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The Raspberries were a rock and roll band of the power pop sub-genre from Cleveland, Ohio in the 1970s.
Heavily influenced by the British Invasion era - especially The Beatles, The Who, The Hollies, and The Small Faces - and its Mod sensibility, they helped pioneer the power pop style. Their most well known songs were Go All The Way from their first album Raspberries, Let's Pretend and I Wanna Be With You from their second album Fresh,Tonight from their third album Side 3, and Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) from their fourth album Starting Over.
Producer Jimmy Ienner was responsible for replicating and refining Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" in all the Raspberries' albums.
Prologue
The group had its roots in two popular 1960s Ohio bands, The Choir and Cyrus Erie. The Choir had a more extensive repertoire of original songs, notably "It's Cold Outside," which parlayed its massive local success into a nationally-charting single (peaking at #68). But though the Choir had the hit, Cyrus Erie was the better-drawing local act, relying instead on cover versions. Frequent personnel changes occurred, with musicians sometimes jumping from one band to the other, then back again. Both acts had disbanded by 1970, and members from each combined to form the Raspberries.
1970-1972
Composed of the "classical" rock & roll ensemble (drums, lead, rhythm and bass guitars), the original lineup was Eric Carmen (lead vocals), Jim Bonfanti (drums), Wally Bryson (guitar) and Dave Smalley (bass). The Raspberries' demo tape found its way to the desk of producer Jimmy Ienner, and in the wake of a major-label bidding war, the band signed to Capitol Records.
The Raspberries wore matching ensembles on stage. The group was somewhat ridiculed for making its stage entrance in tuxedos and large bouffant hairdos which, according to Carmen, "complemented the style of our music".
1973-1974
Following two albums both released in 1972, creative tension came to a head sparked largely by Carmen's creative dominance over the contributions of Bryson and Smalley. Accordingly Side 3 turned out to be a more raw, aggressive effort than its predecessors, typified by the opening track Tonight. After its release, Smalley was ejected from the band, and Bonfanti departed soon afterwards. They formed their own band, Dynamite. They were replaced by bassist Scott McCarl and ex-Cyrus Erie drummer Michael McBride for what was to be fourth and final Rasbperries album, Starting Over.
Breakup
The band broke up in 1974, but their sound had been distinctive and their influence was lasting. Since they were one of the very few bands of the original power pop generation who had multiple hits, the power pop movement of the late 1970s would likely not have developed as it did without them. Their influence can be heard in bands like Cheap Trick, The Rubinoos, R.E.M., The Romantics, Guns N' Roses, Teenage Fanclub, Enuff Z'Nuff, and Redd Kross. Bruce Springsteen praised the Raspberries at several stops during his Summer 2005 tour.
Singer-guitarist and primary songwriter Eric Carmen went on to have a successful solo career as a singer and writer of romantic pop ballads - the syrupy album cuts by the Raspberries provide a hint as to Carmen's softer, romantic side. Only a handful of solo Carmen tracks adopted the harder rock style of the Raspberries.
Carmen's All By Myself, inspired by the 2nd piano concerto by Sergei Rachmaninoff, peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts, and was rated as one of the 40 greatest power ballads of all time by Classic Rock magazine. Carmen later had additional Top Ten singles with Hungry Eyes (from the soundtrack of Dirty Dancing) in 1987 and Make Me Lose Control in 1988.
Epilogue
The original lineup of the band attempted to reform in the late 1990s, but failed. In March 2000, Smalley, Bonfanti, and Bryson reunited and, with the aid of some session musicians, the band made the first all-new studio recording in 26 years named Refreshed, credited to the Raspberries. The tracks were penned equally by all three members, and largely kept to the group's original sound. The six-track EP was released in 2000.
On November 26, 2004, the House of Blues nightclub chain opened its Cleveland branch with a Raspberries reunion concert. Original members Eric, Jim, Wally and Dave played a sellout performance. This success led to a well-received 2005 mini-tour, a VH1 Classic special, and a concert broadcast on XM Satellite Radio. A new album has reportedly been discussed.
Discography and chart history
Albums
The Raspberries' debut album, Raspberries, spent 30 weeks on the chart, peaking at # 51. The followup, Fresh Raspberries, reached # 36.Singles
1972:- "Don't Want to Say Goodbye," #86 US
- "Go All the Way," #4 US
- "I Wanna Be With You," #16 US
1973:
- "Let's Pretend," #35 US
- "Tonight," #69 US
- "I'm a Rocker," #94 US
1974:
- "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," #18 US
British success, however, eluded the band. Go All The Way was banned by the BBC, although none of the other singles charted. Eric Carmen had one British hit, All By Myself, which reached #12 on the British charts.
Discography
Also see The Raspberries albums.
The Raspberries
- (1972) Raspberries
- (1972) Fresh Raspberries
- (1973) Side 3
- (1974) Starting Over
- (2000) Refreshed
External links
American musical groups | Power pop groups | Rock music groups
"The Raspberries"