Cyrus Erie - Sparrow (1969)

During the mid-1960s, Eric Carmen was a pretty big fan of Cleveland, Ohio’s biggest local band, The Choir. Previously featured on our site, The Choir once auditioned Carmen to see if he could join the band. Carmen’s audition didn’t go well and the group chose someone else. Frustrated, Carmen joined another local band, this group, and soon took them to the top as Cleveland’s most popular local band. Within a short time, Carmen would persuade The Choir’s guitarist, Wally Bryson, to join his new group. By the end of the ‘60s, both The Choir and this group had disbanded. Three guys who had been in The Choir, including Bryson, joined Carmen to create the ‘70s power pop group, Raspberries.

This song comes from the 1969 single which featured the more popular B-Side “Get the Message,” which was definitely a precursor to “Go All the Way” by the Raspberries (which you can hear here). This song features Eric Carmen, Wally Bryson, and Randy Klawon.



Cyrus Erie - Sparrow (1969)

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Lyrics:

Sparrow, say that love's a game
Win or lose, it's all the same
If it leaves, it comes again
I don't understand

Never let her be too sure
That would be so immature
Keep her guessing, that's the way
To show you really love her

I'd like to stop these guessing games
If it's all the same to you
'cause when they're done
If you are gone
You know you'll make me feel so bad now

Sparrow, sparrow, love's a game
I don't understand

I'd like to stop these guessing games
If it's all the same to you
'cause when they're done
If you are gone
You know you'll make me blue

(Feel so bad now)
(You know you'll make me feel so bad now)

Sparrow, say it's time to go
If you care, don't let it show
Hide it so she'll never know
Then she can't hurt you

Then she can't hurt you

Raspberries - Go All the Way (1972)

Do you remember our post about a group called The Choir? If not, you can see it here. When The Choir broke up around 1970, three out of four of the members went on to form this group, a popular “power pop” group in the early ‘70s. They were labeled a teenybopper group for their clean-cut image and British Invasion influences (at that point, a thing of the past). Notable fans of the group include Jack Bruce (of Cream) and Ringo Starr.

This song was written by the group’s frontman and lead singer, Eric Carmen, who was the only member of the group not to formerly be in The Choir. The song reached the top five of numerous charts and sold over one million copies. The repeat of the phrase “come on” during the middle of the song is based on The Beatles’ use of the same phrase in their song “Please Please Me”. Taken as being sexually suggestive, it was banned on the BBC.



Raspberries - Go All the Way (1972)

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Lyrics:

Alright!

I never knew how complete love could be
'til she kissed me and said, “Baby…

Please, go all the way
It feels so right (feels so right)
Being with you here tonight
Please, go all the way
Just hold me close (hold me close)
Don't ever let me go”

I couldn't say what I wanted to say
'til she whispered, “I love you, so…

Please, go all the way
It feels so right (feels so right)
Being with you here tonight
Please, go all the way
Just hold me close (hold me close)
Don't ever let me go”

Before her, alone, I was cruel and mean
There ‘a hole in the place where my heart should have been
But now I'm changed and feel so strange
I come alive when she does those things to me

And she says, (“Come on)
Come on (come on)
(Come on)
Come on (come on)
I need you (come on)
I love you (come on)
I need you (come on)
(Come on)”

Please, go all the way
It feels so right (feels so right)
Being with you here tonight
Please, go all the way
Just hold me close (hold me close)
Don't ever let me go
Oh no!

Go all the way, yeah!