I just ate a pint of Raspberries in honor of this great piece. I also wanted to say that it’s paragraphs like this that make me giddy and a bit jealous:
“Their guitars rang like like the bell on the last day of school, their tunes were chiseled out of the purest of memorable, melodic marble, with harmonies that fairly drizzled around it all like maple syrup on a fluffy stack.”
Thanks, Steve! I don't tiptoe into such flowery prose very often, for fear of sounding even a little pretentious. But, in describing music, as you know....if it moves you and inspires you, words like these pretty much just fall into place. My goal is to just come close to the creativity spun by these songwriters about whom I write! At least I don't have to come up with a melody!
I love how affirmation just exudes from your pores, Mike, so effortlessly! You're truly inspirational, even thru screens, wires, and terminals! One day, hopefully, we'll be in the same room! You are a breath of fresh air!
Would love to share with you my Spotify tuneage, although, granted they're just Playlists I've created for my various FR&B articles! But, as stand-alone 'Lists, I can certainly see the attraction....I've listened to a few, myself, on their own! My handle, yo....simply, Front Row & Backstage
Brewing up another one as we speak, inspired by a recent Note by Rick Ellis of https://toomuchtv.substack.com/, whose comment helped inspire a new GROW BIGGER EARS Raspberries covers Playlist, coming soon!
Plus, Mike, nothing gives this guy (who's, easily, THRICE your age), more pleasure than to turning you on to the music I know/love, and grew up loving!
In case you missed this one back in February, here's one of mine, not only about a band I adored in the late '80s, but my joy in turning on the high schoolers in my charge (when I was a youth minister) to new music, mainly by driving around playing them my cassettes! https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-autopsy-1989-it-bites-eat-me 👈Well, doesn't THAT sound wholly inappropriate! Not so....just the name of the band and their album!
I think I've heard that about Stanley. Never heard the album, but I've heard about it (most likely from Trunk)! I know Eddie's waxed frequently about his favorite of the 4 solo albums, and I can't remember his conclusion. I just remember getting 'em all at the record store I worked in at the time (Cactus/Houston), and groaned about how and where to file them!
I think you're right about Trunk favoring the Ace, if memory serves. I'm pretty sure he doesn't like the Gene, and I shan't hazard a guess as to how he'd rank Paul and Peter's. I was never a Kiss fan, always far and away favoring their Mercer Arts Center rehearsal mates, the New York Dolls! If you haven't read my Kiss story (and how I manipulated "Detroit Rock City" on the radio, here 'tis---come at me, Gene!): https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/behind-the-mic-a-personal-peek-into-870
So I'm sitting backstage w Paul Stanley at the Howlin Wolf in Nola waiting on Paul's son's band The Dives to play their set. Paul asks me, "What do you think of the boys?" I said, "I think they need matching cream suits like the Raspberries." Paul says, "That's what the record company told us." Me: "I know, I just read your book."
Great story, KS! I bet Paul's got a million of 'em in his book! I looked up a little on The Dives, and wonder how they've been progressing. I think I was able to pick out Evan! I didn't immediately locate a pic with identifying captions, so I guessed!
I'd love to hear more of your Paul escapades (even this one fleshed out a bit more!), and any other stories you'd like to share, especially those "exclusive"-type ones! Feel free to e-mail me, if you'd like to submit a story or two. Give it a thought, OK? Thanks!
Thanks for the shout-out! I’m really glad I could help. I then had to listen to the track, which I didn’t know. I love the emotion in their voices. I particularly liked the diminished/bluesy vibe when they sing “chase” (chase my blues away). Subtle but very clever.
Yep, they were pretty special! In my mind, I was picturing the little lad in more of a sideways profile shot. Turns out it's a full-on pic! But, at least I got all the words right! I coulda sworn I rifled thru all the sleeve options Discogs were offering! All's well, and all that!
One of my absolute favorite bands of the 70s. I was probably around 12 when I first saw them, and they are one of the bands that was foundational to the development of my musical tastes.
Great, Kat! They did for you, it sounds, what The Beatles did for me a decade earlier! Another band so misunderstood, and ultimately, underheard! The musicians got it, though!!🎶🎶
Well of course the Beatles did that for me to, but I was too young to discover them, they were just always there. I was always a glam child, and love Bowie and Bolan to this day, but the Raspberries turned me on to what would eventually become power pop. I had every single one of their albums, including the scratch and sniff one, that still faintly retained the smell of berries decades later.
Yeah, I was all over glam, too! It was fun collecting the "flavored" albums! My closet, at one point, smelled like a fruit salad, with my Raspberries album duking it out with my Brothers Johnson "Strawberry Letter 23" scented 12-inch disco single about 5 years later!
I just ate a pint of Raspberries in honor of this great piece. I also wanted to say that it’s paragraphs like this that make me giddy and a bit jealous:
“Their guitars rang like like the bell on the last day of school, their tunes were chiseled out of the purest of memorable, melodic marble, with harmonies that fairly drizzled around it all like maple syrup on a fluffy stack.”
Thanks, Steve! I don't tiptoe into such flowery prose very often, for fear of sounding even a little pretentious. But, in describing music, as you know....if it moves you and inspires you, words like these pretty much just fall into place. My goal is to just come close to the creativity spun by these songwriters about whom I write! At least I don't have to come up with a melody!
I also just ate some raspberries and I swear every time I read your substack I become a cooler person 😂
I also find myself going down Spotify rabbit holes because a lot of these bands are new to me.
Are you willing to share your Spotify username I’d love to take a look at some of your playlists
I love how affirmation just exudes from your pores, Mike, so effortlessly! You're truly inspirational, even thru screens, wires, and terminals! One day, hopefully, we'll be in the same room! You are a breath of fresh air!
Would love to share with you my Spotify tuneage, although, granted they're just Playlists I've created for my various FR&B articles! But, as stand-alone 'Lists, I can certainly see the attraction....I've listened to a few, myself, on their own! My handle, yo....simply, Front Row & Backstage
Brewing up another one as we speak, inspired by a recent Note by Rick Ellis of https://toomuchtv.substack.com/, whose comment helped inspire a new GROW BIGGER EARS Raspberries covers Playlist, coming soon!
Plus, Mike, nothing gives this guy (who's, easily, THRICE your age), more pleasure than to turning you on to the music I know/love, and grew up loving!
In case you missed this one back in February, here's one of mine, not only about a band I adored in the late '80s, but my joy in turning on the high schoolers in my charge (when I was a youth minister) to new music, mainly by driving around playing them my cassettes! https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-autopsy-1989-it-bites-eat-me 👈Well, doesn't THAT sound wholly inappropriate! Not so....just the name of the band and their album!
KISS and the Raspberries are closer cousins than one might think - Paul Stanley’s first solo album has some pretty heavy Eric Carmen damage!
I think I've heard that about Stanley. Never heard the album, but I've heard about it (most likely from Trunk)! I know Eddie's waxed frequently about his favorite of the 4 solo albums, and I can't remember his conclusion. I just remember getting 'em all at the record store I worked in at the time (Cactus/Houston), and groaned about how and where to file them!
The Ace one is far and away my favorite (and I'm guessing it's Eddie Trunk's as well), but Paul's is #2 for me.
I think you're right about Trunk favoring the Ace, if memory serves. I'm pretty sure he doesn't like the Gene, and I shan't hazard a guess as to how he'd rank Paul and Peter's. I was never a Kiss fan, always far and away favoring their Mercer Arts Center rehearsal mates, the New York Dolls! If you haven't read my Kiss story (and how I manipulated "Detroit Rock City" on the radio, here 'tis---come at me, Gene!): https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/behind-the-mic-a-personal-peek-into-870
So I'm sitting backstage w Paul Stanley at the Howlin Wolf in Nola waiting on Paul's son's band The Dives to play their set. Paul asks me, "What do you think of the boys?" I said, "I think they need matching cream suits like the Raspberries." Paul says, "That's what the record company told us." Me: "I know, I just read your book."
Great story, KS! I bet Paul's got a million of 'em in his book! I looked up a little on The Dives, and wonder how they've been progressing. I think I was able to pick out Evan! I didn't immediately locate a pic with identifying captions, so I guessed!
I'd love to hear more of your Paul escapades (even this one fleshed out a bit more!), and any other stories you'd like to share, especially those "exclusive"-type ones! Feel free to e-mail me, if you'd like to submit a story or two. Give it a thought, OK? Thanks!
Thanks for the shout-out! I’m really glad I could help. I then had to listen to the track, which I didn’t know. I love the emotion in their voices. I particularly liked the diminished/bluesy vibe when they sing “chase” (chase my blues away). Subtle but very clever.
Yep, they were pretty special! In my mind, I was picturing the little lad in more of a sideways profile shot. Turns out it's a full-on pic! But, at least I got all the words right! I coulda sworn I rifled thru all the sleeve options Discogs were offering! All's well, and all that!
One of my absolute favorite bands of the 70s. I was probably around 12 when I first saw them, and they are one of the bands that was foundational to the development of my musical tastes.
Great, Kat! They did for you, it sounds, what The Beatles did for me a decade earlier! Another band so misunderstood, and ultimately, underheard! The musicians got it, though!!🎶🎶
Well of course the Beatles did that for me to, but I was too young to discover them, they were just always there. I was always a glam child, and love Bowie and Bolan to this day, but the Raspberries turned me on to what would eventually become power pop. I had every single one of their albums, including the scratch and sniff one, that still faintly retained the smell of berries decades later.
Yeah, I was all over glam, too! It was fun collecting the "flavored" albums! My closet, at one point, smelled like a fruit salad, with my Raspberries album duking it out with my Brothers Johnson "Strawberry Letter 23" scented 12-inch disco single about 5 years later!