman who might have loved me
I never knew
You know I’ve always been a dreamer
Spent my life runnin’ ’round


And it’s so hard to change
Can’t seem to settle down
But the dreams I’ve seen lately keep on turning out
And burning out and turning out the same
So put me on a highway and show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time
You can spend all your time making money
You can spend all your love making time
If it all fell to pieces tomorrow
Would you still be mine?
And when you’re looking for your freedom
Nobody seems to care
And you can’t find the door
Can’t find it anywhere
When there’s nothing to believe in still you’re coming back
You’re running back, you’re coming back for more
So put me on a highway and show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time


Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time


Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time


Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time


Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time


Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time


Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time


Take it to the limit, take it to the limit
Take it to the limit one more time


Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Glenn Frey / Don Henley / Randy Meisner
Take It to the Limit lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group