edit: thanks all very much for the gold, and your comments are freaking hilarious
Really, your question answers another commonly asked question: why didn't the Fellowship fly to Mordor with the Eagles? Simple. They were writing and recording one of the greatest songs of all time.
Gandalf was their manager at the time, and after meeting with the Eagles after Orthanc, he gave them the idea for the song. Hotel California is actually about Saruman imprisoning Gandalf. ("You can check out anytime...but you can never leave")
Rescuing Frodo and Sam was only a PR stunt orchestrated by Gandalf before the release of their album to gain publicity. In fact, some experts believe Hotel California would not have been as popular if the Eagles had not saved the ring bearer.
Sources: History of Rock and Roll class
I DON'T GET IT. -looks at Calendar- STILL DON'T GET IT.
Actually, the events are not entirely unconnected. The tale tells that the band wrote the initial draft in the air, after having inhaled copious mind-altering volcanic fumes. Whether or not this is true, or merely a pleasing yet apocryphal urban legend, is a subject much debated by musical scholars. I believe Marty DiBergi was considering doing a documentary (or 'rockumentary', if you will) about it at one point.
Don'Henley, Son of CJ, Thane of Texas: What a lot of people don't know is that we actually met on that mission. Before then, Glen and Randy and I would play with a few bards in Bree in pickup groups, and Joe Walsh was planning on doing a tour by himself in Harad, some USO thing for dismembered Orcs. Then this homeless guy who used to hang out by Linda Rondstadt's dressing room shows up and tells us that he'd pay us to go pick up two of his doofus friends who got stranded on top of a volcano. I didn't want to do it, but Glen said he could vouch for him... said his old college buddy Tom used to drop acid with him all the time and he was a pretty good guy. So, we did the gig and turned the two kids over to John and Robert and Jimmy and John, some weird folksingers over in Carouselambra or thereabouts, and, well, we got to talking, and one thing led to another. And so it goes.
Source: Fly Like an Eagle, You Fools 2nd Edition. 4th Age
EDIT: Some NZ film geek recommended I add a bunch of CGI to my post but I took it out. What a Feeble.
Off topic: This is now the top post of all time, right above "Thank you for this sub maintaining a high level of quality and professionalism".
The irony could be palpable, but I'd like to think this is also indicative of a high level of quality and professionalism. Thank you, mods, for a wonderful April Fools.
I'm going to propose an alternate theory: the Eagles merely transcribed the existing Hotel California Song from their memories of the Song of Iluvatar, specifically the Second Theme.
As is told in the Ainulindalë, the Song that the Ainur created held all that was, is, and will be in Arda. In addition, as Rúmil of Tirion has noted, the Ainur went into Arda as the Valar and Maiar. Manwë was the greatest of the Valar, and to him were the Eagles dear. It is no great leap to assume that the Eagles heard much of the Song during their time with Manwë.
Gwaihir was the vassal of Thorondor, eldest of Eagles, and with his brother Landroval, an important figure in the history of the First Age. That he heard snippets of the Song from Manwë is surely incontestable, even in this darkened age.
So, when the Eagles went to Mordor to retrieve Frodo and Sam, they were already humming the music of "Hotel California". It merely took Don Henley to write down the lyrics and melody at a later date.
The tales compiled by the man JRR Tolkien, as well as Frodo Baggins' own personal record, show that the two hobbits' journey to Mordor took several months- about 6 months, from September 23rd, TA3018, to March 25th, TA3019. In the cover for Hotel California, it is revealed that the album took 6 months to record; therefore, even had the Eagles not began recording before Frodo even left Bag End, they would have been within the time parameters.
Follow-up question: if the eagles are the swiftest beings in Middle Earth, why do they only ever show up at the last minute?
The eagles are a race. They've had several acts throughout the ages. They acted as messengers and spies for Manwe in the First Age, they rescued Thorins party from goblins in the Third Age and they recorded a hit album in the Fourth Age.
Doesn't this fall within the 20 century rule? Mods!
This is the thread that rules them all, will bring /r/AskHistorians into the shadow and bind them! I would not be surprised to find that OP has but one, gigantic flaming eye.
The truth is this: The Eagles couldn't fly. Sure, Joe Walsh did buy a private jet but actually had no pilot experience whatsoever, let alone a license. On its maiden flight, he crashed it in the Sierra Nevadas. Glen Frey was dead on impact (leading to the breakup of the band). Don Henley lost his arm, the doctors were unable to reattach it... he can no longer play the drums.
Their dealer, nicknamed "Frodo" was left with a key of coke that he wasn't able to move, and ended up in custody. Thus never escaping "Mount Doom" (the Los Angeles FBI building). Tolkien changed the ending in his fictionalized account of the whole ordeal.
Hotel California is, of course, one of the most popular singles Steely Dan ever recorded. But don't feel bad, many young people get confused about which band sings which song nowdays ever since Spotify's patent lawsuit forced radio stations to stop identifying songs on the air.
A reminder: This subreddit only allows sourced material directly related to the question. This is a discussion about an American football team that went from Valinor to Middle-earth to keep an eye on Vala Morgoth — taking time out from 1939 to 1942 to play in the Eastern Hockey League. All other comments will be deleted.
The Eagles we a bardic super troupe formed by bardic college alumni looking to make a Smaug horde full of cash. They didn't write it, they lived it.
Don Giohenley(Lvl 20) and Lord o' the Glenn Frey(Lvl 20) combined for a +6 to lyrical composition. Donovan the Felder(Lvl19) and Joseph the Welsh(Lvl 21) added a +10 Lyre duel /jam. Lord William Sizemick(Lvl 18 Engineer) rolled a natural 20 on the production for a grand total of 36. This gave them plenty of time to pick up their roadies for the tour of the midlands.
On a wing and a prayer.
Wikipedia states that Mt. Doom was conveniently located in a neighborhood near a recording studio. I remember one time I was over in that neighborhood and saw for myself a couple of Eagles rescuing some Hobbits. They could have easily gone over to the recording studio. I have a few more tidbits but I need to research it. I'll use this space to edit my answer later.
I'll leave you with this bit of information that my pappy said the Eagles used to greet each other:
"- Farewell! wherever you fare, till your eyries receive you at the journey's end!
A lot of people have proposed some good theories, and they all make sense. But… they are all wrong. Everyone seems to be confused, and the answer is rather simple.
They finished recording "Hotel California" before they rescued Frodo and Sam.
Follow up question: why couldn't Frodo have just taken an eagle to Mordor in the first place?
I have a related question: was the rescue of Frodo and Sam at Mt Doom the event that prevented the Eagles from becoming Linda Ronstadt's backing band after the Stone Poneys dissolved in the early 1970s ?
They were using Chip Kelly's hurry-up offense.
Simply put one of the Eagles has a Maserati that does 185. Middle Earth is a pretty small place so they can get around very quickly. Unfortunately after the events of the Hobbit, Walsh lost his license and can no longer drive. This is why they were unable to aide the fellowship.
The Eagles barely ever appeared because they were recording that album. If they put aside the music and helped save the world first, Frodo and Sam would have suffered less, Boromir would not have died, and "Hotel California" would have been much better.