Though the band has achieved only cult success over the years, they have a loyal fan base and also a following among professional musicians such as Jack Bruce, Ringo Starr, Bruce Springsteen, and others. The group's "classic" lineup consisted of Eric Carmen (vocalist/guitarist/bassist), Wally Bryson (guitarist), Jim Bonfanti (drummer), and Dave Smalley (guitarist/bassist). Their best known songs include the aforementioned "Go All the Way" as well as "Let's Pretend", "I Wanna Be with You", "Tonight", and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)". Seminal producer Jimmy Ienner was responsible for all four of the Raspberries' albums in the 70s.
The group broke up 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 another album, which featured indie rock artist Scott McCarl as the vocalist. In 2004, the original four-man lineup reunited and soon undertook a well-received reunion tour. Their music additionally experienced a resurgence of interest after its inclusion in the popular 2014 film 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and its related soundtrack.
The group's history begins in early 1970 as a partnership between singer-songwriter Eric Carmen and drummer Jim Bonfanti, local pop/rock heroes thanks to the respective tenures in the hugely popular bands Cyrus Erie and The Choir. Guitarist Wally Bryson and bassist John Aleksic (both Choir veterans as well) completed the original lineup, which made its live debut in mid-October of that year. With their short hair, matching suits, and Beatlesque sound, the Raspberries ran in direct opposition to the prevailing hard rock mentality of the Cleveland scene. Yet, after just a handful of gigs, the band was among the city's most popular live acts. However, after cutting their first demo session, Aleksic left the lineup in March of 1971. With the addition of rhythm guitarist Dave Smalley, Carmen assumed bass duties.
The Raspberries' demo tape ultimately found its way to producer Jimmy Ienner, a figure interested in a 'wall of sound' approach akin to Phil Spector, and, in the wake of a major-label bidding war, the band signed to Capitol. The group released their their self-titled debut LP (complete with a raspberry-scented scratch-and-sniff cover sticker) in the spring of 1972. Their debut single, called "Don't Want to Say Goodbye", stalled, but the follow-up, called "Go All the Way", a well-received fusion of a The Who-inspired guitar snarl and The Beach Boys-styled vocal harmonies, went on to sell over a million copies on its way to cracking the Top Five. Although some censors felt horrified due to the tune's sexual content, leading to an ban by the BBC, the group preformed the song live on several programs. Carmen and Smalley swapped guitar and bass chores prior to recording the Raspberries' sophomore effort, 1972's 'Fresh'.
That album brought the group additional critical acclaim and praise from their fellow musicians. The record generated two more hits, rocker "I Wanna Be with You" and the smooth ballad "Let's Pretend", solidified the band's stature as local rock heroes. Nevertheless, tension within the ranks— sparked largely by Carmen's creative primacy and the shadow it cast over the songwriting contributions of Bryson and Smalley, both genuinely talented as well— were beginning to boil over. Thus, 1973's 'Side 3' boasted a more raw, aggressive sound than its predecessors, typified by the visceral crunch of the opening "Tonight", and showed a group in flux.
'Side 3' failed even to crack the Top 100, however, and appeared rather out of place compared to the squeaky-clean, laid-back commercial music of the time. Following a triumphant Carnegie Hall date, both Smalley and Bonfanti exited the Raspberries to form their own band, which they soon titled "Dynamite". They were replaced by bassist Scott McCarl and ex-Cyrus Erie drummer Michael McBride. Still determined, 1974's acclaimed 'Starting Over' continued the harder-edged approach of 'Side 3', yielding the band's final chart smash, the much praised "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)". A nasty post-gig confrontation between Carmen and Bryson soon resulted in the latter's departure from the group. After playing a handful of shows as a three-piece, the Raspberries disbanded in 1975.
Carmen then mounted a solo career; tapping McBride to play drums on his self-titled debut LP, which launched the number two blockbuster "All by Myself". He did not return to the upper rungs of the charts for over a decade, however, before scoring a major hit in 1987 with his 'Dirty Dancing' soundtrack contribution. The tune, called "Hungry Eyes", has remained popular for years since then. Re-inspired musically, Carmen's "Make Me Lose Control" additionally reached the number three spot a year later. Bryson, meanwhile, resurfaced in a short-lived band— named Tattoo— before joining the power pop group Fotomaker for three albums during the late 70s. Despite their skill and bursts of critical praise, the other ex-Raspberries besides Carmen found mainstream success elusive.
In March of 1999, all four original members (Smalley, Carmen, Bryson, and Bonfanti) met up for the first time in years, sparking rumors of an impending reunion. A few months later (after three of the four members played together onstage in Cleveland to celebrate the 80th birthday of rock journalist Jane Scott), a Raspberries reunion tour was confirmed as fact by 'Billboard Magazine'. Unfortunately for fans, the reunion failed to materialize. Carmen continued to write and record as a solo artist, while Bryson, Smalley, and latter-day member Scott McCarl opted to resurrect the Raspberries' name as a trio— issuing the album 'Refreshed' in 2000. That release picked up some praise from music journalists but went nowhere commercially.
As stacks of the popular book 'Eric Carmen: Marathon Man' was rolling off the presses, the dream that Eric Carmen, Wally Bryson, Dave Smalley and Jim Bonfanti would ever find themselves in a room together again, let alone reunite to perform, was labeled by many fans as likely as the Titanic rising from its ocean depths. Nonetheless, the band made an announcement in the mid-2000s along the lines of: "Ladies and gentlemen, I present for you the Titanic arisen." Raspberries guitarist Wally Bryson was overheard quipping, "If not now, then when?" (said via phone with Raspberries lead singer Eric Carmen on an evening in July 2004).
Drummer Jim Bonfanti was already on board, and bassist Dave Smalley joined onto the project shortly thereafter. The rest, as they say, is history. The original band members rehearsed in a rented space just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. They quickly re-learned all of their biggest hits and reacquainted themselves with their chops. For all four musicians, it was like time had stood still. They were back together again— for real this time— and had plenty of fans interested in future touring.
Raspberries first considered a reunion four years before then, but Carmen has remarked that the offer from promoters would not have allowed the band to put on a show with the production values it felt its fans deserved. "My caveat has always been that there's a mythology about the band, and I don't want to burst that bubble. If we couldn't put on a good concert, I didn't want to do it," he stated. After playing House of Blues clubs with Ringo Starr in 2001, Carmen loved the venues' vibe had had some inspiration. So, the House of Blues in Cleveland appeared to be the ideal place to play at.
"It's kind of fun to look around after all these years and see these people, who were my fellow musicians and my friends, working together again. And it sounds like us," Smalley stated. "Our fans have just not given up," Wally commented, "I've said it wouldn't happen, but they've been so persistent and loyal. I think we all kind of got the same feeling: 'Let's go and do this before we're freaking 95.'"
"The intention initially was just to play one show," Eric remarked. However, "[a]s we started rehearsing, a number of very interesting things happened— not the least of which was, we sold this first show out in four minutes. It totally knocked the House of Blues for a loop." The band's long-awaited live reunion, bringing them across the nation, ended up being featured in a 2007 album titled 'Live On Sunset Strip' (also known as 'The Raspberries: Live on Sunset Strip'). The release earned praise from critics such as Allmusic's Bruce Eder, who stated that "these guys can still sing their hearts out and play their asses off ".
Website: http://www.raspberriesonline.com/main.shtml
Nobody Knows
The Raspberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hurts so bad, you know it's such a sin
To see her love him while I just walk on by
(Nobody knows) what it does to me
(Nobody knows) no one could ever see
Nobody knows what it does to me
Now those tender looks upon her face
Are meant for someone else who's in my place
I can see her dancing with someone else
Holding him so close while I'm by myself
I just want to hit him but that won't do
All I know is I've got to find some way
I can get to you
When I see the way she holds his hand
It burns inside me, I can't understand
How could she love him the way she once loved me
Nobody knows
The Raspberries' song "Nobody Knows" discusses the pain of unrequited love, particularly when the person you love is with someone else. The singer is devastated as he watches the woman he loves look at another man with such tenderness, and he is left to walk on by without a second glance. The lyrics indicate that nobody knows the depth of his heartache, nor could they ever see the pain he is experiencing. He is trapped in a world where the woman he loves is with someone else, and he cannot escape the pain that it causes him.
The lyrics further explore the specifics of the singer's heartache, with him stating that those tender looks that he once received are now meant for someone else. The man she is with now is the lover that he once was, and it is agonizing to watch her with someone else. The singer is left to stand on the sidelines, watching her dance with him, holding him so closely while he is left by himself. He feels a sense of rage towards this new lover but understands that hitting him won't solve the problem at hand. Instead, he knows that he has to find a way to get to her, to be with her, even if it seems impossible.
Line by Line Meaning
When I see the way she looks at him
Observing the way she looks at him is a painful sight to witness
Hurts so bad, you know it's such a sin
The pain of seeing the person you love with someone else is unbearable and unjustifiable
To see her love him while I just walk on by
Watching her love someone else while you're left to admire her from afar is heartbreaking
(Nobody knows) what it does to me
No one can fully grasp the extent of the emotional turmoil inside
(Nobody knows) no one could ever see
Nobody can perceive the intensity of the pain you're experiencing
Nobody knows what it does to me
The inner pain and grief is a solitary burden to bear
Now those tender looks upon her face
The soft, kind expressions on her face are not directed towards you anymore
Are meant for someone else who's in my place
She's now giving the affection you once received, to another person
And he's her lover the way I used to be
He's the new recipient of her love, in the same way you once were
I can see her dancing with someone else
The image of her dancing with another person is hard to bear
Holding him so close while I'm by myself
Seeing her holding him so tightly while you're alone is a painful experience
I just want to hit him but that won't do
The urge to harm the person you're jealous of is there but it wouldn't change the situation
All I know is I've got to find some way
It's imperative to find a way to cope with the pain and move on
I can get to you
Finding a way to be near her is important
When I see the way she holds his hand
Seeing the way she holds his hand is a reminder of the love that was once shared
It burns inside me, I can't understand
The pain of seeing the person you love with someone else is inexplicable and agonizing
How could she love him the way she once loved me
The confusion of how she can love someone else like she once loved you is a torturous thought
Nobody knows
The full extent of the pain and heartbreak is a solitary experience
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ERIC CARMEN, DAVID B. SMALLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind