''Side 3'' is the third album from the

Raspberries The raspberry is the edible fruit of several plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the Rosaceae, rose family, most of which are in the subgenus ''Rubus#Modern classification, Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Ras ...

, released in

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

. The album cover is diecut like a

basket A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff Fiber, fibers, and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, Stolon, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials ...

of Raspberries, with the group's name placed at the top of the LP sleeve. Three singles were released from the album: "

Tonight Tonight may refer to: Television * ''Tonight'' (1957 TV programme), a 1957–1965 British current events television programme hosted by Cliff Michelmore that was broadcast on BBC * ''Tonight'' (1975 TV programme), a 1975–1979 British current ...

" / "Hard to Get Over a Heartbreak", which reached number 69 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 37 on the ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' chart; "I'm a Rocker", which reached number 94 on ''Billboard'' and number 75 on ''Cash Box''; and "Ecstasy", which did not chart on ''Billboard'' but reached number 116 on ''Cash Box''. The album itself reached number 138 on the US albums chart. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' called "I'm a Rocker" a "rollicking rocker that should put he Raspberriesback in the top ten where they belong" and "another powerhouse Jimmy Ienner production." ''

'' said "Hard, steady rocker with top flight Eric Carmen vocals and driving music makes this one a dance natural." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' recommended the single. Lead vocalist

Eric Carmen Eric Howard Carmen (August 11, 1949 – March 2024) was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of the Raspberries, with whom he recorded the hit " Go All the Way" and four albums. He embarked on a so ...

described it as "a kind of

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

, old-time 1950s rock and roll rave up." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Brian Kachejian said of it that "When Eric Carmen wanted to let loose, he had the pipes to stand with any great rock lead vocalists" and noted that the song "starts out heavy but finds its way leaning towards more of the pop side of the band when the verse meets the chorus." ''Anderson Daily Bulletin'' critic Randall L. Rohn said it has "an updated 50s sound" and that "Carmen's screaming

falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...

sounds so much like

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

that comparison is inevitable." Music critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

said it was "atypically guitar-tough." ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Dave Swanson rated four songs from ''Side 3'' among the Raspberries' 10 best: "Ecstasy", "Tonight", "On the Beach" and "Last Dance". Kachejian rated "I'm a Rocker" and "Tonight" as being among the Raspberries' Top 10. This album was re-released on CD as part of ''Power Pop Vol. 2'', also containing their fourth album, '' Starting Over''. "Tonight" was later recorded by

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...

band

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...

for their 1981 album ''

Too Fast for Love ''Too Fast for Love'' is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. The first edition of 900 copies was released on November 10, 1981, on the band's original label Leathür Records. Elektra Records signed the band the fo ...

'', but the track was left off the initial release (it appeared on the 1999 reissue and later versions).

Track listing

Personnel

– rhythm guitar, lead and backing vocals, piano *

Wally Bryson Wallace Carter Bryson (born July 18, 1949) is an American guitarist, best remembered for his time with the Power pop, power-pop group Raspberries (band), Raspberries, famous for their hit "Go All the Way (song), Go All The Way". After the Raspbe ...

– lead guitar, backing and lead vocals *Dave Smalley – bass, backing and lead vocals *

Jim Bonfanti James Alexander Bonfanti (born December 17, 1948, in Windber, Pennsylvania) is an American rock drummer who is best known for having been a member of the band Raspberries. Career Bonfanti's music career began in 1965 when he saw The Beatles on ...

– drums, backing vocals

References

{{Authority control Raspberries (band) albums 1973 albums Albums produced by Jimmy Ienner Albums recorded at Record Plant (New York City) Capitol Records albums