‘Mildly scandalous’: Raspberries lead singer Eric Carmen – In the early ’70s, when rock was either sprawling (prog) or heavy (hard rock), the Raspberries championed something different: concise, melodic power-pop. Fronted by Eric Carmen, they delivered sugary harmonies with a rock punch, and their single ‘Go All the Way’ was a huge radio smash.
For a time, they looked like inheritors of The Beatles’ pop mantle. But power-pop rarely sells longevity, and after four albums, they split. Carmen’s solo career and ballads (‘All By Myself’) overshadowed his former band. Today, the Raspberries are remembered mainly by power-pop aficionados, but their best singles still sparkle.
Though one could argue that the inclusion of the Raspberries’ 1972 hit “Go All The Way” on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack – as well as being briefly featured in an episode of HBO’s short-lived series Vinyl – represents a bit of a cultural rediscovery of the Cleveland, Ohio pop rock band, the truth is that the group remains mostly forgotten. One of the biggest issues that worked against the Raspberries is that their record company – and by extension, the record-buying public at large – couldn’t figure out where the band fit into the larger pop landscape and were summarily ignored.
That’s a crying shame because, while it’s true that the Raspberries sounded quite different from many of their contemporaries, this is what made them a cut above many of those same acts, as Raspberries songs were built around ear-pleasing melodies and strong vocal harmonies. Following brief mainstream success with the aforementioned single “Go All The Way,” the band inadvertently shot themselves in the foot by experimenting with their sound over their next few records; a decision that produced plenty of great music that no one listened to. After trying and failing to make it big, the Raspberries called it quits in 1974, leaving fans to wait until 30 years later for a reunion tour in 2004.
The Fat Angel Sings 