I'm seeing Don Felder next Friday and I was doing a deep dive listening to interviews and reading articles to get up to speed and I came across the story which is told several times in print and interviews that Duane taught Felder the basics of electric slide.
"The Allman Brothers were always around Gainesville [Felder's hometown]. We were always in the local battle of the bands together and I have never been happier to say that I lost every one of them to the Allman Brothers. They were the best band, Duane by far was the best guitar player, and Gregg was such a cool singer with a great voice. I had seen Duane play slide all summer long that year up and down Daytona Beach. So one night when we got off work at one o’clock, we went to have breakfast with Gregg and Duane. We later ended up at their mother’s house with Duane on the floor playing slide guitar. I said, “You gotta show me how to do that!” So he showed me the tuning, showed me how to pull down from the 5th to the 4, to bend the 3rd really slowly up to a note, drag down to the seventh just kinda the basic way that slide works. Ironically, the first track I recorded with the Eagles was a song called “Good Day in Hell.” If Duane hadn’t taught me how to do that none of this probably would have happened."
If you check out Good Day in Hell which was Felder's first day with the Eagles as he was called in for session work and was quickly added as a full time member, you can clearly hear the Duane influence, which is awesome.
But the reason for this post is the story makes no sense at all. Didn't Duane learn slide in the Hour Glass Days? Weren't they passed the "battle of the bands" days by this time? The earliest slide track I know of is the original Melissa on the Gregg and Duane Allman record and that was apparently recorded in Sept 1968 in Florida so there is some overlap there, but the brothers Allman were out in LA most of that year, so what the hell is Felder talking about? Were any of you superfans actually in Florida when this was all goin down?
I've heard Felder tell the story too, and agree it doesn't line up, especially the open tuning part. He's probably combining timelines - their time in the FL club circuit in the mid 1960s, and a later event when Duane came back from LA in late 69 or 70 since Duane didn't start using open tunings until then. These musicians all packed a lot of life into the 1960s and 1970s, I don't fault them for misremembering the "when".
Coincidentally fellow Eagle Joe Walsh learned some slide and open E from Duane as well, but said it was backstage of the Ludlow Garage (or maybe another OH venue) when they were both on the road.
"These musicians all packed a lot of life into the 1960s and 1970s, I don't fault them for misremembering the "when"."
First thing to keep in mind: all of these guys are getting OLD! Knees, eyes, teeth ... memory - I forget which ones go first but they all do go! I've read several accounts of "classic rock" era guys saying that Duane taught them slide (especially Joe Walsh and a fe others). Safe statement to make - since Duane ain't here to refute! Regardless - Don Felder can play!
@rusty yeah, I can't believe he's playing all the way out in Nowhere, Oklahoma. I went to the website looking for another show and about fell out of my chair when I saw Felder was playing within driving distance. I never saw the Eagles because I like to be up front and Eagles up front is what, $1,200 plus fees, at least? I'll take 4th row Felder for $70 in a tiny casino venue please and thank you!
these guys are getting OLD! Knees, eyes, teeth ... memory - I forget which ones go first but they all do go!
😁🎼it’s teeth for me bro🦷 - am in the process of getting dentures - memory is not far behind😵💫🪐 - then eyes after that - knees, legs, lungs, pretty good🤙
man it is not possible for me to sit or stand still during the slide solo on midnight flyer - credited to Glenn Frey on my copy of On The Border - could rave all day about it, Bernie Leadon’s banjo playing etc
Does anyone else get that blue spinning icon that says “Drafting” at upper right, when typing their posts here
@joe_the_lurker That should be a great show! I wish that Don Felder and Joe Walsh would hook-up for a tour of small theaters!
I have heard the story you guys are discussing and you know more than I do so who knows the timing of everything? He was on one of those shows on TV, A&E or something where the artist is interviewed by I want to say Dan Rather. It could be someone like him. Anyway, Felder kind of explains the Hotel California part he apparently wrote and played some of it. Felder seemed very lucid. Maybe he remembered something wrong.
And Rusty is correct about him. I saw him at a shed about 6 or 7 years ago. He was on one of those tours where they package two or three artists together. I think he opened for REO and Styx or maybe .38 Special. He was awesome. Played a bunch of the Eagles hits and did the vocals of both Henley and Frey. And surprisingly it was really good.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Felder talked about meeting and playing with Duane in his book, "Heaven And Hell: my time with the Eagles".
