The Eagles, Jackson Browne, and Linda Ronstadt defined 1970s music and became some of the most significant musical acts of the decade.
In recently uncovered footage, the trio of musicians join forces for a spectacular live performance unlike any other.
In the clip found online, the superstars take the stage together for a stellar rendition of the Eagles’ classic hit, “Take It Easy,” that features Browne and Ronstadt both on acoustic guitars and backing vocals.
One Youtube user perfectly captured the surrealness of the moment in a comment. “You know you’ve hit the big time when your backup singers are Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt.”
The footage appears to have originated from the Eagles television appearance on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. During the appearance, they also backed Ronstadt on her hit “Silver Threads and Golden Needles.”
In 1971, the lineup of the Eagles met when Ronstadt hired them as a group of “all-stars” for her Silk Purse Tour.
During a performance on July 12, 1971, the band made their debut with Rondstadt. Later, the new bandmates kicked it off so well that they broke away from Rondstadt and decided to form their own band.
Ronstadt recorded a solo rendition of “Desperado.”Don Henley provided harmony vocals on her recording of Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou.”
Browne also recorded a version of “Take It Easy” for his second studio album, For Everyman, in 1973.
Jackson Browne’s Ties To The Eagles
Even though Browne was never a member of the band, he played a significant role in the Eagles’ early success.
When Browne began his career in the early 1970s, he lived downstairs from Glenn Frey, who had worked with J.D. Souther in a duo called Longbranch Pennywhistle and had recently helped found the Eagles.
During their time as roommates, they developed a friendship. Brown showed Frey the new song he was working on called “Take It Easy” while he was recording his first album.
“He asked if I was going to put it on my record and I said it wouldn’t be ready in time. He said, ‘Well, we’ll put it on, we’ll do it,’ ’cause he liked it,” Browne recalled.
“But it wasn’t finished, and he kept after me to finish it, and finally offered to finish it himself. And after a couple of times when I declined to have him finish my song, I said, ‘All right.’ I finally thought, ‘This is ridiculous. Go ahead and finish it. Do it.’ And he finished it in spectacular fashion. And, what’s more, arranged it in a way that was far superior to what I had written.”
