With a vocal blend that was the envy of most of their rock group peers, it makes sense members of the Eagles were often contacted by other artists to add their voices as backup singers. They usually did so in tandem, with two or three members of the band providing the necessary vocal support.
Some of the songs on this list were big hits, and most feature lead artists who were part of the West Coast rock scene with the band. In any case, here are five occasions where the Eagles’ harmonies were put to great use as part of the supporting cast.
“Rider in the Rain” by Randy Newman (1977)
Newman has been known to take subtle shots at other peers in his songs. If you heard “Rider in the Rain” without the backing vocals, you might assume he was doing a tongue-in-cheek parody of the rock singers-as-outlaws ethos which the Eagles inhabited early in their career. There even seem to be lyrical references: I have been a desperado, Newman sings, and the setting of Arizona hearkens back to “Take It Easy.” But then you hear the smooth backing vocals from Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and JD Souther (who is pretty much an honorary Eagle), and it seems like they were very much in on the joke.
“FM (No Static at All)” by Steely Dan (1978)
When Henley, Frey, and Timothy B. Schmit appeared on this Steely Dan single, it seemed to put to rest what many in the industry perceived as a feud between the two bands. It stemmed from a seemingly derogatory mention of the Eagles in a Steely Dan track, followed by the Eagles pointedly calling out steely knives in their classic “Hotel California.” There was likely never much bad blood between them, as the two bands were likely just joshing with each other. In any case, those vocals certainly help the chorus soar here, earning the Dan one of their biggest hits.
“Fire Lake” by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (1980)
As a pair of Michigan natives who were both making their way in the ’70s in the world of heartland rock, it’s unsurprising that Bob Seger and Glenn Frey would make a connection. It was one that played out a few different times, most notably when Seger helped the Eagles write “Heartache Tonight,” their hit single from The Long Run. In 1980, Seger delivered Against the Wind, another in a series of smash albums with the Silver Bullet Band. Frey, Henley, and Schmit are on duty with notable backing vocals on “Fire Lake,” one of the biggest hits from that record.
“Look What You’ve Done to Me” by Boz Scaggs (1980)
Scaggs found his stride as a solo artist a bit late in his career, but once he did, starting with the 1976 smash album Silk Degrees, he enjoyed quite the impressive stretch. Part of what made him so successful was he had the ability to slide into the adult contemporary format quite well. Many love themes from ’80s films get a bit schlocky, but “Look What You’ve Done to Me,” which was featured in the film Urban Cowboy, avoids that fate. That’s thanks to solid writing from Scaggs and David Foster, and to Henley, Frey, and Schmit for coming through with soulful backing parts.
“She’s Too Good for Me” by Warren Zevon (2003)
Members of the Eagles supported their fellow California rocker Warren Zevon on several occasions throughout his career. For example, that’s Henley and Frey offering the soaring backing vocals on the standout track “The French Inhaler” from Zevon’s acclaimed self-titled album in 1976. But perhaps their most moving collaboration came on Zevon’s final album The Wind, which was made while he was in the terminal stages of his battle with cancer. The contrast between Zevon’s frail lead and the smooth supporting harmonies offered by Henley and Schmit provides some tear-jerking moments.
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