Hotel California

Saturday 9: Hotel California (1977)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 
1) In this song, Don Henley called the hotel's front desk and asked, "Please bring me my wine." He was told they haven't had wine since 1969. When did you last have a glass of wine? It's been years. Since menopause, wine triggers debilitating migraines. This isn't a hardship, as I have become acquainted with mixed drinks that I like better anyway.

2) The lyrics refer to wine as a "spirit." That is incorrect. Wines are fermented, not distilled, and have a lower alcohol content than spirits. When "Hotel California" was popular, listeners who were into wine called radio stations to let them know about the mistake. Are you a wine aficionado? Are any of your friends or family knowledgeable about wine? I used to have a friend who took her wine very seriously. It amused me to hear her order. Is this an Italian wine? French? Oh, it's domestic? Is it from Napa? Vermont? She took such pleasure in the wine when it finally arrived, too.

3) In the song, Henley sings about looking for the door that will take him "back to the place I was before." Don says that refers to a loss of innocence and a longing for a simpler time. When you think about "the good old days," where does your mind wander to? I return to when I was 8 or 9, lying on the grass in the backyard, enjoying a book. I don't know why this moment is indelible, but I was so happy.

 

4) With five #1 singles, six #1 albums, and six Grammy awards, it's generally agreed that the Eagles were one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. Which decade produced most of your favorite songs? Mid-60s to mid-70s.

 

5) The Eagles were formed in 1971 when four of them happened to find themselves hired to play back up for Linda Ronstadt. The men found they really hit off and wanted to keep working together when the gig with Linda was up. Tell us about how you met someone important in your life. Back in 1992, six of us were hired on the same day to work on the same account. That's how I met Henry. He had just been laid off by Northwestern University and desperately needed a job, any job, so he put his computer skills to work. I was a copywriter and he was a Mac production artist. We went through orientation together and just clicked. Henry decided I was his "boss," even though I didn't supervise him in anyway. It was the beginning of a friendship where he always, always sees me in the best possible light. I treasure him.

 

6) The Eagles are still on the road, filling big arenas for their Long Goodbye tour. One explanation for their enduring popularity is that their music spans genres. They scored hits on the rock, pop and country charts. Other popular categories of music include classical, gospel, jazz, Latin, reggae, New Age, and rap. Which do you listen to most often? Which did you listen to most recently? I listen to the oldies station in the shower every morning.

 

7) In 1976, when "Hotel California" was topping the charts, the trend in home decor was vibrant. Intense copper, bright pink and vivid avocado were among the popular colors for bath towels, mats and shower curtains that year. If we were to peek into your 2024 bathroom(s), what colors would we find? When I moved in, my bathroom was seriously pink. Pink wall tiles, floor tiles, sink, tub and yes, even a pink toilet. I renovated it in 2018 and now it's all white, except for the pink/white checked floor tiles. So I use pink as the accent color on my towels and shower curtain.

 

8) Handbags were big in 1976. Not just in popularity but in size. Purses routinely had compartments on the inside and pockets on the outside. When you leave the house, do you travel light? Or do you prefer to carry a lot with you? I carry a lot.

9) Random question -- How different is your life today than it was a year ago: (a) a lot; (b) a little); (c) not at all? I'll go with (a). A year ago I was in the midst of a shit ton of dental work, embarking on yoga, and adjusting to life as a retiree. I think much of the more serious time in the dentist chair is behind me, weekly yoga classes are a part of my life, and I've made peace with the fact that my advertising career is over and I have a part-time job as a sales girl. I feel like a different gal.