"Never Surrender" by Don Felder

What’s goin’ on, Dialophiles? Tonight, we fine-tune a signal containing a track laid to wax by a former Eagle, but not the expected usual suspects Don Henley, Glenn Frey, or Joe Walsh. Check out guitarist Don Felder, and his ode to holding out for “Ms. Right”… 1982’s “Never Surrender”.

“It’s Saturday night again, everybody’s out on the street. You’re feelin’ so good my friend, you’re in love with every woman you see.”

Joining the Eagles in 1974, just in time to contribute to the On The Border LP, Felder helped evolve the Eagles’ from their country-rock beginnings to a mainstream rock sound, culminating in their masterpiece Hotel California, and it’s 1979 follow up, The Long Run. Following the group’s collapse in late 1980, all former bandmates pursued solo careers, including Felder, who contributed songs to the soundtrack of the animated motion picture “Heavy Metal” in 1981, (more on this later), and our the track which is our focus for today, “Never Surrender”, recorded for the awesome ‘80s time capsule “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”.

Featured as playing from the poolside radio during the scene in which Damone and Ratner (Richard Romanus and Brian Backer), offer to help Jennifer Jason Leigh’s “Stacey” and Phoebe Cates’ “Linda” with their math homework, “Never…” also made the grade as the fifth track on Felder’s 1983 Airborne LP, his only solo release, until 2012’s Road to Forever.

“It’s hard when you want somebody and it feels like anybody will do. It’s easy to soon forget what you need and what’s the right thing for you.”

Written by Felder with soundtrack king Kenny Loggins, who also lends harmony vocal (listen for the “and it feels like anybody will do” line in the second verse for the clearest example of Kenny’s vocal accompaniment), “Never…” contains guitar flourishes reminiscent of Don’s work in the Eagles’ classics “Life in the Fast Line”, and “Hotel California”. Listen for the “chugging” guitar sound, which is Don’s signature.

Not released as a single, “Never” never realized its full chart potential. Had it been released to Top 40 and rock radio, and to MTV with a proper video, I imagine the Felder/Loggins composition probably would have landed somewhere in the top 20… maybe just below the Top 10, but we can only offer conjecture on this point.

“Oh, brother, I hear you’ve discovered it’s time that you’re settling down… oh, brother, but I can’t help but wonder, just what will you settle down from?”

In addition to “Never Surrender”, the Fast Times original soundtrack contains tons of great tunes that you don’t have to be familiar with the film to enjoy. Lots of 70s and 80s classic rock and pop artists contribute, like Donna Summer (see the Dial’s review of her “Highway Runner” from 6/3/12), Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Nicks, Sammy Hagar, Oingo Boingo, Billy Squier, Graham Nash, and The Go-Gos, in addition to three solo tracks by several other former Eagles; Henley, Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmidt. Of course, the major hit from this compilation was Jackson Browne’s upbeat, yet melancholy US #7 masterpiece “Somebody’s Baby”.

After its original 1982 vinyl and cassette print run, (and probably 8-track as well), the Fast Times’ soundtrack was deleted by the record label and sadly remained out of print for years until 1995, when this great compilation was made available to music fans once more. Incidentally, the same day that Fast Times was back in the record stores, another long time unavailable soundtrack was finally re-released, 1981’s “Heavy Metal”, which contains Felder’s smoldering “All of You”, and the film’s secondary title track  “Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)”, which was to be Don’s only Hot 100 charting track, at US #43.

So take a moment and surrender yourself to this classic 1982 cut which didn’t get the chance to be the sizable hit it deserved to be. And be sure to keep your receivers tuned to the Dial’s frequency next month, as we will be covering a noteworthy novelty song in the spirit of April Fools Day. No joke. See you then!

“Boy, never surrender… I know that’s it’s tough, but my boy… never surrender, hold out for love.”