Three surviving members of The Cars have started work on unreleased demo tracks left by Ric Ocasek. The lead singer and songwriter died in 2019. The band plans to turn over 20 recordings into fresh songs, their first since 2011. A friend of Ocasek gave the demo collection to guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes, and drummer David Robinson. This news comes from Bill Janovitz’s book, The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told. It also includes an in-depth look into the band’s history and insights from members.
“Elliot’s 25-second solo on ‘Can’t Stop the Rain’ is sure to put smiles on the faces of fans, as it did for me,” wrote Janovitz in the book, according to Female First. “And he added a hook that runs through the song, completely transforming it from the version I heard months before. … Along with Greg’s synth part, that’s how the band took Ric’s demos and turned them into Cars songs.”
Work started with Ed Valauskas and Joel Edinberg at the controls, and Greg Hawkes and Ed Valauskas producing. By August 2024, Easton was adding guitar parts. The tracks span different eras and styles. An early piece called “I Just Can’t Stay” catches both Ocasek and late bass player Benjamin Orr singing before they joined the band. Two other tracks show off jazz touches, “Crossing the Line” and “Crazy Over You.”
The band started in Boston in 1976. Their first album dropped in 1978, bringing hits like “Just What I Needed” and “My Best Friend’s Girl.” Six albums later, they split in 1988. A brief comeback in 2010 brought Move Like This the next year. Their final show came at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018. Both the Ocasek and Orr estates must sort out business matters, and the band hasn’t announced a release date for the demo collection yet.
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