The cheeky tale of how lead Raspberries frontman Eric Carmen managed to get controversial hit song Go All The Way to the top of the charts has re-emerged following his death.
The singer, who was known for his solo hits Hungry Eyes and All By Myself, has passed away at the age of 74, with his wife Amy confirming the devastating news via his website on Monday.
Although The Raspberries were branded ‘too wimpy or pop’ during a time dominated by the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Eagles, the group had its fair share of edge.
Their boundary-pushing break-out single Go All The Way, which featured on the groups debut album, was banned in the UK in 1972 because of its sexually suggestive lyrics.
However over in the US, the song became a smash hit that same summer, climbing all the way up to the number five spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The cheeky tale of how lead Raspberries frontman Eric Carmen managed to get controversial hit song Go All The Way to the top of the charts has re-emerged (seen in 1987)
His wife, Amy, who he wed in 2016, confirmed the singer had passed away on his website when she shared a post on Monday (seen in 2007)
Usually a song so suggestive wouldn’t have made the rounds, however songwriter Eric revealed the secret Beach Boys-inspired formula in Ken Sharp’s book Overnight Sensation: The Story Of The Raspberries.
‘When I was writing Go All the Way, I’d seen how the Stones were forced to change their lyrics on Ed Sullivan,’ Carmen said.
Whilst listening to Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson discuss sleeping with his girlfriend in Pet Sounds ‘in an innocent way’, Eric took inspiration.
He added: ‘I thought, If we sing this like choirboys and put the words in the girl’s mouth, maybe we can slide this by radio! And it worked.’
The group, hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, were never scared to lean into a gimmick, placing ‘scratch-and sniff’ logos on their debut album covers, which gave of a raspberry scent.
The Raspberries had a five year run, releasing hits such as I Wanna Be With You, Tonight And Overnight Sensation, before disbanding.
Eric, who was a self-taught guitarist and a classically trained pianist, went on to have his own fruitful solo career.
The crooner found incredible success on the Billboard Hot 100 with songs such as All By Myself, It Hurts Too Much and The Way We Used To Be.
The Raspberries break out hit, Go All The Way, was banned in the UK for its sexually suggestive lyrics – however it made it all the way to number 5 on the US charts (pictured in 1970)
Explaining how the boundary pushing song managed to gain popularity, Eric said he took inspiration from the Beach Boys (left to right in 1964: Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson and Carl Wilson)
Regarding Go All The Way, Eric said: ‘I thought, If we sing this like choirboys and put the words in the girl’s mouth, maybe we can slide this by radio! And it worked’ (seen Eric in 1987)
During his incredible career he also wrote for other musicians, including Shaun Cassidy, who reached the top 10 with Carmen’s compositions Hey Deanie and That’s Rock and Roll.
In 2004, he delighted fans by reuniting with the original Raspberries members Jim Bonfanti, Wally Bryson, and Dave Smalley.
On Monday, his newscaster wife Amy Carmen took to his website to confirm the singer’s passing.
The statement read: ‘It is with tremendous sadness that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of Eric Carmen.
‘Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend.
‘It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy.’
Amy asked fans to respect her request for privacy as she and his loved ones mourn their ‘enormous loss.’
She concluded her statement by referencing his 1977 track, Love Is All That Matters, as she signed off with his lyrics: ‘Love Is All That Matters…Faithful and Forever.’
Eric’s exact cause of death is unknown at this time.
Eric’s wife Amy (pictured) announced the singer’s passing via his website on Monday
His exact cause of death is unknown at this time
