Released in 1979, The Long Run captured the Eagles in full late-’70s glow: sleek R&B inflections, West Coast harmony, and radio-proof hooks. It introduced Timothy B. Schmit, sent “Heartache Tonight” to #1, and quietly tucked away a trove of great stories. Here are five.
1. Schmit’s smooth debut became the first song finished
Timothy B. Schmit brought the seed of “I Can’t Tell You Why,” based loosely on his own experiences. Glenn Frey and Don Henley finished it with him in all-night sessions. Cut in March 1978, it became the album’s first completed track and Schmit’s lead-vocal showcase.
2. A deliberate slide into R&B velvet
Henley called “I Can’t Tell You Why” “straight Al Green,” and Frey urged Schmit to lean into a Smokey Robinson vibe. Schmit’s bass part locks to a supple pocket, while Frey’s counterpoint melody threads the chorus. The result: a Top 10 hit with satin-lined cool.
3. ‘In the City’ took the Warriors’ route home
Joe Walsh first recorded “In the City” for The Warriors soundtrack, credited only to him. The song resonated so strongly that the Eagles cut their own version for The Long Run. Walsh’s grit meets the band’s widescreen sheen, bridging film and album in one sweep.
4. Disco on the chassis, menace in the mirror
Don Felder built “The Disco Strangler” on a four-on-the-floor engine; Henley wrote the lyrics. The track rides a relentless club pulse while the guitars flash like neon. It’s a late-night street scene rendered in kick drum, hi-hat, and cold-steel riffing.
5. Groove tributes and groove etchings
The title track tips its hat to the Stax/Memphis R&B sound—snap, sway, and soul in California sunlight. On the original vinyl, the band signed the run-out grooves with Easter eggs: “Never let your monster lay down” (Side 1) and “From the Polack who sailed north” (Side 2)
The Long Run folds R&B warmth, road-worn storytelling, and studio detail into a platinum listen. From Schmit’s luminous entrance to Walsh’s Warriors crossover and those dead-wax winks, it’s a late-’70s album that keeps revealing new corners every time the needle drops.