Raspberries.net

[steve-o]

Yikes !!! Just read all of the stuff that Kay wrote. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" seems to be appropriate. Not trying to be negative but simply from a from a fan perspective it doesn't look good. Kind of like my "Devil Rays" on opening day.

I really hope that all this can be worked out to everyones satisfaction. We are all better off having the Raspberries together doing what they do best rather than all of this nonsense.

Steve-O

[When I'm Cool]

bahoodore, for years we didn't heard much directly from our hero, and the things that inspire him to create the music we love. Now that he's actually here and we can almost have a direct conversation with him, let's give respect, please. I truly don't want to agitate or criticize you, but please, don't blow this for us.

[LC]

Agree, because even implying there's an "agenda" on Eric's part is a reach and a stretch and it ain't fair.

At the same time, Steve-O, it doesn't do anyone any good to bash Raspberries.net or the logo or any errors or its navigibility (don't you love that word?). Just let it be, take the high road, and enjoy what's happenin' here. Another public thanks to Bernie for making this site happen.

And here's hoping this is the last post on this thread! :-)

--Larry

[Art]

Bands, friendships, marriages...they all have their ups and downs. There are good times and ugly times. When we dwell on the negative, bonds are weakened and often destroyed. When the positive is favored, futures are built. It is unfortunate Kay elected to vent about the band's internal affairs. I have no doubt that any relationship can be made to look pretty ugly if only the negative events are publicized. I am a Raspberries fan. I am also an Eric Carmen fan, a Wally Bryson fan, a Dave Smalley fan, and a Jim Bonfanti fan. I am also a Scott McCarl fan. I could care less (and don't even want to know) if the band members have a few disagreements in the course of putting together and presenting their work. It happens, it gets addressed, and it is over. Reasonable people move on. We all compromise in life...not everybody gets his/her way, but in the long run we all benefit when we focus on the positives. When the Raspberries CD comes out, I will be a very happy camper. If another CD of new music appears, and/or if the band tours again, I will be even happier. The behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations are not of any interest to me. My wife is my best fried, my companion, and the most important person in the world to me. But...I could write a real nasty dissertation on all the bad times we've had that would make you think we were mortal enemies. That would serve no purpose, and would tend to undermine something truly wonderful. While I've never been in a band, I can only imagine it is a lot more difficult to hold together than a marriage. Instead of tearing down the guys, I've got to really praise them for having the courage to get back together and the mutual respect and restraint to stay together. To accomplish what they have so far has required each member to be a master of compromise. What Kay did was not helpful, and publishing her personal sharp criticisms on a website she controls was poor judgement on her part. Sooner or later she will realize this. Eric addressing it was risky(time will tell), adding fuel to a fire that would surely have burnt out on its own in good time. I hope the band survives her remarks and moves on to what promises to be a great, and long overdue, successful future.

[Paulie Mississippi]

Can you say Change of Life?

Women...

[tgp]

It was great while it lasted...

[bahoodore]

Hey Eric! Thanks for the open letter! You can definitely say that I am cynical...that is my only bad traits...ok I admit I have more than one...maybe three...

I have to say that my big mouth has gotten me into trouble many times, but my arrogance at allowing myself to express myself freely is from where it stems. I have 4 older brothers....believe me there is nothing anyone can do to me that has not already been done...

I just spew things out...and Bernie has filtered my posts before...that is just fine with me, he has every right to do so, I do not get offended. He knows what he is doing.

bahooey

[Raspbernie]

I can tell you without hesitation that when Eric first mentioned his desire to start posting on the Message Board that his only motivation was that he thought it would be "fun." And it is! Let's not let the distraction over there negatively impact the good times we're having over here :-)

Bernie

[marlene]

Visiting this message board to interact with all of you is one of the high points in my day. I'd just like to thank Eric, Bernie and the rest of my extended "Raspberries family" (that means YOU)for keeping things positive and fun !

Marlene

[raspberrywine]

Agreed. HOWEVER!, its really disgusting. The woman says "calm down" and "let it be" and then goes on to publish more detailed personal information on the site. I could run the Raspberries now with all the business confidential info. shes put out there!

It's good to see the humor though also. What a drama queen. "Im finished with the Rapberries!", jeez I didnt know she was in the Raspberries??? By now, She and Wally are probably out in the parking lot duking it out like it was 1974. I'm looking forward to the book she's writing she refers to. Suggested title: " My Life in Fruit: Raspberries, Sour Grapes, and Other Tales of Woe."

[LC]

Geez, I personally don't think any more "piling on" does anyone any good, do ya'll? (The "ya'll" comes from living in Virginia for six years.)

Anyway, none of us knows what Kay is dealing with, so my personal belief is that we should turn off "attack mode."

Bulletin boards like this tend to only add more fuel to the fire, when it's better to let it die down on its own, in my humble opinion.

[LC]

In fact, I'd just as soon think about Raspberries in the light that Paul Sidoti took the time to give us in the "Ask the Overdubs" thread I tossed out a couple weeks back. This is the band at a practice session, with no wives or press or fan clubs around (with all due respect to wives, press, and fans):

"During rehearsal one time, Wally had some serious sleep deprivation. He was up very early that day and towards the end of rehearsal, he had gotten quite giddy and had the giggles. We were running through 'It Seemed So Easy' and he started to dance around and make these very funny poses after doing each of his guitar licks. He was laughing and in turn, I started cracking up, as did Jennifer. Jim saw it and he started laughing. It took half the song for Eric and Dave to realize what was going on and when they saw me in tears from laughing so hard, they turned around to see Wally and immediately started cracking up. The look on Eric's face was priceless. He, along with the rest of us could barely sing as we were all laughing hysterically while still playing the song."

I love that image that Paul so deftly painted. It makes me laugh every time I read it. THAT's Raspberries!

[seattlesteve]

EC,

Very well said...

SS

[TOMMY TUNES]

Eric is posting here.

A Raspberries live album is in the works.

Chris is rocking American Idol.

The Sopranos and Baseball are back.

The entertainment part of life is good.

"People, can we all get along. You know how I don't like fighting."- Peaceful TT

[raspberrywine]

Heh, last I checked, we are free to express our opinions. Seems to be the point of fan sites. I hope it smooths over too and is sorted out and resolved in a positive manner and that there's more Raspberries just around the bend.

[LC]

RWine,

Heh, we are free to express opinions (although it's always a good idea to make sure they're informed opinions, not ones based on hearsay---also known as gossip).

Rather, I was talking about comments (not opinions) that come off as personal attacks, whether or not you mean them to be.

Specifically, your "drama queen" stuff and "My Life in Fruit" book come off as mean-spirited, eye-for-an-eye stuff, RWine. At least that's how they sound to me. I'm just saying... it's piling on, and personally, I don't think it reflects all that well. But that's just me. Disagree if you may....

--LC

[darlene]

I've been around Raspberries long enough to know that no matter *what* happens around them, or even *between* them, Wally and Eric love/respect each other musically and personally. One can be terribly upset about what is happening or not happening with another person and still love and respect that person. Musically and in a lot of other ways, these guys are like two sides of the same coin--exponentially gifted musically *and* personally and they have a special bond that nothing will ever break.

"Nobody knows" better than each member of Raspberries the conflicts and love that abound in that group and they all want it to work, just as we do. They lost it once, and are more than aware what a precious thing they have. They are working things out.

Every band knows its problems and constantly engages in natural "give and takes" to keep them under control as much as possible. Family members/friends of the band don't know all of the details if they aren't in the band, no matter how close they are to the bandsmen, and can inadvertently really upset the applecart, so to speak.

Paul's description of the fun going on in rehearsal *is* the real picture of Raspberries. Don't worry, Raspberries' music and friendship is greater than any problems and *will* win out.

--Darlene

[James]

I have no clue what's going on between the band members, have no real interest and consider it not my business. Maybe everything she said is true..maybe it isn't. Maybe every gripe she had is legitimate,....maybe it isn't. I'll probably never know.

But I do know this: Throwing the band under the bus to "liberate" herself was destructive to the Raspberries, a band I love. It was an act anathema to team play. It was an act that has torn dignity from a band I love. IMHO it was dead wrong.

And IMHO it is right for people to say so on a forum such as this.

[LC]

James,

How can you say you "have no real interest and consider it not [your] business" in one breath, and in the next breath launch into a payback rant? If it's not your business (and it's not), leave it alone.

You may think it's "right" for EC.com members to jump on and get verbal revenge here, but I think it's unnecessary. Eric can handle Raspberries inner workings by himself, without EC.com members getting all riled up and ornery. It can't be helping the situation when "fans" start saying that a band member's wife has "torn dignity" from the band.

So... we'll just agree to disagree.

--Larry

[James]

Yes, agree to disagree (where's the handshake gremlin when you need it?) :-)

LC, even when on the wrong side of a discussion, you ARE a force for good and I am a fan of yours

[Tony Cartmill]

I'm sure Kay has some valid points from her perspective, even Eric would agree. It seems the truth always lies somewhere in-between...But Eric has always had a strong vision (the minds-eye thing) of how things should be to get the most out of whatever project he working on. That kind of personality is always going to piss someone off who can't handle the "control" issues. They will always feel somewhat victimized if someone's ideas get picked over their own (through a vote or just sheer determination) the majority of the time.

That's life, baby...

[Tony Cartmill]

So I'll treat Darlene and Bahooey as the opposite ends of the ice skating judging panel that you throw out their votes and average the rest. Darlene will always hold up the positive 10 card ...

[Tony Cartmill]

And James, don't go all wussy on me.

How about, "Let's just agree to disagree, you loser."?

[marvin]

As good a time as any to post again.

After having read some of the fans' posts here and on the Raspberries site, I felt compelled to write my thoughts. Since we're all entitled to our opinions, here is mine:

I've had the opportunity to get to know Kay and to a certain extent Michelle Cervoni pretty well over the last couple of years. They, along with many others have invested their heart and soul into Raspberries. They know more about the inner-workings of this band than either you or I. For those of you hearing Kay’s or Michelle’s revelations for the first time, I suppose I can understand your reaction/surprise. However, much of the information was not new to many of us.

For over 30 years, you and I have loved the music of this band. They have moved me and touched me like none other. We saw how relationships disintegrated and how attempts have been made to build them back up. The problem with old animosities is, it takes a great deal of faith and patience to forgive, forget and to change one’s ways. It is something that doesn’t come easy for most people. The deeper the hurt, the deeper the infliction of pain. Have the band members buried the animosities of the past? Probably not, but just bear in mind that none of us knows what happened behind the scenes. We weren’t there. Are Kay’s opinions colored by her connection to Wally? Probably, but not any more biased than what Eric, Jim or Dave might have to say on the subject.

Everyone who has been looking at this through rose-colored glasses thinking that life in ‘berries land was perfect, should also understand that things are usually never as good as they appear to be, nor are they ever as bad as they appear. There is no doubt that this latest hurdle will have to be addressed if there is a future for Raspberries. Step back, give the guys some room, and let them work through it. It is not for you or me to use words that deepen the blow.

Thanks.

Marv

[Tiggsherby]

I think the real motivation is that Kay is going on vacation in a few weeks and wants to move up that 1,000,000th hit on this site so she has a shot at winning the grand prize!!!

Hey, Marvin...nice to hear from you again. We miss you!!!