Go All The Way

[Eric Carmen]

Hi kids,

Last week, I received my BMI statement. It covers a six month period, and I get a statement twice each year. For those who may not know, BMI stands for Broadcast Music Inc. Their sole job is to keep track of how many times a song is played, both domestically, and around the world, and to pay the writer and publisher, based on airplay.

 

When I looked at the number of "plays" "Go All The Way" received during the last six month period, I thought it was some sort of aberration. My statement said it was played 26,000 times during that period. By contrast, "All By Myself" was played around 6,500 times. It seemed odd to me, so I called my friend Barbara Cane at BMI in L.A. to ask her if they got their numbers mixed up. She pulled up the numbers on her computer, and said "The number is correct."

 

Still thinking it was some sort of a fluke, I asked her how far back she could go to see how many times "GATW" had been played in years past. She said she could go back nine periods on her computer. She pulled up the numbers and told me that "GATW" has been averaging between 25,000 and 33,000 plays during every six month period. I asked her for the TOTAL number of plays, since 1972, the year it was released, and she said it was just shy of 2,200,000 plays. I did a quick calculation (dividing 2.2 million by 42 years) and it turns out that "Go All The Way" has averaged 52,000 plays per year on domestic radio (that's JUST in the U.S.A.) EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST 42 YEARS!!!!

 

That's 1000 plays every week, 52 weeks a year, for 42 years! 

 

"All By Myself" is still in the lead with about 3,500,000 plays domestically, which averages out to 1,771 plays a week for the past 38 years, but I was frankly stunned by the "GATW" numbers, and how consistent  they have been.

 

One note on "ABM". My publishing statements and BMI statements (which include domestic AND foreign sales and airplay) indicate that "ABM" has been played, worldwide, more than twice as many times as it has been played in the U.S., so the real number for "ABM" is probably well over 7,000,000 plays, and counting.

 

Humorous side note:

 

My BMI statement also made note of the fact that "ABM" had just shy of 1,000,000 hits on Pandora, during the past six months. The amount of money paid for almost a million hits: $39.00. Good Lord!!!! 

 

e

[Mary Ellen]

Sweet and wonderful Eric,

Congrats!!

Guess those numbers show just how many people still love the exciting music and sentiments of GATW!  

ABM is a touching song and your voice is so evocative, so I can also see why most people around the world would want to continue to hear that one as well.  

[redd]

On 10/17/2013 at 0:30 PM, Cayennegirl said:

Sweet and wonderful Eric, Congrats!! Guess those numbers show just how many people still love the exciting music and sentiments of GATW! ABM is a touching song and your voice is so evocative, so I can also see why most people around the world would want to continue to hear that one as well. 

Wonderful and sweet Eric,

Ditto to cgirl's post! Couldn't have said it better myself! Am proud to have helped you 'earn' that $39.00 from my Eric Carmen station on Pandora. Am sure you will spend those royalties wisely (how ironic)

Seriously, there is a lot of EC/Berries love on the airwaves and that is music to my ears!

Always,

redd

P.S.Cayennegirl, just a little play on words with my greeting, thought you'd get a kick out of it!

<3 redd

[James]

..and to think "Go All The Way" was never played in Columbus (OH) on radio back in its day.  I never heard the song until

I got hooked on Eric Carmen/Raspberries and bought up all the Raspberries albums in 1976.  

Probably a censor thing for theme, though I would disagree with that decision by the radio stations if that were the reason.  I'd have thought that Columbus radio stations would have been proud as heck of our fellow Ohioans making good.

Great post Eric, very interesting, thanks.. 

James

[redd]

Hey James,

As always you are a wealth of information.  Never knew about the lack of airplay in Columbus. My brother in law grew up in Columbus & still resides there. He's a pretty knowledgeable guy, may ask him if he can shed any light on this.

P.S. You are right James, great post by EC, very interesting indeed!

redd

[Eric Carmen]

One of the funniest things I have seen , in recent days, is Raspberries albums stamped with  the "Explicit" parental rating. What a riot!

e

[Brian]

$39. for almost a million plays?????....Who made THAT deal?????

[marvin]

As I mentioned in my "Reflections" story, I don't recall ever hearing "GAtW" on Montreal radio back in the day. The first time I can recall ever hearing the song was when my dad bought me the K-Tel "Believe In Music" album in 1972, and lo and behold, there it was.

[Tim From Wisconsin]

On 10/18/2013 at 0:02 AM, Eric Carmen said:

One of the funniest things I have seen , in recent days, is Raspberries albums stamped with  the "Explicit" parental rating. What a riot!

I love it!!

The PMRC has helped sell a lot of albums in all genres of music!   Thanks Tipper and friends!

Tim

[Mary Ellen]

On 10/18/2013 at 0:02 AM, Eric Carmen said:

One of the funniest things I have seen , in recent days, is Raspberries albums stamped with  the "Explicit" parental rating. What a riot!

Well sweetie, There is that "ATTN" song...ha, ha, ha!!!  In New Orleans we were able to hear GATW on the radio as soon as it came out. 

[Kirk]

KHJ radio was blasting GATW over the airwaves in the summer of '72: 

[Mary Ellen]

Wow Kirk, that's quite the antiquarian item.   

[Kirk]

Well, it may be antiquarian now, but it was sure fun picking them up from record stores in the 70's!  Couldn't wait for the next week to come out whenever Raspberries or Eric had a hit in the top 40- good times!! 

[redd]

Hi Kirk,

Know just what you mean, being so excited to go to an actual record shop to buy the new 'Berries & othet fav new releases. Loved albums but still thought 45's were groovy. Our record shop was called B&B Platter Palace. Loved to pick up the Top 40 sheets & get feedback from the shop's owner on what records he thought should be at the top of the charts. Remember he treated me like an adult even though I was just a young kid.

Now so much has changed with the way we listen to, preview & purchase music. Never would have dreamed back then of YouTube, music websites, satellite radio and internet radio where you can even create your own stations!

Amazing, fascinating strides, but I'll ALWAYS remember the anticipation of every trip to that record store.

redd

[Mary Ellen]

Redd and Kirk, So right about the ambience of the record shops, and as far as being antiquarian, guess maybe that means me now too!  The place I'd go to is called "The Mushroom"  which is near Tulane University.  There were always super cool University students working at the shop and some older guy - probably in his late 20s though I didn't realize it at the time - most likely the owner and/or manager watching over what was an entire glorious universe of its own.  After we made that thrilling new vinyl purchase, friends could go downstairs to "The Boot" and discuss our new acquisitions.  Later I'd go home and talk with my brother who played and taught classical cello and we'd listen to and discuss the high points of my new vinyl.  What a sweet time...but guess what?...The Mushroom record shop is still operating today!  

[Raspbernie]

On 10/18/2013 at 5:09 AM, Brian said:

$39. for almost a million plays?????....Who made THAT deal?????

I believe it's because each Pandora play is for ONE person, while each radio play is for however many thousand (or more) listeners are tuned in to the station at the time a song is played. The math probably make sense in that context.

Bernie

[marvin]

On 10/19/2013 at 3:41 AM, Kirk said:

Well, it may be antiquarian now, but it was sure fun picking them up from record stores in the 70's!  Couldn't wait for the next week to come out whenever Raspberries or Eric had a hit in the top 40- good times!! 

I think we've talked about this before, Kirk, but I know EXACTLY where you're coming from. I still have a bunch of similar charts from radio station CKGM-Montreal.

[Kirk]

Yeah, Marv, I hope I'm never too old to remember; if I get a little hazy, I'll have all these goodies to remind me. Still wondering if you and I are the only ones with Raspberries Fan Club packets still in our possessions!

[Mary Ellen]

I suspect we all have some fun collectibles which hold a lot of great memories for us.  Eventually, we may all have to be like those old folks who gather for a reunion meeting in a different/or maybe the same place once a year.  We can sit around and listen to Rs' music and help each other remember. 

[marvin]

On 10/19/2013 at 6:51 PM, Cayennegirl said:

I suspect we all have some fun collectibles which hold a lot of great memories for us.  Eventually, we may all have to be like those old folks who gather for a reunion meeting in a different/or maybe the same place once a year.  We can sit around and listen to Rs' music and help each other remember.

Bernie used to hold a "Weekend At Bernie's" at his place where many of us turned up to enjoy the memories and music. One year Jim and Eric even showed up.

[Mary Ellen]

Saw that Marvin and checked out the WAB's photos posted online, but it was a while back though...  Hope you will consider doing "Reflections 2014."  Thanks so much for downloading that treasure you collected and put together!!

[danmichel]

I suspect some of this extra interest in Go All The Way is because of the DVD/Blue Ray release of Dark Shadows...After hearing the cover by The Killers play over the end credits of the film a lot of people had to be wanting more of it...btw...the cover is so true to the original it had me wondering who was who on that track!

[raspathens]

On 10/18/2013 at 0:02 AM, Eric Carmen said:

One of the funniest things I have seen , in recent days, is Raspberries albums stamped with  the "Explicit" parental rating. What a riot!

Take Go All The Way - you're telling the story of how your girlfriend, sweetly, at first, whispers she wants to GATW. Such a surprise (beg your pardon, honey?) and how melodically captivating are her words. By the end of the song, however, her base desires are exploding - and she says COME ON, COME ON! When Wally picks those chords in a cascading conclusion, is that, you know........

Nothing implicit about that. That narrative is more "dangerous" to impressionable teenagers than any string of dirty words. Damn, you made sex sound like something wonderful - not like "music" today.   And you, yourself, Eric would introduce such songs in early 70s concerts as "this next one is a totally filthy song from our new album". I rest my case. 

[Mary Ellen]

I suspect some of this extra interest in Go All The Way is because of the DVD/Blue Ray release of Dark Shadows...After hearing the cover by The Killers play over the end credits of the film a lot of people had to be wanting more of it...btw...the cover is so true to the original it had me wondering who was who on that track!

Danmichel, Probably some of the more recent interest in "GATW" is because of The Killers' cover at the end of Dark Shadows.  BUT, Eric's voice while singing is sexy, rich and dynamic, whereas Brandon Flowers' singing sounds (to me at least) like Barnabas Collins after he just woke up from his daily nap...ha, ha, ha!!

[Mary Ellen]

On 10/22/2013 at 1:50 PM, raspathens said:

Take Go All The Way - you're telling the story of how your girlfriend, sweetly, at first, whispers she wants to GATW. Such a surprise (beg your pardon, honey?) and how melodically captivating are her words. By the end of the song, however, her base desires are exploding - and she says COME ON, COME ON! When Wally picks those chords in a cascading conclusion, is that, you know........

Nothing implicit about that. That narrative is more "dangerous" to impressionable teenagers than any string of dirty words. Damn, you made sex sound like something wonderful - not like "music" today.   And you, yourself, Eric would introduce such songs in early 70s concerts as "this next one is a totally filthy song from our new album". I rest my case. 

Certainly "GATW" is every man's fantasy of what he'd want a woman to say, if he's not already hearing it.     I have to doubt anybody would say "Beg your pardon, honey?"    Besides, it was such a different time in the 60s and early to mid 70s too, and there were less serious challenges for young people to deal with.  In any case, sex should sound like something wonderful - even the filthy parts!!  Have you heard some of the music young people listen to today?  Some of the rap stuff I've caught my son listening to - especially when he was a teen - is unbelievable and as an example: "pimps up and hos down"  NO comparison!!