Which Eagles member composed Journey of the Sorcerer?

“Journey of the Sorcerer” was composed by Eagles member Bernie Leadon.

Unlike the Eagles’ best-known vocal singles, this is an instrumental built around Leadon’s banjo playing. The track combines a distinctly bluegrass-rooted idea with orchestral writing, brief fiddle passages, and a more expansive, almost psychedelic atmosphere. That unusual blend is why it is often described as “bluegrass psychedelia.”

The piece was recorded for the Eagles’ fourth studio album, One of These Nights, released in 1975. Don Henley and Glenn Frey were reportedly reluctant to include such an unconventional instrumental, and its presence became part of the creative tension surrounding Leadon’s final period with the group. He left the Eagles later in 1975.

The song gained a second life when Douglas Adams selected it as the theme for the BBC’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Its banjo suggested travel, while its orchestration sounded futuristic. Later radio, television, film, and album adaptations used newly recorded or rearranged versions, so listeners may hear versions that differ from Leadon’s original Eagles recording.