In The City- Joe Walsh/ Eagles
Never really been into the Eagles. Walsh, BIG fan of James Gang and the Barnstorm stuff, but he lost me with his goof ball rock shtick. So my knowledge and history of the prior mentioned is limited.
I was listening to the "Pod Of Thunder" last night and they were reviewing the song "In The City" the Joe Walsh version. That song kinda ,meh , with me. They were talking up the back ground of it saying it was on the Warriors soundtrack 1979, Joe Walsh's version. Then the Eagles did it later that year for the Long Run Release. Ok, so nice trivia history.
So it brings me to this. What threw me, they said the version everyone knows or the one that is routinely played on the radio was the Eagles. Huh?!?! I guess I really never paid much attention, but I always thought it was a Joe Walsh song(not knowing the Eagles did it) and second I thought when it was on the radio the DJ always said it was by Joe Walsh. I played both back to back, pretty similar, but you can tell they are a little different here and there , but pretty much the same.
Do any of you folks recall hearing the Walsh version on the radio? It has been awhile,till last night, but after listening to both of them I would have to say it was the Eagles version that I remember, but could be wrong. I just always assumed it was Joe(not knowing there was a Eagles version) ,and like I said, I thought the DJ's always introduced it has him and not the Eagles.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
I've always been a big Joe Walsh fan, but the version of "In the City" I always heard was The Eagles take from The Long Run. I'd never heard the Joe Walsh version until I watched The Warriors and realized it was slightly different. Walsh's version was on The Warriors soundtrack, it didn't appear on any Joe Walsh album so didn't get as much airplay for DJs who already have an Eagles album sitting around. Funny thing is Joe Walsh and The Eagles had the same producer and all those guys would play on Joe Walsh solo albums anyways.
Big Joe Walsh fan but he started losing me after my favorite album by him "So What" due to his goofy songs as well.
He did have some decent songs on the post "So What" albums but the goofy songs were a turn off for me.
I saw Joe Walsh play two shows in 1990 at a tiny club, Toads Place, New Haven, CT, where Joe was so drunk he could barely stand, his eye's were slits and he was slurring his words. He was drinking what looked like vodka screw drivers through both shows.
The amazing thing for me was he played flawlessly during those two shows. He did pull out a trombone during each show as a gag and proceeded to play some song badly for a few minutes. As good as his playing was that day I always wondered how different it would have been had he been sober.
He is one of the most underrated talented all around musicians IMHO. He is an amazing guitar player who sings and writes fantastic songs.
I know he makes good $$$ with the Eagles but wish he would do some solos tours again to play his material.
I like Joe's goofy songs, but there's still a lot of great material on But Seriously Folks and There Goes the Neighborhood. The novelty songs just began to overshadow the rest.
That show sounds about par for that period. Joe was the clown of MTV in the 1980s, but was MIA musically, glad for him he got sober. From all accounts, the Eagles 1994 reunion saved his life.
I caught the James Gang reunion at the Beacon years ago, very fun, very short show. Joe was still touring solo regularly before COVID hit, he had a big tour with Tom Petty in 2017 right before he died (I was at a local Amp shop when Petty's tour bus called to see if they could fix a blown amp, they answered if they get there before 5pm maybe).
Joe just did a remote show for Vets and was on The Conners this month. Guess he's keeping busy.
This reminds me of "All Night Long", another Joe Walsh song that was on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, but The Eagles would often play during their final first run.
Here's Joe with Ringo & co last month playing "Funk #49".
"If I'd known I'd be playing that song for the rest of my life, I'd have written a better one"
I attended Farm Aid III which was outstanding start to finish, and I do mean finish.
The format is virtually all performers get three songs and while one performer/group is out front playing to the crowd, the next bunch is setting up gear etc. It featured a rotating section of stage so when one act was done they'd rotate around the next one.
Joe was performing his set and after only two songs the stage rotated unexpectedly. Just before they disappeared Joe shouted "we'll be back!" but it continued on with the next act.
Lo and behold, after the telecast was over and they'd done the "everyone encore," the stage spun around again and there was Joe, he finished the concert with "In The City." Pretty cool.
"Is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?"
I'm a Joe fan too. Starting with the James Gang. He played some good slide guitar back then.
I like his sense of humor. He laughs at himself real good. Seems to convey he is a continuous goof up but actually he has been remarkablely successful.
I've been enjoying the above In The City for several years every now and then.
This reminds me of "All Night Long", another Joe Walsh song that was on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, but The Eagles would often play during their final first run.
Here's Joe with Ringo & co last month playing "Funk #49".
"If I'd known I'd be playing that song for the rest of my life, I'd have written a better one"
Yeah Ringo was on the Howard Stern show on XM/Sirius in the past and he mentioned how he and Joe are brother in laws and they are very close. They brought out Joe and they interviewed together.
Joe is a fantastic slide player and does not get enough love IMHO for his guitar playing. This is one of the greatest rock songs in history IMHO. Sounds amazing on vinyl.
Is there a history / working relationship between Ringo & Joe Walsh? I was unaware of one.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
@lee Joe was in Ringo's All-Star Band back in the 1980s and 90s. Eventually Joe married Ringo's wife's (Bond girl Barbara Bach) sister.
@lee Joe was in Ringo's All-Star Band back in the 1980s and 90s. Eventually Joe married Ringo's wife's (Bond girl Barbara Bach) sister.
Oh yeah, I forgot he was in The All-Star Band a year or two. That as a neat tour. Ringo sure got some primo talent over the years he did it. Didn't know there was an in-law connection.
Regarding In the City and The Warriors, I love that movie and playing that song as the movie ends was genius.
Everything in Moderation. Including Moderation.
Joe is a master of tone. As much as he comes across as a raucous and rowdy and jammy dude, from what I have seen, he thinks of his solos as compositions and plays a lot of stuff close to the recorded version, like Alex Lifeson from Rush.
That being said, it's great stuff. I too caught the James Gang reunion show at the Beacon in the 2000s, and it WAS short, but it was all killer no filler. Maybe 80 minutes max. His voice was ON POINT due to sobriety.
He's fun on the Clapton Crossroads DVD too. His "Daryl's House" appearance is must-see TV.
I was born in '71, so I was a kid in the 70s and 80s and always heard the Eagles version on the radio and MTV. Didn't learn there was a Joe version until the past few years, and I consider myself a fan.
Neither version was released as a single, so I guess it's possible that your local station played the Joe version. But in my experience it's the Eagles version that was more prominent.
This is pretty funny...Walsh is at the end.
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
