This song is burned into my memory of my 16th birthday in the summer of ‘72. My best friend, in the sporty car her parents gave her for her 16th birthday six weeks earlier, picked me up, then we made an unplanned stop at the nearby house of a boy I had a crush on to see if he wanted to go with us to get ice cream to celebrate our birthdays (his 16th birthday had been three weeks earlier). He was home and jumped in (I sat in the back seat). Off we went to Baskin and Robbins. En route, “Go All the Way” came on the radio, my friend cranked up the volume, and my imagination ran wild. At B&R, we all had a cup of the Daiquiri Ice flavor as a way to celebrate our being (almost) on the cusp of adulthood. I have no other memory of that day, but every time I hear this song, I’m transported back to that moment in time - my feelings from then rush back. Still makes me smile when I hear it.
@@karenduell1027 😊Thank you for saying that! I was a little apprehensive about posting it because of the length and detail but then I remembered how much I enjoy reading posts and comments from others here about detailed memories they associate with a particular song or group or concert, so I figured I wasn’t the only one!
@@clhsocial Do you know what became of him? ("Reader, I married him")? I give my life story to some songs and hope others enjoy it. This song passed me by but I enjoyed reading about your memories.
@@DawnSuttonfabfourI do know! At age 19, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic sailing team. He’s a member of the Windsurfing Hall of Fame and is legendary in the world of windsurfing. I’ll separately post a link to a video with his story and another one to a magazine article about him, which includes pictures of him from back in the day. His blonde hair is now gray, but his eyes are still magnificent.
The Raspberries recorded several fantastic songs, "I Wanna Be With You", "Let's Pretend", "Overnight Sensation". They were an awesome early 70s rock band.
Those three are all classics. Overnight Sensation is a must for anyone with musical aspirations. The others began Eric Carmen's "horny singles" series.
Eric Carmen was also a very accessible guy despite his success and fame. When I was listening to Raspberries back in the ‘70s I never would’ve imagined discussing current events with the lead singer 50 years later.
No surprise, since Badfinger and the Raspberries are considered to be two of the three iconic founders of the subgenre known as power pop -- the other being Big Star -- in the early '70s. And power pop is based, essentially, upon what constituted rock in '65 and '66 -- the Byrds, the Who, the Beach Boys, the Hollies, and, above all else (of course), the Beatles.
This is definitely a banger. Eric Carmen did some great solo work as well. 'All By Myself' and 'Never Gonna Fall in Love Again' were his greatest hits.
There's something so cool about the way this song was produced. The style isn't cheesy, the lyrics are sweet and every time I hear it I go right back to the 70s. It had a lot of air play too, I'd crank up the volume every time it came on the radio. Thank you for playing this one, it's in my top 10. I have the album, it had the scent of raspberries on the album cover lol, true story. Love it!
Agreed, Agreed, Agreed!!! There are so many countless reactors out there that simply butcher songs from all of the pausing. A 5 minute song doesn’t need a 25 minute reaction. Thank you A(&A) for being the much needed exception to the rule.
Back in the early 70’s, a small local all-girl Catholic high school in a nearby NJ town won a contest on a local Philadelphia radio station to have the Raspberries perform a concert at their school. They didn’t have a space big enough to host the concert so my school, a larger co-ed Catholic high school hosted it for them. It was exciting to have the experience of seeing them and then watching as their song (Go All the Way) became a hit. I followed them but they never had any other hits, although the lead singer, Eric Carmen had several big hits. His biggest hit was “Hungry Eyes” from the film “Dirty Dancing.” Funny story, I remember the nuns reacting to the “Go All the Way” lyrics by running around and whispering to each other in horror, but there was nothing to be done! Thanks for the memories! Best wishes to Andy!
Love Eric Carmen's voice. This song sounds like if the Beach Boys and the Who got together and created a song. Harmonies and the staccato upstroke on the chords.
"If the Beach Boys and the Who got together and created a song" = power pop. And the Raspberries, along with Badfinger, were the kings of the first wave of power pop.
Look into Eric Carmen's solo work, "All By Myself" was a huge hit. I saw Eric Carmen play with Ringo Starr's All Star Band, he was great, and he rocked this song, the audience went crazy.
I saw them in concert in late ‘74 when they were opening for The Beach Boys. They put on a hell of a show and left the stage having ramped up our enthusiasm for more entertainment as an opening act is supposed to do only to discover that The Beach Boys had not yet arrived and, so, professionals that they were, they came back out and performed for another HOUR material they hadn’t planned on doing with no complaints. This SO earned my respect, especially since The Beach Boys, when they finally did arrive, offered no explanation or apology for their lateness although they did give us a hell of a show too.😊
The Raspberries have several other songs that were hits... "I Wanna Be With You", "Let's Pretend", "Overnight Sensation", as well as songs that Eric Carmen (the singer) did as a solo artist... "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" and "Hungry Eyes". It's worth a deep dive.
The first seconds you know what it is :) and always will ! Great vocals just killed plus the dang instruments ! Whomever produced it deserves a round of applause ! AWE Alex its so sweet that you count down 3 2 1 and give your rating :) HNY !
Being 11 when this was released and singing along with my brothers, 10 and 8, in the backseat but not (yet) understanding the meaning left poor mom red-faced during our drives around town 😊
As much as I miss Andy as part of this dynamic duo, I will patiently wait for him to return and be happy about it when it happens. I'll look forward to whenever that may be, and not ask about it.
Everything in the Raspberries catalog is worth the listen. "I Wanna Be With You" is more or less in the same lane as "Go All the Way," "Ecstasy," "Tonight," "Drivin' Around" and "I'm a Rocker." Eric Carmen was also a maestro of the power pop ballad, with such evidence as "Let's Pretend," "Overnight Sensation," "I Saw the Light," "I Can Remember" and others. Carmen had a very successful solo career and I'm sure you've heard some of that material, "All By Myself'' and others.
Lead singer Eric Carmen also had a successful solo career and was a great songwriter. He had a big hit in 1975 with his song "All By Myself" that you may have heard Alex. It went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Also the movie Dirty Dancing had one of his songs on the soundtrack that you have probably heard as well called "Hungry Eyes," and he co-wrote a hit song named "Almost Paradise" that Ann Wilson from Heart and Mike Reno from Loverboy sang as a duet.
Wow! So happy to see this reaction! Love the expressions you made while enjoying this classic! I hope you react to this again with Andy. You’re killing it, Alex! ❤
Heard this song on a K-Tel record, not even knowing who the Raspberries were and it became one of my favorite songs I’ve played over years. Back in that era songs were only a few minutes long,and it worked. Sexy song.
You may have heard Eric Carmen after he went solo, had hits with "All By Myself", "Make me Lose Control", and a song from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack called "Hungry Eyes".
Eric Carmen had a huge smash hit as a solo artist called "All by Myself", a very dramatic rock ballad released in 1975 that hit #1 on a few charts but just missed out at #2 on Billboard Hot 100
Madman Across the Water is STILL my favorite Elton album after 52 years! Further, the Raspberries were KILLER! The late 60s/early 70s were a great time to be alive and in your late teens/early twenties! I wish everybody could have experienced that level of freedom! And, yes, they had one more mega-hit, "I Wanna Be With You!" The combination of Eric Carmen't singing/songwriting, and the guitar player (whose name escapes me at the moment) who was beyond a "standard guitar player" their arrangements were beyond the norm!
Love this song - considered a real banger back in 1972! Thanks for hanging in Alex - we miss Andy and would miss you if the situation was reversed. Your “team” reactions can’t be beat!
I Wanna Be With You is the next Raspberries song you should do. Eric Carmen, the lead vocals and guitar, is a classically trained pianist, and he often writes in movements like classical music.
Raspberries songs are about lost innocence... from an era when there still was some. In the original tradition of the underlying meaning of the term "rock and roll".
At last! I have been recommending you play this 70's banger for years now! This song was ever present in public spaces in my teen years in the 70's, and launched a thousand roller-rink romances.
The Raspberries were one of the 4-5 big groups to craft the early '70s "power pop" sound, which resurrected the guitar-driven style of the early Beatles and the Who. (Others included Badfinger, Big Star, the Flamin' Groovies, and the Dwight Twilley Band, then later the Knack and many others). It's also one of the first hit records to employ significant dynamic range compression to achieve those thundering riffs. RIP Eric Carmen!
Would love to see a reaction to Twilley's "I'm on Fire," the perfect blend of power pop/rockabilly. As of now, only one reactor has reacted to Dwight Twilley, her channel is the Rockin' Reaction Rollers. RIP Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour.
@@susanklasinski1805 I second that vote for "Shake Some Action". I think it's one of the top five power pop songs of all time (as is "Go All the Way").
@@karenduell1027 That entire first album by Dwight Twilley Band that includes "I'm on Fire", *Sincerely* , is absolutely amazing. It's been one of my all-time top five albums since I found it in a record store cut-out bin and took a chance on it back in college in the '80s.
@gregsager2062 I bought a CD from Amazon that is a 2-fer...Sincerely and Twilley Don't Mind. It's a shame there were so many issues with their record company which held them back. One of my favorites is "That I Remember." There's a cool video here on yt, with a very young Tom Petty backing his good friend Dwight. They were initially on the same record label. Petty was able to take off with huge success, I always thought maybe he could have helped Dwight out more, but then again maybe Dwight didn't want his help. Anyway, check out the video if you're interested.
Notice the soft portion where the verses were sung was the female point of view-while the rockin version was the guy's reaction. Raspberries had a lot of other hits-I Wanna Be With You (Beatlesque to the core), Let's Pretend, Tonight and Overnight Sensation.
Glad you picked this one!❤ and I'm glad you are carrying on with the channel. Please tell Andy hi. If you haven't checked out "Blank Generation" by Richard Hell and the Voidoids yet, I would be fascinated to see your reaction to this iconic punk / post-punk hit.
I never knew this song was by The Raspberries. So good!!! And I never knew the title. My fav part is the chord strikes... with the brief pause..and continuation.
Thanks so much for FINALLY doing this amazing group. Next should be "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," which is an absolute classic. "Go All the Way" is the greatest power pop song ever written. Fabulous structure and incredible youthful energy. Eric Carmen was a fabulous songwriter and a god in Cleveland, where I used to live. Eric was obviously influenced by Brian Wilson and the Beatles. Their four albums are full of classic songs.
Loved this single on the radio and so it was the first album I ever bought when I was 15. The whole album is really good. When you get in close, My copy still has the faint aroma of raspberries included in the earliest pressings.
You guys hit one of their other big hits a few years ago. You should check out some of Eric Carmen's solo hits ( Hungry Eyes, Make Me Lose Control, All By Myself). My parents knew The Raspberries tangentially when they were still a local band around Cleveland. In part, it was because of this that they got together. My dad's best friend liked one of my mom's friends who was dating one of the members of The Raspberries at the time (not Eric). They met at a concert and got a drink afterwards and the rest, as they say, is history. This song was also revolutionary at the time as it's technically told from the point of view of the girl in the story. Not only that, she's "giving it up" (to invoke the Marvin Gaye song) which was a power move at the time and not one that was out in pop culture.
The Raspberries were a band from Cleveland Ohio, that scored several major hits in the early 70's. But the band had lots of internal turmoil, as lead singer Eric Carmen was more pop/ballad oriented, while the other band members wanted the harder sound. Eric Carmen, as a solo artist, score major success with hits like "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "Hungry Eyes" and many others. Raspberries founder, Wally Bryson founded the band Choir in 1964, and had local success , including one song, "It's Cold Outside" which charted nationally. The Choir were big enough to open for The Who, Herman's Hermits, etc. As for other Raspberries songs, check out: "I Don't Want to Say Goodbye"; "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)"; "I Wanna Be with You" ; "Tonight" ; "Starting Over"; & "Driving Around". You should feature EACH of these songs!!
Raspberries are iconic. This is a pure gem. My favorite by them has, always, been: "Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak" 💜💜💜🔥🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘 ...stuff like: "On The Beach"; "I Reach For The Light"; "Tonight" ...even the (sadly, post-Bryson and Bonfanti) "Overnight Sensation" is, all, superb. - Yes. There are 2 different vocalists (but they do not always 'share'/'switch off'), The primary (and most well-known from this band, overall) is Eric Carmen (who tried to establish a solo career after the band's collapse - which in many ways was due to his overwhelming control of the band's writing/material!). The other major song-writer, Dave Smalley [bassist (and rhythm guitarist when Wally Bryson wasn't around)] is the other primary vocalist. I tend to like Smalley's song-writing better, personally (but that's no measure of anything). Wally Bryson (the primary lead guitarist) also contributed a fair amount of composition to the band and went on to start ANOTHER superb, '70s, 'mainly unknown' rock outfit: Fotomaker [which featured the SORELY underrated and unfairly little-appreciated: Dino Danelli on the drums! [Dino and his former partner in: The Rascals/The Young Rascals, Gene Cornish joined Wally Bryson and L.I.-born Frankie Vinci (keyboards, et al.-he would, later, work with KISS & members thereof (among plenty of others)) and vocalist Lex Marchesi would go on to form the, brief, but unexpectedly excellent: Fotomaker. ...sadly, in the overloaded, befuddled and, increasingly, 'resistant-to-change' or 'unexpected'/'unpredictable' (even slightly!😡🖕👎) record industry of the "collapsing" late 1970s (searching for its "guaranteed next" of the early 1980s😡🙄🙄🤦😡🤬🤬), Fotomaker ended-up disappearing, basically. ... but that reflects NONE of the quality of their: writing or musicianship! - but that is "another" (and a different) story!] Just F.Y.I.: Jim Bonfanti is a bad-ass!! ...but: Dino Danelli ???? is A, PURE, INARGUABLE, BEAST!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘💥] ...but Wally Bryson is a, generally, unfairly, ignored or scantly recalled killer guitarist and song-writer, himself!
@karenduell1027 I discovered it by accident (in the '80s) myself. I don't believe a lot of people DO know! ...Fotomaker has 2 great albums (the final one was an attempt to capitalize on an -already disappeared, by THAT point!- "disco craze" and, while it has a few 'tolerable' cuts (if that's what you're looking for ["fluffed-out," pseudo-new-wavey, bland wannabe disco🤷(🤦)](l), but overall, I'd say: purely avoidable travesty.). They do not sound "like" either The Rascals OR Raspberries ...but 🤷🤷 you know 🤷 ...when musicians & writers who contributed, indelibly, to "that sound" create something, they, somehow, always seem to create something which also "feels like" or "is reminiscent, thereof;" even when not intentionally! 🤷 (y'know🤷). (The albums) Fotomaker & Vís-à-vís are both strong! 👍 I would recommend the songs "If I Can't Believe In You" and "Pain" if one was, just, looking to (maybe) "sample the wares" 🤷🤷 ...there is plenty of good stuff beyond that, as well. Glad I was able to inform another fan/interested party!! -And, ABSOLUTELY!!!!: 😭😭😭😭 R.I.P. DINO DANELLI! A true master craftsman and unique voice on the instrument! [Power. Groove. Syncopation. Timing. Rock-Solid and freely swinging! 💜💜💜] (He was one of the guys I would mention when meeting drummers for MY projects (and looked for stylistic similarities in the players!) and if a drummer KNEW Dino (knew his work and his style, I mean!), ...they went to the front of the line! 🤪🤪😛🤘🤘)
"Andy says; great guitars, love the hard parts and then into the soft parts, slow dancing with your girl in the high school gym. I'm going with an A". Alex, I had this in my mind before you did your reaction and thought I would be Andy just for a second. Keep rockin my friends!! Miss you Andy.
Eric Carmen sang the whole song. His range is pretty good. He could sing rock songs and ballads as well. Talented guy. And this song was a hit in the early 1970's. Also, it was featured on "Guardians of the Galaxy" as part of "Awesome Hits #1" in the movie. Always jam out when I hear this song.
Eric Carmen (RIP) seemingly could never decide if he wanted to be a hard rock or soft rock singer/musician, so he dabbled in both often in the same song, and in some ways that's part of what power-pop really is--a mix of the two. The distorted guitar and heavily compressed drums rock as hard as anything in its day, but the sweet Beatles-esque harmonies and well-crafted melodies were still AM radio friendly. Throw in some mildly risqué and naive lyrics, and you've got a perfect hit for a lost and bored generation of horny teenagers.
The lead vocalist, Eric Carmen was such a wonderfully over the top vocalist. His vocal tone was so unique, and he could go right to the edge of "cheesy" without stepping over the line. His solo song, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", is a must listen.
Love it! The vocals are so smooth and then fried and rough. The harmonies soar and it has a glam rock vibe. If I was a DJ I would play Fox on the Run next.
Eric Carmen was a classically trained pianist who combined his music talent with a phenomenal vocal range. Just Google "The Raspberries" to get the scope on this group, They took this formula from the 70's to the 2010's, but sadly Eric has passed. RIP Eric Carmen Look into "I Wanna Be With You" which was another huge radio hit for The Raspberries
The raspberries lead singer Eric Carmen has several hits. Thank you for sticking with the channel. I miss Andy.
Why isn’t Andy on anymore
@@keithb5341 He took a break for the sake of his mental health. He does check in and read the comments, and he misses us as much as we miss him.🖤
@@keithb5341he’s just on an indefinite sabbatical and will return when he’s ready. He explains it in a previous episode.
This song is burned into my memory of my 16th birthday in the summer of ‘72. My best friend, in the sporty car her parents gave her for her 16th birthday six weeks earlier, picked me up, then we made an unplanned stop at the nearby house of a boy I had a crush on to see if he wanted to go with us to get ice cream to celebrate our birthdays (his 16th birthday had been three weeks earlier). He was home and jumped in (I sat in the back seat). Off we went to Baskin and Robbins. En route, “Go All the Way” came on the radio, my friend cranked up the volume, and my imagination ran wild. At B&R, we all had a cup of the Daiquiri Ice flavor as a way to celebrate our being (almost) on the cusp of adulthood.
I have no other memory of that day, but every time I hear this song, I’m transported back to that moment in time - my feelings from then rush back. Still makes me smile when I hear it.
I love reading memories like this! I was 13, with puberty hormones raging...😂
@@karenduell1027 😊Thank you for saying that! I was a little apprehensive about posting it because of the length and detail but then I remembered how much I enjoy reading posts and comments from others here about detailed memories they associate with a particular song or group or concert, so I figured I wasn’t the only one!
@@clhsocial Do you know what became of him? ("Reader, I married him")? I give my life story to some songs and hope others enjoy it. This song passed me by but I enjoyed reading about your memories.
@@DawnSuttonfabfour Damn - I wrote a reply and thought I’d posted it, but I don’t see it! It included a link to a RUclips video. I’ll try again!
@@DawnSuttonfabfourI do know! At age 19, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic sailing team. He’s a member of the Windsurfing Hall of Fame and is legendary in the world of windsurfing. I’ll separately post a link to a video with his story and another one to a magazine article about him, which includes pictures of him from back in the day. His blonde hair is now gray, but his eyes are still magnificent.
Arguably the peak of "power pop". Iconic.
The Raspberries recorded several fantastic songs, "I Wanna Be With You", "Let's Pretend", "Overnight Sensation". They were an awesome early 70s rock band.
Tonight!
@@royrush5374 Good one! How could I forget "Tonight"?
Those three are all classics. Overnight Sensation is a must for anyone with musical aspirations. The others began Eric Carmen's "horny singles" series.
They were trailblazing in the 70’s, but this particular song I loved more for the story.
I bought the album when this song was king. It still smells of raspberries!
Unfortunately Eric Carmen (Vocalist) passed 10 months ago now...R.I.P. Eric 🙏❤️ Thanks For ALL You Gave Us...Gone But Definitely Not Forgotten.
Eric Carmen was also a very accessible guy despite his success and fame. When I was listening to Raspberries back in the ‘70s I never would’ve imagined discussing current events with the lead singer 50 years later.
One of many of my favorite songs especially from the 70s!!!
Love you Alex, thanks for staying on the channel, I miss the duo, but peace and happiness to both of you!
Where is Andy? I thought he was just away for a while.
Was about to say about the same thing but yours is better.
That song kicks ass from the start and never lets up
Morning A&A peeps. Alex you are doing such a great job. We do miss you, Andy. Such a great song. 🎶
To me the best Power Pop song of all time... I have the 45 from 1972.
Haven't heard this in a long time - thanks for featuring it.
The song had a feeling of those from Badfinger and Beatles to me. 😀
No surprise, since Badfinger and the Raspberries are considered to be two of the three iconic founders of the subgenre known as power pop -- the other being Big Star -- in the early '70s. And power pop is based, essentially, upon what constituted rock in '65 and '66 -- the Byrds, the Who, the Beach Boys, the Hollies, and, above all else (of course), the Beatles.
Great observation! Agree.
Eric Carmen passed in March 2024.
Always loved this song.❤
My favorite Eric Carmen is..
All.by Myself
@@THEPATRIOT1000 Mine: Lose Control. ;-)
One of THE best rock songs from back in the day.
This is definitely a banger. Eric Carmen did some great solo work as well.
'All By Myself' and 'Never Gonna Fall in Love Again' were his greatest hits.
Don't forget Hungry Eyes from Dirty Dancing.
@@francisseidel8014 Yes! And Lose Control!
@@francisseidel8014 You're absolutely right. Should have mentioned that one as well. My bad.
There's something so cool about the way this song was produced. The style isn't cheesy, the lyrics are sweet and every time I hear it I go right back to the 70s. It had a lot of air play too, I'd crank up the volume every time it came on the radio. Thank you for playing this one, it's in my top 10. I have the album, it had the scent of raspberries on the album cover lol, true story. Love it!
Doesn't get more 70s AM radio than this. Power pop at its finest.
@cptight88 yes!! Still sounds great in 2025!! That's something so cool.
Loved this song since I was a kid. Enjoy
Those were such good times, you have no idea! RIP, Eric!
I like the way you just play the whole song, with no pausing it. And do your dissecting when the song is done.
Agreed, Agreed, Agreed!!! There are so many countless reactors out there that simply butcher songs from all of the pausing. A 5 minute song doesn’t need a 25 minute reaction.
Thank you A(&A) for being the much needed exception to the rule.
@@josephwalker5577 I believe they pause in order to lessen the chances of being blocked by the song owner.
Back in the early 70’s, a small local all-girl Catholic high school in a nearby NJ town won a contest on a local Philadelphia radio station to have the Raspberries perform a concert at their school. They didn’t have a space big enough to host the concert so my school, a larger co-ed Catholic high school hosted it for them. It was exciting to have the experience of seeing them and then watching as their song (Go All the Way) became a hit. I followed them but they never had any other hits, although the lead singer, Eric Carmen had several big hits. His biggest hit was “Hungry Eyes” from the film “Dirty Dancing.” Funny story, I remember the nuns reacting to the “Go All the Way” lyrics by running around and whispering to each other in horror, but there was nothing to be done! Thanks for the memories! Best wishes to Andy!
What a great song! Perfectly made for the radio driving around in your car.
Love Eric Carmen's voice. This song sounds like if the Beach Boys and the Who got together and created a song. Harmonies and the staccato upstroke on the chords.
"If the Beach Boys and the Who got together and created a song" = power pop. And the Raspberries, along with Badfinger, were the kings of the first wave of power pop.
Maybe the perfect pop radio song of all time 🤔
One of my favorite intros of any song ever!. Great alternating mix of heavenly harmonies and gut busting power chords 🤘
The Beatles meet the Who. That was the secret sauce of the Raspberries (and also of a lot of other power pop bands that followed in their wake).
Look into Eric Carmen's solo work, "All By Myself" was a huge hit. I saw Eric Carmen play with Ringo Starr's All Star Band, he was great, and he rocked this song, the audience went crazy.
I saw them in concert in late ‘74 when they were opening for The Beach Boys. They put on a hell of a show and left the stage having ramped up our enthusiasm for more entertainment as an opening act is supposed to do only to discover that The Beach Boys had not yet arrived and, so, professionals that they were, they came back out and performed for another HOUR material they hadn’t planned on doing with no complaints. This SO earned my respect, especially since The Beach Boys, when they finally did arrive, offered no explanation or apology for their lateness although they did give us a hell of a show too.😊
I have been waiting on this. Mixture of different genres and great power pop. 🎶
The rock'n sound of 1972! A gift from Cleveland to all the aspiring young rockers Mark my words, Andy would love this tune!
Sending thoughts to Andy. Hope he is well and getting better.
There's no song that brings back incredible memories of my high school years quite like this one.
The Raspberries have several other songs that were hits... "I Wanna Be With You", "Let's Pretend", "Overnight Sensation", as well as songs that Eric Carmen (the singer) did as a solo artist... "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" and "Hungry Eyes". It's worth a deep dive.
All great songs, worthy of a reaction!
Eric Carmen also write the big hit “Almost Paradise”.
Agree. Those are pretty iconic.
My comment on Go All the Way in the poll got 144 thumbs up, I was very flattered!
Rest in peace Eric Carmen
One of the best songs from the 70's!
The first seconds you know what it is :) and always will ! Great vocals just killed plus the dang instruments ! Whomever produced it deserves a round of applause ! AWE Alex its so sweet that you count down 3 2 1 and give your rating :) HNY !
Being 11 when this was released and singing along with my brothers, 10 and 8, in the backseat but not (yet) understanding the meaning left poor mom red-faced during our drives around town 😊
😂😂😂😂❤
LOL. This reminds me of elementary kids on the school bus singing "Look at me I'm Sandy Dee" from Grease.
One of my Favorites!!! Love this song and all the changes from fast to slow, melodic and rocken!
As much as I miss Andy as part of this dynamic duo, I will patiently wait for him to return and be happy about it when it happens. I'll look forward to whenever that may be, and not ask about it.
Underrated band. They put out 4 albums that all deserve a listen.
Everything in the Raspberries catalog is worth the listen. "I Wanna Be With You" is more or less in the same lane as "Go All the Way," "Ecstasy," "Tonight," "Drivin' Around" and "I'm a Rocker." Eric Carmen was also a maestro of the power pop ballad, with such evidence as "Let's Pretend," "Overnight Sensation," "I Saw the Light," "I Can Remember" and others. Carmen had a very successful solo career and I'm sure you've heard some of that material, "All By Myself'' and others.
This is the perfect pop song - the guitar tone and Eric Carmen's vocals, superb.
Lead singer Eric Carmen also had a successful solo career and was a great songwriter. He had a big hit in 1975 with his song "All By Myself" that you may have heard Alex. It went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Also the movie Dirty Dancing had one of his songs on the soundtrack that you have probably heard as well called "Hungry Eyes," and he co-wrote a hit song named "Almost Paradise" that Ann Wilson from Heart and Mike Reno from Loverboy sang as a duet.
I didn't know that...cool😎
Wow! So happy to see this reaction! Love the expressions you made while enjoying this classic! I hope you react to this again with Andy. You’re killing it, Alex! ❤
Heard this song on a K-Tel record, not even knowing who the Raspberries were and it became one of my favorite songs I’ve played over years.
Back in that era songs were only a few minutes long,and it worked. Sexy song.
I saw them open for Three Dog Night in 1973. Great concert!
The Raspberries and Three Dog Night...I would have died and gone to heaven seeing Cory Wells and Eric Carmen on the same bill. RIP to both.😢
Can't believe it took this long to get to this classic.
You may have heard Eric Carmen after he went solo, had hits with "All By Myself", "Make me Lose Control", and a song from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack called "Hungry Eyes".
Eric Carmen had a huge smash hit as a solo artist called "All by Myself", a very dramatic rock ballad released in 1975 that hit #1 on a few charts but just missed out at #2 on Billboard Hot 100
Can you imagine all the parents who heard their kids listening to a song extolling them to "go all the way"?!? Hilarious!
Madman Across the Water is STILL my favorite Elton album after 52 years! Further, the Raspberries were KILLER! The late 60s/early 70s were a great time to be alive and in your late teens/early twenties! I wish everybody could have experienced that level of freedom! And, yes, they had one more mega-hit, "I Wanna Be With You!" The combination of Eric Carmen't singing/songwriting, and the guitar player (whose name escapes me at the moment) who was beyond a "standard guitar player" their arrangements were beyond the norm!
Wally Bryson was the lead guitarist of the Raspberries.
Power pop at its best.
Rest in peace to Eric Carmen, and thanks for this wonderful song.
Love this song - considered a real banger back in 1972! Thanks for hanging in Alex - we miss Andy and would miss you if the situation was reversed. Your “team” reactions can’t be beat!
It's like it goes from Bad Company to Roy Orbison and back! 🙃
Beatles influenced band. One of my favorite songs. Hope Andy is doing better.
This great power pop/rock classic comes screaming out of the gate and never lets up.
Ok Alex, is it time to admit 60's & 70's had THE BEST music? Oh Yeah.
Been waiting for this for years
I Wanna Be With You is the next Raspberries song you should do. Eric Carmen, the lead vocals and guitar, is a classically trained pianist, and he often writes in movements like classical music.
Raspberries songs are about lost innocence... from an era when there still was some. In the original tradition of the underlying meaning of the term "rock and roll".
At last! I have been recommending you play this 70's banger for years now! This song was ever present in public spaces in my teen years in the 70's, and launched a thousand roller-rink romances.
The brilliance of Eric Carmen. The song Overnight Sensation was once om Rolling Stone Magazines list of Top 100 records of all time.
The Raspberries were one of the 4-5 big groups to craft the early '70s "power pop" sound, which resurrected the guitar-driven style of the early Beatles and the Who. (Others included Badfinger, Big Star, the Flamin' Groovies, and the Dwight Twilley Band, then later the Knack and many others). It's also one of the first hit records to employ significant dynamic range compression to achieve those thundering riffs. RIP Eric Carmen!
Would love more Badfinger and Big Star, and "Shake Some Action" by the Flamin' Groovies. (One of the best power pop songs of all time IMO).
Would love to see a reaction to Twilley's "I'm on Fire," the perfect blend of power pop/rockabilly. As of now, only one reactor has reacted to Dwight Twilley, her channel is the Rockin' Reaction Rollers. RIP Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour.
@@susanklasinski1805 I second that vote for "Shake Some Action". I think it's one of the top five power pop songs of all time (as is "Go All the Way").
@@karenduell1027 That entire first album by Dwight Twilley Band that includes "I'm on Fire", *Sincerely* , is absolutely amazing. It's been one of my all-time top five albums since I found it in a record store cut-out bin and took a chance on it back in college in the '80s.
@gregsager2062 I bought a CD from Amazon that is a 2-fer...Sincerely and Twilley Don't Mind. It's a shame there were so many issues with their record company which held them back. One of my favorites is "That I Remember." There's a cool video here on yt, with a very young Tom Petty backing his good friend Dwight. They were initially on the same record label. Petty was able to take off with huge success, I always thought maybe he could have helped Dwight out more, but then again maybe Dwight didn't want his help. Anyway, check out the video if you're interested.
Has to be one of my top 100 songs ever!
Notice the soft portion where the verses were sung was the female point of view-while the rockin version was the guy's reaction. Raspberries had a lot of other hits-I Wanna Be With You (Beatlesque to the core), Let's Pretend, Tonight and Overnight Sensation.
The ascending "come on" Bridge, evokes the layered Bridge of "Twist & Shout."
More like Please Please Me
@duffypratt ha ha, you're right.
I remember when this song hit the the airwaves and even with all the great music all around it was a killer tune.
Rasberries were great, power pop at its best
Glad you picked this one!❤ and I'm glad you are carrying on with the channel. Please tell Andy hi. If you haven't checked out "Blank Generation" by Richard Hell and the Voidoids yet, I would be fascinated to see your reaction to this iconic punk / post-punk hit.
❤❤this was great!!!
You're doing a fabulous job Alex!!
But thought Andy was coming back in January! 😢
You are the ying and yang to each other👍👍👍
Love the bass and guitar riffs in this one.
Greatest bridge ever
Which one? (Lol) it’s like 6 songs in one. That’s probably why I love this friggin’ song so much😂
Another of their monster hits was "I Wanna Be With You"
Pretty good analysis in my opinion. As a 19 year old aspiring rocker at the time that's exactly the kind of thing we were going for.
I never knew this song was by The Raspberries. So good!!! And I never knew the title. My fav part is the chord strikes... with the brief pause..and continuation.
Thanks so much for FINALLY doing this amazing group. Next should be "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," which is an absolute classic. "Go All the Way" is the greatest power pop song ever written. Fabulous structure and incredible youthful energy. Eric Carmen was a fabulous songwriter and a god in Cleveland, where I used to live. Eric was obviously influenced by Brian Wilson and the Beatles. Their four albums are full of classic songs.
I had this album with the scratch and sniff raspberry sticker!
Other similar Raspberries' hits: I Wanna Be With You, Tonight, and my personal favorite, Ecstasy.
Loved this single on the radio and so it was the first album I ever bought when I was 15. The whole album is really good. When you get in close, My copy still has the faint aroma of raspberries included in the earliest pressings.
The opening riff is similar to the start of Brown Suger by Rolling Stones.
You guys hit one of their other big hits a few years ago. You should check out some of Eric Carmen's solo hits ( Hungry Eyes, Make Me Lose Control, All By Myself).
My parents knew The Raspberries tangentially when they were still a local band around Cleveland. In part, it was because of this that they got together. My dad's best friend liked one of my mom's friends who was dating one of the members of The Raspberries at the time (not Eric). They met at a concert and got a drink afterwards and the rest, as they say, is history.
This song was also revolutionary at the time as it's technically told from the point of view of the girl in the story. Not only that, she's "giving it up" (to invoke the Marvin Gaye song) which was a power move at the time and not one that was out in pop culture.
Wow, forgot about this song. I always loved it. ❤
One of the best riffs in rock and roll. Ever.
No one mentioned the sweeping Harmonies. Thats what made this song great
The Raspberries were a band from Cleveland Ohio, that scored several major hits in the early 70's.
But the band had lots of internal turmoil, as lead singer Eric Carmen was more pop/ballad oriented, while the other band members wanted the harder sound.
Eric Carmen, as a solo artist, score major success with hits like "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "Hungry Eyes" and many others.
Raspberries founder, Wally Bryson founded the band Choir in 1964, and had local success , including one song, "It's Cold Outside" which charted nationally. The Choir were big enough to open for The Who, Herman's Hermits, etc.
As for other Raspberries songs, check out: "I Don't Want to Say Goodbye"; "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)"; "I Wanna Be with You" ; "Tonight" ; "Starting Over"; & "Driving Around". You should feature EACH of these songs!!
Overnight Sensation and I’m a Rocker and I Wanna Be With You. The live album Pop Art Live is awesome.
Raspberries are iconic.
This is a pure gem.
My favorite by them has, always, been: "Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak" 💜💜💜🔥🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘
...stuff like: "On The Beach"; "I Reach For The Light"; "Tonight" ...even the (sadly, post-Bryson and Bonfanti)
"Overnight Sensation"
is, all, superb.
- Yes. There are 2 different vocalists (but they do not always 'share'/'switch off'),
The primary (and most well-known from this band, overall) is Eric Carmen (who tried to establish a solo career after the band's collapse - which in many ways was due to his overwhelming control of the band's writing/material!).
The other major song-writer, Dave Smalley [bassist (and rhythm guitarist when Wally Bryson wasn't around)]
is the other primary vocalist.
I tend to like Smalley's song-writing better, personally (but that's no measure of anything).
Wally Bryson (the primary lead guitarist) also contributed a fair amount of composition to the band and went on to start ANOTHER superb, '70s, 'mainly unknown' rock outfit:
Fotomaker
[which featured the SORELY underrated and unfairly little-appreciated:
Dino Danelli
on the drums!
[Dino and his former partner in: The Rascals/The Young Rascals, Gene Cornish
joined Wally Bryson
and L.I.-born Frankie Vinci (keyboards, et al.-he would, later, work with KISS & members thereof (among plenty of others)) and vocalist Lex Marchesi
would go on to form the, brief, but unexpectedly excellent:
Fotomaker.
...sadly, in the overloaded, befuddled and, increasingly, 'resistant-to-change' or 'unexpected'/'unpredictable' (even slightly!😡🖕👎) record industry of the "collapsing" late 1970s (searching for its "guaranteed next" of the early 1980s😡🙄🙄🤦😡🤬🤬), Fotomaker ended-up disappearing, basically.
...
but that reflects NONE of the quality of their: writing or musicianship!
- but that is "another" (and a different) story!]
Just F.Y.I.: Jim Bonfanti
is a bad-ass!!
...but: Dino Danelli ????
is A, PURE, INARGUABLE, BEAST!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘💥]
...but Wally Bryson is a, generally, unfairly, ignored or scantly recalled killer guitarist and song-writer, himself!
Didn't know about the Bryson/Danelli connection. The Rascals, one of my favorite '60s bands. RIP Dino Danelli.
@karenduell1027 I discovered it by accident (in the '80s) myself.
I don't believe a lot of people DO know!
...Fotomaker has 2 great albums (the final one was an attempt to capitalize on an -already disappeared, by THAT point!- "disco craze" and, while it has a few 'tolerable' cuts (if that's what you're looking for ["fluffed-out," pseudo-new-wavey, bland wannabe disco🤷(🤦)](l), but overall, I'd say: purely avoidable travesty.).
They do not sound "like" either The Rascals OR Raspberries ...but 🤷🤷 you know 🤷 ...when musicians & writers who contributed, indelibly, to "that sound" create something, they, somehow, always seem to create something which also "feels like" or "is reminiscent, thereof;" even when not intentionally! 🤷 (y'know🤷).
(The albums)
Fotomaker & Vís-à-vís are both strong! 👍
I would recommend the songs
"If I Can't Believe In You"
and
"Pain"
if one was, just, looking to (maybe) "sample the wares" 🤷🤷
...there is plenty of good stuff beyond that, as well.
Glad I was able to inform another fan/interested party!!
-And, ABSOLUTELY!!!!: 😭😭😭😭 R.I.P. DINO DANELLI!
A true master craftsman and unique voice on the instrument!
[Power. Groove. Syncopation. Timing. Rock-Solid and freely swinging! 💜💜💜]
(He was one of the guys I would mention when meeting drummers for MY projects (and looked for stylistic similarities in the players!) and if a drummer KNEW Dino (knew his work and his style, I mean!), ...they went to the front of the line! 🤪🤪😛🤘🤘)
@@SonicProfessor_a.k.a._T._Andra I gave both songs a listen, "Pain" is my favorite of the two. Thank you for those suggestions!
@karenduell1027 You're more than welcome! 🤘🤘
Man, I haven't thought about Fotomaker for decades. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks for plsaying this, brings back cool memories. We need weekly polls.
At the time I thought it was much too derivative- beatlesque power pop with Brian Wilson harmonies-
Hearing it today - OMG I loved it. 😍
A great song from a great band. 👍🎶🎶
Gotta love those power chords!!
The chorus is sooo smooth, lyrical, and ear candy.
I feel that the beginning riff sounds very similar to the Rolling Stones’ opening riff in “Brown Sugar”…😊
I thought so, too, at the time. Thx for reminding me.
@@davidbeaver9990 yes, that’s it ! I couldn’t remember what song thanks
@@davidbeaver9990 yes, that’s it! I couldn’t remember the song. Thanks.
"Andy says; great guitars, love the hard parts and then into the soft parts, slow dancing with your girl in the high school gym. I'm going with an A". Alex, I had this in my mind before you did your reaction and thought I would be Andy just for a second. Keep rockin my friends!! Miss you Andy.
Gosh how I loved this song, takes me back, so good to see it being enjoyed ❤
Eric Carmen sang the whole song. His range is pretty good. He could sing rock songs and ballads as well. Talented guy. And this song was a hit in the early 1970's. Also, it was featured on "Guardians of the Galaxy" as part of "Awesome Hits #1" in the movie. Always jam out when I hear this song.
This was different and cool. Thanks for holding things down during Andy's absence. Great work. Keep on keeping on.
Eric Carmen (RIP) seemingly could never decide if he wanted to be a hard rock or soft rock singer/musician, so he dabbled in both often in the same song, and in some ways that's part of what power-pop really is--a mix of the two. The distorted guitar and heavily compressed drums rock as hard as anything in its day, but the sweet Beatles-esque harmonies and well-crafted melodies were still AM radio friendly. Throw in some mildly risqué and naive lyrics, and you've got a perfect hit for a lost and bored generation of horny teenagers.
Eric Carmen could scream with the best and out croon them all.
The lead vocalist, Eric Carmen was such a wonderfully over the top vocalist. His vocal tone was so unique, and he could go right to the edge of "cheesy" without stepping over the line. His solo song, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", is a must listen.
Love it! The vocals are so smooth and then fried and rough. The harmonies soar and it has a glam rock vibe. If I was a DJ I would play Fox on the Run next.
Eric Carmen was a classically trained pianist who combined his music talent with a phenomenal vocal range. Just Google "The Raspberries" to get the scope on this group, They took this formula from the 70's to the 2010's, but sadly Eric has passed. RIP Eric Carmen
Look into "I Wanna Be With You" which was another huge radio hit for The Raspberries
I Wanna Be with You is another Raspberries hit from this same era. Eric Carmen went solo just a couple of years after this hit.