One earmark of the popularity of a band is when people know every word of their songs by heart. The Eagles score very high by that metric. Everybody knows "Hotel California," "Take It Easy," and "New Kid In Town." They also know the chief architects of the Eagles' sound, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. But there was another member of the group who was a key contributor, Randy Meisner. Per faroutmagazie.co.uk, "...]H]e delivered one of the band's biggest hits, which he wrote and sang lead vocals on. 'Take It To The Limit' was the band's first to go gold...." That must have elated both Henley and Frey. They had encouraged Meisner to contribute a song to the band's repertoire. He stepped up with a huge iconic smash.
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The late Glenn Frey explained, "We had tried, unsuccessfully, to get a piece of material for him, or from him, that might be a hit single or turn into one. I don't think we ever consciously tried to make a hit single. We finally succeeded with 'Take It To The Limit'."
'Take It To The Limit' Was A Real Milestone For The Eagles
Frey added, "That's the first Eagles single to sell a million copies. It was our first gold single, maybe our only gold single. People always tended to buy our albums instead. We still had hit records, but they wouldn't sell through as 45s much. We had a lot of number ones, but I know that 'Take It To The Limit' was our first gold single."
Ironically, The Song Paved The Way For Randy Meisner's Departure From The Band
According to the outlet, "In 1977, an ill Meisner refused to perform the song on stage, given the physicality of performing those vocals...." That was it for him. Sadly, he never came back again.
Randy Meisner passed away in 2023 from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) at the age of 77. He left his indelible, defining mark on one of the greatest bands in all of music history. His contribution to the magic, the myth, and the mystique that was the Eagles will never be forgotten or diminished.
