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Don Felder has spent the last five decades shaping the sound of classic rock — most famously as the guitar maestro behind The Eagles’ “Hotel California.” Now, he’s cracking open The Vault: 50 Years of Music, a new album that pulls from demos and song ideas dating back to 1974, when Felder first joined the Eagles. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.
In this interview with Kyle Meredith, Felder discusses how he unearthed forgotten gems from a long-abandoned storage unit, reworking early sketches like “Move On” and giving old favorites like “Heavy Metal” a modern punch. He reflects on his Florida roots, learning slide guitar from Duane Allman, and how those early influences still shape his playing today.
Felder also reveals the spontaneous origins of his iconic flamenco intro for “Hotel California” during the Hell Freezes Over tour:
“[Don] Henley wanted to have a portion in the show that was unplugged. Now, when I wrote the music for ‘Hotel California,’ it was never intended to be on acoustic guitar. It was intended to be plugged into some amps and turned up, and Joe and I just go toe to toe with each other… So we do a soundcheck and at the end of soundcheck, Henley says, ‘You know, ‘Hotel,’ it needs a special introduction. I went, ‘Well, what are you gonna say?’… He said, ‘No, no, no. What you need to just make up something.’ That really was the task I was assigned… And so it was just one of those moments where you just make it up on the spot… So we walk out on stage, they’re rolling this thing live. It’s the first time it’s like, ‘Well, I hope I’m funny,’ you know? And so, I make up one.”
Elsewhere, Felder discusses his commitment to keeping his voice and guitar chops sharp (“I will never let myself be disappointing”), and fronting most of Toto on this new record. Plus, with a summer tour alongside Styx and Kevin Cronin on the horizon (get tickets here), Felder is showing no signs of slowing down.
Listen to Don Felder discuss The Vault: 50 Years of Music, Eagles’ “Hotel California,” and more above, or watch the interview below. Keep up on all the latest episodes by following Kyle Meredith With… on your favorite podcast platform; plus, check out all the series on the Consequence Podcast Network.
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