Take It Easy
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| “Take It Easy” | |||||
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| Single by Eagles from the album Eagles |
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| B-side | "Get You in the Mood" | ||||
| Released | May 1, 1972 | ||||
| Format | 7" | ||||
| Genre | Rock, Country Rock | ||||
| Length | 3:30 | ||||
| Label | Asylum | ||||
| Writer(s) | Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey | ||||
| Producer | Glyn Johns | ||||
| Eagles singles chronology | |||||
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"Take It Easy" is a song written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey, and recorded by the Eagles (with Frey singing lead vocals). It was the band's first single, released on May 1, 1972. It also was the opening track on the band's debut album Eagles and it has become one of their signature songs, included on all of their live and compilation albums. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Browne originally began writing "Take It Easy" in 1971 for his own debut album. His friend and then-neighbor Frey heard an early version and liked it so much that Browne gave it to him for his new band. Frey finished the second verse (including the line "It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford ...") and the resulting single climbed to #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Bass player Randy Meisner sings the harmony vocal in this verse with Frey.
Jackson Browne later recorded the song as the lead track on his second album, For Everyman (1973). It has also been covered by several other artists including Billy Mize, Johnny Rivers, and Travis Tritt. Tritt's version, recorded for the tribute album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, was released as a single in 1993, and peaked at #21 on the Billboard country music charts.
The second verse of "Take It Easy" is set in the city of Winslow, Arizona, which responded by erecting a life-size bronze statue and mural commemorating the song, at the Standin' On The Corner Park. The statue (believed by some to resemble songwriter Jackson Browne), stands leaning against a lamp post, securing an acoustic guitar between his right hand and the shoe of his right foot. Above his head, a metal sign, crafted in the style of U.S. Route shields, displays the words "Standin' on the corner". The mural on the wall behind the statue is that of a fake storefront, and includes what would appear to be the reflection of a red Ford pickup truck driven by a blonde-haired woman. The second floor of the mural features an eagle perched in one of the windows.[1]
The "corner" is actually that of North Kinsley Avenue and West 2nd Street (eastbound State Route 99) in downtown Winslow.
[edit] Version Differences
The versions of the song recorded by the Eagles and Jackson Browne differ in several ways. The Eagles' version sounds a bit faster and has some noticeable country influence. There are also some differences in wording, most notably the line following "I'm looking for a lover, who won't blow my cover". Browne's version follows this with "She's just a little hard to find", while the Eagles' version replaces "just a little" with a prolonged "so". Finally, the Eagles' version ends with the trademark "Wooooo! Wooooo!" sing-along and a reprise of the "take it easy" chorus line". Browne's version goes out with just guitar.
Due to the greater fame of the Eagles' version, Browne often plays the song in this style at his concerts, despite the opinion of many of his long-time fans that his own version is superior.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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