"Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" is a hit single by

Raspberries The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with ...

, released in September 1974. It was written by band leader

Eric Carmen Eric Howard Carmen (born August 11, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. He was first known as the lead vocalist of the Raspberries. He had numerous hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Rasp ...

, who also provided the lead vocals. It was the first single release from their fourth and final LP, '' Starting Over''. The song reached the Top 40 on three principal US charts, number 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 24 on '' Cashbox'', and number 26 on '' Record World''. It was also a number 22 hit in Canada. It spent 12 weeks on ''Billboard'', and was their final charting single release.

Background

Carmen said: ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' critic Dave Marsh said that "..in 1974, when Carmen despaired of ever breaking through to more substantial recognition he came up with a last ditch effort called 'Hit Record (Overnight Sensation)' that painted his aspirations with perfect bluntness. 'Overnight Sensation' ''is'' the radio that leads to Carmen's street of dreams, and in it, his vision of himself as the true inheritor of the innocence of early sixties rock is justified completely."

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

critic Mark Deming said that it "may be Carmen's most impressive creation, an epic-scale production number about the thrill of hearing your song on the radio (when Carmen sings 'I know it sounds funny/But I'm not in it for the money,' he sounds so heartfelt you almost believe the guy)."

Reception

'' Cash Box'' called it a "simply incredible rocker (possibly the best ever laid down by the group)" and said that "Eric Carmen's lead vocals are perfect and dynamic as can be, but the real delight here is the series of changes this track goes through." '' Record World'' said that the song is in a

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

mold and that the "dynamic production is in total command of goosebumps and a good time feeling." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Brian Kachejian rated "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" as the Raspberries 2nd best song, saying that "this spectacular song was probably the band’s most mature work and easily their best production" and that "there’s sort of a

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. It was released as a single on October 10, 1966 and was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record ...

' vibe also happening here in terms of arrangement, production and harmonies." Music journalist Ken Sharp rated it the Raspberries' 6th best song, calling it a "jaw-dropping, mini Spectorian-Beach Boys symphony." ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Dave Swanson rated it as the Raspberries 8th best song, saying that it is "probably the Raspberries' most adventurous record" and a "majestic slice of pop music." Swanson described it as "a mini-symphony packed into a five minute song" that is "overflowing with vocals, percussion, guitars, drums, saxophones, pianos, you name it."

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

, a Raspberries fan, particularly liked "Overnight Sensation" and was present for part of the recording of the ''Starting Over'' album. Although uncredited, he is said to have assisted with the production of the song.

Later uses

"Overnight Sensation" was included on the ''Raspberries Pop Art Live'' CD set from their reunion concert recording, November 26, 2004, at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio, released August 18, 2017.

Cover versions

In 1980,

Cherie Cherie is an English female given name. It comes from the French ''chérie'', meaning ''darling'' (from the past participle of the verb ''chérir'', ''to cherish''). Notable people with the name or stage name include: * Cherie, one of the stage ...

Marie Currie Marie Michelle Currie (born November 30, 1959) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and artist. Currie is best known for playing in a band with her identical twin Cherie Currie called Cherie & Marie Currie. Their song " Since You Been ...

recorded "Overnight Sensation". It was included on their album, ''

Messin' with the Boys ''Messin' with the Boys'' (1980) is the second album by American singer Cherie Currie, and the first to feature her sister Marie Currie as a major contributor. Their band was called ''Cherie and Marie Currie''. Marie was a guest vocalist on Cher ...

''. The

Kevin McDermott Orchestra Kevin Francis McDermott (born 10 February 1962 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter. Early life Kevin Francis McDermott was born 10 February 1962, to Evelyn and Frank McDermott. He has two younger brothers, Paul, ...

recorded "Overnight Sensation" for their 1994 album, "The Last Supper".

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Band members

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and backing vocals,

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

* Wally Bryson -

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...

, backing and lead vocals * Dave Smalley - rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals * Jim Bonfanti - drums, backing vocals

References

External links

Lyrics of this song
* {{Eric Carmen 1974 songs 1974 singles Raspberries (band) songs Rock ballads Songs written by Eric Carmen Capitol Records singles Songs about music Songs about radio