I must admit that my guilty pleasure this TV season is American Idol. The talent is amazing as have been some of the song choices. Last night, I got to hear a unique version of “Chasing Pavements,” my favorite Adele song. But boy, did they offend me and probably a former Raspberry on Monday night’s show with another song.
When the contestants start performing a song, the title and artist who wrote the song or made it famous comes on the screen as a caption. I was shocked to see this come on the screen.
Can you see the problem that got me so angry that I turned red as a raspberry? I pleaded my case to my wife who humored me, primarily so she could get back to watching the show and ignoring me.
Yes, Celine Dion recorded “All By Myself,” but she didn’t write it. When she covered it, it had already been a huge hit for none other than the songwriter, Eric Carmen, former lead singer of the Raspberries.
Who are the Raspberries? They were a totally fun pop-rock group from the early 70s fronted by Eric Carmen’s vocals. If you want a taste of the Raspberries, go all the way with “Go All They Way.” This version is not lip-synched!
It’s a little light on verse lyrics but undeniably fun. Post-Raspberries, Carmen set aside the rock and focused on being a pop ballad crooner. He had great success as he hit #2 on the charts in 1975 with, you guessed it, “All By Myself.”
As for Celine Dion, her version of that song peaked at #4 in the US in 1996. Last time I checked, 2 > 4. Wait, that doesn’t look right. Music is like golf, so the lower number is better. We all know 4 > 2, but in music 2 > 4. Make sense?
Anyway, this whole post is kind of a sham (what else is new?), because Eric Carmen was not a one-hit wonder. Besides his hits with the Raspberries, he had several solo hits over a long career. But his biggest hit ever was “All By Myself” when he peaked at #2 on the US charts all by himself. American Idol, Eric and I are awaiting an official apology.
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