Eric Carmen's "That's Rock and Roll" deserves much much more love than it gets. I somehow missed the Raspberries connection, so I'm off to listen now.
And without even hearing, I can say with a tremendous degree of confidence that of course they're second-rate Beatles knock-offs, as is arguably every band since 1964. It sort of comes with the territory of inventing the form... 😎
I suspect that their “sin” in the eyes of rock critics of the time was coming along too soon after The Beatles’ breakup - in retrospect, a lot of those jabs and negative reviews have a real “You’re not my REAL parents” energy.
Great post. I am a huge Eric Carmen/Raspberries fan, similarly unaffected by his heel turn late in life. Check out video of their reunion shows several years back if you haven't already. They were still fantastic.
I really enjoyed this tribute to one of your heroes, Dan. I am a Cleveland boy who always heard about the Raspberries when I was growing up, but I too came to them a bit later. I picked up my first LP of theirs ('Starting Over') at Record Exchange on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. At the time, my head was deeper into 'Easter Everywhere,' but I still enjoyed it. I think the Raspberries record revealed itself to me years later when I was older and had more music vocabulary to fully enjoy the album for what it is rather than what it isn't.
On a side note, I like the mention of Midnight Records! Man, getting their catalog was so fun. I used to save up my money, give it to my mom, and then she would write a check and I'd order records from Midnight. I would then wait about 6-8 weeks for the records to arrive (pre-internet!), but when they did eventually land on my doorstep it was like Christmas. Not only did I have my haul from Midnight, but I had their latest catalog for future buys. On my first visit to NYC in 1989 I went to the physical store and walked out with an armful!
The staff working there definitely knew they were cool. Painfully and self-consciously so! But then again, I was just a lowly Cleveland kid in the Big Apple!
I genuinely dig "Let It Ride," which is why I picked up all those records — I was hoping to find something else in there that hit that same sweet spot. But I don't think there's another BTO song I would actively go out of my way to hear again. Big Guess Who fan, though!
I was lucky enough to see The Raspberries in NYC with Tony Fletcher, your partner in crime! They were still very powerful and Wally Bryson is the king of the Rickenbacker 12 string which he played through a real Vox amp. Todd Rundgren knicked parts of " I saw the light" and " I can remember" for his "Something Anything" Album. This snippet comes from Eric and took place while they were recording and Todd was in the same studio complex. Power Pop at it's finest...
I remember reading a story about the Raspberries running into Todd after Something/Anything came out, and praising him quite genuinely for "Couldn't I Just Tell You". Todd apparently said something snarky like, "Figures you guys would like that one" and then just blew them off.
Damning with faint praise: Can respect Rundgren for some of his contributions to music, but have heard in all other respects that he is/was a first class asshole.
This took me back to AM radio, summer of 1973. My mom driving me to Little League games, while listening to the Raspberries, Sweet, Badfinger, Nilsson, the Guess Who, and...Ringo Starr.
Sigh. This is a great list of hits and should have been hits. Carmen falls into that category of artists whose early contributions I can’t forget and whose later ones I mostly abhor, not to mention his further dive off the deep end. Fortunately, thanks to this, I get to refocus on those early days. Thank you.
I love the fact that Eric's highly-modified white Gibson Melody Maker that he recorded most of the Raspberries hits with ended up with Joan Jett who did the same with it. That's Rock & Roll!
What are your thoughts on "I Don't Know What I Want?" It's so blatant, but still does it for me.
That one was a really close contender for this list — if I'd done a Top 10 Raspberries songs, that would have likely made it.
A killer tune. I also love the Devil Dogs' great desperate version on their live album.
Great read, Dan!
Thanks! I don't know that one - I'll have to dig it up!
Eric Carmen's "That's Rock and Roll" deserves much much more love than it gets. I somehow missed the Raspberries connection, so I'm off to listen now.
And without even hearing, I can say with a tremendous degree of confidence that of course they're second-rate Beatles knock-offs, as is arguably every band since 1964. It sort of comes with the territory of inventing the form... 😎
I suspect that their “sin” in the eyes of rock critics of the time was coming along too soon after The Beatles’ breakup - in retrospect, a lot of those jabs and negative reviews have a real “You’re not my REAL parents” energy.
Well, I mean, I still feel that way and I wasn't even born yet...
And relative to that, The Knack comes to mind as well.
I'm just dropping in to say I've had the Raspberries on today and I'm enjoying them very much. Thank you for the reminder!
Right on, Faith!
Great post. I am a huge Eric Carmen/Raspberries fan, similarly unaffected by his heel turn late in life. Check out video of their reunion shows several years back if you haven't already. They were still fantastic.
Oh yeah, those reunion shows were great!
I really enjoyed this tribute to one of your heroes, Dan. I am a Cleveland boy who always heard about the Raspberries when I was growing up, but I too came to them a bit later. I picked up my first LP of theirs ('Starting Over') at Record Exchange on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. At the time, my head was deeper into 'Easter Everywhere,' but I still enjoyed it. I think the Raspberries record revealed itself to me years later when I was older and had more music vocabulary to fully enjoy the album for what it is rather than what it isn't.
On a side note, I like the mention of Midnight Records! Man, getting their catalog was so fun. I used to save up my money, give it to my mom, and then she would write a check and I'd order records from Midnight. I would then wait about 6-8 weeks for the records to arrive (pre-internet!), but when they did eventually land on my doorstep it was like Christmas. Not only did I have my haul from Midnight, but I had their latest catalog for future buys. On my first visit to NYC in 1989 I went to the physical store and walked out with an armful!
It’s funny, I kind of enjoyed shopping from the Midnight catalog more than actual store!
The staff working there definitely knew they were cool. Painfully and self-consciously so! But then again, I was just a lowly Cleveland kid in the Big Apple!
I laughed at your Bachman-Turner Overdrive zinger. Come on, if you’ve got ‘em, gimme’ 3 fave. cuts from BTO!
I genuinely dig "Let It Ride," which is why I picked up all those records — I was hoping to find something else in there that hit that same sweet spot. But I don't think there's another BTO song I would actively go out of my way to hear again. Big Guess Who fan, though!
Always liked his solo song “Make Me Lose Control”
My eternally sixth-grade mind always heard it as "Make Me Lose Control (of My Bowels)".
I was lucky enough to see The Raspberries in NYC with Tony Fletcher, your partner in crime! They were still very powerful and Wally Bryson is the king of the Rickenbacker 12 string which he played through a real Vox amp. Todd Rundgren knicked parts of " I saw the light" and " I can remember" for his "Something Anything" Album. This snippet comes from Eric and took place while they were recording and Todd was in the same studio complex. Power Pop at it's finest...
I remember reading a story about the Raspberries running into Todd after Something/Anything came out, and praising him quite genuinely for "Couldn't I Just Tell You". Todd apparently said something snarky like, "Figures you guys would like that one" and then just blew them off.
Damning with faint praise: Can respect Rundgren for some of his contributions to music, but have heard in all other respects that he is/was a first class asshole.
This took me back to AM radio, summer of 1973. My mom driving me to Little League games, while listening to the Raspberries, Sweet, Badfinger, Nilsson, the Guess Who, and...Ringo Starr.
Love those Raspberries. (RIP Eric Carman).
Great tribute, Dan. Have you heard their song “Oh Tonight?” It’s a demo found only on a greatest hits comp from 2000. Incredible.
I haven’t - I need to track that down!
Sigh. This is a great list of hits and should have been hits. Carmen falls into that category of artists whose early contributions I can’t forget and whose later ones I mostly abhor, not to mention his further dive off the deep end. Fortunately, thanks to this, I get to refocus on those early days. Thank you.
I love the fact that Eric's highly-modified white Gibson Melody Maker that he recorded most of the Raspberries hits with ended up with Joan Jett who did the same with it. That's Rock & Roll!