Let's Pretend (Raspberries song)

Last updated
"Let's Pretend"
Let's Pretend - Raspberries.jpg
Single by Raspberries
from the album Fresh
B-side "Every Way I Can"
ReleasedMarch 1973
Recorded1972
Genre Power pop
Length2:51 (single version)
3:42 (album version)
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Eric Carmen
Producer(s) Jimmy Ienner
Raspberries singles chronology
"I Wanna Be with You"
(1972)
"Let's Pretend"
(1973)
"Tonight"
(1973)
side label
Let's Pretend 45 RPM.jpg
45 RPM

"Let's Pretend" is a song by Raspberries, released in March 1973 as the second single from their second LP, Fresh . It was written by band leader Eric Carmen, who also provided the lead vocals.

Contents

The song reached the top 40 on three principal US charts, including at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 14 on Record World . It was also a number 13 hit in Canada, [1] becoming their second greatest hit in that country. The song spent 16 weeks on the Billboard chart, longer than any of their other singles except for their greatest hit, "Go All the Way", which lasted 18 weeks.

Background

Eric Carmen stated that "Let's Pretend" was inspired by a cover photo in Time magazine of "a guy and girl dripping wet out in the woods" with a headline that was "something like 'Teenage Sex.'". [2] Carmen said that it is one of the best melodies he has ever written, and that he reused part of it for his first solo hit, "All By Myself". [2] [3] He said the song lyrics about young people in love dreaming about eloping and making a life together are a recreation of the concept in Beach Boys' song "Wouldn't It Be Nice". [4]

Reception

Cash Box said that the "Raspberries change the pace a bit and deliver a strong semi-ballad with all the grace and capabilities of the Beatles early sound." [5]

Rolling Stone rated it as the No. 36 "boy band song" of all time and said that the band "cranked up the romance notch to the max, unleashing a dreamy power-pop ballad complete with Eric Carmen’s swooning vocals about the night lasting forever." [3]

Music journalist Ken Sharp rated it the Raspberries' 7th best song, comparing it to the "bittersweet ballads found on the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds " and calling it "one of Eric's most transcendent melodies." [6] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Dave Swanson rated it as the Raspberries 5th best song, saying that it is "one of [the Raspberries'] most Beach Boys-inspired moments" and "about as perfect a pop song as you will likely ever stumble upon." [7] Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated it as the Raspberries 8th best song, saying that it "defines the sweet side of Eric Carmen’s melodies and hooks." [8]

Allmusic critic Mark Deming said that the song was "gush that's seasoned with a solid undertow of lust." [9]

Television performance

"Let's Pretend" was performed on The Midnight Special television program (season 1, episode 15) on May 4, 1973. [10] The show was hosted by Johnny Nash. [11]

Later uses

"Let's Pretend" was included on the Raspberries Pop Art Live CD set from their reunion concert recording, November 26, 2004, at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio, released August 18, 2017. [12]

Chart performance

Cover versions

Band members

Related Research Articles

Raspberries was an American pop rock band formed in 1970 from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their pop rock 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 Small Faces—and its mod sensibility. In both the US and the UK, the Raspberries helped pioneer the power pop music style that took off after the group disbanded. They also have had a following among professional musicians such as Jack Bruce, Ringo Starr, and Courtney Love.

<i>Foreigner</i> (Foreigner album) 1977 studio album by Foreigner

Foreigner is the debut studio album by British-American rock band Foreigner, released on 8 March 1977. It spun off three hit singles, "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice" and "Long, Long Way from Home". It also features album tracks such as "Headknocker" and "Starrider", the latter of which features a rare lead vocal from lead guitarist and co-founder Mick Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All by Myself</span> 1975 song by Eric Carmen

"All by Myself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Eric Carmen, released by Arista in December 1975 as the first single from Carmen's debut album, Eric Carmen (1975). The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's c. 1900–1901 Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18. The chorus was taken from the song "Let's Pretend", which Carmen wrote and recorded with the Raspberries in 1972. The slide guitar solo was performed by studio guitarist Hugh McCracken.

<i>Boats Against the Current</i> 1977 studio album by Eric Carmen

Boats Against the Current is a 1977 album by Eric Carmen. The title is taken from a line in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” It was Carmen's second solo LP, after the Raspberries disbanded. It peaked at #45 on the Billboard 200 for the week ending October 8, 1977.

<i>Eric Carmen</i> (1975 album) 1975 studio album by Eric Carmen

Eric Carmen is the debut album by American rock and roll musician and singer-songwriter Eric Carmen. It is also his first of two self-titled albums, the other released in 1984. It peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard album chart upon its release in 1975, the highest position of his career, and generated the No. 2 pop single "All by Myself" in the same year. The song reached No. 1 on the Cashbox and Record World charts. The album also included two follow-up Top 40 hits, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (#11), and "Sunrise" (#34), both of which charted in 1976.

<i>Fresh</i> (Raspberries album) 1972 studio album by Raspberries

Fresh is the second studio album by Raspberries, released in 1972. It contained two Top 40 singles. "I Wanna Be With You" reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 10 on Cash Box and number 7 on Record World. "Let's Pretend" reached number 35 on Billboard, number 18 on Cashbox, and number 14 on Record World. It was their highest-charting album, peaking at number 36 on the Billboard album chart.

<i>Side 3</i> (Raspberries album) 1973 studio album by Raspberries

Side 3 is the third album from the Raspberries, released in 1973. The album cover is diecut like a basket of Raspberries, with the group's name placed at the top of the LP sleeve. Three singles were released from the album: "Tonight" / "Hard to Get Over a Heartbreak", which reached number 69 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Cash Box chart; "I'm a Rocker", which reached number 94 on Billboard and number 75 on Cash Box; and "Ecstasy", which did not chart on Billboard but reached number 116 on Cash Box. The album itself reached number 138 on the US albums chart.

<i>Starting Over</i> (Raspberries album) 1974 studio album by Raspberries

Starting Over is the fourth and final studio album by the 1970s power pop band Raspberries. It peaked at #143 on the Billboard pop album chart in 1974. Rolling Stone named it its rock record album of the year for 1974. The LP generated the #18 Billboard pop single "Overnight Sensation ", while a second single, "Cruisin' Music", did not chart. This was the first album by the Raspberries to feature songs with profanity. Those songs were "Starting Over", which featured the word "fucking" once, and the song "Party’s Over", which featured the word "shit" twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Are the Sunshine of My Life</span> 1973 single by Stevie Wonder

"You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is a 1973 single released by Stevie Wonder. The song became Wonder's third number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and his first number-one on the Easy Listening chart. It won Wonder a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. This song was the second single released from the 1972 album entitled Talking Book, which stayed at number one on the R&B albums chart for three weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Supply the Love</span> 1979 single by Toto

"I'll Supply the Love" is a song written by David Paich and recorded by Toto, with lead vocal's by Bobby Kimball. It was issued on Toto's debut album, Toto, and released as a single in January 1979. It peaked at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it spent nine weeks on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feels Like the First Time</span> 1977 single by Foreigner

"Feels Like the First Time" is the debut single by British-American rock band Foreigner. It was written by Mick Jones and released in 1977 from the band's eponymous debut album. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)</span> 1973 single by The Moody Blues

"I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" is a 1973 hit single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues, written by the band's bassist, John Lodge. It was first released in 1972 as the final track on the album Seventh Sojourn and was later released as a single in 1973, with "For My Lady" as its B-side. It was the second single released from Seventh Sojourn, with the first being "Isn't Life Strange", which was also written by Lodge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Question (The Moody Blues song)</span> 1970 single by The Moody Blues

"Question" is a 1970 single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was written by guitarist Justin Hayward, who provides lead vocals. "Question" was first released as a single in April 1970 and remains their second highest-charting song in the UK, reaching number two and staying on the chart for 12 weeks. The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Top 40 in the USA. It was later featured as the lead track on the 1970 album A Question of Balance. The single also features the song "Candle of Life" on its B-side, which was from the Moody Blues' previous album To Our Children's Children's Children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Gonna Fall in Love Again</span> 1976 single by Eric Carmen

"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" is a song co-written and recorded by American pop rock artist Eric Carmen. It was released as the second single from Carmen's self-titled debut solo album and peaked at No.11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1976, remaining in the Top 40 for ten weeks. The song reached No.1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. In Canada, it was a hit at No. 1 on both charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go All the Way (song)</span> 1972 single by Raspberries

"Go All the Way" is a single by American rock group Raspberries, released in July 1972 and written by frontman Eric Carmen. The song reached the Top 5 on three principal US charts: number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 4 on Cashbox and number 3 on Record World. The single sold more than 1.3 million copies, earning the band their only certified Gold Record. It was their second single release, their all-time biggest US hit, and appeared on their debut LP, Raspberries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wanna Be with You (Raspberries song)</span> 1972 single by Raspberries

"I Wanna Be with You" is a hit single by Raspberries, released in November 1972. It was written by band leader Eric Carmen, who also provided the lead vocals. It was their first single release from their second LP, Fresh. It became their second greatest US hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)</span> 1974 single by Raspberries

"Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" is a hit single by Raspberries, released in September 1974, on the Capitol label. It was written by band leader Eric Carmen, who also provided the lead vocals. It was the first single release from their fourth and final LP, Starting Over.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonight (Raspberries song)</span> 1973 single by Raspberries

"Tonight" is a song by Raspberries, released in August 1973. It was written by band leader Eric Carmen, who also provided the lead vocals. The song was the first of three single releases from their third LP, Side 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Want to Say Goodbye</span> 1972 single by Raspberries

"Don't Want to Say Goodbye" is a song written by Eric Carmen and Wally Bryson that was first released on the Raspberries 1972 debut album Raspberries. It was released as the first single from the album and reached No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecstasy (Raspberries song)</span> 1974 single by Raspberries

"Ecstasy" is a song written by Eric Carmen that was first released by the Raspberries on their 1973 album Side 3. It was also released as a single but did not chart.

References

  1. 1 2 "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Carmen, Eric (2005). Raspberries Greatest (album liner notes). Capitol.
  3. 1 2 "75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. July 27, 2020. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  4. "An Interview with Eric Carmen". Ericcarmen.com. May 22, 1972. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  5. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. March 3, 1973. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  6. Borack, John M.; Sharp, Ken (2007). Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Guide to Power Pop. Not Lame. pp. 36–37. ISBN   9780979771408.
  7. Swanson, Dave (August 11, 2013). "Top 10 Raspberries Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  8. Kachejian, Brian (29 April 2020). "Top 10 Raspberries Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  9. Deming, Mark. "Fresh". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  10. "Raspberries Setlist at the Midnight Special, Burbank". setlist.fm.
  11. "The Midnight Special: Host: Johnny Nash". Archived from the original on 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  12. "CD Preview: The Raspberries' Pop Art Live".
  13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 246. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  14. "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. June 2, 1973. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  15. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, June 30, 1973". Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  16. "Item: 9481 – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  17. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 380. ISBN   0-89820-142-X.
  18. "www.allmusic.com". AllMusic . Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  19. "The Lettermen – Love Is... (1979, Vinyl)". Discogs . 1979.