Night Spots

Last updated
"Night Spots"
Song by The Cars
from the album Candy-O
ReleasedJune 13, 1979
Recorded1979 at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles
Genre New wave, hard rock
Length3:15
Label Elektra
Songwriter(s) Ric Ocasek
Producer(s) Roy Thomas Baker
Candy-O track listing
11 tracks
Side one
  1. "Let's Go"
  2. "Since I Held You"
  3. "It's All I Can Do"
  4. "Double Life"
  5. "Shoo Be Doo"
  6. "Candy-O"
Side two
  1. "Night Spots"
  2. "You Can't Hold on Too Long"
  3. "Lust for Kicks"
  4. "Got a Lot on My Head"
  5. "Dangerous Type"

"Night Spots" is a 1979 song by The Cars from their second studio album, Candy-O . It was written Ric Ocasek.

Contents

Background

"Night Spots" was a leftover from The Cars' first album, The Cars . [1] The original version, recorded around the time of The Cars, according to the Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology liner notes, "has a sinister, stripped-down feel that anticipates the more experimental direction of later Cars music." [1] This version remained unreleased until it appeared on the Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology compilation album. [1]

Reception

"Night Spots" has generally received positive reception. AllMusic critic said that the band "rocks out on ... 'Night Spots'", and in the Billboard review of Candy-O, "Night Spots" was noted as one of the "best cuts". [2] [3] Rolling Stone critic Tom Carson said, "In 'Nightspots,' Greg Hawkes' synthesizer jabs and jumps like the flashing lights on a rainy, late-night highway, and the tune's hopped-up rhythms and stuttering singing have a tense, jittery momentum that's exactly right." [3]

Covers

Related Research Articles

The Cars American pop-rock band

The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, it consisted of Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes (keyboards), Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, and David Robinson (drums). Ocasek and Orr shared lead vocals, and Ocasek was the band's principal songwriter.

<i>The Cars</i> (album) 1978 studio album by the Cars

The Cars is the debut studio album by American rock band the Cars, released on June 6, 1978, by Elektra Records. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album spawned the singles "Just What I Needed", "My Best Friend's Girl", and "Good Times Roll". It peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

<i>Candy-O</i> 1979 studio album by the Cars

Candy-O is the second studio album by the American rock band the Cars. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and released in 1979 on Elektra Records. Two singles were released from the album, "Let's Go" and "It's All I Can Do" (#41). The album outperformed the band's debut, peaking at #3 on the US Billboard 200, fifteen spots higher. The cover art was done by pin-up artist Alberto Vargas.

Mary Margaret O'Hara is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actress and composer. She is best known for the album Miss America, released in 1988. She released two albums and an EP under her own name, and remains active as a live performer, as a contributor to compilation albums and as a guest collaborator on other artists' albums.

Just What I Needed 1978 single by The Cars

"Just What I Needed" is a song by American rock band The Cars from their self-titled debut album (1978). The song, which first achieved radio success as a demo, took inspiration from the Ohio Express and the Velvet Underground. The song is sung by bass player Benjamin Orr and was written by Ric Ocasek.

Lets Go (The Cars song) 1979 single by the Cars

"Let's Go" is a song by American rock band the Cars, written by Ric Ocasek for the band's second studio album, Candy-O (1979). A new wave rock song, the song's hook was inspired by the Routers. The song's vocals are performed by bassist Benjamin Orr.

<i>Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology</i> 1995 compilation album by The Cars

Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology is a two-disc, career-spanning compilation album of songs by the American new wave rock band the Cars. It features most of the band's singles, as well as many album tracks, non-album B-sides and unreleased songs.

Good Times Roll 1979 single by the Cars

"Good Times Roll" is a song by American rock band The Cars released as the first track from their 1978 debut album The Cars. Written by Ric Ocasek as a sarcastic comment on rock's idea of good times, the song features layered harmonies courtesy of producer Roy Thomas Baker.

"Dangerous Type" is a 1979 song by the Cars from their second studio album, Candy-O. It was written by Ric Ocasek.

My Best Friends Girl (song) 1978 single by the Cars

"My Best Friend's Girl" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their 1978 self-titled debut album on Elektra Records, released on June 6 of that year. Written by Ocasek as a song about something that "probably ... happened to a lot of people," the track found radio success as a demo in 1977.

Its All I Can Do 1979 single by the Cars

"It's All I Can Do" is a song by the American rock band the Cars. It is the third track from their 1979 album Candy-O. It was written by the band's leader and songwriter Ric Ocasek, and features bassist Benjamin Orr on vocals.

Tonight She Comes 1985 single by the Cars

"Tonight She Comes" is a 1985 song by American rock band the Cars, from their Greatest Hits album. It was released as a single in October 1985, reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1986. The song reached number one on the Top Rock Tracks chart, where it stayed for three weeks.

"Candy-O" is a song by the American rock band the Cars, the title track of their 1979 album Candy-O. It was written by Ric Ocasek, the song was not based on a real person. The song features a prominent guitar solo by Elliot Easton and lead vocals by bassist Benjamin Orr.

Double Life (song) 1979 single by the Cars

"Double Life" is a single by the American rock band the Cars from their second album Candy-O. Written by Ric Ocasek, the song was almost left off the album. The song was released as the third single from the album in 1979, but did not chart.

"Funtime" is a song written by Iggy Pop and David Bowie, first released by Iggy Pop on his 1977 album entitled The Idiot. It reflects Iggy and Bowie's growing fascination with the German music scene, and bears marked similarities to "Lila Engel" by krautrock band Neu!. It has since been covered by multiple artists including Blondie, Boy George, Bebe Buell, Peter Murphy, R.E.M. and The Cars.

Cruiser (song) 1981 single by The Cars

"Cruiser" is a song by American new wave band The Cars, from their 1981 album Shake It Up.

Gimme Some Slack 1981 single by the Cars

"Gimme Some Slack" is a song by the American rock band the Cars from the album Panorama. The song was written by bandleader Ric Ocasek.

"I'm in Touch with Your World" is a song by the American rock band the Cars, from their debut album, The Cars. It was written by Ric Ocasek.

Touch and Go (The Cars song) 1980 single by the Cars

"Touch and Go" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their 1980 album Panorama. The song was written and sung by bandleader Ric Ocasek.

<i>The Cars Unlocked: The Live Performances</i> 2006 live album video by The Cars

The Cars Unlocked: The Live Performances is a 2006 live album and video of American new wave band the Cars released by Warner Music in 2006. The album has received mixed reviews due to the mixed quality of the source material.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Milano, Brett. Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology. Rhino.
  2. Prato, Greg. "Candy-O". allmusic.com.
  3. 1 2 "Candy-O album reviews". www.superseventies.com.