Sunday Night Music Byte

Raspberries are a power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring “exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies.” The members were known for their clean-cut public image, with short-hair and matching suits, which brought them teenybopper attention as well as scorn from some mainstream media outlets as ‘uncool’. The group drew influence from the British Invasion era — especially The Beatles, The Who, The Hollies, and The Small Faces — and its mod sensibility. In both the U.S. and the U.K., the Raspberries helped pioneer the power pop music style that took off after the group disbanded.

The group’s orginal lineup consisted of Eric Carmen (vocalist/guitarist/bassist), Wally Bryson (guitarist), Jim Bonfanti (drummer), and Dave Smalley (guitarist/bassist). Their best known songs include “Go All The Way“, “Let’s Pretend“, “I Wanna Be With You“, “Tonight“, and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)“. Believe me, you know them all.  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 2000 and continues to tour, taking in indie pop singer/songwriter Scott McCarl working as the vocalist.

They must have been good because even John Lennon was seen sporting one of their t-shirts. How Cool is that? See the photo here.

This is a clip of The Raspberries performing Go All The Way and I Wanna Be With You live.

This is a clip of the band consisting of a medley of their hits played live.

Sunday Morning Coffee (or Tea) – 8

BREAKING NEWS: The Obama White House has agreed to release visitor records after September 15, 2009. The Bush Administration did everything in its power to keep the visitor logs private. Bravo, Mr. Obama. We thank you for the openness and transparency.

THIS JUST IN: It has just been exposed that Republican Gubernatorial hopeful, Bob McDonnell of Virginia has a mindset reminiscent of the dark ages. His 1989 Regent University (oh, yeah, that is the same university founded by evangelical whack job, Pat Robertson) thesis says, “every level of government should statutorily and procedurally prefer married couples over cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators. The cost of sin should fall on the sinner, not the taxpayer.” He also bemoans, “a dynamic new trend of working women and feminists that is ultimately detrimental to the family.” In my book, no gay sinners plus no working females equals no election victory for McDonnell.

BREAKING NEWS: A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday morning indicates that the GOP has gained some ground in polls in recent months, but Democrats still hold the advantage on key issues like the economy and health care. Fifty-two percent of people questioned say the president’s policies will move the country in the right direction. An equal percentage feel the same way about the polices of the Democrats in Congress. What do Americans think of Republican policies? Forty-three percent say the GOP’s policies will move the country in the right direction. Nearly half of those polled said congressional Republicans would move the country in the wrong direction. Looks like the majority of Americans remain sane.

THIS JUST IN: In southern California last Wednesday, an anti-health care reform protestor claimed that a health care reform supporter bit off the tip of his finger while the two were fighting. William Rice, age 65, was later treated at the hospital for his injury. Ready for this? His medical care was paid for by Medicare, that very same type of socialized medicine that he was protesting against. Are these people for real?

BREAKING NEWS: The latest crazy Glenn Beck diatribe is true evidence that the man is losing his mind right before our eyes on television. He donned his art critic tin foil hat and explained to his audience that Rockefeller Center in New York, which was built more than 70 years ago, has art inscribed upon it and inside of it that proves that progressives, Democrats, fascists and communists are one and the same. He failed to mention however, that the building was made a national historic monument in 1987 by Ronald Reagan, that fascist, communist.

THIS JUST IN: Where have you gone, Michael Savage? Our nation turns its lonely ears to you (woo, hoo, hoo). as you all know by now, next week President Obama plans to give a speech to our nation’s schoolchildren the purpose of which is to inspire them to work hard and get good grades. Of course the right wing crazies are up in arms at such a radically communist indoctrination. Radio host Michael Savage says that no other president has ever addressed schoolchildren before and that, “Hitler had the Hitler youth and Obama would like to have the Obama Youth.” You can listen to Savage, here. Well, first of all Mr. Savage failed to do his homework because he did not mention that Ronald Reagan had a question and answer session with high school students in 1986 that was broadcast nationally on television. Savage also failed to mention that George H.W. Bush in 1991 gave an address to schoolchildren nationwide in which his opening remark was that he was talking to millions of students in classrooms all across the country. Last but not least, wasn’t George W. Bush actually sitting in a classroom reading My Pet Goat (if you look at photos here, the book in his hands is upside down) as the September 11, 2001 attacks were taking place. These conservative talk radio hosts are as dumb as their audience.

Yes indeed, the reich-wing Republican world is a scary place. So scary in fact, that it inspired today’s song parody. Please enjoy.

Remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with the parody.

Welcome To My Nightmare song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OGM4FdpJFc

WELCOME TO MY NIGHTMARE

(sung to the Alice Cooper song “Welcome To My Nightmare”)

Welcome to my nightmare
You ain’t seen nothin’ like it
I think you’re gonna feel
Something’s wrong

A cerebral vacation
Republicans need sedation
Their mouths will be filled with foam
Before too long

Welcome to my nightmare, ohh

Welcome to my breakdown
Does Sarah Palin scare you?
That’s just the way they are
In Red State towns

They sweat and laugh and scream there
Mann Coulter’s their wet dream there
He really makes them feel
Right at home, there

Welcome to my breakdown, ohh
You’re welcome to my nightmare, yeah

(musical interlude)

Welcome to my nightmare
You know I just don’t like it
G.O.P. makes me feel
I don’t belong

They lie and shout and scream there
And Palin is their queen there
They all giggle and squeal
At her throne, there

Welcome to my nightmare, ohh
Welcome to my breakdown
Yeah!

(great instrumental fade out)

Saturday Night Music Byte

Happy Labor Day Weekend to all of you. Have some fun. If you happen to be looking at this blog tonight, we’re going back to Beantown in the mid 1960’s to look at a terrific lost band known as The Remains.  They were a mid-1960s rock group from Boston, Massachusetts, led by Barry Tashian, who later was harmony vocalist and guitarist for Emmylou Harris and part of the duo, Barry and Holly Tashian. They are best known for being one of the opening acts of The Beatles‘ final US tour in 1966.

Although associated with the garage rock scene, the Remains were highly accomplished professional musicians and their recordings, while hard-edged, are notably well-produced and arranged. The band enjoyed a local hit with their version of the Bo Diddley/Willie Dixon classic “Diddy Wah Diddy“. Despite considerable local success and strong critical acclaim (including an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show), the band failed to break through on a national level and folded in late 1966. However, in common with many of their garage rock contemporaries, the Remains gradually acquired a cult status, and eventually reformed to play at several garage revival shows such as Cavestomp in New York City during the late 1990s, Las Vegas Grind in 2000 and a tour of major European cities in 2006. They recorded a new album in 2003.

The band’s first and last singles, “Why Do I Cry” and “Don’t Look Back” respectively, are both featured on the Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era box set.

Their single “Why Do I Cry” is featured briefly in the film Superbad (2007) when the character, McLovin is being taken to a party in a police car.

In 2007, Epic/Legacy came out with a reissue of The Remains‘ 1966 album, which received the following review from rock journalist, Mark Kemp, in Paste Magazine (June 2007): “Had these Boston bad boys stuck it out beyond their 1966 debut, we might today be calling them–and not the Stones–the World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band. As it is, The Remains most certainly are America’s greatest lost band.”

The first clip below is a tiny little introduction of the band in a documentary film made a few years ago. It gives a taste of the era and the band. If you pay close attention to the clip, you will notice that the narrator is none other than Peter Wolf of The J. Geils Band (the subject of an earlier Music Byte on this blog).

Here is Don’t Look Back

And here is Why Do I Cry