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
Party's Over
The Raspberries Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we started it was a lot of fun
And the times we had I'll never forget
But now I'm older and wiser and a bit of a miser
And it's crazy but I don't want to quit
Ain't it a shame, the party's over
Ain't it a shame, the party's over
Yeah, we got to keep our feet on the ground
Broken-hearted, it ain't a lot of fun
Though I have to I can never forget
And so I'm older and brighter and a bad criticizer
And I'm crazy but I don't give a shit
My old lady don't see a lot of love
But my guitar, I give it all I can get
So if (unintelligible) and party all night
And call me crazy, but I ain't gonna quit
The party's over
(There are things to realize)
The party's over
Yeah, I'm crazy but I don't give a shit
The party's over
The Raspberries's song Party's Over is a reflective piece on growing up and leaving behind the reckless abandon of youth. The opening lines paint a picture of fond memories and good times that will forever be cherished, but as the song progresses, we see a shift in the singer's perspective. He acknowledges that he is now older and wiser, and this shift in mindset has resulted in him becoming a bit of a miser. The party that once brought so much joy and excitement no longer holds the same appeal.
However, despite this change in perspective, the singer is not willing to completely let go. He recognizes that it is a shame that the party is over, and that they can no longer fool around like they used to, but he is not willing to completely give up the past. He acknowledges that broken-heartedness is not a lot of fun but he can never forget, and while he may be a bad criticizer, he's crazy but doesn't care.
In the end, the last lines of the song sum up the singer's feelings- the party's over, and while there are realities to face, he is crazy and doesn't care. The song might be interpreted as being about aging, and learning how to cope with the inevitability of change while still holding onto some of the things that make us who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
When we started it was a lot of fun
In the beginning, we enjoyed ourselves very much
And the times we had I'll never forget
The memories we created are unforgettable
But now I'm older and wiser and a bit of a miser
I have grown older and more experienced, as well as being more parsimonious now
And it's crazy but I don't want to quit
Although it may sound irrational, I do not want to stop
Ain't it a shame, the party's over
It is a pity that the good times have come to an end
Yeah, we couldn't keep foolin' around
We realized that we couldn't keep wasting our time on aimless activities
Broken-hearted, it ain't a lot of fun
Feeling hopeless and depressed is not a pleasant experience
Though I have to I can never forget
Despite having to move on, I can never completely forget
And so I'm older and brighter and a bad criticizer
I have gotten older, wiser, and more critical of things
And I'm crazy but I don't give a shit
I may seem crazy, but I do not care about others' opinions
My old lady don't see a lot of love
My significant other does not receive a lot of attention from me
But my guitar, I give it all I can get
I put all my effort and passion into playing my guitar
So if (unintelligible) and party all night
(Inaudible) and spending the entire night partying
And call me crazy, but I ain't gonna quit
People may label me insane, but I am not going to back down
The party's over
The good times have come to an end
(There are things to realize)
There are important things to be aware of
Yeah, I'm crazy but I don't give a shit
I may appear unstable, but I am not bothered by it
The party's over
The fun has ended
Contributed by William S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mike Daugherty
My favorite Raspberries song. Still rocking in the 21st century.
lyonslaforet
I'm French and I love the Raspberries, such a wonderful mix of energy and melody!
Susie196921
A favorite 70's band of mine and I'm sorry that they decided to disband!
VValter Vázquez
from Mexico. The Raspberries is one of my favorite bands.
MF Regan
You can reach Pluto and they still love the Raspberries! It's a taste thing, man!
Dorothy Nugent
Hey Beavis, this song kicks ass.
ruben herrera
Cómo carajo no llego al n 1 tiene unos temas de la puta madre este long play# por supuesto yo lo tengo desde la década del ,70
ruben herrera
Es más lo bailabamos en los carnavales en los 70 en Argentina
iSNARK!
The one Raspberries' "cowbell tune". :)
BMP
Billy DJ
Cleveland Area Classic 1970's Rock Band