Raspberries (band)

Raspberries
Raspberries, 1975. L-R: Wally Bryson, Michael McBride, Scott McCarl, and Eric Carmen.
Raspberries, 1975. L-R: Wally Bryson, Michael McBride, Scott McCarl, and Eric Carmen.
Background information
OriginCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1970–1975
  • 1999–2000
  • 2004–2009
Labels
Past membersWally Bryson
Eric Carmen
Jim Bonfanti
John Aleksic
Dave Smalley
Scott McCarl
Michael McBride
Websitewww.raspberriesband.com

The Raspberries were an American pop rock band formed in 1970 from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their pop rock sound, which AllMusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies."[3] The members were known for their clean-cut public image and matching suits, which brought them teenybopper attention as well as scorn from some mainstream media outlets as "uncool".[4] The group drew influence from the British Invasion era—especially the Beatles, the Who, the Hollies, and the Small Faces—and its mod sensibility.[3] In both the US and the UK, the Raspberries helped pioneer the power pop music style that took off after the group disbanded.[5] They also have had a following among professional musicians such as Jack Bruce, Ringo Starr,[6] and Courtney Love.[7]

The group's "classic" lineup consisted of Eric Carmen (vocals, guitars, bass, piano), Wally Bryson (guitars), Dave Smalley (guitars, bass) and Jim Bonfanti (drums). Their best known songs include "Go All the Way", "Let's Pretend", "I Wanna Be with You", "Tonight", and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)".[3] Producer Jimmy Ienner was responsible for all four of the Raspberries' albums in the 1970s. The group disbanded in 1975 after a five-year run, and Eric Carmen proceeded to a successful career as a solo artist. Bryson and Smalley resurrected the group's name in 1999 for an album,[3] which included singer/songwriter Scott McCarl as vocalist.[8] In 2004, the original quartet reunited and undertook a well-received reunion tour in 2005.[6]

  1. ^ The Raspberries at AllMusic
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2009). Joel Whitburn's Music Stars. H. Leonard Corporation. p. 207. ISBN 978-0898201765.
  3. ^ a b c d Ankeny, Jason; Prato, Greg. "The Raspberries — Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference adams was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Gundersen, Edna (October 11, 2007). "Cleveland's The Raspberries are as fresh as ever". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  6. ^ a b Dan Macintosh (September 4, 2007). "With Raspberries reunion, Eric Carmen's no longer all by himself". Ecentral.my. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  7. ^ "Discography". Vintagestars.com. October 28, 1997. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  8. ^ Prato, Greg. "Play On — Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved August 11, 2009.