Eagles: “Peaceful Easy Feeling” (1972)
A gift from Jack Tempchin that the band wrapped up beautifully.
Kronomyth 1.3: Already outstanding.
This song became Jack Tempchin’s first big hit, but it wouldn’t be his last. According to various interviews, Tempchin wrote the song in San Diego under the inspiration of pretty passersby and played it for Glenn Frey, then a member of Longbranch Pennywhistle. Frey later joined Eagles, where the band gave it a gorgeous re-arrangement, and the rest is history. For my money, this is an absolutely perfect song; I wouldn’t change a note of it. The B side was Randy Meisner’s rocker, Trying, which was actually released as the A side in Portugal, where I guess people rock harder. Over the years, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” has acquired a comma, which would be the proper punctuation, while “Trying” pretty quickly abandoned it’s countrified contraction. There’s probably a Grammar Parsons joke in there somewhere.
Original 7-inch single version
A1. Peaceful Easy Feeling (Jack Tempchin) (4:15)
B1. Trying (Randy Meisner) (2:50)
Asylum Spun Gold 7-inch single reissue
A1. Life in the Fast Lane (Joe Walsh/Don Henley/Glenn Frey) (4:46)
B1. Peaceful, Easy Feeling (Jack Tempchin) (4:16)
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch single in December 1972 in the US (Asylum, AS 11033). Also released with A and B sides switched on 7-inch single in 1972 in Portugal (Asylum, 8E 006-94 145) with picture sleeve. Reached #22 on the US charts. (First appeared in December 16, 1972 issue of Billboard.)
- Re-issued w. “Life in the Fast Lane” on back-to-back hits 7-inch single in 1979 in the US (Asylum Spun Gold, E-40598).
