Details TBA

From Eric's website:

These aren't the pristine remasters which will appear on the album, but I'll post them as tasters.

Eric's unreleased solo debut:



A snippet from one of the Cyrus Erie demos:



And the A-side of The Quick's only single:

Interesting...

Check this out, here's something that's been puzzling me since 1973. Around the middle of that year, my local AM radio station was playing a record titled something like "Sometime In Your Life", the artist was some guy named Eric, that's it, no last name, like Cher. It was a piano based mid-tempo ballad with a rave up at the end. I didn't know much of Eric Carmen at the time outside of The Raspberries, but looking back on it, this guy sounds very similar to him, but clearly they are different, I think, ha. Eric might even be British. There’s nothing on him in internet land though.

Here’s what the song sounds like, I still have it on taped-off-the-radio cassette:

Intro = classical style piano, fast waltz, then pause

Switch over to 4/4 time, mid-tempo

Piano & vocals only:

You pass, you smile, and you say hi
But you don’t really know me
But maybe you could if you try
Though there is nothing that that you owe me

Full band in

But it’s always the two kind of sometime in your life, oh
Yes it’s always your two kind of sometime in your life

Backing strings come in

When you find life passing you by
Without you really having known it
You think about the love inside
Maybe now is the time to show it

‘Cause it’s always the two kind of sometime in your life, oh
Yes it’s always your two kind of sometime in your life

instrumental verse = guitar power pop type chord strumming

‘Cause it’s always the two kind of sometime in your life, oh
Yes it’s always your two kind of sometime in your life
oh, in your life
oh, in your life

song comes to a stop, a pause
piano chords start pounding
band comes back in for vocal rave up thingy

Time wise, this was released in between The Raspberries “Let’s Pretend” March ’73 and “Tonight” Sept ’73.

I doubt he’s Eric Carmen, but he’s a worthy imitation before Carmen’s solo career proper.
Meanwhile I’ll keep searching the web…

---------------------------------------------------------

Update: an artist named Eric had a minor hit on WMEX radio Boston in May 1973 with the record "Wonder Where My Friend Could Be" / "Little Can Be Done", on the Paramount label...

The latest Shindig # 37 with The Raspberries on the cover has a 2 page article on Cyrus Erie, plus a 2 pager on The Choir, with a 10 pager on The Raspberries, kool...

I found it, I found it !!!

The missing record above "Sometime In Your Life"/"Rebel Woman" is by an artist named Erik, not Eric. On the Eden label # 7302, looks like a small home town deal. No other info in Discogs on this label or Erik. Now I've gotta get me a copy... 43 year search is over !!

So what ever happened to this release? Cancelled.....?

According to a moderator post on the Eric Carmen website a year ago:

Lots of people have been asking about the status of "Eric Carmen: The Early Years." All I can tell you is that the project is currently on the back-burner. "The Essential Eric Carmen" is just the tip of the iceberg in Sony's renewed interest in Eric's career. An expanded set of all of his solo albums with bonus tracks is in the works as well as other surprises to be announced. Until the dust settles (and Sony picks and chooses what it wants to officially release), "The Early Years" needs to wait in line. Stay tuned...

Thanks Robin! Having picked up the first two solo albums by Eric Carmen from Japan it is worth the wait. Extremely happy with them, especially the bonus tracks. A great plus.

Think I've already mentioned this to Rick, but I'm not happy with how the bonus tracks are arranged on the Japanese releases. For example, this early demo of "Change Of Heart" was put on the album of the same name, but it's from 1975 and done in the style of Eric's first solo album, very different from the final version:

http://www.ericcarmen.com/audio/changeofheart.mp3

It really should have gone on the first CD, not the third. And Eric has more early demos streaming on his website which Sony could have added to the first album, saving the live 1976 stuff for a separate release of its own.

WAN hopes that Sony USA will make the eventual American editions a little more extravagant.

Besides the original version of "Change of Heart", what other bonuses appear on the Japanese releases of his 4 Arista solo albums? Are there track lists anywhere? Are they still in print?

Amazon UK lists all of the bonus tracks in English:

    

Sunrise (AKA Eric Carmen)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J9PNTGE/?tag=imwan-21

Boats Against The Current
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J9PNTB4/?tag=imwan-21

Change Of Heart
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J9PNRX4/?tag=imwan-21

Tonight You're Mine
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J9PNU36/?tag=imwan-21

I usually get Japanese titles via third party sellers at Amazon UK, a couple of weeks after the release dates when the prices have dropped. MusicJapan or JapanMedia are my favourites because they pack really well and everything arrives in one piece with the mini-LP sleeves unbent. CDJapan was not good to me in that regard.