By Frank “Smokin” Truatt
We have lost many music makers over the years and every now and then someone passes away that in some way, brought a smile to your face through their music. We lost Eric Carmen the other week. Most of you know him through hits like “Hungry Eyes” from the “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack in 1987 or the power ballad “All by Myself” which rocketed all the way up to number 2 in 1976. For me, one of his songs brings back fond memories of 52 years ago. It was the summer of 1972. I had just graduated high school and was excited about the future as all high school graduates are. It’s also a time of uncertainty. Reality sunk in…School was over. College was optional. We were supposed to be young men, yet most of us had not chosen a definitive career path. For me, I was headed off to Clarkson College of Technology (now Clarkson University) in northern New York to pursue a career in Engineering. That summer of 1972 was a time to reflect and enjoy the freedom that only teenagers can. I spent two weeks down the Jersey shore in early August of that year. One week was with a nerdy friend of mine from high school (He stayed in the room to watch the World Chess Championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky on television). The other week was with my girlfriend and her parents. That summer the weather was perfect as we spent every day on the beach. The music that summer was exceptional too. One song that stood out was from a new group called the Raspberries. That song, “Go All the Way” was sung and written by Eric Carmen, the lead singer of the group. Although the song title was a bit suggestive, the song itself was incredible. It was the “power pop” song of the time written on the piano by Eric with the lead guitarist creating the famous intro guitar riff. I heard the song those weeks down the shore on an AM radio station in Philadelphia, and it played a lot! It blasted through the radio as it was recorded with high compression, creating its unique sound. Every time I hear that song today, I can still feel the warmth of the sun, the warm sand beneath my feet, wishing that feeling would never end, yet knowing my life was about to change dramatically leaving for college just a few weeks later. And change it did! I never saw my high school friend again and within months my relationship with my girlfriend was over and I was far away in college. Life had changed, I felt more like an adult and had found my way onto the radio at my college radio station, and yes, I was playing that song by the Raspberries among others and beginning what has turned out to be a fantastic radio career. It’s incredible how sometimes one song can vividly bring back such a great memory of such an important time of your life.
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