Did You Know? Jackson Browne Helped Write the Eagles First Hit While Living Below Glenn Frey

Jackson Browne and the Eagles are the epitome of 1970s rock. They are the soundtrack of the decade. Not only that, but they also generated timeless songs. For fans of Browne or The Eagles, you can mention the success of one without the other. In the early 1970s, Don Henley and Glenn Frey were young aspiring musicians who made their way to Los Angeles. The two met at The Troubadour in 1971. Frey had recently been hired as rhythm guitarist in Linda Ronstadt’s backing band. He recruited his new friend Don Henley to join the band on drums for the summer tour. J.D. Souther allowed the two to use his living room to hone in their iconic harmonies ahead of the tour.

Soon enough, Don Henley and Glenn Frey had plans for a group of their own. They approached Ronstadt and admitted they were leaving a group to start one of their own. She was entirely understanding, and they remained acquaintances for decades to come. Soon after, Glenn Frey was sharing a small Echo Park studio apartment in Los Angeles. This apartment was located directly above a young Jackson Browne, who was working on his debut album. Frey would listen in on Browne’s practice routine, which involved making tea in a kettle and playing the same song repeatedly. This was Browne’s songwriting approach, letting the song write itself and seeing where it goes while a tea kettle screeched. Frey was amazed by this process and began learning how to write songs of his own while listening in.

Frey Helped Finish This Song, and Browne Gifted It To The Eagles

Browne was working on a new song, called “Take It Easy.” He was stuck on writing lines for the second verse when Frey had an idea. He ran downstairs and offered a suggestion. The lines Frey brought to Browne were “It’s a girl, my lord, in a flatbed ford / Slowin’ down to have a look at me.”

Since Fry had helped hash out the track, Browne offered “Take It Easy” to Frey’s newly formed group. Not only that, but Jackson Browne recommended the new group to David Geffen. This led the Eagles to sign with Asylum Records to record their debut album. “Take It Easy” was the band’s first single release, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their self-titled debut album peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200, and the Eagles would soon dominate the charts for the rest of the 1970s.

The Eagles and Jackson Browne’s friendship continued throughout the 1970s. Browne is featured with the band on the back cover of their second album, Desperado. The band is dressed as outlaws, caught and tied up, and Browne is one of the outlaws lying with the band. At the Summer Jam festival in 1974, Jackson Browne joined the Eagles, playing piano during the performance. He also contributed the track, “James Dean,” to the Eagles’ third album. Additionally, Henley and Frey sang harmonies on Jackson Browne’s “The Late Show” in 1974.

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