Remember When a Member of Eagles Played on Richard Marx’s First Single in 1987?
In 1987, singer-songwriter Richard Marx released his debut single, "Don't Mean Nothing," from his self-titled first album, which he co-wrote with Bruce Gaitsch. The track, which reflects Marx's frustration at the slow pace of his early career after years of rejection from record labels, is notable for featuring a guitar contribution from Joe Walsh of the Eagles, lending the newcomer's first single an unexpected touch of rock pedigree.
Marx has recalled that Walsh agreed to play on the song purely because he liked the demo, despite not knowing Marx personally and the track being his debut. Walsh spent an entire afternoon in the studio, recording several guitar solos and additional fills, with Marx noting that, unlike with most session players, he left Walsh free to improvise rather than dictating specific notes to him.
- Joe Walsh of the Eagles played guitar on Richard Marx's 1987 debut single.
- Walsh joined purely because he liked the song's demo.
- He spent an afternoon recording solos and fills, largely unguided.
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Richard Marx is an American singer-songwriter who broke through in the late 1980s as a pop and soft-rock artist, best known for a string of chart hits over that decade. Before his solo success, he worked mainly as a songwriter and backing vocalist for other established acts, and his 1987 self-titled debut album marked his first attempt to establish himself as a performer in his own right.
Joe Walsh is a veteran rock guitarist, best known as a longstanding member of the Eagles, one of the most commercially successful American rock bands, as well as for his own solo career. His involvement in the story stems from a guest appearance on Marx's debut single, "Don't Mean Nothing," a session that stands out because at the time Marx was an unproven newcomer while Walsh was already a well-established rock musician.
The wider interest in this story lies in how the collaboration came about, and what it says about the culture of session musicianship in the music industry, where established artists sometimes lend their skills to help launch the careers of relative unknowns.