Steve Miller has re-recorded his 1976 rock anthem “Fly Like an Eagle” with help from musicians all around the world, including organist Ivan Neville (New Orleans, LA), drummer Franklin Vanderbilt (Los Angeles, CA), sitar player Prasad Rahane (Delhi, India), percussionist Rupak Dhamankar (Mumbai, India), guitarist Vasti Jackson (Hattiesburg, Mississippi), bassist Claire Finley (Key West, FL), drummer Kátsica Mayoral (La Paz, Mexico), singer Quiana Lynell (New Orleans, LA), percussionist Baboulaye Sissokho (Dakar, Senegal) and guitarist Sofia Viola (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
It’s part of Playing For Change’s ongoing Songs Around The World project. The release was timed to coincide with World Day of Social Justice. “Music has the ability to bring people together and foster a sense of community,” Miller says in a statement. “The main goal is to inspire individuals from diverse backgrounds to unite in the spirit of peace, love and happiness to take action and create positive changes in their lives.”
Over the past 20 years, Playing For Change has worked with over 1,400 musicians in 65 countries to create over 400 videos. Previous Songs Around The World videos have featured Ringo Starr, Bono, John Paul Jones, Slash, Keith Richards, Susan Tedeschi, Carlos Santa, and Robbie Robertson. In 2019, the organization won the Polar Music Prize.
“So much is at stake for humanity in today’s world, it is difficult to create a message that is positive and inspirational,” Miller said. “To help unify the world through the power of music is my greatest dream…Performing a new version of ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ with such talented people from around the world is a humbling experience. I wish you all peace, love and happiness every day and especially on February 20, 2025, World Day of Social Justice.”
“Fly Like an Eagle” is the title track of Steve Miller’s 1976 hit album, which also featured the singles “Take the Money and Run,” “Rock’n Me,” and “Serenade.” “Fly Like An Eagle may be the most complete and effective musical statement Steve Miller has ever made,” Rolling Stone wrote in a review of the album. “Always enigmatic, always eclectic, Miller’s albums have usually been ill-fitting jigsaw puzzles, but in this latest album he puts all of his cards on the table, face up. The result is a full house of rock & roll.”
The song has been in heavy rotation on classic rock radio for decades, and it was discovered by a new generation in 1996 when Seal covered it on the Space Jam soundtrack. When Steve Miller was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2016, he opened his mini-set with “Fly Like an Eagle.” He toured all across America last year, including select dates with Journey and Def Leppard on their stadium tour. His only show on the books for 2025 is a February 28 stop at Lucas Old Live at Winstar World in Thackerville, Oklahoma.