QUIRKY Rock Band’s HIT was SO FAR Ahead of its TIME, They Started the 80s in 1978!-Professor of Rock
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2023
- Skinny ties and mullets… A quirky band named the Cars with two singers (Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr) who split the difference between rock and new wave and power pop. They sabotaged radio with their 1978 song that seemed to start the 80s off two years early. Just What I Need became the ultimate Singalong classic. The character in the song is a little unhinged but the chorus is so catchy and relatable it was tailor-made for ad campaigns that would follow for decades after… The story of a song that opened the floodgates for a band every social circle loved but didn’t sound like anybody else… Next on Professor of Rock.
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#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #thecars
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The late Ric Ocasek, was such an interesting cat- starting with his gangly, yet charismatic appearance, and his unusual countenance.
We’re all still reeling from his untimely death in 2019.
He had a New Wave haircut that was one of the original mullets...before the style was even called a “mullet." with his quirky and stylish shades as well Ocasek’s songwriting was just as unique as his physical appearance.
He had a quirky style that mixed 60s pop simplicity, with provocative curve balls, and a heady turn of phrase. The Ocasek eccentricity was on display right out of the chute on The Cars debut single “Just What I Needed.”
“Just What I Needed” was heavily influenced by two songs that Ocasek loved from the 60s, and those two songs couldn’t have been more different. The intro of “Just What I Needed” was actually inspired by the #1 bubble Gum hit “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy” by an assemblage of studio musicians that labeled themselves The Ohio Express.
You can definitely hear the melodic similarities of the intro on the Ohio Express tune, and on the opening riff of The Cars classic.
It’s OK to compare the two. Ocasek was very honest about lifting the intro of “Yummy Yummy Yummy” because he found the song to be deliciously infectious, as did everyone else who heard it on AM radio.
The 2nd song that played a major part in the stylings of “Just What I Needed” was “Sister Ray” by the Velvet Underground- the legendary avant-garde rock quartet from New York City that was one of Ocasek’s favorite bands: “Sister Ray” closes side two of The Velvet Underground’s momentous 1968 album White Light/ White Heat.
The lyrics were written by lead singer Lou Reed. He built the song’s narrative around a story he wrote about debauchery and decay. Reed liked to refer to the “Sister Ray” character the song is named after as a “transvestite smack dealer.” Ocasek was fascinated by Lou Reed's edgy eccentricity, and borrowed Reed’s “time time” repeat and found a place for it in “Just What I Needed”
The Cars were formed in Boston in 1976 after Ocasek abandoned some earlier projects that - Розваги
Poll: What is your pick for the greatest DEBUT song by an up and coming band?
Take On Me by A-ha and the awesome video.
The video has nearly 2 billion views in 2023.
I Can't Explain, by The Who was a blastoff point, and followed up by My Generation (maybe the first punk song), they were on their way.
Welcome To The Jungle by Guns and Roses.
"Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus
Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin
The Cars first album is basically a greatest hits album. Benjamin Orr is so vastly underrated as a vocalist and frontman.
Strange but wicked bass player, too.
Ben and Ric were both skilled frontmen!
I was going to comment this exact same thing.
It's so refreshing to not see the usual people getting bent out of shape at the mere mention of anyone being underrated. I absolutely agree by the way. He is sadly underrated.
This guy has a video that says just that.
For 20 years Rick Ocasek lived just down the street from me (19th Street in Gramercy Park). His look made it so everyone recognized him and he still just walked around the neighborhood. Always polite to fans who stopped him and friendly to the neighbors. A true gentleman as well as a rock legend.
@MitchellDowns A block away from the old NYPD Academy. I saw him once on 3rd Avenue, getting into a taxi.
Good old Rick, such a nice guy he left his wife out of his will after she took care of him the last years of his life! BTW she sued in court and won....what a psycho thing to do....
People who dont like him call him OhCarSick
I met Ric at a restaurant called Canastelles at 20th & Park av back in '94. He and his wife were very pleasant with us. And me being a Cars fan recognized him right away. I have to be honest, I am saddened not only by his passing, but also by the stories I have heard about the couple's bitter breakup.
@@trailerparkcryptoking5213 Porizkova and Ocasek had already been separated and in the process of a divorce. You're spreading misinformation.
Cars music still sounds just as good today as it did in the 70's. Its truly timeless.
So lucky to have this band and many others in my teenage years! Truly the golden years of rock and roll!
No kidding, that other song he played that was “#1” at the time…I’ve never even heard it. No offense to those two ladies, I’m sure it was popular at the time. But no lasting appeal.
These guys were pioneers. They managed to cross new wave and hard rock. No one has done it better. Legends.
As a band and as individual musicians, The Cars are soooo underrated and all too often forgotten when music of that era is discussed. My opinion is that they were so unique and refreshing that they can't be lumped in with others. Truly a wonderful band!
...so this is why 80s music sucked in general.
A couple years ago, Greg Hawkes played ukulele on a YT video. It was really cool to hear. He even plays some Cars songs on uke!
They definitely haven’t been forgotten with most people I know. I still hear their songs on the radio and they still get name-checked by a lot of newer bands.
The Cars are in the HOF and many deserving bands are not.
@@jamesdelap4085 That’s because the R&RHoF is a joke. That place wouldn’t know real rock and roll if it burned down their house. It’s just a place where scuzzbag industry types can gather to jerk off each other’s egos at $10K a seat. They are *NOT* a true validator of anything.
Born in October of 63, The Cars were a big part of my youth. Loved them then and I still love them now ❣️❣️❣️💗❤️💜💕💐🌺🌹🎵😍🥰
Incredible overview of a great band from my formative years. I really enjoyed it. Thank you
And a true story here. I was in college at the time in Maryland and I worked in a medical lab drawing blood. A lady came in for some bloodwork. We were talking music and she said “my son’s in a band!” I said cool what band? She said “The Cars…he’s their keyboard player!” Talk about being shocked. It was a pretty cool moment and she was such a fun gracious lady!!
Every Elliot Easton solo is a mini masterpiece
Elliot Easton was also the king of 2-bar solos. I couldn't figure out how both he AND Robinson were able to fit both mini guitar solos AND tomtom drum fills into the same places! Damn!
Candy-O’s solo is unreal.
@@danherak2978The entire song is. Orr goes somewhere dark for the the vocal track. It's one of his greatest vocal performances. The song is great from start to finish.
@@fivestring65ifyNo argument here. It is my favorite song by them.
Easton is my favorite guitarist. Every solo is perfectly constructed and his rhythm work is amazing. Twangy country lick in this new wave song? Sure. Why not!
12 days? 12 DAYS?! That entire album is technical perfection. That it was recorded so quickly is amazing. That is a band who went in prepared.
I thought the exact same thing!
They had been playing these songs in clubs for quite sometime and one of the songs on the LP had a version of it on You Tube from their predecessor group. I will try and look that up
ua-cam.com/video/XG98jRi6H-M/v-deo.html
That group was Cap'n Swing
Most of the best albums were recorded in a hot flash. Strike while the iron is hot… hit the ‘record’ button on the first take… catch lightning in a bottle. The big mistake so many bands make is that they spend way too much time in the studio pursuing perfection, and they forget all about inspiration. The first Cars album is a classic example of what happens when you just go for it while you’re feeling it.
My older sister took me to see them at alpine valley in 1984 just before I left to join the army. Rick stepped up to the mic and said "we're the cars". Nothing else was said the entire concert - just 90 minutes of musical perfection. They were awesome in concert, still one of my favorite bands, and now one of my 14 year old daughters also.
That's interesting. I saw them on that same tour. They did indeed never say another word. Never interacted with the audience, actually never moved while onstage. As someone who had already seen Dio, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions shows, among others, actual performances wrapped in theatrics, call and response, solos, etc, I found their show to be downright boring. Could have stayed home and played their records at home. Well, to each his own. At least Wang Chung was entertaining.
Saw that show, right after I got out of the military
That was by design, The CARS knew exactly what they were doing. Cool, clever, catchy, none of the pomp & circumstance of their time. Not that that's a bad thing, it just wasn't what they were about.😀
Ah, Alpine Valley. Never went to a concert there, but so many found memories of skiing.
@@TheHomelessDreamer I never saw them in concert but everyone I've met who did say you'd get the same effect listening to the album with friends while looking at the album cover, 😂
I had forgotten that The Cars lead the New Wave “wave” by 3-4 years. You’d swear that JWIN was an early 80’s song. And the way they crossed over into just about every musical style of their era. Everybody loved The Cars. Just another testament of how great they were. Genius is always ahead of its time.
the cars "laid down" so many great songs...and videos (like van halen, n the who).
headliners in concerts, n regulars, round the clock, on MTV.
I dunno. To me and to many others, that song really encapsulates the late 70’s. I mean yes, it obviously foreshadowed the early 80’s, but so did more than a few other new wave bands right around that exact same time. DEVO, B-52’s, Elvis Costello, Blondie, etc. What set the Cars apart from other similar bands was the way they seamlessly bridged the genre gaps. People still argue about how they should be categorized (which to me is silly and pointless, but people love to argue about these things). Were they ‘new wave’? Were they power pop? Were they just plain old rock? On and on and on. I’m of the opinion that they were all of those things.
I was in 6th grade when their debut album came out, Then I was a senior and everybody was still playing it. I mean everybody, the stoners, jocks, the metal heads, the country people. Nobody objected when they were on at a party, or playing on a car stereo.
The New Wave started in 1974. The Cars were part of a wave of bands that were as innovative as they were, and like them shared a deep appreciation for the Velvet Underground. Listen to Devo’s cover of Satisfaction, Television, the Modern Lovers, Pere Ubu, and many others.
@@joemagarac405 Just out of curiosity, why 1974? I mean I know that Television started out that year (as did the Ramones and Blondie), but none of those bands had any released recordings until ‘76. I know it’s probably just splitting hairs, but I’ve always thought that ‘76 was the birth year for new wave, and then ‘77 was when it really kicked in to high gear. However I couldn’t agree more that it all had it’s roots in what the Velvet Underground was doing in the mid to late 60’s, along with a few other ‘ahead of the curve’ bands, like The Stooges, MC5, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, and dare I say it… The Doors.
This is true, the Cars were 80’s in the 70’s, the artists went back to tie and jackets, rhythm guitars and keyboards. Just What I needed was crisp and lyrically mature. It was fresh on 78 and still is today. Thanks Adam.
The Cars' debut is certainly in the discussion for being the best debut album ever. In that time, The Cars were a much needed breath of fresh air. I'm primarily a prog rock/hard rock fan, but The Cars' debut is still a regular listen for me. Still fresh, still fascinating.
RIP Ric Ocasik and Ben Orr
The same as right now. We need a band like this NOW. Don't you think?
Sadly bruh, them days are gone forever
yeah, they were great
I think someone with an even more unique sounding debut album was Tori Amos' "Little Earthquakes" It didn't have the hits like The Cars' debut but I think it's right up there.
I’m a new wave fanatic, and The Cars were truly one of the very best bands ever and they ignited new wave post punk in the U. S. - such a volcano of talent in that band. Orr had such a gorgeous voice and handsome face, Ocasek wrote true gems, Easton’s great guitar, awesome keyboard work, drums - all of it. That debut album is just phenomenal.
Absolutely blown away the 1st time I heard "Just what I needed". Everything about the song, the album and the band was intoxicating. One of my favorite bands of all time.
Tonight I learned I've apparently misheard a lyric: "I needed someone to feed." --That I heard correctly. But the next part I've always heard as "I needed someone to please." {rather than "bleed."}
Great word for much of the Cars' work. Intoxicating indeed, especially to a mid-teens girl with a love of rock ❤
"Drive" is definitely one of the defining songs of the early 80s. I loved it since I first heard it. It was often played at teen dances I went to. Now it's pure nostalgia.
Sorry to split hairs, but “Drive” was ‘84, so more like mid 80’s.
@@Shikta-poobah67Oh, I know you’re just the life of the party….
@@deanf7086 Your mom sure seemed to think so.
@@Shikta-poobah67 Oh I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize I was commenting to a child. Bless your heart 😘
@@deanf7086 Ok. 🥱
I always loved Orr's vocals. A little sad that we lost him so long ago.
Drive
You mean the hockey player Bobby Orr?
More than a little
@@randymillhouse791yep, that guy ... 🏒 no one knew he moonlighted as a singer
Greg Hawkes keyboard infusion is criminally underrated... He added the extra layer of sound that helped usher in the new wave movement... Impossible to believe it didn't chart higher... Good one, PoR, been waiting for it!
Absolutely.
This stoic sci-fi wizard of the keys is really what set the Cars apart from so many other bands.
People always talk about Emerson, Wakeman, Lord, Banks, Wright, but I always think that Hawkes should be included on that list of innovative rock keyboard masters.
You should press charges
He was a very underrated player!
@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
please stop with the sloppy use of that term. I'm an educator and it hurts my ears. Thanks
When the Cars came out, I was only into hard rock, but the Cars really made me appreciate other genres of music. I still have a few Cars songs in my playlist.
I remember putting a skinny leather tie over my Led Zeppelin tee shirt, lol, I hear ya
What are your favorites?
The cars toured with hard rock bands, and it made sense. I saw them with Styx on their Grand Illusion tour.
@@Reardonsteel236 that would be a great show! Grand Illusion is my favorite Styx album they really defined their sound on that one
The Cars first album was a sound no one had heard before. So new and original. Was a junior in HS in 1978 and it blew me away upon first hearing. My reaction always reminded me of how people described how they felt the first time they heard Sgt Pepper.
I’m the same age and that’s exactly how it hit me. Well said
I've always loved the Cars, their music always stood out as different, catchy, and not just insipid pop. I have always felt their sound had a throw back feel, but I've never been able to put my finger on it. Really glad I watched this as it has brought light onto the Cars influences and where their sound came from.
I agree my dad commuted with some one that had the cassette in the car ! dad brought it home and walked straight to the stereo and told my mother and I to listen to it by the weekend we had the LP in our hands IMO Candy O is their swansong 😊
@@hanskloss1331 cool story - how old were you?
@@ksrmk sophomore in highschool Valley Falls Kansas and honestly my mother still has that well LOVED lp
They definitely belonged in the Hall of Fame.
The Cars debut album is one of those rare perfect albums that appeared to drop out of nowhere and changed everything thereafter. I would also add that the album cover itself is a brilliant work of art.
The cover art is iconic.
The cover art is a Patrick Nagel painting come to life.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 - They hated the cover. The girl, a Russian model, I believe basically just sat in front of some lights and held that steering wheel up to her face. She was never sitting in any actual car for that photo shoot. Originally, they were supposed to use a collage of different auto-related photos for the cover, but then the label (I think) thought it was a bit too "S&M", so they used the pic of the model instead. The collage ended up going on the paper sleeve that held the record.
@@justaskin8523Yep. That’s pretty much exactly how I remember reading about it in an interview with Elliot Easton years ago. Personally I never thought that album cover was anything special. What’s actually ‘iconic’ is the music inside. The album cover itself is just kind of… there. As far as album covers go, I’ve always been a much bigger fan of the 2nd album (Candy-O) cover art. To me, that one actually is ‘iconic’.
Ric Ocasic and Benjamin Orr were musical genius. They started out with the easy feel good songs and the went to such great songs as Moving in Stereo. Been a big fan since the beginning
Moving in Stereo is a classic!
One of my favorite groups and definitely a part of the soundtrack of my life. Orr was a beautiful man with a fabulous voice. Ocasek was a brilliant lyricist. The whole band was pretty frigging magical!
Elliot Easton’s solos crystallised more musicanship in 29 seconds as most guitarists in their whole lifetime
Hi I am not exaggerating when I say 'All Mixed Up' is one the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever.
I agree 1000%
The Moving In Stereo/All Mixed Up song tandem is beyond brilliant. I remember figuring out the main riff/melody to Moving In Stereo on guitar when I was 16 or 17 and impressing myself - lol So simple yet so awesome.
Those three songs (including Bye Bye Love) all are one continuous song really, making it my favorite song of theirs. 😀
@@dmitryowens "Shoo-Be-Do" into "Candy-O" is another great song tandem by The Cars.
@@mournblade1066
Not close IMO - Shoo-Be-Doo is barely even a song.
Just What I Needed Live Aid version in Philadelphia is spectacular. Truly epic. The use of Drive at Wembley to soundtrack footage from Ethiopia was very moving and had many in the crowd in tears. RIP Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr.
They were amazing.❤
Yes they were. I was there as well !!
That was the most emotional part of Live Aid.
thank you , such great memories -
we just watched that a few months ago
here on UA-cam
for the first time since it was on mTv -
none of us in Vegas
we couldn't go to it
but we all shared time together
we were just starting high school
one of our friends uncle recorded all of it VHS 📼 tapes
most weekends it played whole time
the big pioneer stereo system
They did a great job at Live Aid. It's just a shame that there was so much corruption in the handling of all the donations. So little actually went to the people who needed it. So it turns out that the music actually DID overshadow the original philanthropic event. For shame.
Heard them in 1978 on their debut album. They were part of the whole transition of music along with Blondie, Lene Lovich , Elvis Costello and so many others. Nothing but wonderful memories. When I hear “Let’s Go “. I am forever reminded of driving up to college in ‘79.
"dangerous type", very good song. letters to cleo's cover, rocks.
@@driver4011 - Oh for sure. I love the opening bass and drum part to Dangerous Type.
Gary Newman let's not forget.
@@xpchbum2937You mean Numan? There’s actually a very long list of bands from that era one could type out. It’s all down to one’s personal preference and/or memories. Those just happen to be the OP’s memories.
@@xpchbum2937 Nine Inch Nails were heavily inspired by him. In an odd twist, years later Gary admitted to being inspired by NIN and it showed in his songs!
I love the Cars. They crossed all genres in the 80s. And I had such respect for Ric Ocasek. Despite all the trends in the 80s and all the conformity that the record labels tried to force on the artists, he had his look his style, and he stayed true to it throughout. Much respect.
❤
Love the Cars!
Band that couldn't be stuffed into one particular group.
RIP Ric Ocasek
RIP Benjamin Orr
Have a great Tuesday Professor.
They were innovators!
The story of The Cars should be turned into a movie. A kid moved to Cleveland from Maryland who then met a local teenage kid show band leader. They moved to Columbus with no luck and then to Boston with a CSN&Y sound. Set back after set back they kept trying until they met other musicians and became The Cars.
A movie about them could never happen.They were very low key guys. There was no hard partying, groupies, or trashed hotel rooms, with them. Benjamin Orr in particular was adamant about keeping his private/ personal lives separate. They were just classy that way, they never aired anything in public. In August of 2000, knowing that Ben did not have much time left they sat for a final interview to reminisce and discuss their music. It was really touching and refreshing to hear these intelligent men speak, putting their differences aside for the moment. I especially respect Ben who faced his situation with courage and dignity. It is posted on YT. Watch and you’ll see what I mean.
I know I would watch that.
@@April-pw5ub - Yep, I DID see that movie...well, interview. The interviewer asks Ben some stupid question like "So how does it feel being the s3xiest guy in the group?" Ben, who's already lost a lot of weight from the chemo and/or his illness, looks at the interviewer and says something like, "I don't know about s3xiest...more like I'm the randy one." Classy response.
And Ocasek’s Adam’s apple should have its own Grammy.
In the middle of the Venezuelan Andes, the tiny city of Merida I was walking home when suddenly from a new record shop that had so few records that they hanged their stock on the wall, I saw that LP cover of a beautiful girl grabbing a steering wheel and the name The Cars. Merida had only 3 AM radio stations in those days (1980) that put only Guaracha, Cumbia, Salsa and Merengue nothing of Rock and I was one of the very few who heard and liked Rock and I was nicknamed Peter Rock. I said to myself that if the music wasn't nice at least I'd have a poster of a beautiful girl to hang on my wall. Everything changed when I heard the record, so superb songs. I identified with the music and the lyrics, it wasn't disco and it wasn't Rock it was much better. Thank you Professor of Rock for this video of The Cars and thanks to Rick, Benjamin and the other members of the band for letting us enjoy such a marvellous master piece your music was.
I'll never forget when they played this song on MTV's "Sifl & Olly Show". They would normally end the show by making up their own song, but for one episode, they were driving, and so they just decided to play whatever they found on the radio. It ended up being this song.
Elliot Easton...one of my favourite guitarists. His solos never overshadowed the song but complimented and lifted them wonderfully, whilst often being slightly quirky , but always melodic.. Touch and Go solo...a perfect example. Remember first hearing Best Friend's Girl at a mate's house; he'd bought the picture disc copy of the single. Maybe worth some money now? Greetings Adam, from across the Pond. Another great music vid.
And he's a lefty.
He’s one of my favorites as well. Great musician.
I'm still fuming that Rolling Stone released a new list of the 250 greatest guitarists... and they left him off it yet again.
Dangerous Type has such great guitar work in it.
His solo works are really great as well. Guess I should have said his Solo Albums including Change No Change, The Tiki Gods, and The Empty Hearts.
As a singer myself, I wake up at noon and start every day with the Professor of Rock....Adam always entertains, inspires, and educates....I love seeing him live HIS dreams
You are absolutely correct!
In the early 80's, I was walking out of the infamous Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood & see Ric Ocasek, who's very tall, of The Cars in the parking lot. I happen to have the Candy-O button on my jacket (buttons were really big in the 80's) & took it off & said "This is for you." He was so grateful he gave me his button from The Cars latest album "Panorama." One of my friends saw this and said "Wow Ric Ocasek just gave you his button." So I spontaneously gave it to my friend & looked back @ Ric who was a bit taken back, & said: "I'd just lose it! Dude never will." I remember I was so proud of my material detachment at the time. Fond memories...
Graduated in 1986, the cars were loved and appreciated by every group in school. Always fun times
They are in my top 5 bands of all time.
Mine too.
Same.
The only band I love more is Rush. But The Cars are pretty much my Beatles.
The CARS were definitely a HUGE part of the soundtrack of my teenage years !! they are missed by me and many many others!! I STILL BLAST THEIR SONGS !! Elliot Easton was a genius, Ben had the voice and Ric was also genius with his songwriting !! The drumming was fantastic and the keyboards were very cool !! What a group !!
Benjamin Orr is buried out in the middle of nowhere country in ohio. Ironically he is buried right across the street from Thompson Raceway Park. A 1/4 mi drag race track. How cool is that? We pay him a visit everytime we go to watch the drag racing. His gravesite is sprinkled with doo-dads from his adoring fans.
I was a chauffeur for rock bands in the 70's and 80's. My favourite memory? The Cars.
Hanging out with the band and Rick said, "You haven't even asked us for an autograph or anything, is there something you'd like?"
I replied, "Can I ask you a question?"
"Do you dress like that at home.?"
Rick looked at what he was wearing and replied, "Everything but the belt "
Best group of guys I ever had the privilege to drive. ♥️
Love Melissa (does your manager still have the briefcase?)
I saw Benjamin Orr’s free concert at Boston’s South Station in 95. I stumbled on it with my friend and stayed until the end. It was a great unexpected experience.
The cars did invent the 80s musically. Many 80s bands chased their innovation, few ever caught up.
name one band that did catch up..... I can't
Gary Numan too.
Flock of Seagulls?............. Just kidding!😁
You can put talking heads and joy division in there as well.
@@SonicifyouwanitYeah, people are really overlooking a *LOT* of bands here.
Thank you Roy Thomas Baker and crew for your creativity and innovation in making THE BEST sound🙏
I had a roomate from Chelmsford Massachusetts who introduced me to the Cars. He told me the Cars were from Carlisle Massachusetts - a suburb of Boston. The band name “The Cars” is a play on Carlisle. I worked on the stage of a Cars concert in Milwaukee Feb 1982 and foolishly declined the ear protection offered. My hearing was never quite to same, but it was a great experience. Good memories, Good time roll.
Who else had a huge crush on Benjamin Orr? Especially after the “Drive” video ❤ love this band.
Thanks for watching!
He was very suave.
Yes! So far ahead of the game. I remember it was difficult early on for them to get airplay... Were they pop, rock, punk?? Nobody could define them. Funny that they defined a generation of music. Thanks Prof.
It makes sense, since people didn’t widely use the term “new wave” in 1978.
The Cars weren’t exactly ANY of the current genres. They made their OWN genre!
It’s sad to me that people are so hung up on labels and categories, or ‘genres’ or whatever. Jesus, just enjoy the damn music and quit worrying about which box it goes in. It’s never been an issue for me. I don’t know, maybe I’m an anomaly. All I know is that The Cars blurred those lines better than most, and for that reason they confused a lot of people. People still loved ‘em anyway, and I mean people from all different backgrounds. I was a hard rocker transitioning into punk at the time, and the Cars were neither of those things but I loved them anyway. Still do… at least those first two albums.
There are a few bands that I remember that made an immediate impact as soon as their album came out, one was Boston, and the second was The Cars. Oddly, they’re both from Boston. You could probably add in Van Halen to that mix as a very close third. You were just blown away by the entire album and the sound, and you knew immediately who they were. To this day, Drive, still reminds me of my high school girlfriend.
Actually Ben and Ric were originally from Cleveland, OH area. Didn’t move to Boston until the early ‘70’s.
The Solo on Touch and Go is perfection. 🎸
👍🙂The Cars gave us "just what we needed", JUST when we needed it!
The iconic Cars album was fantastic from start to finish. Glad they were inducted to the RRHOF before Ric left us. Thx, Adam!
At least Ric was able to celebrate.
As a little kid, this is the first song I distinctly remember thinking “that’s my favorite song”. One of my classmates’ brother had it on cassette, and I remember being blown away that you could actually buy music you heard on the radio.
I play them everyday still. I love Cruiser, Candy O, Stranger Eyes, & many more. Hands down the best crossover band ever! I can’t get enough of the 🚘
It's just amazing that The Cars never had a #1 hit, especially with the song "Drive" which for me is as good as music gets. At any other time that's easily a #1 smash, but it was released in the summer of 1984, one of the greatest years for music in history.
RIP Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr
They were TOO good for #1.
That’s a wild injustice if I ever saw one. They deserved all the #1 hits in the world.
Username checks out.
1984 was “one of the greatest years for music in history”???
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
😳
@@Shikta-poobah67name a better one, salty
I can’t get enough of The Car’s! When I was in high school, I became best friends with an exchange student from Denmark. She invited me to come stay with her and her family in the summer before my senior year (1993). I know that in the early 90’s The Cars weren’t at their peak but that didn’t matter to me. I was in love with their music and thought Orr was, and still do, an amazing artist with a voice to match! I remember I brought my Sony Walkman and the Car’s Greatest Hits album on cassette. It’s all I played.. I mean all I played! 😂 I still can’t get sick of listening to them!
Did she know any songs by them?
If she didn’t, then after I left she did 😜no, but I pretty much wore my headphones so I could play it really loud without disturbing anyone
The Cars first album came out when I was a sophomore in highschool. I grew up in a small mining town in Arizona, and there wasnt alot to do. I remember me and my buddies burning this album out, playing it hundreds of times the summer after it came out. We used to play "air keyboards" to " Let the goodtimes roll". Later, as a young adult, I took my new girlfriend at the time, a very pretty and popular girl, to A Cars concert in Phoenix AZ, in 1985. She was very impressed, and well, let's just say, things went well for me after the concert!😂
Later, when I was in my late twenties, me and my buddies went to a famous cycling race in the famous mining town of Bisbee AZ. There were thousands of people attending. I remember one of my buddies running up to us and shouting, "I just saw Ric Ocasek and Paulina Poriskova walking down the street!". We all took off running, as we were all fans of Paulina, my favorite Sports Illustrated swimsuit model of all time, and cause we were also huge Cars fans. Sure enough, we spotted the super tall Ocasek in the crowd, and managed to get really close, to checkout Paulina! We couldn't believe our great luck! That is a day I will always remember!
Just What I Needed started me on a wondrous journey of loving The Cars. My wife and I wore out a cassette of Candy O in our ‘77 Camaro on our first road after we were married. R.I.P. Benjamin, Rick and my beautiful wife Rhonda.
Such an underrated band!! The Cars are in my top 5 bands for sure!! I still play them loud and proud!!!
My favourite band to listen to on headphones as well!!
Love it!
Me too!
The Cars debut album is a "must have " in my collection. 😊
My favorite line is "I don't mind you coming here/ wasting all my time."
Yes! So perfect. What's your favorite track?
@@ProfessorofRock My Best Friend's Girl and Just What I Needed.
'Cause when you're standin' oh so near, I kinda lose my mind.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 😊 That another good line 👏
The production values on "Just What I Needed" are amazing. There so much happening in the mix. I reckon it's an absolute masterpiece.
Those songs still hold up today. Everybody loves them.
Like classic cars.
Such a fun band! Saw them summer of ‘79!! They were amazing!🤘🔥
Where at?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Oklahoma City
I was a musician who graduated in 1980, so you can imagine just how much they influenced me. What I do remember from their arrival on the scene was some of the guys I knew labeling them as a synth band, my response being “really? There are two guitars, and have you listened to those soloes?!”
Yep, a lot of people will hear some bleeps and bloops and to them it's all synth. Not a slam on Greg Hawkes of course. He was great, plus he's a multi-instrumentalist who can also play guitar, bass, sax, piano, ukulele, and gobs of other instruments.
You were listening to them as a whole. They seemed new wavy to me, but then there were those killer Easton solos: Where did that come from?!!!
Being the youngest of 5 (All boys), most of my early introduction to music was from my older brothers. I was addicted to listening to music and reading album covers. From being completely petrified of certain album covers (Billy Joel's "Stranger" and Queen's "News Of the World), to having my hormones jump started by my parent's Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass "Whipped Cream" album...I couldn't get enough. Then, on my 13th Bday (1984), I received one of the greatest Birthday presents I ever...A boombox with detachable speakers. My one older brother took me to the record store in the mall to get buy my first cassette tape with money I received from my grandmother. That Tape was "Heartbeat City" by the Cars.
Their first album dropped when I was 16 years old, and I was so into them. I still love them to this day. It's hard to believe that Ric and Benjamin are gone.
I remember when The Cars were first played on BCN (GAWD I MISS THAT STATION) and they were just another great group out of the Boston area that we loved. Now I'm off to listen to their Greatest Hits album.
BCN was amazing, all my friends were listening to kiss 108. Not this girl 😊
'BCN > 'COZ > 'VBF
Up there with Boston as the best debut album of all time. JWIN is fantastic and All Mixed Up is a great deep cut!
I agree, for me Boston has the best debut album but on days I may pick The Cars.
Black Sabbath or Van Halen had the best debut albums, IMO. This is really close, though.
Right up there..!
All Mixed Up was a great song.
All Mixed Up is one of my favorite songs by The Cars.
I was so lucky to grow up in the 70’s and 80’s because of the FM Radio and my cassette player & recorder!
Ocasek such a gifted songwriter and the band were incredible arrangers. So precise like a Swiss watch, nothing random but still rocking af. One of the great American bands
What’s so odd about the Cars is that Rik and Ben sounded so different yet so similar - and each one was my favorite while they were singing their songs but I couldn’t decide just on question alone! That would make sense to NOBODY else but a POR fan.
That’s exactly what I think about their voices. Different but similar and I could never decide who’s voice was my favorite. I love their music as if it was still late 70s/80s
Exactly. Thanks Jim!
They were both quirky!
That's why I always think it's funny when fans say Ben is a superior singer: and yet those same fans often times couldn't tell the difference. Ben certainly had more technical prowess & range, but RIC was all about originality, mystery, and he had the “IT” factor. However, with this said, the reason for their similarities, as what Ric once said, they spent so much time together over the years. that similar vocal stylings of each other would come out naturally.
I always preferred Benjamin over Rick
12 days. Shock & awe over this jaw-dropping achievement. As I get older, I love The Cars more now than when I first heard them so long ago. Just another band out of Boston? Oh, HELL no. Not by a longshot! 😉 Adam, thank you for this!
The Cars were my soundtrack to adolescence. Their entire catalog takes me back to a better time and a better place.
During their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Greg Hawkes said, "And I'd also like to thank Kraftwerk and DEVO, just. . . because they're so good!"
He was right!
The Cars an all time favorite of mine. Never get tired of them.
I credit the Cars for getting me into the Velvet Underground. Thanks, Ben & Ric, for the wonderful time time!
All roads lead to the Velvets. I’ve had that conversation with more than a few people. With the VU it’s always a matter of degrees of separation, wherever influences are concerned. Definitely one of my longtime favorite bands.
Great album. "All Mixed Up" one of my all time favorite songs. Should have been played more on the radio.
I agree. That was such a musical trip, especially with Greg's sax solo.
The Cars are hands down my favorite band of all time.
What gets lost over the decades is the degree to which at the time The Cars represented a bold return to minimalism, a stripping down of rock to its core elements, without losing any edge. At least in this specific sense, they represented a parallel to punk, which blasted through the perceived excesses of baroque, self-involved rock music.
Well said. And that's why I didn't like them! And I was amazed how everyone else in school turned that corner immediately. And I was like - But ... but - what about FOGHAT?! I couldn't adjust. 8 /
I get what you’re saying. They represented the same ideals as punk, without being punk. I know that Ric at least was into punk. He’s discussed it in interviews and he has famously produced some punk (and post punk) albums, most notably the 2nd Bad Brains album.
I got into the Cars about a year before I got into punk. The back to basics simplicity of their music was definitely one of the factors that seasoned me for punk. I guess in some ways one could say that they were a ‘gateway’ band for me and for others.
First time I heard them I went straight away and bought the album. Went home and fell in love after the first 3rd tracks.
It was something so very familiar yet extremely new.
And yes , I bought every album they recorded. Never disappointed.
I still dig “moving in stereo”.
Great band.
One of the best bands ever. Fantastic musicians and incredible song writing by Ocasek
These guys got me through high school. I was buying their albums the day they were released. Candy-O was the first album I ever bought. I still have it and still spin it 44 years later. On their debut, it was Good Times Roll that hooked me. Thanks goes to my older brother for having that album. In my opinion, still one of the very best bands ever.
Me too and the opening song hooked me as well
Candy-O was great.
I got Candy-O as one of my graduation gifts. Later I bought the debut album with my own money. And my first year in college, I had transferred those two plus "Panorama" onto cassettes so I could listen in my dorm room. A couple years later, one of my roommates had one of the first commercially available CD players. It was a Phillips, I think, and it was about 4U or 5U thick Let the Good Times Roll, indeed.
Oh, and I also painted Vargas' Candy-O cover with acrylics on canvas. I don't think I ever finished her, and I don't know where she is to this day. There are those stacks of vinyl records I haven't opened in 40 years...maybe my dad slipped her into one of those boxes. I'll have to check one of these days.
I’ve always thought Candy-O was equally great as the first album. It’s really just a continuation in my opinion. Both of those albums kind of function as a whole as far as I’m concerned.
Growing up in the 70s and the 80s, I can't imagine what it would have been like without the music of The Cars. My mom and step-dad were big fans and so were their friends. I remember zooming around in my step-dad's boat, radio jamming to music, like The Cars. Great video on one of my favorite bands of all times!
Well done, sir. I'm glad you chose this song in particular. After a long two years of Saturday Night Fever's soundtrack, this was a godsend. Guess who won Best New Artist for 1978: Taste of Honey. Not The Cars, Toto, or Elvis Costello. That's when I learned about the illegitimacy of award shows--at 18.
Yeah, you're not wrong about award shows being illegitimate. I hear you.
Agreed about award events. You can also add the horrible so called “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” to the same pile. That place is a bad joke, and has never been about actual rock and roll. It’s just a place where music industry jerk-offs gather to fluff each other’s egos, while charging the friends and families of the bands they induct $10K per seat. People act like getting inducted into that dung-hut is some kind of ultimate validation. I don’t get it.
I met Ric Ocasek, used to see him around Gramercy. He was the most unassuming dude you would never know he was the leader of a legendary rock band. Apparently he was amazing to work with as a producer as well. RIP Ric
I've always held that 80s music began in '78 and ended in '88. Bands like The Cars just prove the point.
The 80s began on May 25, 1977, the opening day of Star Wars, and ended on August 6, 1988, the premier of Yo! MTV Raps
If 80’s music ended in ‘88, but Grunge didn’t hit until the end of ‘91, then what the hell was that 3 year period in between?
@@Shikta-poobah67 That was the Paula Abdul period. That's all we had to listen to.
@@michaelmalak Yeah, I suppose that’s about as good a name for it as anything. That was a dreadful time for music (and pop culture in general). I call it “the acid-wash era”. Really grim. Out of self-preservation I kind of withdrew into my little cocoon of oldies and 60’s surf music, and just laid low during that period.
The 70s and the 80s are just so distinct in the music that was produced. Bizarre how some were already ahead of the game with sound and timbre. Ric and the Cars are so iconic, and rather innovative!
I agree. Great way of saying it RC32!
VIVA the 70's
The Cars, Gary Numan, and OMD were making new wave songs ahead of the game in the late 70s!
Dear Professor, I never wanted this video to end! I love Th Cars and I remember when I first heard them -I knew that I had to start saving up my allowance for the album, not just buy the 45. I was right! This was one of the cassettes that I made where I would take it with me on my boom box and people would always ask me to turn it up! RIP Ocasek and Orr. We lost you too soon…
Great commentary on a truly great band. I always said that nobody else sounded like The Cars. As the years pass I keep hearing that same impression from many others. Every guy in that band carried his own weight and was a great musician and in the case of Ben, a terrific singer, and Ric , a great lyricist. RIP to those two men. Both missed, never forgotten. I was so lucky to have seen them live in 1984!
My all time favorite band. Love them. Orr was just dreamy. Haha. Love the song “Bye Bye Love”. Watch the live 1978 college concert, it’s the best, Orr is so intense (someone threw something at or towards him and pissed him off)
Ben Orr was definitely dreamy. I've watched that 1978 concert many times
The Cars first album is great from the first track to the last. Having Roy Thomas Baker as producer was brilliant.
As a fan of Queen starting in 1974, I was so surprised that when Baker moved on from producing them his next big project was The Cars. From the operatic and orchestral excesses of Freddie Mercury and Brian May to a stripped-down synthesizer sound of Ocasek, Orr, Hawkes , Easton and Robinson. But that would at least somewhat explain The Cars’ layered vocals Baker had mastered with Queen. Plus, Roger Taylor’s songs for the band always skewed toward new wave and punk metal.
@@poldidak I saw Queen live three times in the 70s. The Cars and Queen are two of my favorite groups.
I saw the Cars at the Rathskeller in Boston on a Friday night, and was amazed. They crushed it. On Saturday night, we saw them again, at the Orpheum. They used a bad booking agent - They were backing up Robin Trower. What a mismatch. Trower fans booed them. i was appalled. They were home town heroes, and I saw them almost a dozen times, each a fabulous show.
Elliot Easton did some board work for some friends of mine back in the day. What a great time to be in my young 20's. Kenmore Square was FILLED with promising bands, and The Cars led the pack from the opening riff.
When I played in a local pop rock band, our most requested song was a cover of Just What i Needed, and of course we segued into Best Friend's girl.
Long live The Cars Legacy. RIP Ric and Ben. Your music will never die.
Professor Rock is the Dean of the College of Rock and Roll Knowledge
I remember the very first time I heard The Cars on the radio. I was literally in awe, with a musical memory frozen in time with that intro guitar riff. It was a new sound totally unheard of before, and with those unique changes in keys, Ben's great voice fluctuating up and down, ( We all thought it was Ric, until the videos came out). I knew this was something special, even as a 7th grader. Then that short, fast, but infinitely memorable guitar lead of Elliot's sealed the deal, and I was hooked. These guys were it. Looking back, just as you closed in your video, it really was Just What I Needed. I still do.
Ric Ocasek's "This Side Of Paradise" album is the most 80's album in existence and its fantastic.
Also Ben Orr’s The Lace. A really good collection of well-crafted pop songs.
@@michaelrouthier8491 I agree. Both "This Side of Paradise" and "The Lace" are great. And believe it or not, so is their 2012 Cars album "Move Like This". Even though Ben had passed 12 years earlier, they still put out a great record. Hawkes played bass for some of the songs, and he also played the bass parts with some of his synths for other songs.
The Cars were just what we needed in the late 70's and 80's. Every track is worth listening to.
"Just What I Needed" by The Cars stands as a testament to the transformative power of music. Its infectious melody, synth-pop fusion, minimalistic production, and rebellious attitude made it a cornerstone of the New Wave movement. Ric Ocasek's influence on shaping the landscape of modern music, particularly within the New Wave genre, remains indelible, ensuring that his legacy lives on in the hearts of music enthusiasts around the globe.
The late 1970s marked a pivotal moment in the music industry, witnessing the emergence of a genre that would redefine musical boundaries and attitudes: New Wave. "Just What I Needed" was more than just a hit song; it was a musical phenomenon. Its infectious melody and memorable lyrics made it instantly appealing to a wide audience. The song's accessibility allowed it to transcend conventional genre boundaries, drawing in listeners from various musical backgrounds. The Cars masterfully blended rock elements with synthesizers, a defining characteristic of the New Wave genre. This fusion of traditional guitar-driven rock with electronic sounds was a testament to the band's innovative spirit. By incorporating synthesizers seamlessly into their music, The Cars helped pave the way for the synth-pop movement that would become synonymous with New Wave.
New Wave music often embraced minimalistic production styles, favoring clean and uncluttered arrangements. "Just What I Needed" epitomized this approach, focusing on essential musical elements without unnecessary embellishments. The song's simplicity allowed its core melodies and rhythms to shine, a hallmark of New Wave aesthetics.
New Wave was not just a musical genre; it was a cultural movement characterized by a rebellious and non-conformist attitude. In "Just What I Needed," lead vocalist Ric Ocasek's detached and effortlessly cool delivery embodied the spirit of New Wave. His vocal style, devoid of excessive emotion, resonated with listeners, reflecting the nonchalant yet defiant attitude that defined the era.
Unfortunately, the world of music suffered a profound loss with the passing of Ric Ocasek. Ocasek's innovative songwriting, distinct vocals, and visionary production techniques had a lasting impact on the music industry. His contribution to The Cars and the New Wave genre as a whole remains an enduring legacy, inspiring generations of musicians and listeners alike.
Elliot Easton is one of my favorite guitarists and Ben Orr is one of my favorite vocalists.
Elliot would create his solos, mostly “following the chords.” Just What I Needed, the solo follows the 3rd of each chord. You can whistle (or him) his solos; Amazing!
It's amazing how well the album holds up. I bought it soon after it came out, on vinyl natch, and I still play it regularly. It's meant to be played as an album to do it justice.
Summer of 79 my 15 year self, cashed my first paycheck, went and bought The Cars because of this song. Also bought Cheap Trick Live at Budokan. My first album purchases ever.
I grew up in the Boston area. I can still remember, at the age of 14, the first time I heard Just What I Needed on WCOZ. I have loved the song ever since. I play the drums, and have performed this song countless times, in multiple bands. I wish the Cars had created more albums.