The Cars
Encyclopedia
The Cars are an American rock
band
that emerged from the early New Wave music
scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek
, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr
, guitarist Elliot Easton
, keyboardist Greg Hawkes
and drummer David Robinson
. The band originated in Boston, Massachusetts, and were signed to Elektra Records
by George Daly
, then A&R head, in 1977.
The Cars were at the forefront in merging 1970s guitar-oriented rock with the new synth-oriented pop that was then becoming popular and which would flower in the early 1980s. The Cars started fresh with their debut album The Cars
which went on to go platinum in late 1978. The Cars' debut album was called a "genuine rock masterpiece" by Allmusic. Probably the most successful and well known song from the album, "Just What I Needed
", started as a demo in 1977. The song was sent as a mix tape to a local DJ in the Boston area, who played the song in heavy rotation. This soon caught the attention of other DJs, which led to the signing of the band by Elektra Records
in 1977. The Cars have mentioned this numerous times including in their "last" interview in June 2000.
The band broke up in 1988, and Ocasek had always discouraged talk of a reunion since then, telling one interviewer in 1997 "I'm saying never and you can count on that." Bassist Benjamin Orr
died in 2000 from pancreatic cancer. In 2005, Easton and Hawkes joined with Todd Rundgren
to form a spin-off band, The New Cars
, which performed classic Cars and Rundgren songs alongside new material. The surviving original members reunited in 2010 to record a new album, titled Move Like This, which was released May 10, 2011, and a tour to start on the same day.
, where they began performing as a duo, covering
rock and roll
classics as well as performing their own material. After deciding that Boston would be a better place to break into the music business, Ocasek and Orr relocated there. It was there that they met Greg Hawkes, who had studied at the Berklee School of Music
, and the three, along with lead guitarist Jas Goodkind, formed a folk band called Milkwood. They released an album titled How's the Weather on the Paramount label in 1973 that failed to chart.
After Milkwood, Ocasek and Orr formed the group Richard and the Rabbits, whose name was suggested by Jonathan Richman
. They were a local club band for a while. Soon after, Hawkes temporarily left Ocasek and Orr and joined up with groups including Orphan
, a soft-rock band, and Martin Mull and His Fabulous Furniture
, a musical comedy act in which Mull played a variety of instruments. Ric Ocasek and Ben Orr then performed as an acoustic duo called simply Ocasek and Orr at the Idler coffeehouse in Cambridge. Some of the songs they played became the underlying music in early Cars songs.
Later, Ocasek and Orr teamed up with future Cars guitarist Elliot Easton (who had also studied at Berklee) in the band Cap'n Swing. Cap'n Swing also featured drummer Kevin Robichaud and a jazzy bass player, which clashed with Ocasek's more rock and roll leanings. Benjamin Orr acted as frontman, did not play an instrument, and sang the bulk of Cap'n Swing's demos. Ocasek soon got rid of the bass player, the keyboardist, and the drummer and decided to form a band that better fit his style of writing. Kevin Robichaud was replaced by David Robinson
. Robinson said that he should really have a regular job instead, and that the Cars would be his last band. Best known for his career with the Modern Lovers, Robinson had also played in DMZ
and the Pop! It was Robinson who came up with the name "The Cars," which led to automobile-related puns. Ocasek said of the name, "It's so easy to spell; it doesn't have a 'z' on the end; it's real authentic. It's pop art, in a sense."
". By virtue of that airplay, the band was signed to Elektra Records
. "Just What I Needed" would turn out to be the first single from the band’s debut album, The Cars
, released in 1978 and reaching #18 on the Billboard 200
. "My Best Friend's Girl
" and "Good Times Roll
" soon followed, charting on the Billboard Hot 100
. The band commissioned famed Playboy
artist Alberto Vargas
to design the sexy illustration for the cover of their second album, Candy-O
, released in 1979. Hits from that album included "Let's Go
", "It's All I Can Do
" and "Dangerous Type."
A more experimental album, Panorama, was released in 1980, charting only one Top 40 hit with "Touch and Go". Rolling Stone
described the album as "an out-and-out drag". In 1981, the Cars purchased Intermedia Studios in Boston, renaming it Syncro Sound. The only Cars album recorded there was Shake It Up. It was their first album to spawn a top 10 single with the title track, and included another hit "Since You’re Gone". Following their 1982 tour, the Cars took a short break and went to work on solo projects, with Ocasek and Hawkes both releasing debut albums (Beatitude
and Niagara Falls
, respectively).
The Cars re-united and released their most successful album, Heartbeat City
, in 1984. The first single, "You Might Think
", helped The Cars win Video of the Year at the first MTV Video Music Awards. Other hit singles from the album included "Magic
", "Hello Again
", and "Why Can’t I Have You". Their most successful single, "Drive
", gained particular notability when it was used in a video of the Ethiopia
n famine prepared by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
and introduced by David Bowie
at the 1985 Live Aid
concert at Wembley Stadium in London (The Cars themselves performed in the Philadelphia Live Aid concert).
", a #7 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a #1 hit on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart (their last #1), from their Greatest Hits
, the Cars took time off again to pursue solo projects. Easton and Orr released their debut albums (Change No Change
and The Lace
, respectively), while Ocasek released his second solo album, This Side of Paradise
. In 1987, the Cars released their sixth album, Door to Door. It contained their last major international hit, "You Are the Girl
", but the album failed to approach the success of their previous albums. They announced the group's breakup in February 1988.
, containing all the group's hits mixed with rarities (demos, non-album b-sides). They followed up with the releases of The Cars: Deluxe Edition (1999), their debut album in 2-CD format, and Complete Greatest Hits. Benjamin Orr died in 2000 of pancreatic cancer
, though not before he would appear with his former bandmates one last time for an interview to be shown in a documentary about the group.
Ocasek continues to perform as a solo artist, having released over seven studio albums. Robinson retired from music and spent most of his time working in his restaurant. In 2005, Easton and Hawkes combined their talents with Todd Rundgren
, Prairie Prince
(The Tubes, Utopia), and Kasim Sulton
(Utopia, Meat Loaf) in a revamped lineup, The New Cars
, to perform classic Cars songs along with selections from Rundgren's solo work and some new original material. Sometime in the mid 1990s, Orr recorded tracks with guitarist John Kalishes for an unreleased follow-up to The Lace. From 1998 until his death in October 2000, he performed with three bands, including his own band "ORR", The Voices of Classic Rock
, and Big People.
In 2008, the band's first album
was released for the video game Rock Band.
in the studio was posted on the group's Facebook page hinting that he is producing the new Cars album.
In October Billboard reported that a new album which may be supported by a tour is being recorded at veteran engineer Paul Orofino's studio in Millbrook, New York
. A music clip of a new song, called "Sad Song", was added to the band's Facebook page on December 7, 2010; another clip of a song called "Free" was shared on their Facebook page on January 1, 2011. The official debut video for "Blue Tip" was released February 17, 2011. The video was directed by Roberto Serrini and Eron Otcasek from The Lab NYC and features the four members of the band, and NYC based street artist Joe Iurato. According to Rolling Stone, the surviving Cars mutually agreed there would be no replacing the late Benjamin Orr, so Ocasek, Easton and Hawkes handle all guitar and bass playing.
The new album, titled Move Like This
, was released on May 10 by Hear Music
/Concord Music Group
, debuting at #7 on Billboard's album charts. The album's first single, "Sad Song
", was released to radio stations March 1. In April 2011, The Cars announced a ten-city tour of the United States and Canada
to start in May 2011.
and Pop
music, including new wave
, pop rock
, proto-punk, garage rock
, and bubblegum pop
. They have also used rockabilly
in songs such as My Best Friend's Girl
. Robert Palmer, music critic for The New York Times
and Rolling Stone
, described The Cars' musical style by saying: "they have taken some important but disparate contemporary trends—punk
minimalism, the labyrinthine synthesizer and guitar textures of art rock
, the '50s rockabilly
revival and the melodious terseness of power pop
—and mixed them into a personal and appealing blend." They have also had Hard rock
-oriented songs including You're All I've Got Tonight
.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
that emerged from the early New Wave music
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars....
, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr
Benjamin Orr
Benjamin Orr was an American rock musician best known as the bassist and vocalist for the Boston based rock band, The Cars....
, guitarist Elliot Easton
Elliot Easton
Elliot Easton plays lead guitar and sings backing vocals for The Cars. His guitar solos are integral part of the band's hit singles. He studied music at the Berklee College of Music...
, keyboardist Greg Hawkes
Greg Hawkes
Greg Hawkes is a musician best known as the keyboardist for the Rock band The Cars.Hawkes, a native of Fulton, Maryland, attended Atholton High School where he played in a band called Teeth. He then attended Berklee College of Music for two years, majoring in composition and flute...
and drummer David Robinson
David Robinson (musician)
David Robinson is an American rock drummer. He has performed with many rock bands including The Modern Lovers, DMZ and The Cars.He attended Woburn Memorial High School....
. The band originated in Boston, Massachusetts, and were signed to Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
by George Daly
George Daly (Music Industry)
George Daly is a music executive, songwriter, musician, video and music producer and technology inventor, who originally worked as an A&R music executive...
, then A&R head, in 1977.
The Cars were at the forefront in merging 1970s guitar-oriented rock with the new synth-oriented pop that was then becoming popular and which would flower in the early 1980s. The Cars started fresh with their debut album The Cars
The Cars (album)
The Cars is the self-titled debut album by the American rock band The Cars released in 1978. With the popular tracks "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl" getting heavy airplay on AOR radio stations, the album sold one million copies by the end of the year and steadily climbed the...
which went on to go platinum in late 1978. The Cars' debut album was called a "genuine rock masterpiece" by Allmusic. Probably the most successful and well known song from the album, "Just What I Needed
Just What I Needed
-Cover versions:*Big Daddy - Big Daddy*Caleigh Peters – Sky High soundtrack*Sister Hazel – Lift*Poison – Poison'd*Bang Tango – Untied and live!*The Insyderz – Fight Of My Life and Paradise CD Single*Replicants – Replicants...
", started as a demo in 1977. The song was sent as a mix tape to a local DJ in the Boston area, who played the song in heavy rotation. This soon caught the attention of other DJs, which led to the signing of the band by Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in 1977. The Cars have mentioned this numerous times including in their "last" interview in June 2000.
The band broke up in 1988, and Ocasek had always discouraged talk of a reunion since then, telling one interviewer in 1997 "I'm saying never and you can count on that." Bassist Benjamin Orr
Benjamin Orr
Benjamin Orr was an American rock musician best known as the bassist and vocalist for the Boston based rock band, The Cars....
died in 2000 from pancreatic cancer. In 2005, Easton and Hawkes joined with Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
to form a spin-off band, The New Cars
The New Cars
The New Cars was a band formed in 2005 with two of the original members of the 1970s/1980s new wave band The Cars. The band was composed of Todd Rundgren, drummer Prairie Prince, Kasim Sulton, and original Cars members Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton...
, which performed classic Cars and Rundgren songs alongside new material. The surviving original members reunited in 2010 to record a new album, titled Move Like This, which was released May 10, 2011, and a tour to start on the same day.
Early years (1973–1975)
Before The Cars, the members of the band began coming together in several early forms. Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr met in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, where they began performing as a duo, covering
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
classics as well as performing their own material. After deciding that Boston would be a better place to break into the music business, Ocasek and Orr relocated there. It was there that they met Greg Hawkes, who had studied at the Berklee School of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, and the three, along with lead guitarist Jas Goodkind, formed a folk band called Milkwood. They released an album titled How's the Weather on the Paramount label in 1973 that failed to chart.
After Milkwood, Ocasek and Orr formed the group Richard and the Rabbits, whose name was suggested by Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Michael Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
. They were a local club band for a while. Soon after, Hawkes temporarily left Ocasek and Orr and joined up with groups including Orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
, a soft-rock band, and Martin Mull and His Fabulous Furniture
Martin Mull
Martin Mull is an American actor who has starred in his own television sitcom and acted in prominent films. He is also a comedian, painter, and recording artist...
, a musical comedy act in which Mull played a variety of instruments. Ric Ocasek and Ben Orr then performed as an acoustic duo called simply Ocasek and Orr at the Idler coffeehouse in Cambridge. Some of the songs they played became the underlying music in early Cars songs.
Later, Ocasek and Orr teamed up with future Cars guitarist Elliot Easton (who had also studied at Berklee) in the band Cap'n Swing. Cap'n Swing also featured drummer Kevin Robichaud and a jazzy bass player, which clashed with Ocasek's more rock and roll leanings. Benjamin Orr acted as frontman, did not play an instrument, and sang the bulk of Cap'n Swing's demos. Ocasek soon got rid of the bass player, the keyboardist, and the drummer and decided to form a band that better fit his style of writing. Kevin Robichaud was replaced by David Robinson
David Robinson (musician)
David Robinson is an American rock drummer. He has performed with many rock bands including The Modern Lovers, DMZ and The Cars.He attended Woburn Memorial High School....
. Robinson said that he should really have a regular job instead, and that the Cars would be his last band. Best known for his career with the Modern Lovers, Robinson had also played in DMZ
DMZ (band)
DMZ was a first-wave American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, strongly influenced by 1960s garage rock. In early 1976, Jeff Conolly stole the lead vocalist position in the nascent band by out-performing their singer at one of the band's practices...
and the Pop! It was Robinson who came up with the name "The Cars," which led to automobile-related puns. Ocasek said of the name, "It's so easy to spell; it doesn't have a 'z' on the end; it's real authentic. It's pop art, in a sense."
Peak years (1976–1984)
The band spent the winter of 1976–77 playing throughout New England, developing the songs that would become their debut album. They shortly thereafter caught the attention of Maxanne Sartori, a local DJ on the Boston radio station WBCN, who began playing their demo of "Just What I NeededJust What I Needed
-Cover versions:*Big Daddy - Big Daddy*Caleigh Peters – Sky High soundtrack*Sister Hazel – Lift*Poison – Poison'd*Bang Tango – Untied and live!*The Insyderz – Fight Of My Life and Paradise CD Single*Replicants – Replicants...
". By virtue of that airplay, the band was signed to Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
. "Just What I Needed" would turn out to be the first single from the band’s debut album, The Cars
The Cars (album)
The Cars is the self-titled debut album by the American rock band The Cars released in 1978. With the popular tracks "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl" getting heavy airplay on AOR radio stations, the album sold one million copies by the end of the year and steadily climbed the...
, released in 1978 and reaching #18 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. "My Best Friend's Girl
My Best Friend's Girl (song)
"My Best Friend's Girl" is a song by American rock band The Cars from their 1978 self-titled debut album on Elektra Records. Written by Ric Ocasek and produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the song was released as the album's second single. It peaked at number 35 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, and reached...
" and "Good Times Roll
Good Times Roll
"Good Times Roll" is a song by American rock band The Cars. It is the first track from their 1978 debut album The Cars, produced by Roy Thomas Baker...
" soon followed, charting on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The band commissioned famed Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
artist Alberto Vargas
Alberto Vargas
Alberto Vargas was a noted Peruvian painter of pin-up girls. He is often considered one of the most famous of the pin-up artists...
to design the sexy illustration for the cover of their second album, Candy-O
Candy-O
Candy-O is the second studio album by the American rock band The Cars, released in 1979.- Cover art :The album cover was painted by artist Alberto Vargas, known for his paintings of pin-up girls that appeared in Esquire and Playboy magazines in the 1940s and 1960s...
, released in 1979. Hits from that album included "Let's Go
Let's Go (The Cars song)
"Let's Go" was the first single from The Cars' album Candy-O released in 1979. It was written by Ric Ocasek and features lead vocals by Cars bassist Ben Orr. The single peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the U.S., but the song was an even bigger success elsewhere...
", "It's All I Can Do
It's All I Can Do
"It's All I Can Do" is a song by the American rock band The Cars. It is the third track from their 1979 album Candy-O. It was written by the band's lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, and features the bassist, Benjamin Orr, on vocals...
" and "Dangerous Type."
A more experimental album, Panorama, was released in 1980, charting only one Top 40 hit with "Touch and Go". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
described the album as "an out-and-out drag". In 1981, the Cars purchased Intermedia Studios in Boston, renaming it Syncro Sound. The only Cars album recorded there was Shake It Up. It was their first album to spawn a top 10 single with the title track, and included another hit "Since You’re Gone". Following their 1982 tour, the Cars took a short break and went to work on solo projects, with Ocasek and Hawkes both releasing debut albums (Beatitude
Beatitude (Ric Ocasek album)
Beatitude is the debut album released by Ric Ocasek, lead singer and principal songwriter of The Cars. It was released by Geffen Records in 1982, and featured an appearance by Greg Hawkes on keyboards.-Track listing:...
and Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls (album)
Niagara Falls is the first solo album released by Greg Hawkes, best known as an original member of The Cars. It was released in 1983 by Passport Records. Hawkes plays all instruments , with programmed drums and multiple layers of keyboard parts, as well as rhythm guitar. It was recorded at...
, respectively).
The Cars re-united and released their most successful album, Heartbeat City
Heartbeat City
Heartbeat City is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Cars, released in 1984.Heartbeat City contains a total of five American Top 40 singles, two of which were Top 10 as well, reaching #3 and #7, respectively...
, in 1984. The first single, "You Might Think
You Might Think
"You Might Think" is a single by The Cars from their fifth studio album, Heartbeat City, which came out in 1984. The track was written by Ric Ocasek, and produced by Mutt Lange and The Cars. Ocasek sang lead vocals....
", helped The Cars win Video of the Year at the first MTV Video Music Awards. Other hit singles from the album included "Magic
Magic (The Cars song)
"Magic" is a song by The Cars from their fifth studio album, Heartbeat City, released in 1984. It was released as a single and reached No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. The track was written by Ric Ocasek and produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange and The Cars...
", "Hello Again
Hello Again (The Cars song)
"Hello Again" is a song performed by the rock band The Cars, released in 1984 as the fourth single from the album Heartbeat City. It was the fourth Top 20 hit from the album, reaching number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it also reached number 8 on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart and...
", and "Why Can’t I Have You". Their most successful single, "Drive
Drive (The Cars song)
"Drive" is a 1984 song by The Cars, the third single from the band's Heartbeat City album and their biggest international hit. It was written by Ric Ocasek and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange with the band. Lead vocals were by Cars bassist Benjamin Orr....
", gained particular notability when it was used in a video of the Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n famine prepared by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
and introduced by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
at the 1985 Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
concert at Wembley Stadium in London (The Cars themselves performed in the Philadelphia Live Aid concert).
Greatest Hits, Door to Door and break-up (1985–1988)
After the resulting period of superstardom and another hit single, "Tonight She ComesTonight She Comes
"Tonight She Comes" is a 1985 song by The Cars, from their Greatest Hits album. It was released as a single in October 1985, reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in January, 1986...
", a #7 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and a #1 hit on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart (their last #1), from their Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (The Cars album)
Greatest Hits is a six-time platinum-selling compilation album by the new wave band The Cars. It was released in October 1985 on Elektra Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Ric Ocasek.# "Just What I Needed" – 3:43...
, the Cars took time off again to pursue solo projects. Easton and Orr released their debut albums (Change No Change
Change No Change
Change No Change, is the only solo album released by Elliot Easton of The Cars. It was originally released in 1985 by Elektra Records, re-released in 1995 by Rhino Records, and most recently, by Wounded Bird in 2006....
and The Lace
The Lace (Benjamin Orr album)
The Lace is the debut solo record by The Cars' member Benjamin Orr. It features his only solo hit, the song "Stay the Night" which reached the top 40 in 1987...
, respectively), while Ocasek released his second solo album, This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise (Ric Ocasek album)
This Side of Paradise is the second solo studio album released by Ric Ocasek, lead singer and songwriter of The Cars. It was released in 1986 by Geffen Records. Though it was a solo album, other members of The Cars played significant roles. Greg Hawkes plays keyboards and bass throughout the entire...
. In 1987, the Cars released their sixth album, Door to Door. It contained their last major international hit, "You Are the Girl
You Are the Girl
"You Are the Girl" is a 1987 song by The Cars, from their album Door to Door. It was released as a single in August 1987, reaching number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100....
", but the album failed to approach the success of their previous albums. They announced the group's breakup in February 1988.
Post break-up and solo careers (1989–2009)
In the late 1990s, rumors circulated of a Cars reunion, with no results. However, in 1995 Rhino Records released a 2-CD set Just What I Needed: The Cars AnthologyJust What I Needed: The Cars Anthology
Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology is a career compilation from the 80s New Wave rock group The Cars...
, containing all the group's hits mixed with rarities (demos, non-album b-sides). They followed up with the releases of The Cars: Deluxe Edition (1999), their debut album in 2-CD format, and Complete Greatest Hits. Benjamin Orr died in 2000 of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
, though not before he would appear with his former bandmates one last time for an interview to be shown in a documentary about the group.
Ocasek continues to perform as a solo artist, having released over seven studio albums. Robinson retired from music and spent most of his time working in his restaurant. In 2005, Easton and Hawkes combined their talents with Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, Prairie Prince
Prairie Prince
Prairie Prince is a rock drummer. He was a member of The Tubes and a founding member of Journey...
(The Tubes, Utopia), and Kasim Sulton
Kasim Sulton
Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States...
(Utopia, Meat Loaf) in a revamped lineup, The New Cars
The New Cars
The New Cars was a band formed in 2005 with two of the original members of the 1970s/1980s new wave band The Cars. The band was composed of Todd Rundgren, drummer Prairie Prince, Kasim Sulton, and original Cars members Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton...
, to perform classic Cars songs along with selections from Rundgren's solo work and some new original material. Sometime in the mid 1990s, Orr recorded tracks with guitarist John Kalishes for an unreleased follow-up to The Lace. From 1998 until his death in October 2000, he performed with three bands, including his own band "ORR", The Voices of Classic Rock
Voices of Classic Rock
Voices of Classic Rock is a rock music ensemble featuring singers and musicians from classic rock groups popular in the 1970s and 1980s.Voices of Classic Rock was formed in 1998....
, and Big People.
In 2008, the band's first album
The Cars (album)
The Cars is the self-titled debut album by the American rock band The Cars released in 1978. With the popular tracks "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl" getting heavy airplay on AOR radio stations, the album sold one million copies by the end of the year and steadily climbed the...
was released for the video game Rock Band.
Reunion and Move Like This (2010–present)
In 2010, the founding members of The Cars suggested a reunion when Ric Ocasek, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes and David Robinson placed a photo of the four members together in Millbrook Sound Studios, Millbrook, NY on their Facebook page. On October 13, they also posted a snippet of a new song, "Blue Tip", on their Facebook page. A picture of Jacknife LeeJacknife Lee
Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
in the studio was posted on the group's Facebook page hinting that he is producing the new Cars album.
In October Billboard reported that a new album which may be supported by a tour is being recorded at veteran engineer Paul Orofino's studio in Millbrook, New York
Millbrook, New York
Millbrook is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is often said to be a "low-key version of the Hamptons" and one of the wealthiest towns in New York State. Millbrook's estimated town population was 1,551 in 2008. Millbrook is located in the Hudson Valley, an hour and thirty...
. A music clip of a new song, called "Sad Song", was added to the band's Facebook page on December 7, 2010; another clip of a song called "Free" was shared on their Facebook page on January 1, 2011. The official debut video for "Blue Tip" was released February 17, 2011. The video was directed by Roberto Serrini and Eron Otcasek from The Lab NYC and features the four members of the band, and NYC based street artist Joe Iurato. According to Rolling Stone, the surviving Cars mutually agreed there would be no replacing the late Benjamin Orr, so Ocasek, Easton and Hawkes handle all guitar and bass playing.
The new album, titled Move Like This
Move Like This
-Best Buy edition:This enhanced CD also has videos for "Sad Song" and "Blue Tip.""Rocket USA" is a cover of a 1977 song by the American band Suicide, from their self-titled debut.-Personnel:The Cars*Ric Ocasek – lead and background vocals, guitars, keyboards...
, was released on May 10 by Hear Music
Hear Music
Hear Music, also known as StarCon is the brand name of Starbucks' retail music concept and record label. Hear Music began as a catalog company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1990 before being purchased by Starbucks in 1999.-Concept:...
/Concord Music Group
Concord Music Group
Concord Music Group is a record company owned by Village Roadshow formed in 2004 by the merger of Concord Records and Fantasy Records. In 2005, the company acquired the classics and jazz label Telarc International. On December 18, 2006, Concord announced the re-launch of the soul label Stax;...
, debuting at #7 on Billboard's album charts. The album's first single, "Sad Song
Sad Song (The Cars song)
"Sad Song" is the lead single by the American rock band The Cars from their 2011 studio album Move Like This. A brief clip of the song was released in December 2010; the full song was released to radio on March 1, 2011.-Details:...
", was released to radio stations March 1. In April 2011, The Cars announced a ten-city tour of the United States and Canada
The Cars North American Tour Spring 2011
The Cars North American Tour Spring 2011 is a set of eleven concerts in the United States and Canada featuring the newly-reunited American band The Cars. Announced in April 2011 prior to the release of the band's album Move Like This, the concerts feature material from Move Like This and from the...
to start in May 2011.
Genres
The Cars have used genres that spanned through all of RockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
music, including new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
, proto-punk, garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
, and bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
. They have also used rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
in songs such as My Best Friend's Girl
My Best Friend's Girl (song)
"My Best Friend's Girl" is a song by American rock band The Cars from their 1978 self-titled debut album on Elektra Records. Written by Ric Ocasek and produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the song was released as the album's second single. It peaked at number 35 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, and reached...
. Robert Palmer, music critic for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, described The Cars' musical style by saying: "they have taken some important but disparate contemporary trends—punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
minimalism, the labyrinthine synthesizer and guitar textures of art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
, the '50s rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
revival and the melodious terseness of power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
—and mixed them into a personal and appealing blend." They have also had Hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
-oriented songs including You're All I've Got Tonight
You're All I've Got Tonight
"You're All I've Got Tonight" is a song by the American rock band the Cars, from their debut album, The Cars. Like "Bye Bye Love" and "Moving in Stereo", two other songs from the album, it continues to receive airplay on classic rock stations today despite never having been released as a...
.
Current members
- Ric OcasekRic OcasekRic Ocasek is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars....
– rhythm guitar, lead and background vocals, synthesizer (1976–1988, 2010–present) - Elliot EastonElliot EastonElliot Easton plays lead guitar and sings backing vocals for The Cars. His guitar solos are integral part of the band's hit singles. He studied music at the Berklee College of Music...
– lead guitar, background vocals (1976–1988, 2010–present) - Greg HawkesGreg HawkesGreg Hawkes is a musician best known as the keyboardist for the Rock band The Cars.Hawkes, a native of Fulton, Maryland, attended Atholton High School where he played in a band called Teeth. He then attended Berklee College of Music for two years, majoring in composition and flute...
– keyboards, synthesizer, percussion, saxophone, bass, background vocals (1976–1988, 2010–present) - David RobinsonDavid Robinson (musician)David Robinson is an American rock drummer. He has performed with many rock bands including The Modern Lovers, DMZ and The Cars.He attended Woburn Memorial High School....
– drums, percussion, background vocals (1976–1988, 2010–present)
Former member
- Benjamin OrrBenjamin OrrBenjamin Orr was an American rock musician best known as the bassist and vocalist for the Boston based rock band, The Cars....
– bass guitar, lead and background vocals (1976–1988, died in 2000)
Discography
- The CarsThe Cars (album)The Cars is the self-titled debut album by the American rock band The Cars released in 1978. With the popular tracks "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl" getting heavy airplay on AOR radio stations, the album sold one million copies by the end of the year and steadily climbed the...
(1978) - Candy-OCandy-OCandy-O is the second studio album by the American rock band The Cars, released in 1979.- Cover art :The album cover was painted by artist Alberto Vargas, known for his paintings of pin-up girls that appeared in Esquire and Playboy magazines in the 1940s and 1960s...
(1979) - Panorama (1980)
- Shake It Up (1981)
- Heartbeat CityHeartbeat CityHeartbeat City is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Cars, released in 1984.Heartbeat City contains a total of five American Top 40 singles, two of which were Top 10 as well, reaching #3 and #7, respectively...
(1984) - Door to Door (1987)
- Move Like ThisMove Like This-Best Buy edition:This enhanced CD also has videos for "Sad Song" and "Blue Tip.""Rocket USA" is a cover of a 1977 song by the American band Suicide, from their self-titled debut.-Personnel:The Cars*Ric Ocasek – lead and background vocals, guitars, keyboards...
(2011)