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Long before he soared with the Eagles, Joe Walsh learned to fly with his first band, the rockin' psychedelic James Gang.

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First formed in the mid-'60s in Cleveland, Ohio, Walsh was a later addition to the band, replacing guitarist Glenn Schwartz, who had left to form his own band, Pacific Gas & Electric.

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Though James Gang’s lineup was a quartet after Walsh’s arrival, they became a trio after guitarist Ronnie Silverman quit right before the band was supposed to open for British supergroup Cream at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom in 1968. In need of money, the remaining members of James Gang persisted, hitting the stage and remaining a three-piece act ever since.

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With their new lineup, James Gang began making major moves, working with manager Mark Barger, who introduced them to  Bill Szymczyk of ABC Records. By January 1969, the group had been signed to BluesWay Records, the record company’s then-new subsidiary.

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Roughly two months after signing, the band released their first LP, Yer’ Album, which featured three covers including “Bluebird” by Buffalo Springfield.

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On the heels of their new album, the band made their big screen debut in 1971’s Zachariah. As Szymczyk served as the film’s music coordinator, the group played an integral role in the production, with both them and their songs appearing in the flick.

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After a few changes in lineup, namely, bass player Tom Kriss leaving the band after his dad fell ill, James Gang continued on, releasing 'James Gang Rides Again' in July 1970. This album contained their biggest hit, “Funk #49.”

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“With their second album Rides Again, the James Gang came into their own,” wrote AllMusic’s former senior editor, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, of the album’s contemporary impact. “Walsh's songwriting had improved, giving the band solid support for their stylistic experiments. What ties the two sides of the record together is the strength of the band's musicianship, which burns brightly and powerfully on the hardest rockers, as well as on the sensitive ballads."

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With the success of their album, James Gang played alongside several iconic bands, including The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Three Dog Night, and The Who. Opening for the latter during a few dates on their American tour, Walsh and Pete Townshend struck up a friendship, with the British rocker allegedly dubbing the soon-to-be Eagles icon as the best American guitarist.

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Despite releasing two more albums in 1971, Walsh decided it was time to fly, leaving the band scrambling to reformulate its lineup. “It became a quest to find a suitable replacement for Joe Walsh,” drummer Jim Fox recalled of the band’s ‘70s run. “We'd try some guys and do an album or two, but it wasn't quite what we wanted and so we'd move on to something else in the hope of recapturing the old spirit. Some of the albums were good but we were always looking to find that particular thing we had with Joe and I don't think we ever found it again. So, after all those changes, Dale and I just talked one day and said 'Enough's enough'. That's when we decided to let it go.”

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This break only lasted so long. By 1991, the band reunited with its early ‘70s lineup, playing sporadic gigs throughout the '90s and the early aughts.