RASPBERRIES
Biography

RASPBERRIES, a quadruple-threat new group that calls Cleveland its home and Capitol its record company, both of whom are proud to say.

Cleveland was the beginning, where the four young men—all 22 as of this writing—met while playing in separate local groups. Sitting in with each other's bands, the four found musical empathy, started to jam together, discovered it was better that way, and named themselves RASPBERRIES.

For a year Eric, Jim, Wally and Dave honed the essential give-and-take from their four quite distinct musical tastes; listened to each other; grew together; became a musical entity; wrote, together and separately; and finally began to seek a recording contract.

Jimmy lenner, well known producer of Lighthouse was brought to Cleveland to hear Raspberries; Jimmy liked what he heard; he also liked what he saw; and within a week he had representatives from eight different record companies in Cleveland bidding on the group. Another week, and Capitol had signed Eric, Jim, Wally and Dave to their first contract as Raspberries.

The album was cut at Record Plant, New York, in two weeks and the tapes brought to the West Coast for the addition of Jimmie Haskell's string and horn arrangements. A seven-city tour with The Grass Roots was set, and a follow-up concert schedule immediately planned. Raspberries were, word of mouth had it, a hit act.

As with any first album, it remains to be seen. But some of the best predictors in the business conjure up visions of the halcyon days of 1964 returning, with 1972 elan, when Raspberries are mentioned.

Back in Cleveland, Eric lives less than fifteen minutes away from Jim, who lives about the same distance from Wally, and the same for Dave. When they're not in the studio or on the road, they're likely to be at one or the other's home or playing at the nearby club, J.B.'s in Kent. The interaction is essential and, they feel, keeps their music tight; besides, they like each other. "We do light, soft, hard and everything in between," says Eric. "Our music is based on fun. That's the kind of rock and roll we like—and if it's coming back, good!"

Raspberries Songbook / June 1972