Let's Pretend (Raspberries song)

"Let's Pretend"
"Let's Pretend"
Single by Raspberries
from the album Fresh
B-side	"Every Way I Can"
Released	March 1973
Recorded	1972
Genre	Power pop
Length	2:51 (single version); 3:42 (album version)
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Eric Carmen
Producer(s)	Jimmy Ienner
Raspberries singles chronology
side label
	45 RPM

"Let's Pretend" is a hit single by Raspberries, released in March 1973. It was written by band leader Eric Carmen, who also provided the lead vocals. It was the second single release from their second LP, Fresh.

The song reached the Top 40 on three principal US charts, including at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 14 on Record World. It was also a number 13 hit in Canada,^[1] becoming their second greatest hit in that nation. The song spent 16 weeks on the Billboard chart, longer than any of their other singles except for their greatest hit, "Go All the Way", which lasted 18 weeks.

Eric Carmen stated that "Let's Pretend" is one of the best melodies he has ever written, and that he reused part of it for his first solo hit, "All By Myself". He said the song lyrics about young people in love dreaming about eloping and making a life together are a recreation of the concept in Beach Boys' song "Wouldn't It Be Nice".^[2]

Television performance[]

"Let's Pretend" was performed on The Midnight Special television program (season 1, episode 15) on May 4, 1973.^[3] The show was hosted by Johnny Nash.^[4]

Later uses[]

"Let's Pretend" 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.^[5]

Chart performance[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (1973)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[6]	62
Canadian RPM Top Singles^[1]	13
US Billboard Hot 100^[7]	35
US Cash Box Top 100^[8]	18
US Record World	14

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1973)	Rank
Canada^[9]	169
US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)^[10]	213

Cover versions[]

"Let's Pretend" was covered by the Bay City Rollers in 1976 on their album, Dedication.
In 1978, the song was also done by Joey Travolta on his 1978 eponymous debut LP.
The Lettermen included "Let's Pretend" in a medley with the Raspberries' first hit, "Don't Want to Say Goodbye" on their 1979 LP covering 1970s love songs entitled Love Is....^[11]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
^ "An Interview with Eric Carmen". Ericcarmen.com. May 22, 1972. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
^ "Raspberries Setlist at the Midnight Special, Burbank".
^ "The Midnight Special: Host: Johnny Nash".
^ "CD Preview: The Raspberries' Pop Art Live".
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 246. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. June 2, 1973. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, June 30, 1973". Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
^ "Item: 9481 - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 380. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
^ "The Lettermen – Love Is... (1979, Vinyl)".

External links[]

Song Lyrics
Listen to "Let's Pretend" on YouTube (Raspberries)
Listen to "Let's Pretend" on YouTube (Bay City Rollers)

This 1970s single–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

[collectionscanada1-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved October 8, 2016.

[2] "An Interview with Eric Carmen". Ericcarmen.com. May 22, 1972. Retrieved October 8, 2016.

[3] "Raspberries Setlist at the Midnight Special, Burbank".

[4] "The Midnight Special: Host: Johnny Nash".

[5] "CD Preview: The Raspberries' Pop Art Live".

[aus-6] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 246. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[7] "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. June 2, 1973. Retrieved October 8, 2016.

[8] "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, June 30, 1973". Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2018.

[9] "Item: 9481 - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2016.

[10] Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 380. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.

[11] "The Lettermen – Love Is... (1979, Vinyl)".

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show v t Raspberries
Eric Carmen Wally Bryson Dave Smalley Jim Bonfanti Scott McCarl Michael McBride
Studio albums	Raspberries Fresh Side 3 Starting Over
Compilation albums	Raspberries' Best Capitol Collectors Series
Singles	"Don't Want to Say Goodbye" "Go All the Way" "I Wanna Be with You" "Let's Pretend" "Tonight" "I'm a Rocker" "Ecstasy" "Overnight Sensation"
Related topics	The Choir The Choir (EP) Choir Practice Fotomaker Jimmy Ienner

show v t Eric Carmen
Studio albums	Eric Carmen 1975 Boats Against the Current Change of Heart Tonight You're Mine Eric Carmen 1984 I Was Born to Love You
Compilation albums	The Best of Eric Carmen The Definitive Collection
Singles	"All by Myself" "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" "Sunrise" "She Did It" "Boats Against the Current" "Change of Heart" "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" "It Hurts Too Much" "I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips" "Hungry Eyes" "Make Me Lose Control"
Songwriting	"Go All the Way" "I Wanna Be With You" "Let's Pretend" "Tonight" "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" "That's Rock 'n' Roll" "Hey Deanie" "I Need You" "Almost Paradise" "Maybe My Baby"
Related topics	Raspberries Jimmy Ienner