Al K Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 I had the pleasure of spending some with Joan Jett last night, and she told me of her fondness for Raspberries and especially for Eric's guitar he used to play on many of the band's songs including many of the hits. Joan fond that Eric sold this guitar sometime after Raspberries broke up, and Joan bought the guitar from the person who bought it from Eric. Joan was SO excited to have the guitar she preceeded to use it to record virtualy all of her hits, even taking the guitar on the road for many years during her 80's solo heyday. Joan eventually retired the guitar from the road, still owns it and keeps it safely tucked away. Many of you have heard or read of this story, but I don't know if anyone in the band's entourage had ever heard the story first hand...'til now!!Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Great, Al! I've always loved Joan Jett! She wrote a song in the Runaways that rocked titled, "Don't Go Away." If you haven't heard that one, you should! It's raw POWER! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 I love Joan and I love that she has the guitar ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raspberrywolf Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Oh Wow Al thanks for sharing this amazing lil piece of rock & roll history...YET another fine reason why Eric & The Raspberries belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniekNY Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Pete and I saw her at a little club in Greenwood Lake, NY several years ago...what a fantastic performance...and to think that guitar was probably there....so close and yet, so clueless!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Greenwood Lake Annie OMG - I used to go to a club there - can't remember the name though! My friend left me there alone for hours while she was partying with some band lol - 6 a.m. she rolls into the parking lot - and I let her drive no less OMG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angloberry Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 I love that little white Melody Maker with the double cutaways. If only Gibson would re-ptoduce one like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew C. Clark Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Now if only Joan can do the remake of the Razzies "I'm A Rocker"?? That would be something!! Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susana Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Whoa - I may have a good pic of Joan playing it. Did she say exactly when she retired it, Al? (Come to think of it, I may have an old pic of E with it, too...now I really need to dig out all my pics, don't I??)S* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Matthew C. Clark said: Now if only Joan can do the remake of the Razzies "I'm A Rocker"?? That would be something!! Matt Yeah Matt, I can hear that, it might be pretty cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Actually, I really dug the black one he had early on in Raspberries. A cool looking little guitar! I wish they started making them again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 I always wondered what became of the black one and often wonder if it's hanging on the wall of some music store where nobody knows its history. If I ever found it I'd snatch it up in a second!Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Me too! Bernie! Hey...I'll flip you for it!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 A coin I meant Bern. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Matt - Joan doing I'm a Rock would kick some serious ass! I'd love to hear that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Speaking of kicking the crud out of a cover, I just listened to "No Hard Feelings" - my favorite back in the 70s. Can you imagine how good that song would be live, if covered by the Raspberries... extending the "Let Me Out.." climax a minute or two, with Wally, Billy and Paul ripping it up on guitar!!??Man.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMan Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 James, my friend....this one was always one of my favorite solo Eric tunes and I always pictured Raspberries kickin' the door down with it!! Hopefully in the future! G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlesteve Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I heard the same story straight from Joan after a 1998 performance in a small bar in Seattle. When she first came out it was something.. first I had seen her with the blond crew cut, and her white guitar was trashed with bumper stickers, drawings, etc. I asked her afterwards if that one was Eric's, and she said it was identical, but she only records with Eric's because in her words she "didn't want to f**k it up"She said she had met Eric before, knew he was from Cleveland, and that he was a nice guy, kind of quiet. Everyone seems quiet around Joan.I was also unaware of her coming out, and my wife and I and the other couple that came with us, were about the only non- female/female couple in this intimate performance. The show was great, we watched from the front of the stage. Saw her last year at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma in front of about 1,000 people, mainstream audience, still puts on great show. She must tour a lot as even way up here in Seattle, she comes through about twice a year.Erics guitar is on some of her album covers too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlesteve Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 No Hard Feelings sure seems like a natural jamming encore for the 'berries... Eric: "We was raped", Dave: "Reshaped", Wally: "And trying to escape" Great window for a Wally solo, and opportunities for more harmonies than the original.I wrote before... Eric could bring the song down, ala Garth, and explain how he wrote another verse since they are back... and kick it in again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HT from Mo Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Raspbernie said: I always wondered what became of the black one and often wonder if it's hanging on the wall of some music store where nobody knows its history. If I ever found it I'd snatch it up in a second! Bernie, I'm sure there's a story to be told about that. Eric? HT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Thanks, Al, for that great post! How terrific to hear the story straight from Joan herself! And it's so cool that she still has the guitar safely tucked away! Raspberries definitely are "musicians' musicians" and I have no doubt they will one day get inducted into the R&RHOF. Annie, my good friend, Dennis Coyman, who plays drums with the Jimmy Sturr Band, lives in Greenwood Lake. Very pretty up there. At what club in Greenwood Lake did Joan appear? --Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny309 Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 JOAN JETT was infact playing Eric's WHITE Melody Maker during the R&R Hall of Fame Induction Ceramony Monday Nite. Very Nice to see that she still has it. I'v read where the guitar was an obsession for Joan, esp because of its lavish Raspberries history and that it was a guitar that Eric used on stage and probably on a numberr of songs in the Studio....KUDO's to Joan!! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Jenny I don't believe that was Eric's she never wanted to mess up that guitar with all the stickers and stuff - that I believe is the copy she keeps to play on stage only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny309 Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 MJ, I thought the same thing...LOgically speaking, but if I were betting, realizing that she has probably personalize the guitar over the years... I'd say, ODD's ARE that it was probably Eric's WHite Melody Maker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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