On the Border Eagles album – Mar. 22, 1974

The On the Border album was released Mar. 22, 1974. It’s the third studio album by the Eagles and started out being produced by Glyn Johns at Olympic Studios in London. However, Bill Szymczyk finished the production at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. On the Border is the first album with Don Felder, although he wasn’t there for the beginning of the recordings for the album. Don is credited as a “late arrival” in the liner notes for the album. A hidden message carved into the run-out groove on some of the original vinyl LPs reads: “He who hesitates is lunch”.

There is an article below about a songwriter named Robb Strandlund. Robb co-wrote Already Gone with Jack Tempchin.

In the Studio with Redbeard:

Glenn and Randy are interviewed by Redbeard for “In the Studio with Redbeard” about this album and the Desperado album. The interview is on the Podcasts and interviews with Randy Meisner page on this website.

Album front and back covers

Cameron Crowe interviewed Don Henley and Glenn Frey about the history of some of the On the Border album songs – Aug. 2003

Included with the On the Border album was a two-sided gatefold poster. Don Felder is credited as a late arrival on this album, so this poster only includes the original four Eagles.
These photos were taken by Henry Diltz in Topanga Canyon.

Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, Randy Meisner, and Glenn Frey
The above photo of Randy was used on the back of his vinyl album released in 2018 by Sonic Past Music. Kurt Griffey (World Classic Rockers) introduces Randy’s album in a video on the World Classic Rockers page on this website.

Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Randy Meisner, and Glenn Frey

Excerpt from the book “Sound Man” by Glyn Johns – pg. 201:

Billboard magazine full-page ad – Apr. 6, 1974

The Eagles appeared on “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert” which coincided with the release of the On the Border album.

Cashbox – Apr. 6, 1974

New Musical Express (History of Rock magazine) – Mar. 30, 1974

“On the Border is marked by a second significant change–Glyn Johns was not the sole producer. Bill Szymczyk produced and engineered most of the album in Los Angeles and is at least partially responsible for the addition of Don Felder.”

Scarlet and Black – Grinnell College student newspaper (Grinnell, IA) – Apr. 5, 1974

“It may seem absurd – now – but when you listen to the Eagles you have to compare their music to the Beatles as far as longevity possibilities.”

Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, NY) – Apr. 6, 1974

The Capital Journal (Salem, OR) – Apr. 13, 1974

“Now, the Eagles, expanded to five members with the addition of slide guitarist Don Felder, are back with a third album that not only continues the artistic excellence of ‘Desperado’, but captures the band’s musical dynamics even more fully than either of the first two albums.”

“Then we spent another three weeks just in vocal rehearsals, looking for a vocal stamp, something that when an Eagles song comes on the radio you know it’s the Eagles when the harmony comes in – the same way you know it’s the Beach Boys or the Beatles or the Stones.”

LA Times (Los Angeles, CA) – Apr. 14, 1974

“Midnight Flyer could be their best song since Take It Easy. It’s every bit as appealing musically and vocally, featuring tight harmonies and banjo throughout.”

Tallahassee Democrat (Tallahassee, FL) – Apr. 14, 1974

The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario) – Apr. 20, 1974

The Daily Illini (Univ. of Illinois student newspaper) – Apr. 20, 1974

“If you think Ry Cooder, Duane Allman and Pete Ham have done about all there is to do on slide, take a listen to Felder and marvel. Or better yet, take a listen to all of On the Border and enjoy some of the best pop writing and singing available.”

The Parsons Sun (Parsons, KS) – Apr. 27, 1974

“Jackson Browne, John David Souther and Jack Tempchin – regular contributors to Eagles’ sessions – share credit for some of the album’s best numbers.”

Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, NC) – Apr. 28, 1974

“Don Henley is at his throaty, Witchy Woman, best on The Best of My Love, a love song that is bound to be covered by a lot of middle of the road types. Forget it. The original is too good to mess with.”

Daily Utah Chronicle (Salt Lake City, UT) – May 3, 1974

“The next song that really gets to me is Midnight Flyer. Randy Meisner, the bass guitarist, supplies the lead vocal for this song. It may interest you to know that in 1969, when Poco recorded its first album, Pickin’ Up the Pieces, Randy Meisner was their bass guitarist and backup vocalist.”

Our World – student newspaper of Queens College (Flushing, NY) – May 8, 1974

“It makes a lot more sense to show your artists packing halls, by settling for a few thousand dollars less of the promoter’s talent budget and making sure the money goes for a strong opening draw. If your act loses money at a show in Detroit, nobody will book them back there for at least a year.”

Billboard magazine – May 18, 1974

“Randy Meisner grows as a bass player each time I hear him, and his vocals have a quaint ‘lost boy’ feel to them.”

LA Free Press (Los Angeles, CA) – May 24, 1974

The Shakin’ Street Gazette – May 1974

The Shakin’ Street Gazette – May 1974
Photo in article is from the Don Kirshner Rock Concert show

“On the Border” Chicago retail promotion

Record World magazine – June 8, 1974

“The harmonic style of the group has greatly improved to which their concert appearances attest. Most of the country-rockers fall short in this department (wallowing off in the depths of nasal twang), but Eagles’ style is vaguely reminiscent of The Beach Boys’ barbershop style. All four members carry the lead vocal duties quite well.”

Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL) – June 9, 1974

“We’re a song band, Glenn said. What will be unique about Eagles – and what will keep our credibility at the level it’s at now – is just writing good songs with good words.”

Salina Journal (Salina, KS) – June 16, 1974

Asbury Park Press (Asbury Park, NJ) – Aug. 25, 1974

“However, if I should reveal that he was one half of the writing team to have penned the Eagles’ classic hit of the summer of 1974, a song known as ‘Already Gone,’ Strandlund’s name may come into focus.”

The News (Paterson, NJ) – Feb. 15, 1977

You might notice in the middle column above that the writer of this article does not have the Already Gone lyrics correct.

Star Tribune (Park Forest, IL) – June 15, 1975

“As Felder recalled during a conversation with Ultimate Classic Rock’s Matt Wardlaw, his Eagles introduction happened courtesy of his long friendship with co-founding Eagle Bernie Leadon, who’d replaced Stephen Stills in Felder’s high school band the Maundy Quintet. After years of Leadon telling Felder he needed to move to Los Angeles, Felder finally relented, and the rest is history.”

“Eagles fans are painfully aware of how short-lived that bond between Frey and Felder would ultimately prove to be, but in the short term, the group’s punchier sound helped reverse the sales slide they’d suffered with Desperado.”

Ultimate Classic Rock Magazine – Mar. 22, 2016