The Raspberries
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The Raspberries were a rock and roll band from Cleveland, Ohio in the 1970s. Heavily influenced by the British Invasion era - especially The Beatles, The Who, and The Small Faces - and its Mod sensibility, they helped pioneer the power pop style. Their most well known songs were "Go All The Way" from their first album, "Raspberries", " I Wanna Be With You", from their second album, "Fresh", and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" from their fourth album "Starting Over".
The Raspberries broke up in 1974, but their influence was immense. Cheap Trick consciously picked up on The Raspberries' style, and since they were the only band of the original power pop movement who had hits, the power pop movement of the late 1970s would likely not have existed without them. Their influence continued through the 1980s with bands like R.E.M., The Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, Redd Kross and others.
Singer-guitarist and primary songwriter Eric Carmen went on to have a successful solo career as a singer of Elton John-like pop ballads such as "All By Myself", rarely returning to the harder rock style of the Raspberries.
in 2004, the Raspberries reunited to play the first concert at the new House of Blues in Cleveland. The reformed Raspberries have since played a handful of concerts elsewhere in the eastern United States, with plans for a tour forthcoming.