Raspberries (U.S. band)

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Raspberries
Origin Cleveland, Ohio
Genre(s) Progressive rock
Power pop
Power ballads
Years active 1970-1975
2004-present
Label(s) Capitol (1970-75)
Rykodisc Records (present)
Website www.raspberriesonline.com
Members
Eric Carmen
Wally Bryson
Dave Smalley
Jim Bonfanti
Former members
Michael McBride
Scott McCarl
John Aleksic

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.

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 all the Raspberries' albums in the 1970s, which often attempted to replicate Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound."

Contents

[edit] 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.

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.

[edit] 1970-1972

The first recording lineup for Raspberries was Eric Carmen (lead vocals, bass, piano), Jim Bonfanti (drums), Wally Bryson (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Dave Smalley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar). 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.

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".

[edit] 1972-1974

Following the success of "Go All The Way", which peaked at #5 in the U.S. in early 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.

[edit] 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.

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.

Carmen's All By Myself, based on the II 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.

[edit] Epilogue

The original lineup of the band attempted to reform in the late 1990s, but frontman Carmen did not participate. In March 2000, Smalley, McCarl, and Bryson reunited and, with the aid of some session musicians, the band 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.

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 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 1970's 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 Theatre in their hometown of Cleveland,with a performance many longtime fans consider their best ever.

[edit] Discography and chart history

[edit] Albums

Raspberries' debut album, Raspberries, spent 30 weeks on the chart, peaking at # 51. The follow-up, Fresh Raspberries, reached # 36.

[edit] Singles

1972:

  • "Don't Want to Say Goodbye," #86 US
  • "Go All the Way," #5 US, #4 UK
  • "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.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Raspberries

[edit] References

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