From Kay Bryson's Facebook Page

[James]

..love that post.....at least when I'm unfriended, I'm unfriended by the best!!..

[Tim From Wisconsin]

Wendy my friend: I specifically said I respect the opinion of fellow board members - I don't believe that we will see Hitler or any other dead evil people jumping in on any threads.  

Tim

[James]

...don't speak so soon Tim, TONY CARTMILL still may post again one day.

[Wendy-Ann]

And...that's your right Tim. But I was strictly speaking for myself. I don't always respect another's opinion...board member or not, but I sure as heck will defend their right to voice it.

[James]

It's (IMHO) one of the great ridiculous fallouts from pc:  that you MUST respect everyone's opinion.  I say bullshit. 

Wendy said it best, but I'll say it my way:  if someone is going to post a rancid opinion, I'm going to call it rancid.  I will respect them as a person, even love them as a human being,...and defend their right to speak freely against government intrusion...but I will not respect their opinion if it doesn't deserve respecting.

P.S.  I'm (for now) keeping my ball and jax on the playground.

[Tim From Wisconsin]

On 4/14/2014 at 9:52 PM, James said:

...don't speak so soon Tim, TONY CARTMILL still may post again one day.

Oooo...There's always Beatlebum and a couple of others too!

Tim

[Mary Ellen]

Y'all are so cute!...Hitler?! 

[Tom]

The psychological dynamics that lie beneath Eric and Wally's relationship are fascinating. Eric has clearly done some work on exploring and understanding his "self" and the dynamics that drive him.

I don't know Wally but he does seem "angry" and defensive. Also having Kay post for him is absurd. He is a grown man and should be able to answer for himself.

I do respect the work that Wally does with folks with DD. It takes a special person to do that sort of work day to day. Wally should push through his 'berries anger and ready himself for the next chapter of his life. The fact that Eric still looms large in his conciousness says alot about the emotional bond these men had as young teens.

This recalls the old Fieger-Gary rift that plagued The Knack. Sadly both are now deceased.

[Mary Ellen]

You've hit your head on the nail with everything you've said, Tom.  Agreed. 

M.E.

[paperdoll82]

I agree, Tom. I was letting some Raspberries videos play in the background as I worked today, and man, Eric and Wally were magic together on stage. Freakin' unadulterated MAGIC. I was a little late with deadline because I kept popping back into the browser to watch.

As stressful as I find this, I can't imagine how stressful it is on THEM. Heartbreaking.

Now I think I'll go destress by participating a forum on something light. Like gun control, health care reform, abortion or politics.*

Cheryl

*I'm kidding.

[AnneNR]

As a new member ---

I knew somehow, like in all aspects of life, there will be hurt, drama, misunderstandings, egos, and whatever else can cause strife amid human interactions showing up in this website.  I feel like I've just been pulled out of the Matrix.  It's difficult to understand how circumstances like this happen when all a fan sees on stage is what looks like good collaberation and no dischord (no pun intended) between band members performing.

No matter what the reasons may be, or whoever is doing or not doing something to or for someone, this conflict will hopefully resolve itself between the parties involved --- before it's too late for anyone of them.  My biggest thing is, OH HECKY-DARN!!!--- I'm still catching up on the things I missed that I didn't know I missed but now I DEFINITELY am aware that I missed (like the re-union tour) and really miss, if you can even follow my train of thought. And so--- I guess I won't be asking anyone anytime soon if there will be another re-union for those of us who missed it the first time.  I guess Hell will have to hold the Winter Olympics or Swine will be granted pilot's licenses by the F.A.A. before that will ever come about.   SIGH !!!

Mr. Carmen, it grieves me to hear you are at odds, no matter what it's about, with your former band member, Mr. Bryson.  You are both very talented, I enjoy the youtube stuff I've seen of you and your friends back in the day.  Mr. Bryson makes playing the guitar look like great fun, I WANNA DO THAT TOO!  And you, with the songwriting and vocalizations, VERY special as well.  The other members that contributed in their fashion are appreciated as well, after all, it's all of you guys together that made something a great majority of people want to listen to you.  I can't seperate any one member or other to side with something I am not part of, and like many others, I'm certain, I greatly love all you guys--- you all were a specific part of my history, a good part.  Thanks to all of you guys for that.  Thank you for not giving up the music business when things didn't work out with the group.  I love most of your solo career songs too.

And incidentally . . .

Heavens,  Raspbernie, that cover done live by the killers is something that definitely only fits the movie "Dark Shadows".  EEEEEEWWWWW !!!  If a guy were singing that song LIKE THAT to me, I would think he was CREEEPY!  Not enticing in the least!!!  But since that might have been what was expected, I guess he did okay (He's no Eric Carmen by a LONG shot). 

I watched a video of the Killers singing the professional cut ( I guess ) of G.A.T.W. with scenes from the  Dark Shadows movie playing simultaneously.  The professional cut sounded much better than what you uploaded here.  I was, back in the 70s, and now, a fan of Dark Shadows (TV series).  While girls were worried about "All My Children" & "The Days of Our Lives" in my high school (I'm not a soap-opera fan- YUK) I much preferred the maligned and persecuted Barnabus Collins on this show.  The lyrics of the song, the way the killers sang it, and the basic storyline of the movie all fit very well together.  In this context 'go all the way" meaning "bite me so I can join the darkside with you" is the ultimate horror romance tale.  (And I got to see Jonathan Frid's cameo shot in the film!!)

What an unusual application of "Go All The Way". . . 

[birdy]

Eric is generous with his knowledge of the music business and even more so, with his knowledge of songwriting. In my personal life, I have seen people withhold their knowledge to hang on to a job. But Eric realizes that if he shares this info, it doesn't take away from his talent.

Sorry, that you joined right when we were having another GATW crisis. This is not the usual Eric, but this one topic seems to get him stuck in the same old same old. I haven't been here long, but this is my second time going through GATW hell. Wally played the intro but that didn't garner him songwriting credit. Eric has presented a professional and excellent example of what earns a person songwriting credit. I didn't know any of this, so I appreciate the explanation. I LOVE rock music, so to learn more about the process is wonderful. (This is all coming from the idiot, who admitted that I don't care for ballads.)

I came to know Eric on this forum before I knew his music and I cherish that. I heard GATW on an oldies station and thought, "Who did that song?" So I looked it up and found the Raspberries performing on the Mike Douglas show. And I found him incredibly cute because I was in a nostalgic phase reliving my 10 year old self. Then I found out that he was the ABM guy. I was a punk as a teen so this did not go over well with my psyche. I liked Manilow's "Mandy" though I couldn't admit it while wearing my dog collar. (By the way, I was the only punk at my high school so it was a lonely time.) But I got over ABM. And found an incredible and  generous man/artist who is willing to explain his creative process.

Yes, Dark Shadows was the best soap opera ever!

[Mary Ellen]

birdy,

My little sweet potato...what a lovely post about Eric. 

Seeing KB's FB post upon arrival to the website would be somewhat of a shock to the system concerning what I've come to know about Eric and how he presents himself.  He's primarily a scholar and a gentleman, with some spice thrown in, and that spice is a very good part of the mixture. 

How splendid of Bernie to create this website so fans and those who care about Eric can come and discuss ideas and feelings on topics of our choice and liking (and maybe some we don't like so much).  Bernie is a great kindred spirit for Eric to create a space where E can vent to those same fans and loving friends, and it's all good.  As you said birdy, E also shares so many interesting facts and details about his life and music with us, so who wouldn't love to be welcome here?  

My nephew and friend Avo is a career bartender and trainer at House of Blues in N.O.  He knows quite a bit about music as well, meets many interesting people and has seen many music topic-related websites.  He said this one is the absolute best he's seen. 

I'm grateful to know Eric as someone with an open mind and an open heart. 

M.E.

p.s. birdy, loved your little punk girl story. 

[AnneNR]

Birdy --- wow, a dog collar??  Didn't some cutie at any time want to "take you for a walk" ?   Just teasing, was a bit of a loner myself in high school.  I didn't find out until many years later after graduation that a lot more people liked me than I was ever aware of back then.  I know "lonely" and was determined to get over it.

Music was a primal point of communication among teens back then, with prejudices and cliques regarding who's cool to listen to, and who's not.  What a shame the Raspberries weren't allowed some more appropriate marketing, now we'll never know how that would have turned out.  Thank goodness we have audio and video storage systems for all this great music, otherwise it would lose something in the translation to see this in hieroglyphics on a cave wall somewhere. . . . rock concert on a rock wall ---what a limited but amusing concept.

6  6
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[AnneNR]

The lives of those in the music industry crosses over many other lives multiple times.  That tapestry that forms is quite colorful, fascinating, and interesting.  It is the various knots, tied on the underside, that the average or casual listener doesn't see or understand.  

But when you look deeper, not necessarily to look for the knots or the dirt underneath that is not immediately apparent, this is when artists, singers, whatever begin to be perceived as more than 2 dimensional.  Two months ago approximately I began to take stock of the Music I really wanted to keep, and new-to-me music I wanted to acquire.  My first search efforts were for the group Hamilton, Joe Frank, & Reynolds.

I started with them because they were the only band I was able to see while I was growing up. Back in 1976 at Marriott's Great America in Santa Clara, California, my high school and a few others held our Grad Nights there. I was raised in a rather dysfunctional household, and was never close to my Dad who controlled the finances according to what HE valued spending money on.  I talked him into this, I still don't why he agreed to let me go, school function or no.  It was not characteristic of him to do stuff like that for me and my brothers. He provided a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on the table. . . having him BE a Dad was somewhat lacking. He died 3 years after my graduation in a boating accident, so I never had the chance to know hiim better or ask questions of him.  (end violin solo here)

Basically, that was one of the best nights in my life, and they were the music I got to hear LIVE.  I just had to look up stuff, but found out that the beautiful looking and sounding lead vocalist and guitarist for the group, Danny Hamilton, had passed away in 1994 from some genetic kind of syndrome that sapped the vitality out of him until his death.  That broke my heart--- even this many years after his passing, because he was a special part of that entire night.

A couple of months forward --- here I am now, checking into more of the music I remember but sometimes have no titles or names for, and Eric Carmen is still among the living.  Hallelujah !! I hope he's taking care of himself so he can hang around longer.  I know he's got a talent for good music, it doesn't disappear as you get older.  Heck, Mick Jagger is grizzled, and he's still stutting around!

All strife and trauma aside, it's a kick seeing how many musicians were here and there and with whom.  A chaotic home life didn't allow much room for anything more than passing school and listening to background music while doing it for me.  So now I have figured out that if there was something one should have experienced growing up, you are doomed to try and do whatever it is later in life.  That's me right now with music. The process is what I would have done back as a teen ---minus the screaming and yelling, I actually like to HEAR the musicians when they play and enthusiastically applaud at the right moments.

Old stuff for you guys, fresh stuff for me.  It would do this generation good to look at more than just Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, or the Beatles.  They and other artists influenced yet even more artists, and it is very inspiring to see what the truly inspired have come up with for their own story.  

Gotta love the Music!!

6  6
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[Eric Carmen]

As the "debate" rages on, I direct everyone back to the title of this thread, and my original post.

This discussion would not have taken place at all, absent TWO THINGS.

THING ONE: Wally's "sour grapes" interview with Shindig Magazine, in which, yet again, he "decided", and that IS the word "DECIDED," of his own free will, to, once again, take the low road. No one made him do it. It was HIS CHOICE. Just as it was Scott's choice to take the high road. 

THING TWO: Kay decided to spew her paranoid, misinformed vitriol all over her Facebook page, for all to read.

Absent those two "events", this conversation would have never taken place. 

Here is the long and the short of it.

"Your complaints, your drama, your victim mentality, your whining, your blaming, and all of your excuses have NEVER gotten you even a single step closer to your goals or dreams. Let go of your nonsense. Let go of the delusion that you DESERVE better and go EARN it!"

—Steve Maraboli

 

Quote Of The Day

 

e

[James]

That's a pretty great quote.  And applicable.   Should be quote of the DECADE.

James

[AnneNR]

Greetings to you, Mr. Carmen---

Hope this finds you well.  Absolutely straight-forward comment quote, and very well stated.

I would only hope that you come to a place for yourself that all this hurt inside you can be let go by forgiving them and anyone else who might be adversarial towards you for any reason.  Forgiveness is for the health of the one doing the forgiving, even if the one(s) you forgive never come(s) around to see the truth and rightness of things.

Once you forgive them their shortcomings and ill feelings and give the hurt up and them up to Yahweh to deal with them, you can begin an inner healing process and have compassion for them becuase they must be very unhappy holding all that venom inside them.

Don't hold on to the upset they have caused inside you, Mr. Carmen.  My mother had to part company with a friend of over 40 years for similar principles.  She prays for her, but can't be around her because of her sourness. It will affect your health and sidetrack you from doing what obviously God has blessed you with ---- the ability to create mind and soul touching music in a terrific way.  Personally, I'm hoping you find more things to sing about.   

PLLLEEEEAASSSE take good care of yourself -- hang around and make great music for those who appreciate you !!!

6  6
__/     AnneNR

[okstevens]

Don't ya just love rock n roll!

But the true story is Eric and Wally are secretly working on a new album together and all of of this is being used to drum up publicity by these two musical geniuses!

[Mary Ellen]

Ok my friend, You are awesome as usual!  

Dear Eric, No debate should be necessary.

Hugs, RELAX & Happy "Eastover"

M.E.

[AnneNR]

Someone should remind Mr. Bryson ----

So if you ever have a change of heart
Just remember it's not too late to start
If you still believe in what love can do

I could find someone
More than willing to be your replacement
But there's no one else
Who can move me the way you do
So for now, goodbye
But if ever you find you still want me
You just call my name
'Cause I'll always be here for you

So if you ever have a change of heart
Just remember it's not too late to start
If you still believe in what love can do   . . .

Because Mr. Carmen would not hurt so much if he still didn't care so much.

Mr. Bryson's loss, Mr. Carmen.

[birdy]

Wow Eric!  After rereading your last post, I have this strange urge to put my collar on.

[Paulguitar]

Eric,

I have read this "discussion" for years on this board. Same old story. I implore you to let it go, at least publicly. I don't want to hear /read about this anymore. Take the high road. Let me remember the music, the first reunion show (I was in the front row), etc.

Happy Easter, Passover,

Paul

[AnneNR]

Hey PaulGuitar ---

First Re-Union Show ???!  LUCKY DUCK!!!

AnneNR

[Catnip]

PaulGuitar, I don't think Eric should feel pressured to defend himself here or anywhere else, but that said, the page is EricCarmen.com