The band’s second single, “Go All the Way,” sold over a million copies in 1972, earning a gold certification, but internal issues would eventually break the group apart following 1974’s Starting Over. They had released an impressive four albums in barely three years, with a series of additional singles like “I Wanna Be With You,” “Tonight” and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” showcasing their songwriting talents.

• They were a cornerstone element in helping to define what power pop meant, marrying lush harmonies with a powerful guitar-driven edge that packed a satisfying musical punch.
• Their music had made a strong case, yet it would take the world at large a few more decades before they really started to show full appreciation for Raspberries.
• Famous fans like Bruce Springsteen and Paul Stanley have praised the band’s music over the years.

After a reunion attempt fizzled in the late ’90s, Raspberries finally reassembled in 2004 with a hometown concert in Cleveland to celebrate the opening of the local House of Blues. Author Ken Sharp was initially skeptical, but learned about the reunion when he visited Cleveland to deliver a special hardcover edition of Marathon Man to Eric Carmen.

“One of the first things [the vocalist] said was, ‘You know, the band is getting back together,'” says Sharp. “I’m pretty sure it was me who said, ‘What band?’ and that’s when he told us Raspberries had an offer [for a reunion].”

The subsequent shows that followed quickly proved it had been worth the wait. The four members were joined on stage by additional players, known as “The Overdubs,” who gave Raspberries the musical tools they needed to accurately reproduce the intricate arrangements of their original recordings.

“A lot of reunions that happen, you kind of have to trick your ears a little bit,” says Wally Bryson. “Oh, it’s pretty good. [But] with Raspberries, they overdelivered.”

In 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy helped to bring Raspberries’ music to new audiences, with “Go All the Way” being one of the songs prominently featured in the movie and on the accompanying soundtrack.

“Side 3 really captured, I think, what they wanted to be from the start and maybe how they sounded live,” says Ken Sharp. “I would put up so many of these songs, ‘Tonight,’ ‘Ecstasy,’ with the most incredible pop songs [by other artists]. I don’t want anyone to get angry with me, but I put [those songs] on the level of ‘Go All the way,’ with being so incredible.”

**The Power Pop Cornerstone**

“They haven’t gotten the respect they deserve, in my opinion,” says Bruce Springsteen. “With all of the power pop music you hear out there, what about the Raspberries?