The Cars are ready to roll once again.
The New Wave band has reunited for a new album--their first in 23 years--Billboard.com reported. It will feature four of the five original members--singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek, keyboardist Greg Hawkes, guitarist Elliot Easton and drummer Dave Robinson. (Bassist-singer Benjamin Orr died of cancer in 2000).
Ocasek, the band’s main songwriter, had long resisted doing a reunion. Confirmation of the group recording again came from engineer Paul Orifino on the Pro Sound online message board, followed by a Facebook photo of the band members in the studio from July.
Most recently posted on the group’s Facebook page was a fragment of a new song called “Blue Tip.”
Billboard also reported that there is a possibility the Cars may tour according to sources, but no dates have been confirmed.
The Cars emerged on the music scene beginning with their classic 1978 debut album. They had a string of hits into the mid’’80s such as “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Just What I Needed,” “Good Times Roll,” “Shake It Up,” “Drive,” “You Might Think,” and “Magic.” The group broke up after 1987’s “Door to Door” album.
Since the split, Ocasek went on to become a solo artist as well as a producer for such bands as Weezer and Nada Surf. He did not participate in the The New Cars, which featured Hawkes and Easton.
U.S. & World
Selected Reading: Billboard.com
