Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

TDC: Ric Ocasek of the Cars dead at 75 in NY


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 104
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I really admired his songwriting. Saddened to hear this. I saw the reunion concert kickoff in NYC at the Roseland Ballroom in 2011? They used Benjamin Orr’s bass tracks that were recorded from their concerts in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and played those during performances, with a carpet and an unmanned mic where Ben would have stood. Pretty moving. That show was the first time they played a show in twenty-five years.

Now he’s playing with Ben again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, tbonesullivan said:

Except for his age.  

Born: March 23, 1949 (age 70 years), Baltimore, MD

Edit: His birth year is listed as 1944 and 1949, depending on the source. 

Some who have seen The Cars in concert might be surprised to hear that he didn't actually pass away decades ago, however.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, kizanski said:

Some who have seen The Cars in concert might be surprised to hear that he didn't actually pass away decades ago, however.  

:lol:

Saw them several times in the 80's. Always liked the shows, and I thought their demeanor and lack of stage banter and antics fit the music and image well, though I know some people were put off by it.

Sometimes Ric would say: "They say I don't talk much on stage. (pause and stare) They're right." and launch into the next song.

That white Dean he had allegedly got thrown off the stage on the Panorama tour, that's supposedly how it ended up with different hardware and the black and white graphic finish later on. Never did find out the whole story on that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

October 8th, 1978 at the Lakeland Civic Center.  They opened for Foreigner.  One of the greatest concerts I ever attended.  My band's soundman was best friends with the Clair Brothers soundman on the desk.  We always got to hang four feet above everybody else.  He told us that the "warm up act" was great.  Two of the best live sets I've ever seen.  

Mr. Mosely's thread about the greats dying off is especially poignant this week.  Eddie Money and Ric Ocasek in the same week.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Man that sucks.  I sometimes would see him walking around Newbury street in Boston.  Newbury Comics (cool record store) was right hear synchro sound the studio they owned.      He produced two of my favorite albums.  The weezer blue album and D Generation No Lunch.  Really great job on those slabs.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, DaveL said:

Man that sucks.  I sometimes would see him walking around Newbury street in Boston.  Newbury Comics (cool record store) was right hear synchro sound the studio they owned.      He produced two of my favorite albums.  The weezer blue album and D Generation No Lunch.  Really great job on those slabs.   

He produced Guided By Voices' "Isolation Drills" too. Great sounding record. He always seemed like a smart, funny, self-aware guy. And I suspect he had a good life, which is any of us can hope for. Good for him, and rest in peace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He also produced Bad Brains' first album. Needless to say, the man had quite the varied career.

And yes, plundering Porizkova was not only an obvious triumph for him, but for regular schleps everywhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, chromium said:

Rock for Light - great album!  He also did God of Love, although that one just wasn't the same without HR.

RIP

HR was on that album. In fact, it was his comeback.

The one time I saw Bad Brains live was with Chuck Moseley on vocals. Not good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

51 minutes ago, hamerhead said:

RIP, Ric.

 

They come in 3s. Who's next?

Randy Bachman or Burt Cummings?

Hamerica

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My perception is that oftentimes, the Cars were presented by media as 'the Ric Ocasek Experience'; i.e., there was a disproportionate amount of attention paid to him, and one wonders how that sat w/ the other members.

Granted, his geeky, semi-aloof public image may have been an alternative to hair bands  back in the day, but Creem magazine described the band as "think-they're-cool", and for some observers, Ocasek's aesthetic seemed to enhance that notion. 

And it even happened with the Move Like This reunion...I recall that some program had the Cars on, but the host only interviewed Ocasek, one-on-one.

That said, my favorite collection of Cars tunes is the audio dub I did from the Live in Houston VHS. A lot 'heavier'-sounding, particularly on songs like "Good Times Roll" and "Moving in Stereo".  However, at the very beginning of the tape, Ocasek was shown offstage in silhouette, smoking a cigarette....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Studio Custom said:

Well from Steve Steven's prospective he is at three already:  Michael Jackson, Chester Bennington, and now Ric. 

As it applies to celebrity deaths, the rule of 3 usually occurs in a time frame closer to 10 days, not 10 years. SS might want to explore looser-fitting wigs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, The Shark said:

Mr. Mosely's thread about the greats dying off is especially poignant this week.  Eddie Money and Ric Ocasek in the same week.  

Did I also read that John "Johnny Ramone" Cummings of the,  well, the Ramones ... also kicked the bucket?   I'm lumping Sunday in as part of that week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...