Joe Walsh is the only cool Eagle in my books. Just watch The Eagles documentary, History of the Eagles (2013) (which is only a little less funnier than This Is Spinal Tap) and you know that he is the only cool, non-ego in the bunch. That’s why his music before and after the Eagles rocks. Which brings us to today’s Bands In The Woods Wednesday: the spur of the moment photos taken in he woods that were used for James Gang’s second album, “Rides Again” (1970) . Let’s explore these iconic photos that would go on to personify the band itself.
More ‘Bands In The Woods’:
Bands In The Woods Wednesday: Neil Peart (Of Rush)
Bands In The Woods Wednesday: ZZ Top
Bands In The Woods Wednesday: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The photo, taken by legendary photographer Tom Wright, on a snowy January day not unlike the sloshy weather we are currently experiencing in Ontario as I write this article. Tom, who was actually James Gang’s manager at the time, took the photos of the band in this remote location, while they were touring in Massachusetts. Quite contrary to their icey surroundings, the band at the time were coming in hot, having received a warm reception with the release of their debut album, Yer’ Album (1969).
Listen to James Gang’s “Funk #49” on Cottage Country Mix Vol. 1 :
The story goes that they were crashing at a fellow band’s place while on tour with very little to no money back then for a hotel. This band happened to be living with these bikers, whose bikes held a special place in their hearts and their homes, with many of the bikes themselves inside the house. The Gang (James Gang now) were eyeing these bikes and were hoping/conspiring to use them in a photo but they were hesitant to ask, partially due to the rough snowy conditions. When they eventually worked up the courage, the bikers were more than happy to oblige and proceeded to start the motorcycles inside the house to ride them outside much to the amusement of the band. This is where the legendary, iconic photo shoot took place.
Here you can see their surprise and amusment confirmed in their expressions, well at least in that of Jim Fox (drums) and Dale “Bugsley” Peters (bassist) on the left who seem tickled pink. The series of photos depicts the band in the great outdoors, sitting on a couple panhead motorcycles on a snowy and soppy dirt road. They are surrounded by barren winter trees, but the band don’t seem to mind. Joe looking a bit grumpy (maybe he wishes he wore something warmer) or perhaps he was just playing it “cool”.
Looking at the photo above from the series, Joe Walsh is holding the motorcycle just outside the barn. It is not without irony that Joe Walsh would eventually leave James Gang to form his own band in Colorado called (wait for it) Barnstorm. It’s also worth noting that, eventually, Joe Walsh would be replaced in James Gang by Canadian guitarist, Domenic Troiano (in a Canadian connection).
So, in the tradition of cowboy movies like The Lone Ranger or Destry, the Gang “rides again” in this, their second album, James Gang Rides Again (1970), which the photo was used for. Except here, of course, they are on steeds of steel instead of horses and instead of guns, they are armed with some of the heaviest jams ever produced by a three-piece band. Songs like “The Bomber” and “Funk #49” are still blazing and can put a hole in your head like a bullet. Joe Walsh would eventually leave the Gang in 1971, but for the moment this iconic album and picture would solidify them as a gang, a musical gang as it were. Move over Gang Of Four, we have the original “gang of three”: Joe Walsh, Jim Fox & Dale Peters.
James Gang’s “Walk Away” is featured on Cottage Country Mix Vol. 11:
Dougie Boom's Cottage Country Mix 
2 Replies to “Bands In The Woods Wednesday: Joe Walsh and James Gang”