Remembering Ric Occasek and The Cars
Earlier this week, I wrote a post dedicated to some rockers that have passed the previous decade. Looking back at it, one of the icons that surprised me most was Ric Ocasek of The Cars. I was baffled because I heard nothing of his passing, and usually I tend to hear of many passings in the world of rock, but this one certainly grabbed me by surprise.
And so ladies and gentlemen, it only seems right to pay respect to Ric and this legendary band. I'm a long-time fan of them and was disappointed that in my lifetime, I never had the pleasure to see them. Even in their 2010-11 tour, they did not stop at my location.
Before The Cars, there was Milkwood
Ric Ocasek, born in Baltimore on March 23, 1944 (sources have long varired on this and a DJ at my local classic rock station announced his 60th birthday in March of 2009, which led me to believe Ocasek was younger). At 16, Ocasek's father got a job as a Systems Analyst at NASA's research center in Cleveland, Ohio, and so the family was forced to relocated. Ocasek graduated from Maple Heights High School in the class of 1963, and two years later, he was invited to a show by his friend turned bandmate, Benjamin Orr who was heading a band called the Grasshoppers. on the Big 5 variety show. Ocasek was amazed at the talent he saw and longed to be on Orr's team. In the late 60s, the two were in several short-lived Columbus and Detroit area bands before relocating to Boston in the early 70s.
In Boston they formed a short-lived folk-rock band called Milkwood in the form of CSNY. They issued one record in 1973, How's the Weather on Paramound Records. Unfortunately, How's The Weather failed to chart and so their contract was ended by 1974. Future Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes contributed saxophone solos on this record.
Then Come Richard and the Rabbits
Retaining Hawkes, Ocasek started a new band with Orr, Richard and the Rabbits - the name a suggestion from Modern Lovers singer Jonathan Richards (Modern Lovers then being home to Cars future drummer and namer, David Robinson). Hawkes eventually left them for Martin Mull and His Furniture, a musical comeday band headed by multi-instrumentalist Martin Mull. Ocasek and Orr then became an acoustic, slightly folky duo a la Simon and Garfunkel going by the name Ocasek and Orr. While they were short-lived, some of their songs were reworked into the early songs of The Cars
Cap'N'Swing
It was here that Elliot Easton placed an ad for a few members for his new band, Cap'N'Swing featuring drummer Glen Evans. A jazz-rock band, Evans was soon to be replaced by Kevin Robichaud. The band featured a jazzy bass player that didn't go well with Orr, so Orr only sang lead vocals while Ocasek was on rhythm guitar and backing vocals.
During this time, the band got the attention of notorious Boston area DJ Maxann Saroi who, on her show at WBCN, began playing their demo tape. After trying for several record labels, Ocassek and Orr fired both Robichaud and the bass player. David Robinson was suggested by Jonathan Richardson and Orr decided to pick up the bass guitar and Hawkes was called back in. The name The Cars, as previously mentioned, was Robinson's idea. Being a fashionista he liked the idea of cars being so "manly." Below is a picture of their long-term lineup of Ocasek, Orr, Easton, Hawkes, and Robinson from the mid 80s.
The early years
Their first gig was a New Year's Eve show in 1976 at the New Hampshire Pease Air Force Base. Thereafter, they spent the first quarter of 1977 playing at New England clubs. It was here that one of their signature songs, the Orr-sung Just What I Needed was getting played at WBCN and WBOZ with many still having no idea of the band's existense. Thanks to this extensive airplay, the band got a deal with Elektra Records.
They released their self-titled debut in 1978 featuring "Just What I Needed" as its lead single. Other singles from the record were the rockability-inspired My Best Friend's Girl with Ocasek taking on a raspy, Elvis-like vocal not to mention Easton's incredible guitar solo, and Good Times Roll. Other non-singles that got attention were You're All I've Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love, and Moving in Stereo - played often together with the closer, All Mixed Up on classic rock radio nowadays. The way Orr said "You look so fancy I can tell," led me to believe, at the time, that The Cars were Brits.
Who's the girl on the cover below? Natalya Medvedeva, a Russian model and singer. This is the one and only cover not designed by Robinson, as he had already designed the cover, but it was too expensive and bizzare.
Their second record, Candy-O, released in 1979, featured yet another Rockability-inspired song, as well the Orr-sung singles Let's Go and I'ts All I Can Do, as well as Ocasek's Dangerous Type.
Their 1980 album, Panorama, did not really garner as much attention as the first two did. In fact, the only single from the album is Touch and Go. Personally, it's my least favorite.
Into the 80s
The dip with Panorama was not the beginning of the end. In 1981, the band came back with Shake it Up, which was thought by many to be "Panorama done better." The title track has become yet another one of their signature songs and is actually the one that made this blogger a fan! Other singles included the Talking Heads-like Since You're Gone and the ballad I'm Not the One - all sung by Ocasek.
After a break, The Cars came out with Heartbeat City in 1984. The album featured You Might Think, the melancholy Orr-sung Drive (good title for a song considering the band's name, but joking aside folks, it was used as a montage for the Ethopian famine showed during the London show of Live Aid in 1985). Despite this, it became the Cars' highest charting songs, maxing out at #3 in the US, and after LIve Aid, #4 in the UK. The song was also partially played at Orr's funeral in 2001.
Other singles from Heartbeat City were the not-so-performing title track, Magic, Hello Again, and finally, Why Can't I Have You in 1985. The Cars also issued an expanded greatest hits package in 1985 featuring the top-20 hit, Tonight She Comes.
The Cars' sixth and final "classic" album, Door to Door, was issued in 1987. The record is notable for being the last with all five members intact, and with the 13th and final top-40 hit for the Cars, You Are The Girl, #2 in the US in 1988.
For the next two and a half decades, there were only Greatest Hits packages issued. Sadly, Benjamin Orr passed away as as result of pancriatic cancer in October of 2000. Ocasek recorded the tribute song, Silver on his 2005 solo album Nexterday as a tribute.
The Cars reunited as a quarted in 2010 to make the album Move Like This - their first in about 25 years. The album had Greg Hawkes play Orr's bass parts on a keyboard (akin to Ray Manzerak of The Doors), and in the liner notes, the band wrote "Ben, your spirit was with us on this one."
The Cars also toured as a quartet. It was a short-lived, 30-date, tour. 2018 was the year they were inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.
Do they deserve more attention?
For many years, I've come to thinking that like Toto, The Cars deserve more attention and recognition than they got. Their New Wave music is unique and it's New Wave like no one else can make it. While Benjamin Orr also releaed a few solo albums, they cannot compare to anything The Cars made together as a band.
On a final note, perhaps the most unusual thing about The Cars, is that they never released a live album in their career. Many acts of their day usually recorded live albums as a "bridge" between studio albums to buy more time to carve another album that builds on the success of the previous album. Suprisingly, considering the lag between Shake it Up and Heartbeat City, or even following Door to Door, in my opinion they should have released at least a live greatest hits recording of various tours tops throughout their career.
And so ladies and gentlemen, it only seems right to pay respect to Ric and this legendary band. I'm a long-time fan of them and was disappointed that in my lifetime, I never had the pleasure to see them. Even in their 2010-11 tour, they did not stop at my location.
Before The Cars, there was Milkwood
Ric Ocasek, born in Baltimore on March 23, 1944 (sources have long varired on this and a DJ at my local classic rock station announced his 60th birthday in March of 2009, which led me to believe Ocasek was younger). At 16, Ocasek's father got a job as a Systems Analyst at NASA's research center in Cleveland, Ohio, and so the family was forced to relocated. Ocasek graduated from Maple Heights High School in the class of 1963, and two years later, he was invited to a show by his friend turned bandmate, Benjamin Orr who was heading a band called the Grasshoppers. on the Big 5 variety show. Ocasek was amazed at the talent he saw and longed to be on Orr's team. In the late 60s, the two were in several short-lived Columbus and Detroit area bands before relocating to Boston in the early 70s.
In Boston they formed a short-lived folk-rock band called Milkwood in the form of CSNY. They issued one record in 1973, How's the Weather on Paramound Records. Unfortunately, How's The Weather failed to chart and so their contract was ended by 1974. Future Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes contributed saxophone solos on this record.
Then Come Richard and the Rabbits
Retaining Hawkes, Ocasek started a new band with Orr, Richard and the Rabbits - the name a suggestion from Modern Lovers singer Jonathan Richards (Modern Lovers then being home to Cars future drummer and namer, David Robinson). Hawkes eventually left them for Martin Mull and His Furniture, a musical comeday band headed by multi-instrumentalist Martin Mull. Ocasek and Orr then became an acoustic, slightly folky duo a la Simon and Garfunkel going by the name Ocasek and Orr. While they were short-lived, some of their songs were reworked into the early songs of The Cars
Cap'N'Swing
It was here that Elliot Easton placed an ad for a few members for his new band, Cap'N'Swing featuring drummer Glen Evans. A jazz-rock band, Evans was soon to be replaced by Kevin Robichaud. The band featured a jazzy bass player that didn't go well with Orr, so Orr only sang lead vocals while Ocasek was on rhythm guitar and backing vocals.
During this time, the band got the attention of notorious Boston area DJ Maxann Saroi who, on her show at WBCN, began playing their demo tape. After trying for several record labels, Ocassek and Orr fired both Robichaud and the bass player. David Robinson was suggested by Jonathan Richardson and Orr decided to pick up the bass guitar and Hawkes was called back in. The name The Cars, as previously mentioned, was Robinson's idea. Being a fashionista he liked the idea of cars being so "manly." Below is a picture of their long-term lineup of Ocasek, Orr, Easton, Hawkes, and Robinson from the mid 80s.
The early years
Their first gig was a New Year's Eve show in 1976 at the New Hampshire Pease Air Force Base. Thereafter, they spent the first quarter of 1977 playing at New England clubs. It was here that one of their signature songs, the Orr-sung Just What I Needed was getting played at WBCN and WBOZ with many still having no idea of the band's existense. Thanks to this extensive airplay, the band got a deal with Elektra Records.
They released their self-titled debut in 1978 featuring "Just What I Needed" as its lead single. Other singles from the record were the rockability-inspired My Best Friend's Girl with Ocasek taking on a raspy, Elvis-like vocal not to mention Easton's incredible guitar solo, and Good Times Roll. Other non-singles that got attention were You're All I've Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love, and Moving in Stereo - played often together with the closer, All Mixed Up on classic rock radio nowadays. The way Orr said "You look so fancy I can tell," led me to believe, at the time, that The Cars were Brits.
Who's the girl on the cover below? Natalya Medvedeva, a Russian model and singer. This is the one and only cover not designed by Robinson, as he had already designed the cover, but it was too expensive and bizzare.
Their second record, Candy-O, released in 1979, featured yet another Rockability-inspired song, as well the Orr-sung singles Let's Go and I'ts All I Can Do, as well as Ocasek's Dangerous Type.
Their 1980 album, Panorama, did not really garner as much attention as the first two did. In fact, the only single from the album is Touch and Go. Personally, it's my least favorite.
Into the 80s
The dip with Panorama was not the beginning of the end. In 1981, the band came back with Shake it Up, which was thought by many to be "Panorama done better." The title track has become yet another one of their signature songs and is actually the one that made this blogger a fan! Other singles included the Talking Heads-like Since You're Gone and the ballad I'm Not the One - all sung by Ocasek.
After a break, The Cars came out with Heartbeat City in 1984. The album featured You Might Think, the melancholy Orr-sung Drive (good title for a song considering the band's name, but joking aside folks, it was used as a montage for the Ethopian famine showed during the London show of Live Aid in 1985). Despite this, it became the Cars' highest charting songs, maxing out at #3 in the US, and after LIve Aid, #4 in the UK. The song was also partially played at Orr's funeral in 2001.
Other singles from Heartbeat City were the not-so-performing title track, Magic, Hello Again, and finally, Why Can't I Have You in 1985. The Cars also issued an expanded greatest hits package in 1985 featuring the top-20 hit, Tonight She Comes.
The Cars' sixth and final "classic" album, Door to Door, was issued in 1987. The record is notable for being the last with all five members intact, and with the 13th and final top-40 hit for the Cars, You Are The Girl, #2 in the US in 1988.
For the next two and a half decades, there were only Greatest Hits packages issued. Sadly, Benjamin Orr passed away as as result of pancriatic cancer in October of 2000. Ocasek recorded the tribute song, Silver on his 2005 solo album Nexterday as a tribute.
The Cars reunited as a quarted in 2010 to make the album Move Like This - their first in about 25 years. The album had Greg Hawkes play Orr's bass parts on a keyboard (akin to Ray Manzerak of The Doors), and in the liner notes, the band wrote "Ben, your spirit was with us on this one."
The Cars also toured as a quartet. It was a short-lived, 30-date, tour. 2018 was the year they were inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.
Do they deserve more attention?
For many years, I've come to thinking that like Toto, The Cars deserve more attention and recognition than they got. Their New Wave music is unique and it's New Wave like no one else can make it. While Benjamin Orr also releaed a few solo albums, they cannot compare to anything The Cars made together as a band.
On a final note, perhaps the most unusual thing about The Cars, is that they never released a live album in their career. Many acts of their day usually recorded live albums as a "bridge" between studio albums to buy more time to carve another album that builds on the success of the previous album. Suprisingly, considering the lag between Shake it Up and Heartbeat City, or even following Door to Door, in my opinion they should have released at least a live greatest hits recording of various tours tops throughout their career.
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