Victim Of Love by Eagles

Album: Hotel California (1976)

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Songfacts®:

This Eagles rocker features lead vocals from Don Henley, lead guitar from Don Felder and slide guitar from Joe Walsh.

The lead vocals were a source of contention, as Felder came up with the idea for the song and wanted to sing it. He remembers being promised a lead vocal on the Hotel California album, and thought this would be the one.

According to Don Henley, they let record the vocal, but it didn't meet the band's standards. To distract Felder, the band's manager Irving Azoff took him out for a meal while Henley put down his tracks.

"It was a bitter pill to swallow. I felt like Don was taking that song from me," Felder said. "But there was no way to argue with my vocal versus Don Henley's vocal."

Henley said that Felder demanding a lead vocal on this song would be the equivalent of him demanding to play lead guitar on "Hotel California."
On the on the run out groove to side 2 of the Hotel California album, scratched into the vinyl is the message: "V.O.L. is a five piece live." This means that the song "Victim of Love" was played live in the studio by all five Eagles playing together.

Since the Eagles were accused of being so staid and lifeless in the studio, they decided to play live in the studio and then let people know they had done it. The band confirmed this in liner notes to their Very Best of The Eagles compilation. Their engineer, Bill Szymczyk, did the engraving.
Along with Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther helped write this song. Other Eagles tracks Souther co-wrote include "Heartache Tonight" and "New Kid In Town."
In our interview with Don Felder, he explained: "We were trying to move in a heavier direction, away from country rock. And so I wrote 16 or 17 song ideas, kind of in a more rock and roll direction, and 'Victim of Love' was one of those songs. I remember we went in the studio and we recorded it live with five guys playing. The only thing that wasn't played in a live session was the lead vocal and harmony on the choruses. Everything else was recorded live."

Comments: 9

Critical Charles from Planet Earthlisten to Felder's solo records and then wonder why they weren't as popular as his work with the Eagles. His contribution to the "Heavy Metal" soundtrack woukd be a good place to start. He's good but Henley is awesome.
Daytona from New YorkFrey and Henley were bullies. Super control freaks. I went to a concert to see Don Felder and he was great singing Victim of Love. I'm not saying Frey and Henley weren't great singers but they weren't great team members. Very egotistical.
Dignap15 from New ZealandOk, Don Felder wanted to sing the song, and had been promised he could sing a song on Hotel California. Was this just for artistic reasons? or would the singer get more royalties?
Mike Kevitt from Hickory, NcI like the whole song and the way The Eagles did it. In particular, I like that guitar at the beginning, then how it keeps meandering through the whole rest of the song, kind of in the background but impossible to miss. I couldn't help noticing, and focusing my hearing on it.
Ken from Louisville, KyIn the History Of The Eagles documentary, Felder says that he assumed he'd be getting the lead vocal. Henley explained that they recorded several versions with Felder's lead vocal, but nobody was very happy with them. So while Felder was out of the studio, Henley's own lead vocal was inserted over the instrumental track already recorded. Henley said "Having Don Felder sing lead vocal on Victim Of Love would be like having me play lead guitar on Hotel California."
Guy from Benson, NcFelder wrote the core and originally titled it "Iron Lung" because of the slapback echo sound on the guitar reminded of his childhood time spent in an iron lung.
Pj from Twain Harte, CaI always called this the "chicken song" because of the guitar riffs in the beginning of the song :)
Mayank from Ranchi, IndiaGreat song, nice guitar solos.
Jim from Long Beach, CaGreat song. Joe Walsh's addition was the shot in the arm the Eagles needed!!!

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