The world first heard the Eagles soft rock stylings with the debut single ‘Take It Easy‘ in 1972. They quickly found an audience for their distinct Los Angeles sound. That first single, of course, was written by frontman Glenn Frey, but as the band grew, an internal power struggle erupted. To say the Eagles were not particularly harmonious is an understatement. However internal rivalries frequently threatened to overshadow the music.
The band’s second single, ‘Witchy Woman,’ was even more successful than their debut. Frey was concerned because it was the only track on their debut album written by Don Henley. As the band progressed and recorded Desperado, Henley became a much more important part of the songwriting process. He frequently collaborated with Frey. The idea of the pair sharing writing power sparked a significant amount of resentment among the pairs, which ultimately contributed to the group’s demise.
Amid this power struggle, it was easy to overlook Bernie Leadon’s presence in the background. Henley and Frey took on the majority of songwriting duties. Leadon had to fight tooth and nail to have his contributions heard, even though he co-wrote ‘Witchy Woman’ with Henley. He managed to sneak in a few of his compositions, though they were not always well received.
Leadon managed to get two of his tracks on their fourth album, One of These Nights, tucked away at the end of each side. Those songs, ‘Journey of the Sorcerer’ and ‘I Wish You Peace‘, aren’t the strongest on the record. But the album isn’t strong enough on its own to make them stand out. Leadon and his girlfriend Patti Davis, the daughter of future President Ronald Reagan, co-wrote the final track, ‘I Wish You Peace‘.
Unsurprisingly, neither Henley nor the rest of the group appreciated Leadon’s contribution. “Nobody else wanted it,” Henley admitted in an interview. “We didn’t feel it met the band’s standards. But we put it on anyway as a gesture to keep the band together.”
It is clear, then, that the track had caused a rift in the band members’ already tumultuous relationship. Nobody wanted to take the blame for the Eagles’ breakup. So the group kept the song to prevent Leadon from leaving.
Leadon admitted this, saying, “I made it known that if they didn’t record that song, I was going to break his arm, or something like that.” This attitude appeared to contradict the piece’s “peace” message. But, to Leadon’s credit, it worked. The song’s inclusion on the album annoyed the rest of the group. Leadon left the group soon after the album’s release anyway. Henley’s efforts to keep the peace, therefore, were in vain.
