James Gang – Walk Away

I’ve always liked the edge of the James Gang. I like their rawness, and I wish they had stayed together longer. This song, Funk #49, and Midnight Man are the two I remember the best. This is the Joe Walsh period that I personally like the best. They toured a lot at this time, opening for bands like The Who. Keith Moon schooled Walsh on hotel destruction and causing havoc. 

The James Gang released the album Thirds in 1971, which yielded this song, their highest-charting single, “Walk Away.” It peaked at #51 in the Billboard 100. The band released a live album James Gang Live In Concert in 1971. Walsh left the group in 1971 to form his own group, Barnstorm. He later joined The Eagles. 

The James Gang went through changes over the years after Walsh left.  They brought in Tommy Bolin and a new lead singer, but the lineup they will be remembered for is the classic James Gang lineup — Walsh (Guitarist), Peters (Bass Player), and Fox (Drums).

They got together again for the first time to perform for then-President Bill Clinton’s election rally in late 1996. The group also made appearances on The Drew Carey Show during the late 1990s and performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in February 2001. They have gotten together since and played concerts here and there. 

The classic James Gang trio also toured across the country in the summer of 2006, where they were supported by backing vocalists and musicians.

Walk Away

Taking my time
Choosin’ my line
Tryin’ to decide what to do
Looks like my stop
Don’t wanna get off
Got myself hung up on youSeems to me
You don’t want to talk about it
Seems to me
You just turn your pretty head and walk awayPlaces I’ve known
Things that I’m growin’
Don’t taste the same without you
I got myself in
The worst mess I’ve been
And I find myself startin’ ta doubt you

Seems to me
Talk all night, here comes the mornin’
Seems to me
You just forget what we said
And greet the day

Seems to me
You don’t wanna talk about it
Seems to me
You just turn your pretty head and walk away

I’ve got ta cool myself down
Stompin’ around
Thinkin’ some words I can’t name ya
Meet ya half way
Got nothin’ to say
Still I don’t s’pose I can blame ya

Seems to me
You don’t want to talk about it
Seems to me
You just turn your pretty head and walk away

Walk away

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

39 thoughts on “James Gang – Walk Away”

  2. So glad you picked James Gang to write about! They are much forgotten / ignored / under appreciated in the world of Rock, with Joe Walsh’s later exploits grabbing all the attention. I have the ‘Rides Again’ album on vinyl and it still gets played regularly. Also – Joes first ‘Barnstorm’ album is magnificent, way better than the more popular ‘The Smoker You Drink’ and ‘So What.’ (I’ve all three on vinyl, surprise, surprise 😉 😀 )

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    1. For me…this is prime Walsh…I’m not an Eagles fan and this band was tight as you could get. He is an interesting artist…a lot of his solo stuff pokes fun at himself…but The James Gang he played it more straight…and I love his guitar.
      Of course you have those! It’s right up your alley! My favorite song by them remains Midnight Man for some reason…I just love that song.

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  4. I don’t know much by or about them, other than the obvious Joe Walsh was the prominent member, but this song I do know & it’s not a bad song for a rocker of that period. It used to get a decent amount of airplay in 80s & 90s on Classic Rock station in Toronto

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    1. I really like this one and Midnight Man….just great rockers and of course Funk #49 is probably their most popular. I have listened to some of their albums…really solid albums.

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  5. Walsh wrote this tune which details the aftermath of a breakup, channels the anger and bitterness of the event through his guitar, ripping through solos, riffs, and chord changes with palpable anger.  This song is thought to be about the end of his relationship with his first wife Marjorie Frances Walsh who he married in 1967 and divorced in 1970.

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    1. I didn’t know he was married back then…but that was the time when people married young. Jim…how popular were they back then? I only knew them after they broke up because of my age.

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  7. Pingback: James Gang – Walk Away – MobsterTiger

  8. I think I said this before but I got into the James Gang backwards…I was going through a bin at a used record store and bought Passin’ Thru along with Foghat’s Energized…and the reason was that I saw Dominic Troiano’s name, who I knew from his time with the Guess Who…..then later on, way later noted that Joe Walsh’s connection…didn’t know about Tommy Bolin’s…who yeah Ritchie Blackmore’s replacement……I’ll give this track a listen…my introduction was ‘you bought it you name it’….and then of course life’s been good and the eagles, and now Ringo Star’s sideman….great guitar gun slinger with a wicked sense of humor and well known for trashing hotel rooms….he can play, maybe under appreciated, maybe because he makes it look too easy, or that sense of humor…I’ll spend today searching YouTube and ITunes, I have to admit though, I wasn’t happy about his addition to the Eagles…I had/have a love hate relationship with that band….when they kicked Don Felder to the curb because over politics, there was more hate….

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    1. Warren…youtube James Gang with Tommy Bolin if you get bored…he is fine on guitar but that singer, to me, just didn’t fit. I didn’t know they went on after Walsh so that surprised me.
      I’m not a fan of the Eagles…at all. Their early stuff is alright but they tried to become a full force rock band by getting Walsh…to me it didn’t work. They were slick and polished the soul out of a lot of their music…thats just me though.
      Don Felder is a hell of a guitar player…probably better than Walsh technically…but yes they did him wrong. I did read his book…Henley and Frey were toxic.

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  12. Thanks for bringing this song back to me. The guy I babysat for had this song on a compilation album. The guitar rift rocks. Walsh’ voice is so good here. That drummer is really good on the live version.

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  15. Riding motorcycles in the snow with no helmets?! Oh well, good song. I remember my brother having their 8-track tapes in his car in the ’70s.

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  17. I’m a bona fide Joe Walsh fanatic–and the James Gang is my favorite Walsh vehicle. We have Yer Album. Of course its got Funk #48 on it, but the whole album is special. Take a Look Around is an awesome track from a great debut record.

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    1. Mine also Pam! This is my favorite era. I need to explore their albums more fully…I’ll give it a listen….never better time than the present… I love the organ in it. Thats a totally different feel than many of their songs…I like this.

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    1. I’m always sarcastic since I’m not an Eagles fan…I always said he was “slumming it” with the Eagles…yea that is a joke but it just wasn’t him.

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