Now THIS is what I call a TRULY authentic performance. 

✨ Eric Carmen ✨ Rest in Peace Thanks, Fil 🖤

Fil's enthusiasm is contagious.

My takeaway from this is if you pitch correct a singer's voice, you remove the emotion of the song, ergo today's music lacks "personality."

Eric's vocal was so fabulously pure.

Being flat gave the song a sad somber feeling and actually sounds natural

Back when music was authentic and real !

Fil, it always amazes me when you can sing so beautifully to demonstrate your point. No one else does what you do, with such artistry, knowledge, and kindness.

Eric's version of his own masterpiece, ABM, is THE definitive recording of the song, as he is telling his own story with the break up of his band and the changes in his world at that time. The song is a lament and should be sung as such. ABM has been performed by everyone from Eartha Kitt to Frank Sinatra, as well as countless vocalists on talent program auditions. Many of these singers use the song as an exercise in vocal gymnastics and have zero clue to the true nature of the song and just exactly how a lament should be performed. Being classically trained beginning at three years of age at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Eric knew. And he sang it brilliantly. Rest well, dear Eric.

No one else on RU-vid analyze music and performers like you. Thank you for sharing your gift. He was a Cleveland Ohio native like me. We were so proud to call him our own.

Copyright have muted the damn song! Cmon RU-vid ? It's a tribute to a great who just died !! You know it's not Eric Carmen complaining about copyrites

He was telling a story about profound depression. He was a master at sharing emotion with the listener.

The slight flattening of the vocal being a byproduct of emoting 👍

There is some irony to the fact that emotion comes from the "flat" notes in music, when you think about it... :)

I took an “Art Appreciation” course at university, now I’m taking a “Music Appreciation” class from Professor Fil. I’ll try not to miss his lectures!

Hi Fil, This was a very beautiful tribute to this talented man. He had so many gifts that he was able to share with everyone. He brought people together with his music. This song just blows any song today right out of the water! When this song comes on the radio it just mesmerizes you… draws you in… thanks for doing this analysis and may he RIP. Debbie ☮️

He was terrific! Thank you!

Eric was one of the "soft rock" singers sort of taken for granted. His real emotional voice, writing and arranging are part of an art that has definitely faded from the current music scene. In addition to All By Myself and the Raspberries, Hungry Eyes and my favorite Make Me Lose Control still shine. Thank you Fil, for acknowledging Eric Carmen.

Couldn't agree more on the slightly imperfect vocals. They add such a human and emotional touch. They're alive. One very minor correction: it wasn't the piano solo that was the copyright issue with "All By Myself." That was original to Eric Carmen, as was the "All by myself..." chorus. It was the melody of the verse ("When I was young...") that was taken from Rachmaninoff's C Minor Piano Concerto that raised copyright claims by the Rachmaninoff estate. Besides the two songs with Rachmaninoff ties mentioned here, Carmen also used a theme from Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony for the verse's melody of his song "Love Is All That Matters" from the solo album that followed after this. He evidently liked those Russian composers, whom I'm a big fan of as well.

Thank you Fil, for your analysis of Eric's work... Having been a fan for nearly 50 years, it was a tough day to hear of his passing.

This was the kind of performance that brought everybody together in common joy and appreciation of voice, lyrics, and music! We could watch it on TV with Mom, Dad, grandparents, and they loved it! Our school teachers loved it! Radio stations loved it! Thank you!

Thank you Fil for doing this tribute analysis. This was a great song by Eric Carmen. May he Rest In Peace.

I was 12yo when this album was released and it was life changing for me. The piano, melody and arrangement. There hadn't really been anything like it on the radio - Mr. Paquin, my 7th grade music teacher, did a breakdown for our music class, and I think I was the only person in the room who was transfixed. But I do remember being a little curious about Eric being flat in that first phrase of the recording - he more than made up for it by the time he got to the chorus! The Raspberries was my first album, so I was already familiar with Eric Carmen as a pop rock guy. It was super interesting to me that a musician could be multi-dimensional - pop rock ballad classical. He had it all.

A lovely tribute to Eric and interesting analysis. I love how Fil points out the musicians' non-verbal communication during the song.

I've always loved this song. As someone trained in classical piano, I tend to be biased towards piano songs, and I've always appreciated Eric's talent. I think it was a great choice to incorporate Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 into this song. Rachmaninoff's compositions are rich, complex, and so full of emotion - for me, no composer reaches down to the soul quite as much as he does. Pair that with these sad, and very relatable, lyrics, and you get something both beautiful and heartbreaking. RIP, Eric.

I'm a few days late to watch this, and I have to say it was a heart breaker for me. I have seen NOTHING in the news about Eric Carmen, so as soon as I heard he passed I was shocked. Eric had a song "Make Me Lose Control", and there is one moment in it that gave me the want to play guitar. I've always loved his voice and the music he made. Thank you for doing this video. It was a gut punch but at the same time really validated what I always thought of his music and singing.

Missed a lot of the song here due to it being blocked, sadly. I've always loved it, and the emotional impact it has. Thank you for covering it, Fil. Rest in peace, Eric. ❤

Wow, the audio was blocked for moment, and I was afraid that the whole thing was. I love Eric Carmen's vocal on this track. He's so expressive. I really appreciate you championing vocals that are not pitch corrected, Fil. Keep up the good fight!

It has been a long while since I have heard this song. 📻 Eric Carmen put the F in vocal feels. RIP 🖤🥀

There are reactions.. there are analysis and then there is you.. a world apart, informative and accurate.. thank you

I love the sound of fingers on strings, a bit of feedback, the real authentic sounds made by the humans.

One of the most beautiful songs ever! The ups, downs and sideways of Eric's voice, just superb👌. Thank you Fil 💕👏👏

Fil, I believe that Eric Carmen would feel honored by your music analysis tribute. I appreciated how you pointed out his talents as a musician, singer, and songwriter and explained them thoroughly. I certainly hope that his music doesn’t fall prey to the anti-art world of pitch correction and auto tune-that would be sacrilege! I felt your enthusiasm for Eric’s musicianship and like I said before, I think he’d be honored by your tribute. Thanks so much for what you do, Fil!

Another wonderful voice gone, but music lives on. Thanks Fil.

Fil, thanks so much for covering/analyzing Eric’s truly great song/music. I loved the Raspberries and his solo works. RIP Dear Mr. Carmen and condolences to you , your loved ones and all the fans. ❤ 3:26

I was a huge fan since the Raspberries days. Eric was a brilliant songwriter and singer. All By Myself hit #1 here in Canada 🇨🇦

Absolutely beautiful! Great job , Fil! Right now, this one made me cry ! 😢 Such a lovely voice with so much emotion ! Great analysis ! 💔

Eric Carmen was easily one of my top 10 favorite vocalists, musicians, and songwriters of my lifetime. Everything about this is perfection to my ears. When I was very young, I noticed the tendency to 'run flat' and, yes, it's the emotion and intent of the song to have a melancholy intonation, which is why it works perfectly. The one and only one thing I love about Celine's rendition of "All By Myself" is the insertion of the 'tragic' or 'dramatic' E note, I think it's called. It takes a gentle melancholy delivery and inserts a 'gut punch' to drive the meaning home with really nothing more than the change of one perfectly fitting note. Thanks for featuring this Fil. You are always spot on, every. single. time.

Nailed it again Fil. Eric's slightly errant pitching was a quality of his voice. You can hear it in many of his songs including "Go All The Way" and "Overnight Sensation".

Fil, it's so great you're showing these originals, and explaining the process works!👍💙💙💙🥰✌

I loved this song the first time i heard it when i was a 14 year old girl and was heartbroken that he was all by himself 😢😂❤

Amazing songwriter and singer. RIP, Eric.

He has an angelic voice! I was a fan in my preteens. Rip eric! You’re all in for a treat if this is your first listen to Eric and the Raspberries!

Great video fil , I love your smile when a great (genuine) vocalist starts to sing, too bad the performance has been blocked in parts.

Thanks, Eric Carmen, for the excellent body of work you left behind with the Raspberries and as a solo artist. (RIP) maestro extraordinary Eric Carmen August 11, 1949 - March 2024

(( Ooh! Melody built around that motif from a most beautiful classical era composition?! Was a brilliant way to express many of our feelings at times- by manifesting a great Pop song and intimate performance!

The detail of Eric nodding to the drummer for the fill was fantastic. The live audience would have only thought that there was a dramatic pause when in fact the drummer was waiting for the signal. This is yet another example of why your analyses are among the best on RU-vid. Keep up the good work. 👍🏻

I'm in tears thank you. I grew up listening to The Raspberries. He was the first celebrity to follow me back on Twitter. Very smart man. Class act with a beautiful voice.

Honestly the number of people who refuse to believe the Celine Dion version was a cover is staggering. I feel like this version was somehow lost to time unless you were actually there.

Been listening to Hungry Eyes. The amount of personality he puts into just the word "hungry"!!

Beautiful analysis tribute. RIP Eric

SO grateful to you Fil for this Eric Carmen video analysis. Eric’s songs have a special quality about them…all with great melodies. I am particularly drawn to his power ballads, like this one, “All By Myself”. His singing has a distinctive intensity that makes his music beautiful to my ears. In previous viewed videos, I have also caught his head nods to his drummer to come in with that dramatic back beat. He also orchestrates his other musicians on stage during the songs. From what I have learned about Eric Carmen, he was dedicated to his craft as a songwriter & musician. I heard him once tell an interviewer that he felt his songs stood the test of time. I’m sure he and his family would be thrilled to know you have featured one of his songs and have expressed such nice words about it. 🙏

My heart breaks hearing that he passed.

Fil - I always appreciate your analysis of music. Thanks especially for analyzing this song and Artist!

May He Rest in Peace. 🖤🤍🪽🕊 Love this song! It is amazing. Heals my soul. 💜

I still have the album when I bought it in the late 70's. I still like his performance over Celine Dion's. RIP Eric.

The only station i got as a kid were I lived was AM 62 KGW out of Portland Oregon, and they played songs like that a lot out of there for many years.

All I can say is that I really enjoyed and appreciated this song and video analysis. Thank you Fil...Rest in Peace Eric Carmen...

Eric was able to pull all of the emotion needed for this music expression so beautifully. I have some wonderful memories and my heart is hurting. 💔

Thank you, Fil, for this beautiful tribute to Eric Carmen. He had a great voice! May he RIP!

Yeah, exactly. Fantastic performance

Thanks for another brilliant analysis, Fil.

I didn't know until the other day when Shaun Cassidy mentioned it on FB that Eric Carmen wrote "Hey Deanie." Mad respect for the guy now!

Thank you Fil. I always thought it would be interesting for Eric and Celine to sing this as a duet. Of course hard to do now. But maybe even an audio mix and edit of the two together. Just throwing that idea out there. Who knows…

loved that piano solo diversion from the song before the big finish

Hi Fil….Eric Carman is in my top 3 of favorite singers! There isn’t a song he did that didn’t move me! Loved him in the Raspberries! He will be so missed! Way too young! Thanks for covering him! I remember him talking about this song, and what it means. Touching! ✌️ He said everyone sometimes feels alone…even famous people! He sure shows his classical music training!

He was always one of my favorites for sure. An unfortunate loss.

If you study the composers of the past, from the 1600s through the 1800s you find that composers often used melodies and chord progressions from other composers. it wasn't looked at as plagiarizing, it was an honor when someone took your musical composition and used it for their own and composed something based on something you wrote.

He was a great guy...related to my cousin thru marriage❤

Thank you, Fil. Another great analysis of a great artist

I was so sad to hear he's gone ...loved the Raspberries

Fil , I was classically trained and played 4 nights a week on guitar. I am so glad a musician like you is promoting the good stuff. I hope the young people out there are listening and learning. Thank you so much.

Rest In Peace Eric Carmen.

Thank you! Always love your analysis Fil you are terrific 😊

My friends in high school were big Eric Carmen fans. I especially stayed with him from his career with the Raspberries to his solo work. I highly recommend his first solo album to hear the diversity of his music with ballads and rockers populating it. Eric did a 1985 solo record that had the hit "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips." This is both a good record and also a good album.

THE BEAUTY IS ALL THE INSTRUMENTS AND HIS VOICE MESH TOGETHER PERFECTLY AND BACK EACH OTHER UP

Man, I love when the violins come in at 5:33. So pretty. The man knew how to arrange music! 🎶

I loved Eric's earlier music from the Raspberries!!! I used to stay up late and watch Midnight Special just to see them perform!! You have to listen to Let's Pretend by the Raspberries!!!

eric knew exactly what he was doing with his voice. evervthing was about the emotional tone of the song. he was a classically trained pianist.

I enjoy listening to your technical analogy to my 60s and 70s music which I love, love, love. Thank you for educating me.q

Representing my home town: Cleveland Ohio. I only know a handful of songs by Eric, The Raspberries, and one song by The Choir, which did not include Eric, but had the other members of The Raspberries.

Fil, check out an Eric Carmen song called I can Remember. It starts out on a piano, then boosts up to an amazing crescendo when the rest of the band kicks in.

Super sad LOVED the Raspberries and Carmen on his own!

This song and Eric always make me cry Thank you for analyzing his beautiful voice and his songwriting abilities.

I Love this song, Eric Carmen is Stunning ………. R.I.P.

Thank you for a beautiful tribute.

In order for younger people to see how "old fogies" like me sang in the 60's, I started playing bass guitar in a four piece group. The only instruments were my bass plus an acoustic guitar. All four sang in harmony (no microphones or PA system). You learned to listen in order to balance voices and instruments. Later, with two guitars, bass and drums, plus three ribbon microphones, there was limited amplification and foldback was non-existant. The sound was as good as we could make it, with lots of effort put into supporting each other and blending voices. I have never sung with pitch correction as I learned to sing in tune. Amplification was simply to fill a larger venue with our songs. In fact we sang to Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth II sister) on one occasion.

One of my favorite and respected artists. ❤ Thank you so much for this. You are awesome. Utube doing this to my buddy cuz o bs copy right,muting a great video you put a lot of time in. I can see Eric smiling and shaking his head. Miss him dearly

I was going to come back to the video; but you're so good, I was glued watching it all the way through! What a marvellous voice he had.

This was such a beautiful song. Thanks Fil for pointing out Eric’s talent.

Mello and heartfelt. A break-up song for sure. Apropos for us of a certain age.

I used to sing this song to my folls when I was a little girl. RIP Eric Carmen and Thank You🕊️

Thanx Fil. He was one of my favorites. Reminds me of High school days. I loved Eric's voice. Great musician.

One of your best analyses, Fil. Eric's use of Rachmaninoff is stellar. Would that we had more such accomplished musicians like Eric.

It’s my time of “when I was young too”😊. Love it!! I also like your expression just listening! Ya gotta love bands from the best time of all. We hand so much fun..,just makin love❤ I feel so lucky to see all of the GREAT bands of the 60s to early 80s!!! I don’t know how I would have survived happy without music. I’m thankful for my parents introducing me to music at a very early age. Wonderful….Thank you Fil❤

Thanks, Fil, for honoring Eric Carmen! I also love the emotion in his voice, and the "imperfections, " as you say. Thanks for pointing that out in the age of pitch correction. I hope you will listen to Raspberries songs like Tonight, (Who Influence) Cruisin' Music (Beach Boys influence) and the production masterpiece "Overnight Sensation." All were written by Eric. They got together again in 2006 and I think, most, if not all, of the concert is on you tube. :-) It's a great reunion concert!

Yeah, this is proper. And the riffing on Rachmaninov's themes is entirely appropriate, as one of Rach's most famous (and accomplished) pieces is Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini (24 variations). It's an absolutely lovely work, and the vocals are incredible on it.

What a wonderfully talented man Eric was! Thanks for the amazing music!

Thanks for doing this video, Fil. I liked Eric’s music. I love your analysis- especially “pre- digital”. 👍

I am completely gutted over the loss of my dear, beloved, long time, friend and confidant. 💔😢🫶🏻🕊️💫 Thank you Fil for honoring him in this way. Miss you all.

A great lesson in music appreciation and a tribute at the same time. Thank you, Fil.