Ric Ocasek (born
Richard T Otcasek on March 23, 1949) is an American musician and music producer. He was born in
BaltimoreBaltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City in order to distinguish it from surrounding...
,
MarylandMaryland is a state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east. It is comparable in size to the European country of Belgium. According to the U.S...
, and attended
Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green State University is a public four-year institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA, about 20 miles south of Toledo, Ohio on I-75. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry bill, which also established Kent State University...
. He is the former vocalist and rhythm guitarist for
The CarsThe Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
. He has been a producer for several other groups including
WeezerWeezer is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1992. Initially, the band consisted of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Matt Sharp , and Jason Cropper . Cropper was later replaced by Brian Bell...
,
Bad BrainsBad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of the genre, though the band's members objected to the term "hardcore" to describe their music....
,
Bad ReligionBad Religion is an American punk rock band founded in Southern California in 1980 by Jay Bentley , Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz and Jay Ziskrout...
,
Nada SurfNada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca...
,
No DoubtNo Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, founded in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album, No Doubt , failed to make waves...
,
Guided by VoicesGuided by Voices was an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. From the band's formation in 1983, it experienced frequent personnel changes, but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
, and
SuicideSuicide is an American synthpunk music duo intermittently active since 1971 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines...
.
The singer released his first solo album in 1982.
Beatitude is a somewhat more experimental variation of The Cars'
New WaveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
rock sound.
Ric Ocasek (born
Richard T Otcasek on March 23, 1949) is an American musician and music producer. He was born in
BaltimoreBaltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City in order to distinguish it from surrounding...
,
MarylandMaryland is a state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east. It is comparable in size to the European country of Belgium. According to the U.S...
, and attended
Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green State University is a public four-year institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA, about 20 miles south of Toledo, Ohio on I-75. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry bill, which also established Kent State University...
. He is the former vocalist and rhythm guitarist for
The CarsThe Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
. He has been a producer for several other groups including
WeezerWeezer is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1992. Initially, the band consisted of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Matt Sharp , and Jason Cropper . Cropper was later replaced by Brian Bell...
,
Bad BrainsBad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of the genre, though the band's members objected to the term "hardcore" to describe their music....
,
Bad ReligionBad Religion is an American punk rock band founded in Southern California in 1980 by Jay Bentley , Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz and Jay Ziskrout...
,
Nada SurfNada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca...
,
No DoubtNo Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, founded in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album, No Doubt , failed to make waves...
,
Guided by VoicesGuided by Voices was an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. From the band's formation in 1983, it experienced frequent personnel changes, but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
, and
SuicideSuicide is an American synthpunk music duo intermittently active since 1971 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines...
.
Solo music career
The singer released his first solo album in 1982.
Beatitude is a somewhat more experimental variation of The Cars'
New WaveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
rock sound. A more
synthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies...
-heavy follow up,
This Side Of Paradise, was released in 1986. A #15 hit single, "Emotion in Motion", accompanied the album.
The Cars split in 1988, and Ocasek disappeared from the public eye for a couple of years, resurfacing in 1990 with
Fireball Zone. One track, "Rockaway", enjoyed a brief stay on the charts, but his solo albums have seen disappointing sales, especially compared to his success with the Cars. He subsequently released other solo works throughout the decade, including 1993's
Quick Change World, 1996's
Getchertikitz (a collaboration with Suicide's
Alan VegaAlan Vega is the vocalist for 1970s and 80s no wave duo Suicide.Bermowitz graduated with a degree in art from Brooklyn College and began his artistic career doing light sculptures...
), and 1997's
Billy CorganWilliam Patrick Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet. Corgan is the vocalist and lead guitarist for alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. When the band broke up in 2000, Corgan went on to form the short-lived Zwan with former Pumpkins drummer Jimmy...
-produced
Troublizing (which Ocasek supported with a very brief tour, his first since leaving the Cars). In 2005, Ocasek released another album,
Nexterday, to little fanfare, but positive reviews.
Producing
Ocasek has produced many records, both while working with
The CarsThe Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
and since then, such as
Bad BrainsBad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of the genre, though the band's members objected to the term "hardcore" to describe their music....
'
Rock for LightRock for Light is the second official full-length album by hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains. It was produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars. The 1991 reissue was remixed by Ocasek and bassist Darryl Jenifer...
and
Guided by VoicesGuided by Voices was an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. From the band's formation in 1983, it experienced frequent personnel changes, but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
'
Do the CollapseDo the Collapse is the 11th album by Dayton, Ohio indie rock group Guided by Voices. In contrast with their lo-fi reputation, the album features glossy production work from Ric Ocasek, and found a mixed reception from critics and fans...
. His other production credits include
WeezerWeezer is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1992. Initially, the band consisted of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Matt Sharp , and Jason Cropper . Cropper was later replaced by Brian Bell...
's
Blue AlbumWeezer, also known as The Blue Album, is the debut album by the American alternative rock band Weezer. It was released on May 10, 1994 by Geffen Records. The album was produced by former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek and recorded in Electric Lady Studios in New York City...
&
Green AlbumWeezer, also known as The Green Album, is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on May 15, 2001 on Geffen. The release is the second Weezer album to be produced by Ric Ocasek. The Green Album became a worldwide commercial success, reaching #4 on the U.S....
(both multi-platinum),
SuicideSuicide is an American synthpunk music duo intermittently active since 1971 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines...
,
Romeo VoidRomeo Void was a New Wave band in San Francisco, California active from 1979 to 1985.They are best known for the songs "Never Say Never" and "A Girl in Trouble " , which were minor hits, with the latter becoming a Top 40 pop single. Their popularity was primarily in alternative and college radio,...
,
HoleHole was a Grammy-nominated American alternative rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1989 and disbanded in 2002. The band was fronted by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson. Hole achieved considerable commercial success...
,
Bebe BuellBebe Buell is an American fashion model and singer, and Playboy magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. She is also known for dating and marrying rock musicians....
,
No DoubtNo Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, founded in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album, No Doubt , failed to make waves...
, The Killers,
Nada SurfNada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca...
,
IrishIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
folkThe term folk music originated in the 19th century as a term for musical folklore. It has been defined in several ways; as music transmitted by word of mouth, music of the lower classes, music with no known composer...
-punk band
Black 47Based in New York City, Black 47 is a Celtic rock band made up of Irish expatriates, formed in the Bronx by Larry Kirwan and Chris Byrne in 1989. Their name is derived from 1847, the worst year of the Great Irish Famine.-History:...
,
Bad ReligionBad Religion is an American punk rock band founded in Southern California in 1980 by Jay Bentley , Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz and Jay Ziskrout...
,
Johnny BravoJohnny Bravo is an American animated series created by Van Partible. It premiered on July 7, 1997 on Cartoon Network and ran for 67 episodes and 4 seasons...
,
D GenerationD Generation were an American glam punk band formed in 1991 in New York City. During its history the band released three albums, to much critical acclaim...
,
The WannadiesThe Wannadies were an alternative rock band formed in 1988 in Skellefteå, northern Sweden. The band's initial line-up featured Pär Wiksten , Christina Bergmark , Stefan Schönfeldt and his younger brother Fredrik Schönfeldt with Gunnar Karlsson and Björn Malmquist .Early...
,
Possum DixonPossum Dixon was an American alternative rock band. Fronted by singer/songwriter/bassist Rob Zabrecky, literate songs about love lost and slacker life in Los Angeles and a penchant for unpredictable performances set them apart from the herd of other rock and roll hopefuls.-History:Formed in 1989...
,
Martin RevMartin Rev is the instrumentalist from New York punk-era electronic band Suicide.He also plays solo shows live, and has released a number of solo albums for a handful of labels, including ROIR and Puu...
,
Jonathan RichmanJonathan Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
, and, most recently, the 2006 album by
The Pink SpidersThe Pink Spiders were an American pop rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, that formed in 2003.The band achieved its greatest chart success after the release of their 2006 album Teenage Graffiti and their single Little Razorblade....
titled
Teenage GraffitiTeenage Graffiti is the third release by the band The Pink Spiders and the band's major label debut. The album was released on August 1, 2006. Soft Smoke, Modern Swinger, Hollywood Fix, Little Razorblade, and Teenage Graffiti, were carried over from Hot Pink...
. He also produced a portion of the third
Motion City SoundtrackMotion City Soundtrack is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1997. Only two of the founding members are still a part of the lineup: lead vocalist and guitarist Justin Pierre and lead guitarist and backing vocalist Joshua Cain...
album,
Even If It Kills MeEven if It Kills Me is the third studio album by American pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack, released on September 18, 2007. The album was a follow up to their 2005 album, Commit This to Memory and was co-produced by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Eli Janney of Girls Against Boys,...
.
Work in other media
Ocasek wrote a book of
poetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, 1993's
Negative Theatre. It was at one time expected to be incorporated into an album and
multimediaMultimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which only use traditional forms of printed or hand-produced material...
incarnation of the same name, but these plans were dropped abruptly.
For many years Ocasek had a side hobby of making drawings, photo collages, and mixed-media art works which, in 2009, were shown at a gallery in his home town of Columbus, Ohio.
Ocasek had a cameo role in the
John WatersJohn Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, journalist, visual artist and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
feature film
Hairspray, and had a bit part in the 1987 movie
Made in HeavenMade in Heaven is a 1987 feature film directed by Alan Rudolph, script from Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon, and produced by Lorimar Productions. The film stars Timothy Hutton and Kelly McGillis and has cameos by Tom Petty, Ric Ocasek, and Neil Young...
in which he played a
mechanicA mechanic is a craftsman who uses tools to repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics, aircraft mechanics, diesel mechanics, and...
.
Ocasek stated in a 2005 interview on
Rockline that he hated touring and it was unlikely that he would do so again. He also stated he would not be reuniting with
The CarsThe Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
again, but gave the okay to his former fellow bandmates to do so with
Todd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer.-Early career:Rundgren was born in Upper Darby, PA. He began his career in Woody's Truck Stop, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based group based on the model of Paul Butterfield Blues Band. However, he left the band to...
replacing him on vocals (the resulting band is called
The New CarsThe New Cars are a supergroup formed in 2005 around members of the popular 1970s/1980s new wave band The Cars. The band is composed of Todd Rundgren, drummer Prairie Prince, Kasim Sulton, and original Cars members Greg Hawkes & Elliot Easton. The band performs The Cars' classic songs, Rundgren's...
).
The Colbert Report
On April 17, 2006, Ocasek appeared on
The Colbert ReportThe Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program that airs Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States and on both The Comedy Network and CTV in Canada...
and volunteered to put
Todd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer.-Early career:Rundgren was born in Upper Darby, PA. He began his career in Woody's Truck Stop, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based group based on the model of Paul Butterfield Blues Band. However, he left the band to...
"on notice". He appeared again on the July 26, 2006, episode to cheers from the audience as he volunteered to lead a commando mission to "rescue" Stephen Jr., the baby eagle at the San Francisco Zoo named after
Stephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian and television host. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an actor,...
. He also appeared again on April 18, 2007, in order to support his wife during her appearance. He has been mentioned many times in other episodes as well.
Personal life
Ocasek has been married to
supermodelThe term supermodel refers to a highly-paid élite fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term was elevated to prominence in the popular culture of the 1990s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and...
/actress
Paulina PorizkovaPaulina Porizkova is a Czech model and actress.-Early life:Born in Prostějov, Czechoslovakia, she was still a toddler when her father and mother left Czechoslovakia, fleeing the Warsaw Pact invasion in 1968, and moved to Lund in southern Sweden...
since 1989. Two previous marriages ended in divorce. He has six sons, two from each of his three marriages. He met Pořízková while filming the
music videoA music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music/song. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos go back much further, they came into their own in the...
for The Cars' song "
Drive"Drive" is a 1984 song by The Cars, the third single from the band's Heartbeat City album and their biggest international hit. It was written by Ric Ocasek, and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and The Cars. Lead vocals were by Cars' bassist Benjamin Orr."Drive" was The Cars' highest charting...
" (directed by
Timothy HuttonTimothy T. Hutton is an American actor. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People .-Early life:...
), while he was still married to his second wife Suzanne Ocasek.
Albums
- Beatitude
Beatitude is the debut album released by Ric Ocasek, lead singer and principal songwriter of The Cars. It was released by Geffen Records in 1982, and featured an appearance by Greg Hawkes on keyboards.-Track listing:...
(1982 Geffen RecordsGeffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
)
- This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise is the second solo studio album released by Ric Ocasek, lead singer and songwriter of The Cars. Though it was a solo album, other members of The Cars made cameo appearances. The track "True to You" featured Benjamin Orr on backing vocals, Elliot Easton on guitar, and Greg...
(1986 Geffen Records)
- Fireball Zone
Fireball Zone was the third solo album from Ric Ocasek, the former lead singer-songwriter of The Cars.- Tracks :All songs written by Ric Ocasek except where noted.#"Rockaway"#"Touch Down Easy" #"Come Back"...
(1991 Reprise RecordsReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra, which is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
)
- Quick Change World
Quick Change World is the fourth solo album released by Ric Ocasek, who was the lead singer and songwriter for The Cars. This was his second and final release for Reprise Records.-Track listing:Right side# "The Big Picture"# "Don't Let Go"...
(1993 Reprise Records)
- Negative Theater
Negative Theater, a European-only import CD, is the fifth solo album released by Ric Ocasek. It was originally intended to be his fourth solo effort consisting of a double CD and a book of poetry...
(1993 Warner EU; European release only)
- Getchertikitz (1996 Sound Effects)
- Troublizing
Troublizing, was released by Ric Ocasek in 1997 on Sony Records. Ocasek is the former lead singer of The Cars. On several tracks, it features co-production, guitars, keyboards and backing vocals by Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins.-Track listing:...
(1997 Sony Entertainment)
- Nexterday
Nexterday is an album released by former lead singer and songwriter of The Cars, Ric Ocasek.The album boasts a more DIY sound than previous albums, having been partially recorded in Ocasek's home studio with Ocasek playing many of the instruments himself...
(2005 Sanctuary / Inverse)
Singles
| Year |
Song |
Australia |
Canada |
US Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
US MSR Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock stations are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981 issue...
|
US A.C. |
US Dance |
Album |
| 1983 |
"Something to Grab For" |
- |
- |
47 |
5 |
- |
- |
Beatitude |
| 1983 |
"Jimmy Jimmy" |
- |
- |
- |
25 |
- |
60 |
Beatitude |
| 1983 |
"Connect Up to Me" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
37 |
Beatitude |
| 1986 |
"Emotion in Motion" |
8 |
18 |
15 |
1 |
8 |
- |
This Side of Paradise |
| 1986 |
"True to You" |
100 |
- |
75 |
9 |
- |
- |
This Side of Paradise |
| 1991 |
"Rockaway" |
- |
46 |
- |
11 |
- |
- |
Fireball Zone |
External links