In 1975, the Eagles recorded a song nobody else wanted. It was supposed to keep the band together
The Eagles included Bernie Leadon’s song ‘I Wish You Peace’ on their 1975 album *One of These Nights*, even though the other band members thought it fell short of their standards. Don Henley later said it was kept as a gesture intended to help hold the increasingly tense group together. The story illustrates how disagreements over songwriting reflected a broader struggle for influence within the band.
Leadon had helped shape the Eagles’ country rock sound, but Glenn Frey and Henley were taking on most of the songwriting, leaving Leadon to fight for space on the records. ‘I Wish You Peace’ was co-written with Leadon’s girlfriend Patti Davis, daughter of future US President Ronald Reagan, and appeared as the album’s final track. Leadon also contributed ‘Journey of the Sorcerer’, a six-minute instrumental featuring banjo, fiddle and orchestral arrangement.
In short
- The Eagles kept a song they disliked to try to preserve the band.
- Bernie Leadon co-wrote ‘I Wish You Peace’ with Patti Davis.
- The track appeared on 1975’s *One of These Nights*.
Explained simply
The Eagles were an American rock band whose early sound mixed rock with country influences. Bernie Leadon, one of the group’s founding members, played a major part in shaping that sound, while Don Henley and Glenn Frey became its main songwriters.
As the band developed, Leadon had fewer songs on their records, and disagreements grew over who shaped the music. “I Wish You Peace”, which Leadon wrote with Patti Davis, appeared on the 1975 album *One of These Nights*. Its place on the record reflected tensions over songwriting and influence within the group.