It appeared on their 1975 album One of These Nights and was later used as the theme tune to the BBC comedy/science fiction franchise The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
For One of These Nights, the Eagles recorded it as a six-minute instrumental piece featuring an orchestra, with brief fiddle solos.
[1][2] The rest of the group, particularly co-founders Don Henley and Glenn Frey, were not keen on it being included on the album, which contributed to the friction in the band and Leadon quitting.
[5][6] Creator Douglas Adams was looking for a particular piece of music that would distinctively represent the series, that sounded "spacey" but not serious, such as a banjo.
He looked through his collection of LPs, which included One of These Nights, and decided it was ideal, representing a feeling of alienation.