An impressive cast of artists have lent their talents to an expansive tribute to the 1970s power-pop band the Raspberries. Play On: A Raspberries Tribute is a 37-track collection that will be released on September 12 as a two-CD set and via digital formats.
Videos by American Songwriter
Among the many well-known musicians featured on Play On are Rick Springfield, original Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm, John Waite, and The Bangles’ Vicki and Debbi Peterson. The project was a labor of love for musician/author Ken Sharp, who co-produced the album with respected guitarist and studio whiz Fernando Perdomo.
[RELATED: The Story Behind the Late Eric Carmen’s Risqué Hit with The Raspberries, “Go All the Way”]
Details about Play On were announced on August 11, timed to coincide with what would’ve been late Raspberries frontman Eric Carmen’s 76th birthday. The album also features original Raspberries drummer Jim Bonfanti on four tracks. In addition, a recording of Carmen’s voice was used for the count-in of the new version of the group’s 1973 tune “Tonight,” which is sung by Gramm.
Springfield kicks off the album with a rendition of the Raspberries’ biggest hit, “Go All the Way,” which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.
Play On also features Cherie Currie of The Runaways, KISS drummer Eric Singer, Marshall Crenshaw, The Lemon Twigs, Karla DeVito, Shoes, The Hudson Brothers, Utopia members Kasim Sulton and Willie Wilcox, and The Chefs, a band featuring ex-Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch and Georgia Satellites frontman Dan Baird.
Play On: A Raspberries Tribute can be pre-ordered now. Physical versions come packaged with 20-page booklet featuring liner notes by Beach Boys catalog producer and respected rock historian Howie Edelson.
More About the Raspberries Tribute Album
In addition to the standard Play On: A Raspberries Tribute two-CD set, a limited-edition bundle is available featuring a 7-inch vinyl single boasting Springfield’s version of “Go All the Way,” and Gramm’s cover of “Tonight,” and two exclusive postcards signed by Raspberries bassists Dave Smalley and Scott McCarl.
Limited quantities of the standalone 7-inch vinyl single autographed by Springfield also are available. Proceeds from the Play On bundle and the vinyl single will benefit the Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation animal rescue.
You can check out a trailer for the album at the Think Like a Key Music label’s YouTube channel. The clip includes snippets of Springfield’s version of “Go All the Way,” Gramm’s cover of “Tonight,” The Lemon Twigs’ rendition of “Let’s Pretend,” Waite’s take on “I Don’t Know What I Want,” and the Peterson sisters’ version of “I Want to Be With You.”
According to a post on his Facebook page, Sharp spent several years putting the tribute together with Perdomo. Sharp also is the author of the 1993 Raspberries biography Overnight Sensation, an updated version of which was published this year.
Other noteworthy artists featured on Play On include the respective sons of KISS’ Paul Stanley and Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander, Evan Stanley and Robin Taylor Zander, Darian Sahanaja of Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds Band, Jellyfish’s Eric Dover, and The Babys’ Wally Stocker.
More About the Raspberries
The Raspberries were formed in Cleveland in 1970 by members of two popular local bands, Cyrus Erie and The Choir. The group’s classic lineup featured lead singer/multi-instrumentalist Carmen, guitarist Wally Bryson, guitarist/bassist Dave Smalley and drummer Bonfanti.
The Raspberries released four studio albums between 1972 and late 1974. “Go All the Way” appeared on the group’s self-titled debut album. The band also released three other singles that reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. They were “I Wanna Be with You” (No. 16) in 1972, “Let’s Pretend” (No. 35) in 1973, and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” (No. 18) in 1974.
The Raspberries broke up in 1975. Carmen went on to have a successful solo career, scoring a string of pop hits between 1975 and the late ’80s. Among his best known tunes are “All by Myself,” “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” “Hungry Eyes,” and “”Make Me Lose Control.” Carmen died in March 2024 at the age of 74.
Play On: A Raspberries Tribute Track List:
CD 1
- “Go All the Way” – Rick Springfield
- “I Wanna Be with You” – Vicki and Debbi Peterson
- “Let’s Pretend” – The Lemon Twigs
- “Come Around and See Me” – Katie Ferrara
- “Goin’ Nowhere Tonight” – The Caulfields
- “Don’t Want to Say Goodbye” – Robin Taylor Zander
- “Might as Well” – Jesse Bryson featuring The Kennedys
- “It Seemed So Easy” – The Spongetones
- “I Saw the Light” – Adelaide Estep
- “Ecstasy” – Eric Dover featuring Eric Singer of KISS on drums
- “On the Beach” – Darian Sahanaja
- “If You Change Your Mind” – Ken Sharp
- “Nobody Knows” – Chris Price
- “I Reach for the Light” – Bird Streets
- “Drivin’ Around” – Popdudes
- “Hard to Get Over a Heartbreak” – P-Hux
- “Waiting” – Olivia Rubini
- “I Can Remember” – Karla DeVito
CD 2
- “Tonight” – Lou Gramm
- “Play On” – The Lemon Twigs
- “I Don’t Know What I Want” – John Waite
- “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” – Shoes
- “All Through the Night” – The Hudson Brothers
- “Should I Wait” – Marshall Crenshaw
- “Cry” – Kasim Sulton
- “Making It Easy” – Brasko
- “Last Dance” – Evan Stanley
- “I Can Hardly Believe You’re Mine” – John Powhida
- “Rose Colored Glasses” – Rob Bonfiglio
- “I’m a Rocker” – Ken Sharp (featuring Wally Stocker of The Babys)
- “Party’s Over” – The Chefs (featuring Stan Lynch and Dan Baird)
- “Cruisin’ Music” – Ronnie D’Addario
- “Starting Over” – Tori Holub
- “Hands on You” – Cherie Currie (The Runaways)
- “Every Way I Can” – The Toms
- “With You in My Life” – Willie Wilcox
- “Please Let Me Come Back Home” – Bambi Kino (featuring members of Nada Surf and Guided by Voices)
(Photo by Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.