"Already Gone" is a song recorded by the American rock band the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...

for their 1974 album ''

On the Border ''On the Border'' is the third studio album by American rock group the Eagles, released in 1974. Apart from two songs produced by Glyn Johns, it was produced by Bill Szymczyk because the group wanted a more rock‑oriented sound instead of the c ...

''. It was written by Jack Tempchin and Robb Strandlund and produced by

Bill Szymczyk William Frank Szymczyk (; born February 13, 1943) is an American music producer and technical engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of the 1 ...

. The song was the first single released from ''On the Border'' and peaked at No. 32 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Since then, the Eagles have included it in their greatest hits albums and live performances.

Background

"Already Gone", which is four minutes and 13 seconds long, was written by Robb Strandlund and Jack Tempchin."On the Border - Eagles"
allmusic.com. Retrieved December 30, 2011. In the liner notes for '' The Very Best Of'', Glenn Frey said that Tempchin sent him a tape of the song through the mail. Tempchin had already written one of the Eagles' previous singles, " Peaceful Easy Feeling". Excerpt also in ''The Very Best Of'' (p. 13)

D booklet D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''. History Th ...

Warner Music Group REF. "Already Gone" was one of the first songs that the Eagles recorded for the album after they stopped recording in London and returned to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, and switched their producer from

Glyn Johns Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English musician, recording engineer and record producer. Biography Early history Johns was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. He had three siblings, two older sisters and a younger brother, Andy ...

. Frey was the lead vocalist. New guitarist

Don Felder Donald William Felder (born September 21, 1947) is an American musician who was the lead guitarist of the rock band Eagles from 1974 until his termination from the band in 2001. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 with th ...

played a Les Paul Special and provided the song's solo lick.

Release

"Already Gone" is the opening track of the Eagles' album ''On the Border'', which was released by

Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/Asylu ...

on March 22, 1974. It was released as the first single from the album in April 1974.Strong, Martin Charles (2006).
The Essential Rock Discography
'. Canongate U.S. p. 345. Its b-side was "Is It True". The song has also been included on some of the Eagles' compilation albums, including '' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)'' and ''The Very Best Of''.

Critical reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' said that this was the Eagles' "best single release to date" calling it a "hard rocker driven by the group's incredible harmonies." "Already Gone" has been described as a "classic". In his book ''To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles'', Marc Eliot wrote that the song "was an out-and-out rocker ... Musically it sounded like a fuel-injected rave-up, with melodic echoes of both 'Peaceful Easy Feeling' and 'Take It Easy.' In 2017, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' ranked the song number nine on their list of the 15 greatest Eagles songs, and in 2019, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' ranked the song number six on their list of the 40 greatest Eagles songs.

Chart performance

The song was a "staple" on AM and FM radio. It peaked at #32 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on June 29, 1974, spending three weeks on the

American Top 40 ''American Top 40'' (previously abbreviated to ''AT40'') is an internationally syndicated, independent song countdown radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, and Ron Jacobs. The program is currently hosted by Ryan Sea ...

, and a total of 15 weeks on the chart. "Already Gone - Eagles" billboard.com. Retrieved December 30, 2011.

Live performances

The Eagles have included "Already Gone" in their live performances since the 1970s. It was one of their "best selections" at a 1979

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

show, according to one reviewer. At a 2002 concert in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, the song created a "frenzy," with the audience singing along. A performance was included on the 2005 '' Farewell 1 Tour'' DVD, which was filmed in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. In 2006, the band played the song in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

, and Frey delivered it "with humour and passion."

Personnel

* Glenn Frey – lead vocals, guitar solos *

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as " Witchy Woman", "Des ...

– drums, background vocals * Bernie Leadon – guitar, background vocals *

Randy Meisner Randall Herman Meisner (born March 8, 1946) is a retired American musician, singer, songwriter and founding member of the Eagles. Throughout his professional musical career, Meisner's main role was that of bassist and backing high-harmony vocal ...

– bass, background vocals *

– guitar solos

Track listing

7" # "Already Gone" # "Is It True"

Charts

Other versions

*"Already Gone" was recorded by

Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, " Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. Over the succeeding decades, Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature in ...

for the 1993 tribute album '' Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles''. ''

s Kara Manning wrote that Tucker's version "transforms its male bravado into a feminist battle cry." *The song was included by

Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips is an American pop group formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The group consists of Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of ...

on their 2004 album ''

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

''.Gardner, Elysa
"Wilson Phillips: 'California' dreaming"
usatoday.com. June 17, 2004. Retrieved December 30, 2011. *The Finnish rendering "Alan Sooloilemaan" was recorded by

Karma Karma (; sa, कर्म}, ; pi, kamma, italic=yes) in Sanskrit means an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively ...

() for their 1977 album ''Morjens''.

References

{{authority control 1974 singles 1993 singles 2004 singles Eagles (band) songs Tanya Tucker songs Wilson Phillips songs Songs written by Jack Tempchin Song recordings produced by Bill Szymczyk Asylum Records singles 1973 songs