The band recently posted a picture of them in the studio on their Facebook page, with the caption “Anyone in the mood for a reunion by The Cars?”
The photo shows bandmates Ric Ocasek, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson; bassist Benjamin Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.
It’s not clear what the band was doing in the studio; was it for some Cars work, a Ric Ocasek solo thing, or something else?
The original lineup of The Cars packed it in back in 1988, after a decade of hit-making. The Cars were hugely influential in their time: their polished 1978 debut set the mainstream tone for new wave’s arrival, with songs like “Just What I Needed,” “Good Times Roll” and “My Best Friend’s Girl.” It’s not hard to believe that a debut album can be a masterpiece – many bands have done it – and, even after all these years, The Cars’ first record remains the perfect blend of pop, punk, rock and new wave.
Just What I Needed - The Cars The Cars – Just What I Needed
The Midnight Special – 1978
‘79’s “Candy-O” furthered The Cars’ success – “Let’s Go,” “It’s All I Can Do,” and the title track confirmed the debut was no fluke; four more albums followed, as the band embraced the new MTV generation with a series of successful videos: “You Might Think,” “Magic” and “Drive.”
In 2005, Easton and Hawkes joined with Todd Rundgren, Prairie Prince and Kasim Sulton to form The New Cars; the group performed The Cars’ classics alongside Rundgren’s solo work and some new material, resulting in a 2006 live album, “It’s Alive.” The New Cars played their last show in the fall of 2007.
Rock Trivia: The video for “Drive” (directed by actor Timothy Hutton) features model Paulina Porizkova; Ocasek met her on the set and romance followed, even though she was just 19 at the time and Ocasek was 35. Ocasek and Porizkova married in 1989, five years after their introduction; they celebrated their 20th Anniversary last year.
Drive - The Cars: Complete Greatest Hits The Cars – Drive (1984)
