Raspberries (band): Difference between revisions
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==Breakup== |
==Breakup== |
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The band broke up on April 19, 1975, 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 artists and bands like [[Cheap Trick]], [[The Rubinoos]], [[The Knack]], [[The Romantics]], [[Teenage Fanclub]], [[Enuff Z'Nuff]], [[Tommy Keene]], and [[Redd Kross]]. [[Bruce Springsteen]] praised the Raspberries at several stops during his Summer 2005 tour. |
The band broke up on April 19, 1975, 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 artists and bands like [[Cheap Trick]], [[The Rubinoos]], [[The Knack]], [[The Romantics]], [[Teenage Fanclub]], [[Enuff Z'Nuff]], [[Tommy Keene]], and [[Redd Kross]]. [[Bruce Springsteen]] praised the Raspberries at several stops during his Summer 2005 tour<ref>[http://www.backstreets.com/magazine.html ''Backstreets'' - Springsteen Biography/news web site]</ref>. |
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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 Raspberries provide a hint as to Carmen's softer, romantic side. Many of his solo tracks echoed the softer side of Raspberries. {{Fact|date=September 2008}} |
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 Raspberries provide a hint as to Carmen's softer, romantic side. Many of his solo tracks echoed the softer side of Raspberries. {{Fact|date=September 2008}} |
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Revision as of 16:26, 17 October 2008
 | This article may be written from a fan's point of view, rather than a neutral point of view. (September 2008) |
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Raspberries |
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Raspberries are a power pop/rock and roll band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. They had a brief run of success in the 1970s and are considered highly influential in the power pop genre.[who?]
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.[citation needed]
Producer Jimmy Ienner was responsible for all the Raspberries' albums in the 1970s, which often attempted to replicate Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound." [citation needed]
Prologue
The group had its roots in two of Cleveland's most successful bands in the late 1960s, The Choir and Cyrus Erie. The Choir, originally called The Mods and composed of Dann Klawon, Wally Bryson, Dave Burke, Dave Smalley and Jim Bonfanti, had a more extensive repertoire of original songs, notably "It's Cold Outside," which parlayed its massive local success (#1 in Cleveland) into a nationally-charting single (peaking at #68 for Roulette Records). But though The Choir had the hit and a string of singles, Cyrus Erie, founded by Eric Carmen, Michael McBride, and Marty Murphy, became the better-drawing local act after it lured Bryson away from The Choir. Cyrus Erie principally relied on cover versions but signed to Epic Records and recorded two Carmen/Bryson originals as a single ("Get the Message" and "Sparrow"), with regional success. Then Bryson quit, which led to Cyrus Erie disbanding. Carmen and Dan Klawon formed a new act called "'The Quick,'" which recorded a single of two Carmen/Klawon originals for Epic, although without much success. Meanwhile, Dave Smalley was drafted and sent to Vietnam, and The Choir disbanded as well. [citation needed]
In the aftermath, Carmen, Bonfanti, Bryson, and John Aleksic formed a new rock quartet, called The Raspberries, but Aleksic quit just before the group recorded a demo tape. Shortly thereafter, Smalley returned from his tour of duty and was offered the open spot.[citation needed]
1970-1972
The first recording lineup for Raspberries was Eric Carmen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Jim Bonfanti (drums), Wally Bryson (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Dave Smalley (lead vocals, bass). The Raspberries' demo tape went to the desk of producer Jimmy Ienner, for whom Carmen had previously done session work, and in the wake of a major-label bidding war, the band signed to Capitol Records.[citation needed]
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".[citation needed]
1972-1974
Following the success of "Go All The Way", which peaked at #5 in the U.S. in the spring of 1972, Carmen and Smalley switched instruments, with Carmen moving to rhythm guitar so that he would be upfront on stage, while Smalley took over bass. After two albums both released in 1972, creative tension came to a head sparked largely by Carmen's creative dominance (and commercial success) 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 Raspberries album, Starting Over.[citation needed]
Breakup
The band broke up on April 19, 1975, 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 artists and bands like Cheap Trick, The Rubinoos, The Knack, The Romantics, Teenage Fanclub, Enuff Z'Nuff, Tommy Keene, and Redd Kross. Bruce Springsteen praised the Raspberries at several stops during his Summer 2005 tour[1].
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 Raspberries provide a hint as to Carmen's softer, romantic side. Many of his solo tracks echoed the softer side of Raspberries. [citation needed]
Carmen's All By Myself, based on the second movement (Adagio Sostenuto) of the Concerto for Piano #2, Opus 18, in c minor, 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.[citation needed]
Epilogue
The original lineup of the band attempted to reform in 1999, but after some rehearsals, the group could not seem to find any promoters interested in booking them since they'd been out of circulation and all but forgotten for 25 years. Frontman Carmen then dropped out and in March 2000, Smalley, McCarl, and Bryson, with the aid of some session musicians, made the first all-new studio recording credited to the Raspberries in 26 years, Refreshed. The tracks were penned equally by all three members, and largely kept to the group's original sound. [citation needed]
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 starting at the Chicago House of Blues with local band "The Drysdales" opening the tour & a VH1 Classic special, and a concert broadcast on XM Satellite Radio. A date from the 2005 tour was recorded, and released in 2007 as "Live on Sunset Strip." The double CD and one DVD contained a foreword from Bruce Springsteen, and a 1970s photo of John Lennon wearing a Raspberries sweatshirt. In late 2007, the Raspberries announced several more tour dates to coincide with the success of the CD. After well received shows in New York and California, the band closed the tour and year out playing to thousands of fans at the State Theater in their hometown of Cleveland, with a performance that got attention in USA Today, among other media.
Discography & Chart History
| Year | Title | Label | US Billboard 200 Chart Peak Position |
Weeks On Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Raspberries | Capitol | 51 | 30 |
| 1972 | Fresh Raspberries | Capitol | 36 | ? |
| 1973 | Side 3 | Capitol | 128 | ? |
| 1974 | Starting Over | Capitol | 143 | ? |
| Year | Title | US Billboard Hot 100 Chart Peak Position |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Don't Want to Say Goodbye | 86 | Raspberries |
| 1972 | Go All the Way | 5 | Raspberries |
| 1972 | I Wanna Be With You | 16 | Fresh Raspberries |
| 1973 | Let's Pretend | 35 | Fresh Raspberries |
| 1973 | Tonight | 69 | Side 3 |
| 1973 | I'm a Rocker | 94 | Side 3 |
| 1974 | Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) | 18 | Starting Over |
British success, however, eluded the band. Go All The Way was banned by the BBC[2]. Although no Raspberrries singles charted in the U.K., Eric Carmen's solo song All By Myself reached #12 on the British charts in 1976, following his appearance on Top Of The Pops[3].
Several greatest hit compilations have been released. Allmusic reviewers give 5-Star ratings to the 1991 Capitol Collectors Series album, and the 2002 import The Very Best of the Raspberries: Overnight Sensation album.
- 1976 - Raspberries' Best (Capitol)
- 1987 - Overnight Sensation: The Best of the Raspberries (Zap!)
- 1991 - Capitol Collectors Series (Capitol)
- 1995 - Greatest Hits [1995] (Capitol)
- 2000 - Greatest Hits [Expanded] (Capitol)
- 2002 - The Very Best of the Raspberries: Overnight Sensation (Cherry Red - Import)
- 2003 - Best of the Raspberries (Capitol)
- 2005 - Greatest (Capitol)
- 2007 - Live on Sunset Strip [CD/DVD] (Rykodisc)
- 2007 - The Very Best of Raspberries (Toshiba EMI)
All Media Guide list of all 'Greatest Hits', best of, other compilations for The Raspberries: Link
References
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External links
- Articles with a promotional tone from September 2008
- Articles lacking sources from September 2008
- Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from September 2008
- Articles lacking sources from February 2008
- American rock music groups
- Culture of Cleveland, Ohio
- Power pop groups
- Ohio musical groups