IN MEMORIAM
Ric Ocasek
On September 15, we lost singer-songwriter and producer Ric Ocasek, a founding member and leader of The Cars. Ric and Benjamin Orr had played in a few Ohio bands before ultimately moving to the Boston scene, which led to The Cars’ self-titled polished Elektra debut album in 1978, produced by Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with Queen. There was a hint that the group were fans of oldies with borrowed song titles of “Good Times Roll” and “Bye Bye Love.” The album’s first two singles “Just What I Needed” and “My Best Friend’s Girl,” both written by Ric, reached the Top 40 in 1978.
John “Zero” Picard, the guitarist for The Kings told , “The Kings were huge fans of The Cars with both bands on the Elektra label. When we were coming up through the bars, they were one of the bands whose songs we covered the most, because they were one of the leading lights in the so-called new wave movement, which put a more sophisticated and musically accomplished twist on the punk scene, and they had hits! These tunes killed in the clubs and inspired us to try and write songs that were more commercial, but with an edge. We saw them in concert
