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American Morning

Eagles Bassist Releases Solo Album

Aired May 18, 2001 - 10:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CO-HOST: It doesn't seem like it was the '70s, but it was. I loved the Eagles and they have plans to soar once again.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Be careful. You don't want to date yourself, Donna.

KELLEY: Too late.

HARRIS: All right. Too late, now. CNN's Bill Tush is in New York. He's got more for us now in his SHOWBIZ TODAY REPORTS good morning, hey, Bill?

BILL TUSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey guys, I don't remember the '70s, but I understand the Eagles were big then and now you'll be excited to hear that the band has planned to record its first studio album since 1979's "The Long Run. " That's just one of the projects keeping bassist Timothy B. Schmit busy. The long-time band member has produced his own solo record.

CNN's Paul Vercammen talked with Schmit about his solo go and the Eagles' future plans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TIMOTHY B. SCHMIT, MUSICIAN: We need to feed the fire, got to stir the wind. I will never tire and I won't give in.

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Timothy B. Schmit, Eagles' bass player, is flying solo with "Feed the Fire" on his Lucan record label.

SCHMIT: I'm not going to pretend like I'm going to, that this album is necessarily going to appeal to an 18-year-old. You know, I'm not 18 years old anymore.

VERCAMMEN: Schmit recently showcased his new record on the radio show "Rock Line."

SCHMIT: It's much easier to play in front of 50,000 people in the context of a band than it is to sit around with a few people live on the radio like this.

(singing): Though I see a shadow outside my window, I'm just trying to be true and I can't stop thinking of you I suppose if you want to call it organic, that's probably as good a word as any. But I'm into the melodies and harmonies.

VERCAMMEN: Eagle fans adore those harmonies. Schmit joined the Eagles in the late 1970s after leaving Poco.

EAGLES: I can't tell you why. No, no, baby. I can't tell you why.

VERCAMMEN: He wrote the hit "I Can't Tell You Why." Schmit says the Eagles will begin work on their first full studio album since 1979's "The Long Run" after an upcoming world tour.

SCHMIT: To show you, like, how durable we are, we actually tried to get together about two years ago to make a record and it just, the timing wasn't right. And it just kind of fell apart. But the band didn't fall apart. But now, it's right now. Everybody is clearing their schedules.

VERCAMMEN: But not Don Felder, who is now suing original Eagles Don Henley and Glenn Frey, claiming he was wrongfully dismissed from the group in February.

SCHMIT: I'm really not at liberty to say too much about it other than to say it happened for the betterment of the group and for everybody involved.

VERCAMMEN: Schmit now focuses on playing bass for the Eagles and almost everything on his new solo record, including acoustic guitar.

Paul Vercammen, CNN Entertainment News, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUSH: And that's our Timothy B. Schmit update for now.

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