Ludwig Artists

Interview with Jim Bonfanti

of

'The Raspberries'

by Clay Greene of ludwigdrummer.com

CG:    Where do you call home today? Are you married?...Kids? Any children involved in music?

JB:    Yes, I am married to my high school sweetheart Barb, 32 years this Sept. I live in Mentor, Ohio, just east of Cleveland, Ohio.  I have two daughters and one granddaughter.

 

CG:     How long have you been drumming and what got you started? (Ringo??)

JB:    I've been a drummer since about 5 years old. I used to stack my brothers 45 records from the 50's and play away on two benches in the attic with my Moms butter knifes. Sometime later my Dad got me my first kit. Bass drum and Snare drum only. In rock and roll it was The Beatles that triggered my interest and desire.


CG:     Who were you listening to back then...anybody that you were really influenced by?

JB:    During my early years, I just played. It wasn't until later that the whole British music scene impacted my style.

CG:     What was your first drum kit (Ludwig I hope...just kidding...not really)?

JB:    My very first kit was a Revere in Red Sparkle. They were cheap and didn't last very long. I was not in a band at that time so it doesn't count. My first kit in a band were Ludwigs.

CG:     What are you currently playing (Ludwig I hope...oops there I go again)?

JB:    Yes, as a matter of fact they are the very last kit I used in Raspberries. I sold them in 1977 and tracked them down in 1997. They have been refurbished and I'm recording a new CD with them with my band Boxer.

CG:     One last Ludwig question. Were you ever a Ludwig endorser?

JB:    No, but I should have been. I used Ludwig sticks and heads. DB1000

CG:    Were you in other bands before forming the Raspberries?

JB:    Yes, three really. The first band was the Caverns, named after the Cavern in Liverpool. From there I met a band called The Mods which included Wally Bryson and Dave Smalley. That band evolved into The Choir. After that Raspberries.

 

CG:     How did the Raspberries come to be (who started the group...where did you find the rest of the members, etc.)?

JB:    Eric and I started Raspberries. Wally was the third member and after Dave was discharged from the service he completed the group.
 

CG:     How long did it take before the band was 'discovered' and signed to a record deal?   Were you touring right away?  What was it like?

JB:    It took about a year. We started in Oct. 1970 and did our first in 1972.  We did tour shortly after our first release and it was a blast.
 

CG:    How many albums followed? Did you tour on each one?

JB:    We did three, and we toured during all of them.

 

CG:    Any memorable moments from those days?  Any funny stories?

JB:    Many good moments, too many to write about.

 

CG:    When did you leave the band? Why?

JB:    I left the band because it was decided to fire Dave Smalley. It was Dec. 1973.

CG:     As a high school student during the 70s and also one of your fans, I know that the band was very popular with the the teen-age group. Did this bother the band at all?

JB:    Yes, we always felt that the material on the albums was over looked.

 

CG:     I hear 'Raspberries' tunes on the radio sometimes and I think the songs have held up very well. I still like to hear them. Are your records/(CDs) still available? I have heard that you sold more 45's back in the 1970s than albums. Are people re-discovering Raspberries music today and going back and finally buying the albums (CDs). Are there any hidden gems that people should go back and listen to...tunes that maybe never hit the top-40 radio stations but should have?

JB:    I agree that they have held up. The Cd's can be found in stores or they can get it. I even bought two in Liverpool two years ago. Lots of people are discovering the band for the first time. I think that 'I Can Remember' from the first album is a gem and most of our third album Side Three.

CG:    Any talk about a 'Raspberries' re-union tour or CD with all of the original members?

JB:    Lots of talk, but it will never happen.
 

CG:    What were your favorite Raspberries songs?  Which one was your biggest hit?

JB:    'I Can Remember', 'Tonight', 'Nobody Knows' ... quite a few I guess.

CG:    Your current band is called 'Incogneato'.  How long have you been together and what kind of music are you making these days?

JB:    We've changed the name to 'Boxer'. Too many 'Incogneato' groups and also, that name wasn't ever intended to be permanent. We have been together about two years and are now doing our own material.

Click here to see pictures of Jim and his drums.