Eric Carmen
Encyclopedia
Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.
He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries
(who had a million-selling single with "Go All The Way
"), and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself
", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
", "She Did It
", "Hungry Eyes
", and "Make Me Lose Control
".
and grew up in Lyndhurst, Ohio
. He has been involved with music since early childhood. By the age of two, he was entertaining his parents, Ruth and Elmer Carmen, with impressions of Tony Bennett
and Johnnie Ray
. By age three, he was in the Dalcroze Eurhythmics
program at the Cleveland Institute of Music
. At six years old, he took violin lessons from Muriel Carmen (his aunt), then a violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra
. By age 11, he was playing piano and dreaming about writing his own songs. The arrival of the Beatles
and the Rolling Stones altered his dream slightly. By the time he was a sophomore at Charles F. Brush High School
, Eric Carmen was playing piano and singing in rock 'n' roll bands.
Though classically trained in piano, Carmen became a self-taught guitarist. At 15, he started guitar lessons, but since the teacher's approach did not fit with what he wanted, he decided to teach himself. He bought a Beatles chord book and taught himself to play guitar for the next four months.
. He joined a band named Cyrus Erie, which recorded several unsuccessful singles for Epic records. Cyrus Erie guitarist Wally Bryson had been playing with friends Jim Bonfanti
and Dave Smalley
in one of Cleveland's most popular bands, the Choir
, which scored a minor national hit in 1967 with the single "It's Cold Outside".
When Cyrus Erie and the Choir collapsed at the end of the 1960s, Carmen, Bryson, Bonfanti and Smalley teamed up to form Raspberries
, a rock and roll
band who were among the chief exponents of the power pop
style. Carmen was the lead singer of the group, and wrote or co-wrote all their hit songs. In 1975, after the breakup of Raspberries, he started his solo career, de-emphasizing harder rock elements in favor of soft rock
and power ballads, which were already the hallmark of Carmen tracks on Raspberries albums.
In 2004, Carmen, along with original Raspberries members Jim Bonfanti, Wally Bryson, and Dave Smalley, re-formed the band for a series of sold-out live performances in cities across the United States. On that tour, the Raspberries recorded a live album of their hits at The House of Blues on Sunset Strip, in Hollywood, California. Both the show and album received critical acclaim. Carmen himself has stated that he planned to write new harder-edged songs for the band to perform in the same vein as those that the Raspberries performed in the 1970s.
. The first of these singles, "All By Myself
" – based on Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2
– hit number 2 in the United States, and number 12 in the United Kingdom where it was his only charting hit. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
by the R.I.A.A. in April 1976. The follow-up single, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
" – based on the main theme of the slow movement of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2
– reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and hit number one on the US Adult Contemporary Chart
, as well as number one on the Cash Box chart. Two years after its 1975 release, this self-titled album
was certified Gold in 1977 for sales of more than 500,000 copies. "That's Rock and Roll
" was also a number 3 hit single for singer Shaun Cassidy
.
Carmen's second album, "Boats Against the Current
" came out in the summer of 1977 and received strong reviews. It featured such noted backup players as Burton Cummings
, Andrew Gold
, Bruce Johnston
and Nigel Olsson
. The album spent 13 weeks in the Billboard Album chart, peaking number 45. It also produced the Top 20 single "She Did It
," but the title track only managed to scrape the bottom of the chart. The title track was later covered by Olivia Newton-John
on her album Totally Hot
. A third single taken from the album, "Marathon Man," became his first solo single not to hit the Billboard Hot 100
chart. However, Shaun Cassidy
again made the Top 10 in 1978 with Carmen's "Hey Deanie
." For several weeks in the fall of 1977, Carmen had three compositions charting concurrently on the Billboard Hot 100
, Cassidy's two big hits and Carmen's own "She Did It
."
Carmen followed up with two more albums. Despite declining chart fortunes, the single "Change of Heart" broke into the Pop Top 20 and reached number 6 at AC in late 1978, with this hit also being covered by Samantha Sang
on her Emotion LP. But in 1980, after the release of the album "Tonight You're Mine" and single "It Hurts Too Much" (number 75 Billboard Top 100; number 3 South Africa, June 1980) he temporarily withdrew from the music industry. Four years later, after Mike Reno
and Ann Wilson
topped the charts (Pop number 7; Adult Contemporary number one) with the Carmen-penned ballad "Almost Paradise
" (the love theme to the film Footloose), Eric resurfaced on Geffen Records
in 1985 with a second self-titled album and a sizeable comeback hit "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips". The single hit the Adult Contemporary Top 10 as well as the Pop Top 40. The follow-up single, "I'm Through with Love," also climbed the Billboard Hot 100
and reached the Top 20 of the Adult Contemporary chart. Another track from the album, "Maybe My Baby," later became a Country hit for Louise Mandrell
.
Carmen's hit-making course surged again in the late 1980s. In 1987 his contribution to the mega-hit movie Dirty Dancing
, "Hungry Eyes
" hit number 2 Adult Contemporary and also returned him to the Pop Top 10. "Reason To Try", a further contribution to the "One Moment In Time" compilation album of songs recorded for the Seoul Summer Olympics, kept Carmen's profile high in 1988, during which the nostalgic "Make Me Lose Control
" also returned him to the number one position on the Adult Contemporary chart – where it stayed for three straight weeks – as well as number 3 on Billboard's Hot 100. This became his highest charting song since "All By Myself", both along with "Hungry Eyes" having in the past two decades become classic pop radio favorites. Although Carmen did not follow his two hit singles with a new studio album in 1988, "Make Me Lose Control" was included on a then-new 'Best Of' collection from Arista.
The year 2000 saw the stateside release of I Was Born to Love You
, which had been released in 1998 only in Japan as Winter Dreams. Carmen eschewed the use of a band on the recording, playing most of the instruments and programming the drum parts himself. The album did not find a large audience, but Carmen has continued to enjoy success placing songs with other artists over the years.
He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries
Raspberries (band)
Raspberries is an American power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their...
(who had a million-selling single with "Go All The Way
Go All the Way (Raspberries song)
"Go All the Way" is a hit single by Raspberries, released in July 1972. It was written by band leader Eric Carmen, who also provided lead vocals, and co-written by Wally Bryson. The song reached the Top 5 on three principal U.S. charts, #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on Cashbox and #3 on Record...
"), and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself
All by Myself
"All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18...
", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American pop rock artist Eric Carmen. It was released as the second single from Carmen's self-titled debut solo album, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1976, remaining in the Top 40...
", "She Did It
She did it
"She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart...
", "Hungry Eyes
Hungry Eyes
"Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood, OH in 1987. "Hungry Eyes" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1988...
", and "Make Me Lose Control
Make Me Lose Control (song)
"Make Me Lose Control" is the title of a 1988 Billboard Hot 100 #3 hit single written and performed by the singer-songwriter Eric Carmen...
".
Early life
From a Jewish descended family, Eric Carmen was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and grew up in Lyndhurst, Ohio
Lyndhurst, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,279 people, 6,642 households, and 4,397 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,480.1 people per square mile . There were 6,855 housing units at an average density of 1,561.4 per square mile...
. He has been involved with music since early childhood. By the age of two, he was entertaining his parents, Ruth and Elmer Carmen, with impressions of Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
and Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.-Early life:John Alvin Ray was born in...
. By age three, he was in the Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Eurhythmics
Dalcroze Eurhythmics, also known as the Dalcroze Method or simply Eurhythmics, is one of several developmental approaches including the Kodaly Method, Orff Schulwerk, Simply Music and Suzuki Method used to teach music education to students. Eurhythmics was developed in the early 20th century by...
program at the Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....
. At six years old, he took violin lessons from Muriel Carmen (his aunt), then a violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
. By age 11, he was playing piano and dreaming about writing his own songs. The arrival of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and the Rolling Stones altered his dream slightly. By the time he was a sophomore at Charles F. Brush High School
Charles F. Brush High School
Charles F. Brush High School is a public high school in Lyndhurst, Ohio. The school is named for Charles F. Brush, the Ohio-born inventor of the arc light, an invention which, until recently, the school's student newspaper was named after....
, Eric Carmen was playing piano and singing in rock 'n' roll bands.
Though classically trained in piano, Carmen became a self-taught guitarist. At 15, he started guitar lessons, but since the teacher's approach did not fit with what he wanted, he decided to teach himself. He bought a Beatles chord book and taught himself to play guitar for the next four months.
Tenure with Raspberries
Carmen became serious about being a musician while attending John Carroll UniversityJohn Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
. He joined a band named Cyrus Erie, which recorded several unsuccessful singles for Epic records. Cyrus Erie guitarist Wally Bryson had been playing with friends Jim Bonfanti
Jim Bonfanti
James Alexander Bonfanti is a rock drummer, best known as a member of the band Raspberries.Bonfanti's music career began in 1965 when he saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. That experience eventually led him to join the band The Mods...
and Dave Smalley
Dave Smalley (Cleveland)
David Bruce 'Dave' Smalley was member of 1970s Power pop band, Raspberries-Early years:Smalley was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania on 10, July, 1949, and moved to Cleveland in his youth....
in one of Cleveland's most popular bands, the Choir
The Choir (garage rock)
The Choir was a garage rock band largely active in the greater Cleveland area from the mid 1960s into the early 1970s. Originally called The Mods, their largest commercial success came with the release of their first single "It's Cold Outside" in December 1966...
, which scored a minor national hit in 1967 with the single "It's Cold Outside".
When Cyrus Erie and the Choir collapsed at the end of the 1960s, Carmen, Bryson, Bonfanti and Smalley teamed up to form Raspberries
Raspberries (band)
Raspberries is an American power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their...
, a rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band who were among the chief exponents of the power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
style. Carmen was the lead singer of the group, and wrote or co-wrote all their hit songs. In 1975, after the breakup of Raspberries, he started his solo career, de-emphasizing harder rock elements in favor of soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
and power ballads, which were already the hallmark of Carmen tracks on Raspberries albums.
In 2004, Carmen, along with original Raspberries members Jim Bonfanti, Wally Bryson, and Dave Smalley, re-formed the band for a series of sold-out live performances in cities across the United States. On that tour, the Raspberries recorded a live album of their hits at The House of Blues on Sunset Strip, in Hollywood, California. Both the show and album received critical acclaim. Carmen himself has stated that he planned to write new harder-edged songs for the band to perform in the same vein as those that the Raspberries performed in the 1970s.
Solo career
His first two solo singles were chart hits in 1976. Both were built around themes by Sergei RachmaninoffSergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
. The first of these singles, "All By Myself
All by Myself
"All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18...
" – based on Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2
Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)
The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. The second and third movements were first performed with the composer as soloist on 2 December 1900...
– hit number 2 in the United States, and number 12 in the United Kingdom where it was his only charting hit. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A. in April 1976. The follow-up single, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American pop rock artist Eric Carmen. It was released as the second single from Carmen's self-titled debut solo album, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1976, remaining in the Top 40...
" – based on the main theme of the slow movement of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 is a music piece by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, created in 1906–07. The premiere was conducted by the composer himself in St. Petersburg on 8 February 1908. Its duration is approximately 60 minutes when performed uncut; cut performances can be as...
– reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and hit number one on the US Adult Contemporary Chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
, as well as number one on the Cash Box chart. Two years after its 1975 release, this self-titled album
Eric Carmen (1975 album)
Eric Carmen is an album by rock and roll musician Eric Carmen. It is also his first of two self-titled albums, the other released in 1984. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard album chart on its release in 1975 and generated the #2 pop single "All by Myself" in the same year. The song reached #1 on...
was certified Gold in 1977 for sales of more than 500,000 copies. "That's Rock and Roll
That's Rock and Roll
"That's Rock 'n' Roll" is a 1977 hit by Shaun Cassidy from his first eponymous debut album, Shaun Cassidy. It was his second of three consecutive top-ten hits. It was released in July 1977 and spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three...
" was also a number 3 hit single for singer Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones, and the second son of Tony award-winning actor Jack Cassidy...
.
Carmen's second album, "Boats Against the Current
Boats Against the Current (album)
Boats Against the Current is a 1977 album by Eric Carmen. The title is taken from a line in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was Carmen's second solo LP, after the Raspberries disbanded....
" came out in the summer of 1977 and received strong reviews. It featured such noted backup players as Burton Cummings
Burton Cummings
Burton L. Cummings, OC, OM is a Canadian musician and songwriter.He was the lead singer and frequent keyboardist for the Canadian rock band The Guess Who...
, Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold
Andrew Maurice Gold was an American singer, musician and songwriter. His works include the Top 10 single "Lonely Boy" , as well as the singles "Thank You for Being a Friend" , and "Never Let Her Slip Away" ....
, Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Arthur Johnston is a member of The Beach Boys and a songwriter, remembered especially for composing "I Write the Songs". Johnston was not one of the original members of the band...
and Nigel Olsson
Nigel Olsson
Nigel Olsson is an English rock drummer, who is best known for his work with Elton John. Olsson helped establish the Elton John sound as one of the first members of John's band, on drums, percussion and backing vocals. When not working with Elton, Olsson has taken up the role of a session musician...
. The album spent 13 weeks in the Billboard Album chart, peaking number 45. It also produced the Top 20 single "She Did It
She did it
"She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart...
," but the title track only managed to scrape the bottom of the chart. The title track was later covered by Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
on her album Totally Hot
Totally Hot
Totally Hot is Olivia Newton-John's ninth US and tenth international studio album. Released in November 1978, it became her first solo Top 10 album since 1975's Have You Never Been Mellow...
. A third single taken from the album, "Marathon Man," became his first solo single not to hit the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. However, Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones, and the second son of Tony award-winning actor Jack Cassidy...
again made the Top 10 in 1978 with Carmen's "Hey Deanie
Hey Deanie
"Hey Deanie" is a popular song by Shaun Cassidy that was released the last week of November, 1977 from his album, Born Late. It was his third and final top 10 hit, peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, spending four months on the chart from late 1977 to early 1978...
." For several weeks in the fall of 1977, Carmen had three compositions charting concurrently on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, Cassidy's two big hits and Carmen's own "She Did It
She did it
"She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart...
."
Carmen followed up with two more albums. Despite declining chart fortunes, the single "Change of Heart" broke into the Pop Top 20 and reached number 6 at AC in late 1978, with this hit also being covered by Samantha Sang
Samantha Sang
Samantha Sang is a stage name of Australian singer, Cheryl Lau Sang, from Melbourne, who had an earlier career as Cheryl Gray. She had a number eight hit in Australia with "You Made Me What I Am" in 1967. By 1969, she had relocated to United Kingdom and worked with Bee Gees but then returned...
on her Emotion LP. But in 1980, after the release of the album "Tonight You're Mine" and single "It Hurts Too Much" (number 75 Billboard Top 100; number 3 South Africa, June 1980) he temporarily withdrew from the music industry. Four years later, after Mike Reno
Mike Reno
Mike Reno , born January 8, 1955 in New Westminster, British Columbia is a Canadian musician, drummer, and lead singer of the rock band Loverboy. He has also fronted other bands, including Moxy....
and Ann Wilson
Ann Wilson
Ann Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
topped the charts (Pop number 7; Adult Contemporary number one) with the Carmen-penned ballad "Almost Paradise
Almost Paradise
"Almost Paradise...Love Theme from Footloose" is the title of a duet by singers Mike Reno and Ann Wilson, written by pop music singer-songwriter Eric Carmen and co-written by Dean Pitchford....
" (the love theme to the film Footloose), Eric resurfaced on Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
in 1985 with a second self-titled album and a sizeable comeback hit "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips". The single hit the Adult Contemporary Top 10 as well as the Pop Top 40. The follow-up single, "I'm Through with Love," also climbed the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and reached the Top 20 of the Adult Contemporary chart. Another track from the album, "Maybe My Baby," later became a Country hit for Louise Mandrell
Louise Mandrell
Thelma Louise Mandrell, also known as Louise Mandrell, was born July 13, 1954 and is an American country music singer. She is the younger sister of country singer Barbara Mandrell, and older sister of actress Irlene Mandrell. Louise had a successful singing career in country music with a string of...
.
Carmen's hit-making course surged again in the late 1980s. In 1987 his contribution to the mega-hit movie Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
, "Hungry Eyes
Hungry Eyes
"Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood, OH in 1987. "Hungry Eyes" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1988...
" hit number 2 Adult Contemporary and also returned him to the Pop Top 10. "Reason To Try", a further contribution to the "One Moment In Time" compilation album of songs recorded for the Seoul Summer Olympics, kept Carmen's profile high in 1988, during which the nostalgic "Make Me Lose Control
Make Me Lose Control (song)
"Make Me Lose Control" is the title of a 1988 Billboard Hot 100 #3 hit single written and performed by the singer-songwriter Eric Carmen...
" also returned him to the number one position on the Adult Contemporary chart – where it stayed for three straight weeks – as well as number 3 on Billboard's Hot 100. This became his highest charting song since "All By Myself", both along with "Hungry Eyes" having in the past two decades become classic pop radio favorites. Although Carmen did not follow his two hit singles with a new studio album in 1988, "Make Me Lose Control" was included on a then-new 'Best Of' collection from Arista.
The year 2000 saw the stateside release of I Was Born to Love You
I Was Born to Love You (album)
I Was Born to Love You is an album released by Eric Carmen in 2000. It was originally released in Japan as Winter Dreams in 1997...
, which had been released in 1998 only in Japan as Winter Dreams. Carmen eschewed the use of a band on the recording, playing most of the instruments and programming the drum parts himself. The album did not find a large audience, but Carmen has continued to enjoy success placing songs with other artists over the years.
Personal life
Carmen has taken a laid-back approach to music for most of the past decade, working only when the mood strikes him. He moved back to Northeast Ohio from Los Angeles a few years ago, supporting his wife, Susan, and their two children, Clayton and Kathryn, with songwriting and publishing royalties from his past hits.Raspberries
- RaspberriesRaspberries (album)Raspberries is the debut album from the Raspberries, released in 1972 .The American version of this LP carried a scratch'n'sniff sticker scented with a soft fruit perfume....
(1972) - Fresh RaspberriesFresh Raspberries (album)Fresh is the second album from Raspberries, released in 1972 .This album was re-released on CD as part of the Power Pop Vol...
(1972) - Side 3 (1973)
- Starting OverStarting Over (Raspberries album)Starting Over is the fourth album by the 1970s Power pop band Raspberries. It peaked at #143 on the Billboard pop album chart in 1974; it generated the #18 Billboard pop single "Overnight Sensation" in the same year....
(1974) - Raspberries Best (1976)
- Live On Sunset Strip (2007)
Solo albums
- Eric CarmenEric Carmen (1975 album)Eric Carmen is an album by rock and roll musician Eric Carmen. It is also his first of two self-titled albums, the other released in 1984. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard album chart on its release in 1975 and generated the #2 pop single "All by Myself" in the same year. The song reached #1 on...
(1975) - Boats Against the CurrentBoats Against the Current (album)Boats Against the Current is a 1977 album by Eric Carmen. The title is taken from a line in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was Carmen's second solo LP, after the Raspberries disbanded....
(1977) - Change of Heart (1978)
- Tonight You're MineTonight You're Mine (album)Tonight You're Mine is a 1980 album by Eric Carmen. It peaked at #160 on the Billboard pop charts.It contained the singles "It Hurts Too Much" and "All For Love".-Track listing:All tracks composed by Eric Carmen# "It Hurts Too Much"...
(1980) - Eric CarmenEric Carmen (1984 album)Eric Carmen is an album by rock and roll musician Eric Carmen. It was also his second self-titled album after the 1975 album of the same name.-Track listing:# "I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips" – 3:17# "I'm Through With Love" – 4:04...
(1984) - The Best of Eric Carmen (1988)
- Definitive Collection (1997)
- I Was Born to Love YouI Was Born to Love You (album)I Was Born to Love You is an album released by Eric Carmen in 2000. It was originally released in Japan as Winter Dreams in 1997...
(2000)
Solo singles
- "All by MyselfAll by Myself"All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18...
" (1975) - "Never Gonna Fall in Love AgainNever Gonna Fall in Love Again"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American pop rock artist Eric Carmen. It was released as the second single from Carmen's self-titled debut solo album, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1976, remaining in the Top 40...
" (1976) - "Sunrise" (1976)
- "That's Rock and RollThat's Rock and Roll"That's Rock 'n' Roll" is a 1977 hit by Shaun Cassidy from his first eponymous debut album, Shaun Cassidy. It was his second of three consecutive top-ten hits. It was released in July 1977 and spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three...
" (1976) - "She Did ItShe did it"She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart...
" (1977) - "Boats Against the Current" (1977)
- "Marathon Man" (1977)
- "Change of Heart" (1978)
- "Haven't We Come a Long Way" (1978)
- "End of the World" (1978)
- "It Hurts Too Much" (1980)
- "All for Love" (1980)
- "Foolin' Myself" (1980)
- "I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips" (1984)
- "I'm Through with Love" (1984)
- "The Rock Stops Here" (1986)
- "Hungry EyesHungry Eyes"Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood, OH in 1987. "Hungry Eyes" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1988...
" (1987) - "Make Me Lose ControlMake Me Lose Control (song)"Make Me Lose Control" is the title of a 1988 Billboard Hot 100 #3 hit single written and performed by the singer-songwriter Eric Carmen...
" (1988) - "Reason to Try" (1989)
- "My Heart Stops" (1991)
Chart singles
| Year | US Charts Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC | CAN | CAN AC | UK | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 86 | – | – | – | – | "Don't Want to Say Goodbye" | Raspberries |
| 5 | – | 5 | – | – | "Go All the Way Go All the Way (Raspberries song) "Go All the Way" is a hit single by Raspberries, released in July 1972. It was written by band leader Eric Carmen, who also provided lead vocals, and co-written by Wally Bryson. The song reached the Top 5 on three principal U.S. charts, #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on Cashbox and #3 on Record... " |
||
| 16 | – | 17 | – | – | "I Wanna Be With You" | ||
| 1973 | 35 | – | 13 | – | – | "Let's Pretend" | |
| 69 | – | 80 | – | – | "Tonight" | ||
| 94 | – | – | – | – | "I'm a Rocker" | ||
| 1974 | 18 | – | 22 | – | – | "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" | |
| 1976 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 12 | "All By Myself All by Myself "All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18... " |
Eric Carmen |
| 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again Never Gonna Fall in Love Again "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American pop rock artist Eric Carmen. It was released as the second single from Carmen's self-titled debut solo album, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1976, remaining in the Top 40... " |
||
| 34 | 33 | 36 | 29 | – | "Sunrise" | ||
| 1977 | 23 | 26 | 11 | – | – | "She Did It She did it "She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart... " |
|
| 1978 | 88 | – | – | – | – | "Boats Against the Current" | |
| 19 | 6 | 14 | 10 | – | "Change of Heart" | ||
| 62 | 30 | 50 | 8 | – | "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" | ||
| 1980 | 75 | – | – | – | – | "It Hurts Too Much" | |
| 1985 | 35 | 10 | – | 17 | – | "I Wanna Hear it from Your Lips" | |
| 87 | 16 | – | – | – | "I'm Through with Love" | ||
| 1987 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 82 | "Hungry Eyes Hungry Eyes "Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood, OH in 1987. "Hungry Eyes" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1988... " |
|
| 1988 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 93 | "Make Me Lose Control Make Me Lose Control (song) "Make Me Lose Control" is the title of a 1988 Billboard Hot 100 #3 hit single written and performed by the singer-songwriter Eric Carmen... " |
|
| 87 | – | – | – | – | "Reason to Try" |
Compositions sung by others
| Year | Chart position | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | – | "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again Never Gonna Fall in Love Again "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American pop rock artist Eric Carmen. It was released as the second single from Carmen's self-titled debut solo album, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1976, remaining in the Top 40... " |
Mark Holden Mark Holden Mark Holden is an Australian singer, television personality and barrister. He was one of a panel of three judges on the television series Australian Idol.-Acting career:... |
| 1977 | 3 | "That's Rock and Roll That's Rock and Roll "That's Rock 'n' Roll" is a 1977 hit by Shaun Cassidy from his first eponymous debut album, Shaun Cassidy. It was his second of three consecutive top-ten hits. It was released in July 1977 and spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three... " |
Shaun Cassidy Shaun Cassidy Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones, and the second son of Tony award-winning actor Jack Cassidy... |
| 1997 | 4 | "All By Myself All by Myself "All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18... " |
Celine Dion Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record... |
| 1978 | 7 | "Hey Deanie Hey Deanie "Hey Deanie" is a popular song by Shaun Cassidy that was released the last week of November, 1977 from his album, Born Late. It was his third and final top 10 hit, peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, spending four months on the chart from late 1977 to early 1978... " |
Shaun Cassidy Shaun Cassidy Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones, and the second son of Tony award-winning actor Jack Cassidy... |
| 1978 | – | "Boats Against the Current" | Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA... |
| 1984 | 7 | "Almost Paradise Almost Paradise "Almost Paradise...Love Theme from Footloose" is the title of a duet by singers Mike Reno and Ann Wilson, written by pop music singer-songwriter Eric Carmen and co-written by Dean Pitchford.... " |
Mike Reno Mike Reno Mike Reno , born January 8, 1955 in New Westminster, British Columbia is a Canadian musician, drummer, and lead singer of the rock band Loverboy. He has also fronted other bands, including Moxy.... & Ann Wilson Ann Wilson Ann Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:... |
| 1981 | 69 | "She Did It She did it "She Did It" is a hit single written and performed by Eric Carmen, released in August 1977. It was the first and greatest hit on Carmen's second solo LP, Boats Against the Current. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 15 on the Cashbox chart... " |
Michael Damian Michael Damian Michael Damian Weir is a long-time American actor, Billboard #1 recording artist and producer, known mainly for his role as singer Danny Romalotti on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, which he played from 1980 to 1998.-Career:Damian made his feature film debut as an actor in the Garry... |
| 1981 | 81 | "I Need You" | Euclid Beach Band |
| 1995 | 86 | "(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight" | Peter Cetera Peter Cetera Peter Paul Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career... |
| 1996 | 3 (UK) | "I Need You I Need You (3T song) "I Need You" is a song by 3T, from the album Brotherhood. The song was written by Eric Carmen and was originally released in 1979 by the Euclid Beach Band. It charted at #81 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.... " |
3T 3T 3T is an American R&B / Pop music group featuring the three sons of Tito Jackson and Delores "Dee Dee" Jackson. The band members include, from eldest, Tariano Adaryll Jackson II , Taryll Adren Jackson and Tito Joseph Jackson .-Career:3T released their debut album Brotherhood in 1995... |
Billboard Country singles
| Year | Chart position | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 8 | "Maybe My Baby" | Louise Mandrell Louise Mandrell Thelma Louise Mandrell, also known as Louise Mandrell, was born July 13, 1954 and is an American country music singer. She is the younger sister of country singer Barbara Mandrell, and older sister of actress Irlene Mandrell. Louise had a successful singing career in country music with a string of... |
| 1986 | 35 | "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips" | Louise Mandrell |
| 1988 | 51 | "As Long As We Got Each Other" | Louise Mandrell & Eric Carmen (duet) |
External links
- Raspberries "Live On Sunset Strip" Review of 2007 album release.
- Eric Carmen official website
- Eric Carmen singing "All By Myself" (Video).