The music world mourns the loss of Eric Carmen, a singer-songwriter who left an indelible mark on pop music with his soaring vocals and timeless hits. Carmen, known for his work as the frontman of the Raspberries and his successful solo career, died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 74. A Rich Tenor and Pop Pioneering with the Raspberries Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1949, Eric Carmen displayed a passion for music from a young age. Influenced by the British Invasion bands of the 1960s, he honed his skills as a classically trained pianist and vocalist. After playing in local bands, Carmen co-founded the Raspberries in 1969. The band's signature sound, a blend of pop, rock, and power pop sensibilities, found a dedicated following. Their 1972 self-titled debut album, featuring the hit single "Go All the Way," reached No. 5 on the Billboard charts and established the Raspberries as pioneers of the power pop genre. Though the band only released four studio albums before disbanding in 1975, songs like "I Wanna Be With You" and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" remain fan favorites. "All By Myself" and Solo Stardom Embarking on a solo career, Carmen immediately captured the hearts of listeners with his 1975 debut album. The album's lead single, "All By Myself," became a global phenomenon, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieving gold certification in the US and UK. The song's powerful melody, built upon Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, showcased Carmen's exceptional vocal range and songwriting prowess. "All By Myself" cemented Carmen's status as a pop music icon and continues to resonate with audiences today. Chart-Topping Success and Beyond Carmen's follow-up albums, "Boats Against the Current" (1977) and "Change of Heart" (1978), featured additional hits like "She Did It" and "Love Is All That Matters." While these albums didn't replicate the stratospheric success of "All By Myself," they solidified Carmen's reputation as a gifted songwriter and performer. In the early 1980s, Carmen continued to release music, including his self-titled 1984 album featuring the hit "I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips." However, his biggest commercial success in this period came unexpectedly. The song "Hungry Eyes," written by Franke Previte and John DeNicola for the blockbuster film "Dirty Dancing," became a global smash hit in 1987. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard charts and remains one of Carmen's most recognizable songs. Eric Carmen: A Legacy of Songwriting and Performance Eric Carmen's influence on popular music is undeniable. His work with the Raspberries helped shape the power pop genre, while his solo career produced timeless ballads that continue to touch listeners across generations. Carmen's exceptional songwriting talent, coupled with his soaring vocals, created a unique sound that has endured for over four decades. FAQs About Eric Carmen Q: What was Eric Carmen known for? A: Eric Carmen was known for his work as the frontman of the Raspberries and his successful solo career. He is best known for hit songs like "All By Myself," "Go All the Way," and "Hungry Eyes." Q: When did Eric Carmen die? A: Eric Carmen passed away peacefully in his sleep over the weekend. The exact date of his death has not been publicly disclosed. Q: What was Eric Carmen's biggest hit? A: While "All By Myself" is considered Eric Carmen's signature song, "Hungry Eyes" from the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack achieved his highest chart position at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Q: Is Eric Carmen still alive? A: No, Eric Carmen passed away at the age of 74.

I can't express this enough. I'm sorry if I missed someone. 💕 I love you all so much! #SupportLocalBrands #SupportYourFriends #LifeIsHard #YourFriendsNeedLoveToo #FriendsAreFamily #BeAFan #RootingForYou #ImHere #PassItOn #SilentFriends #GoAllTheWay #TakeCareOfYou #MentalHealth #CareerChange #FollowYourDreams #FairyDust #BelieveInYou #SocialMediaPresence #LocalAuthor #NewBritain https://www.instagram.com/p/CkQcUWaLp6d/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

"Quality is much Better than Quantity. One Home Run is much better than Two Doubles" - Steve Jobs In Baseball, a Home Run is a Score, but Two Doubles may not get you any Score (Rewards). A Finished Result is Better for Progression than Two Uncompleted Processes. In other words, a Completion is better than two Uncompleted Efforts. Finish What You Started, as described by the common acronym of FOCUS: Follow One Course Until Successful. #Quality #QualityOverQuantity #Quantity #Results #Result #Rewards #Reward #Progress #Progression #Focus #Complete #Completion #AllTheWay #GoAllTheWay #AllIn #StopStopping #GetUpAndGrind #KeepWorking #KeepGoing #KeepImproving #KeepGrinding #GoGetIt #GoBig #GoBigOrGoHome #ThereIsNoTry #DoOrDoNot #LiveFully #LiveFullyAlive #LiveLifeToTheFullest #LiveLifeToTheMax https://www.instagram.com/p/CgPaYq0pdVg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#goals #goal #motivation #goalsetting #goalachieved #fitnessmotivation #workout #goalltheway #goallday #gym #love #fitfam #gymlife #books (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdgeTjIPkg1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

“If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery--isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it. And, you'll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is.” Charles Bukowski, Factotum #denver #colorado #roadtrip #ontheroad #slowride #takeiteasy #nomadic #wanderer #wandering #wherevertheroadtakesyou #goalltheway #bukowski #factotum (at Denver, Colorado) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cde-QOsMLBz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The Ledge #582: Big Stir Records

Earlier this week I was surprised to get a pretty large dropbox link from my friends at Big Stir Records. Taking a look at the contents, I noticed that there was not only a sampler compilation of many of their current artists, but there were almost two dozen station IDs recorded by those artists specifically for my show.

To say I was pleased would be an understatement. I was seriously touched, even though I knew they were having their artists record these for stations all over the world. But for my little show? I had to show my appreciation, so tonight's episode is (almost) all Big Stir artists. Besides a track or two from each of the artists who recorded a little something for me, there's an extra hour of some of my favorite tunes from the label.  

If you're not familiar with Big Stir, they are a Burbank, Clifornia label founded by two of the most lovely people in the music business, Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome of The Armoires (one of the artists featured in tonight's show). Over the years they have released more than 70 albums on vinyl and CD, and they specialize in melodic power pop.

Here's the best part of this Big Stir theme. One of their artists, Popular Creeps, had earlier expressed interest in recording a "Teenage Kicks" cover for my "52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks" series. Once this theme was solidified, I sent leader Lenny Grassa an email asking if he had made any progress on it. He just so happened to be heading to Lansing, Michigan to do just that with his friends in The Stick Arounds! So tonight's show kicks off with a brand new cover of "Teenage Kicks", followed by a couple of tracks by both bands. (The Stick Arounds are not on Big Stir Records, though, but I just had to show my appreciation to them for assisting Grassa.)

As I do every week, I must again plead with y'all for more versions of "Teenage Kicks". If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take on the classic, please contact me!

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1. The Creep Arounds - Teenage Kicks

2. Popular Creeps - Gone By 45

3. Popular Creeps - Split Decision

4. The Stick Arounds - Ode To Kid Marine

5. The Stick Arounds - Redtail Hawks

6. Graham Parker & The Goldtops - The Music Of The Devil

7. Graham Parker & The Goldtops - Wicked Wit

8. Arthur Alexander - Oh Lulu, Won't You Be My Girl

9. Arthur Alexander - Woman

10. Dolph Chaney - Mr. Eli

11. Dolph Chaney - I Am The B-Side

12. Librarians With Hickeys - Can't Wait 'Till Summer

13. Librarians With Hickeys - Ghost Singer

14. The Flashcubes - Flavor Of The Month

15. The Flashcubes featuring Steve Conte - Gudbuy T'Jane

16. Lannie Flowers - Good

17. The Condors - Matter of Fact

18. The Armoires - Pushing Forty

19. Danny Wilkerson - Strawberry Sherry

20. Walker Brigade - Choker

21. Walker Brigade - I Wanna Destroy You

22. Irene Peña - Come And Get It

23. Irene Peña - It Must Be Summer

24. The Bablers - Mr. King

25. Plasticsoul - In Her Raincoat

26. Shplang - Understood

27. The Lunar Laugh - Born Weird

28. The Speed Of Sound - Smokescreen

29. Nick Frater - California Waits

30. The Forty Nineteens with Tony Valentino - Late Night Radio

31. The Forty Nineteens - Tell Me

32. Jim Basnight - Rebel Kind

33. Jim Basnight - This is Where I Belong

34. The Persian Leaps - Catnip For Cupid

35. The Reflectors - Teenage Hearts

36. Blake Jones & The Trike Shop - My Soft Rock Girlfriend

37. The Brothers Steve - Beat Generation Poet Turned Assassin (Unabridged)

38. The GoAllTheWays - Silly Girl

39. sparkle*jets U.K. - The Ballad of El Goodo

Whenever you look at a gallon of milk, let it remind you of this life lesson from Master Virtue Master Selling

#goALLtheway

#focus

#fightthroughthefear

#goalltheway https://www.instagram.com/p/CBUqcFxnexY/?igshid=xw3qqfgx1idq

💯 #motivationalquotes #motivation #fit #fitness #fitfam #igfitness #igfit #instafit #instafitness #gym #workout #goalltheway #neverquit #neversettle #hardwork #hardestworkerintheroom #ocbpro #ocbbodybuilding #anbf #corenutritionals https://www.instagram.com/p/B8KkHI5nHJb/?igshid=1ba5qqgdebjf1

Patients, little one Patients ! Watch , Listen, Learn #eyes #onyou #patientlywaiting #listenandlearn #beautiful #babygirl #photooftheday #simple #puppylove #goalltheway #goodstuff #humble #selfie #dogsofinstagram #photooftheday #follow #bigmommasbullies #bestoftheday https://www.instagram.com/p/BnoOMl9HNLy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=gjehvkrya0j8

Remix by Ken & Tyke #go #stepback #takeastepback #goforit #goalltheway https://www.instagram.com/p/CRF5L-QjKWd/?utm_medium=tumblr

⬇️ Who else gives it their all and has this mindset❓ #goalltheway #100percent #positivemindset #positivethinking #determinedtosucceed #femaleentrepreneurs #entrepreneurmindset #ipreview via @preview.app (at Detroit, Michigan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLUBGYMGZY/?utm_medium=tumblr

Good Morning! It's your life. Go All The Way! Today's Video http://ow.ly/d9eD30rFMbl #Life #Goals #Dreams #Success #BeAllYouCanBe #GoAllTheWay #LetsMakeThisAProsperousDay (at Last House on the Left At the End of the Dead End Street) https://www.instagram.com/p/COIBlxFDdtO/?igshid=19a9un6ngbmjx

The Ledge #544: Power Pop, Pt. 2 (The Present)

Last week's show featured classic power pop tracks from the past. This week, we take a look a the current state of the genre with 40 tracks of fabulous guitar-driven pop music. In fact, the vast majority of these tracks are from 2022, with a handful of tunes from 2021 and 2020. The oldest song of the bunch dates back to 2014, and that tune from The Cry! was selected to be paired with the brand new single by lead singer Tommy Ray.

It should be to nobody's surprise that a good portion of the show compiles highlights from Big Stir Records as they are the without a doubt the gold standard of new music of this type. Author S. W. Lauden's influence also extends beyond the books he compiled with co-author Paul Myers. Not only does he appear on a couple of the Big Stir tunes broadcast in this episode, his suggestions resulted in quite possibly the most exciting set of the show.

I would love it if every listener bought at least one record I played on either of these shows. These great artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work, and every purchase surely helps not only pay their bills but fund their next set of wonderful songs. And if you buy these records directly from the artist or label, please let them know you heard these tunes on The Ledge! Let them know who is giving them promotion! You can find this show at almost any podcast site, including iTunes and Stitcher...or

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Dave Scarbrough,As Far As I Know

2. The Flashcubes featuring Shoes,Tomorrow Night

3. The GoAllTheWays,Silly Girl

4. Nick Frater,Stuck In My Ways

5. The Armoires,The Night I Heard A Scream

6. The Bablers,Holding Me Tight Tonight

7. Popular Creeps,Gone By 45

8. Librarians With Hickeys,Can't Wait 'Till Summer

9. The Brothers Steve,Carry Me (Single Mix)

10. Uni Boys,Downtown

11. The Whiffs,PLEASE BE TRUE

12. Radio Days,I Got a Love

13. Kate Clover,Love You To Death

14. 2nd Grade,Strung Out On You

15. Kurt Baker,Electric Fire

16. Geoff Palmer,Many More Drugs

17. Natalie Sweet & Brad Marino,Second Time

18. Pavid Vermin,Mean Mr. Mustard

19. The Speedways,Dead From The Heart Down

20. Dot Dash,Tense & Nervous

21. The Prescriptions,Long Past Tonight

22. The Well Wishers,Any Way at All

23. Sloan,Magical Thinking

24. THE LEN PRICE 3,She Came from Out of the Sun

25. Scruff Myers' Superhands,Kissing for Granted

26. The Dogmatics,Drop That Needle

27. Tommy Ray,Every Way I'm Moving

28. The CRY!,Discoteque

29. Local Drags,Thought You Could

30. More Kicks,In Love

31. Tony Molina,The Last Time

32. Dazy,Choose Yr Ramone

33. Metalleg,Find Doubt

34. Young Guv,Too Far Gone

35. Nick Piunti,My Mind (Plays Tricks On Me)

36. The Split Squad,Hey DJ

37. The Prize,Wrong Side of Town

38. Beat Angels,Girl Walking Backwards

39. The Airport 77s,Losers Win

40. Dave Scarbrough,Take My Hand

RASPBERRIES "RASPBERRIES"（ラズベリーズ「ラズベリーズ」）（JPN TOSHIBA LP) 1972年に東芝音楽工業（まだ東芝EMIではなかった）からリリースされたRaspberriesの1stアルバム。 帯付きで盤及びジャケットともに良好です。日本語解説は八木誠さんです。 彼らの2枚目のシングルにして最大のヒット曲”Go All the Way”(US#5)がA面1曲目に収められています。 デビュー曲の“Don't Want to Say Goodbye" (US#86)はB面1曲目です。 Raspberriesの1stはEric CarmenがSolo Singerとして大成功を収めた後の1978年にリリースされた再発盤（今は亡き大井町のハンターで購入）しか持っていなかったので、オリジナルの国内盤帯付きを入手出来て良かったです。なお、再発盤の解説も八木誠さんです。 最後の1枚はオリジナル盤と再発盤のツーショットです。 #raspberries #raspberries🍇 #goalltheway #ericcarmen #ラズベリーズ #エリックカルメン #ゴーオールザウェイ https://www.instagram.com/p/CM0zv4Ss1Xi/?igshid=hligyomriq47