Don't Want to Say Goodbye
"Don't Want to Say Goodbye" is a song written by Eric Carmen and Wally Bryson that was first released on the Raspberries 1972 debut album Raspberries. It was released as the first single from the album and reached #86 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Record World said of "Don't Want to Say Goodbye" that it's "a ballad with just a touch of the Beatles sound. No ifs, ands or buts, this one should hit. Impressive beginning."[1] Cash Box said of it that "Lighthouse producer Jimmy Ienner blazes a ballad trail, setting new Cleveland quartet in a fine light of its own. Tune should appeal to Top 40 and MORs."[2]
Ultimate Classic Rock critic Dave Swanson rated it as the 9th best Raspberries song.[3] Swanson described it as a "great McCartney-esque ballad" and a "lush, beautiful and still rocking song."[3]
Lead singer Eric Carmen said that the band was surprised that Capitol released "Don't Want to Say Goodbye" as the lead single and said that "They pressed up the records without saying anything on the label because they thought that we sounded a lot like the Bee Gees and they wanted to fool program directors.[4]
References
- ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. February 19, 1972. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
- ^ "Cash Bod Singles Picks" (PDF). Cash Box. February 19, 1972. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
- ^ a b Swanson, Dave (August 11, 2013). "Top 10 Raspberries Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
- ^ Carmen, Eric (2005). Raspberries Greatest (album liner notes). Capitol.