* En anglais uniquement
The duo
Longbranch/Pennywhistle, who made one obscure self-titled album in 1969, are remembered primarily for featuring a pre-
Eagles Glenn Frey and
J.D. Souther (who of course went on to write much material for
the Eagles and
Linda Ronstadt).
Frey had moved to Los Angeles from Detroit, where he had played with
Bob Seger, and hooked up there with ex-Texan
J.D. Souther. The two attracted attention in the burgeoning Southern California country-rock scene via gigs at the Troubadour club and were signed by Amos Records. Their lone LP was produced by
Jimmy Bowen and featured a wealth of outstanding session musicians, such as
James Burton,
Buddy Emmons,
Larry Knechtel,
Joe Osborn,
Jim Gordon,
Ry Cooder, and
Doug Kershaw.
Longbranch/Pennywhistle is a pleasant yet unthrilling album of modest harmonized early country-rock. Pre-echoes of the sound of
the Eagles and 1970s mellow Californian rock can be heard, and
Souther would re-record one of the better songs, "Kite Woman," for his early-'70s solo debut. The album sold little and the duo broke up in mid-1970. However,
Frey was soon playing in
Linda Ronstadt's band and forming the nucleus of
the Eagles, to whom
Souther would frequently contribute as a songwriter. ~ Richie Unterberger