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I just saw a clip of “just what I needed” and was surprised it’s the bassist singing. I always thought it was Ric

So I guess I don’t know what Ric sounds like..
What lead vocals are his?

And who sang “drive?”

DangerZone wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 7:30 pm I just saw a clip of “just what I needed” and was surprised it’s the bassist singing. I always thought it was Ric

So I guess I don’t know what Ric sounds like..
What lead vocals are his?

And who sang “drive?”

Benjamin Orr sang "Drive".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cars_discography

Select each studio lp and the lead vocalist on each song is listed.

Rik sang their 11 other top 40 hits (plus a couple #41s and a handful of other charting singles)

You might think you don’t know any other Cars songs but I’m sure you know a few.

itdoesntmatter wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 8:05 pm Rik sang their 11 other top 40 hits (plus a couple #41s and a handful of other charting singles)

You might think you don’t know any other Cars songs but I’m sure you know a few.

You might think...

They both have a very similar sound and style of singing and most people who weren’t super fans are generally surprised to find out Ben is singing a lot of the earlier hits. Most thought it was odd that he sang “Drive” sing almost all the MTV stuff prior to that had Ric singing. I knew all those FM hits and didn’t know it wasn’t Ric until years later.

One of my all-time favorite quotes is from Ric about this subject. I think a reporter asked about many people not realizing Ben sang some of the early hits and Ric said something like “the original plan was Ben was gonna be the lead singer and I was going to be the good looking one” or something like that.

I'm not a huge fan of The Cars, but I even knew as a 12ish year old in 1982 that Ben and Rik sang...I guess it was seeing them on various TV shows...
The Cars will always be the sound track of the roller rink!

I like Todd Rundgren's Cars vocals on this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se-tGtQfpvo

I liked Ben in The Cars and as a solo artist. I thought 'Just What I Needed' was Ric for years, until we covered the song 15 years ago. Then I learned.

Ric wrote almost all the material and sang lead on most of the songs, but Ben Orr was the lead singer on the following songs: "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go", "Moving in Stereo", "Bye Bye Love", "It's All I Can Do", and, of course, "Drive." Some of these tunes remain among the most played and best known Cars songs.

the_man_incognito wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 6:27 am I'm not a huge fan of The Cars, but I even knew as a 12ish year old in 1982 that Ben and Rik sang...I guess it was seeing them on various TV shows...

I was a pretty big fan back in the day, so I knew.

CrankerBait wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 12:30 pm .... "Moving in Stereo"...

s

Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 6:55 am I heard Benjamin Orr's "Stay The Night" on an '80s playlist yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ySLmwsfP4Q

Cool song. Just looked it up. Reached #24, so a legit solo hit.

I remember being in grade school and Dial MTV played the shit out the song.

Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 6:55 am I heard Benjamin Orr's "Stay The Night" on an '80s playlist yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ySLmwsfP4Q

Cool song. Just looked it up. Reached #24, so a legit solo hit.

I remember being in grade school and Dial MTV played the shit out of the song.

So 45 years later it finally dawned on you. Sweet.

I got some more breaking news for you:

Dave is out of VH.

The drummer for Def Leppard's only got one arm.

Ace blew Peter first.

Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 6:55 am I heard Benjamin Orr's "Stay The Night" on an '80s playlist yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ySLmwsfP4Q

Cool song. Just looked it up. Reached #24, so a legit solo hit.

Yeah, it went top 40. And agreed, it's a very good song, IMO.

God, what a wussy piece o'crap. No wonder you eunuchs like it.

I'm a big Cars fan, and I'm shocked to discover Ric pretty much wrote all of their songs.

Sheeeeitttt...

Both Ric and Ben were in a 70s folk band called Milkwood before The Cars. Sounded like America or CSNY. Ben on the left and Ric on the right with the 70s stache in the picture

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nr1tiAmOJqo

This the first I heard anyone say Ben Orr and Ric Ocasek's voices sound alike?

They really don't.

veritas wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 10:26 am This the first I heard anyone say Ben Orr and Ric Ocasek's voices sound alike?

They really don't.

Agreed. Ric could not possibly have a more unique voice.

sirthx2 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:13 am

veritas wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 10:26 am This the first I heard anyone say Ben Orr and Ric Ocasek's voices sound alike?

They really don't.

Agreed. Ric could not possibly have a more unique voice.

It's funny that nearly every single person alive that isn't a Cartard thinks the same thing, no? So, when Benn sings 'Let's Go-ow..." it isn't the exact same new wavy thing Ric was known for? Of course it is. If you ONLY knew the hits, which must of us did, it for sure could have been the same guy singing all those songs. yeah, Ben has a bit of softer rasp at times, but if they swapped vocals in a concert no one would notice.

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:17 am

sirthx2 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:13 am

veritas wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 10:26 am This the first I heard anyone say Ben Orr and Ric Ocasek's voices sound alike?

They really don't.

Agreed. Ric could not possibly have a more unique voice.

It's funny that nearly every single person alive that isn't a Cartard thinks the same thing, no? So, when Benn sings 'Let's Go-ow..." it isn't the exact same new wavy thing Ric was known for? Of course it is. If you ONLY knew the hits, which must of us did, it for sure could have been the same guy singing all those songs. yeah, Ben has a bit of softer rasp at times, but if they swapped vocals in a concert no one would notice.

So you pulled out two (affected) words where Ben sounds like Ric. Nicely done! Now if I could only tell the difference between Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung, that would be awesome! Also LOVE the fact that you're attempting to bag on people who can tell the difference between two things, whiles praising those who can't. Fucking Sludge. Never change!

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:17 am

sirthx2 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:13 am

veritas wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 10:26 am This the first I heard anyone say Ben Orr and Ric Ocasek's voices sound alike?

They really don't.

Agreed. Ric could not possibly have a more unique voice.

It's funny that nearly every single person alive that isn't a Cartard thinks the same thing, no? So, when Benn sings 'Let's Go-ow..." it isn't the exact same new wavy thing Ric was known for? Of course it is. If you ONLY knew the hits, which must of us did, it for sure could have been the same guy singing all those songs. yeah, Ben has a bit of softer rasp at times, but if they swapped vocals in a concert no one would notice.

Oh God, STFU. Go suck Gene's dick some more.

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 7:04 am I liked Ben in The Cars and as a solo artist. I thought 'Just What I Needed' was Ric for years, until we covered the song 15 years ago. Then I learned.

There are alot of Orr unreleased tracks on You Tube that I assume were going to be a follow up to The Lace but it never came to fruition. Some of them are quite good
https://youtu.be/jWjOysG7J_8?si=U6sDLMp8iTIGMFm-

Earl Skakel wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 2:22 pm

Hatchets Molly wrote: ↑Mon Jun 23, 2025 7:04 am I liked Ben in The Cars and as a solo artist. I thought 'Just What I Needed' was Ric for years, until we covered the song 15 years ago. Then I learned.

There are alot of Orr unreleased tracks on You Tube that I assume were going to be a follow up to The Lace but it never came to fruition. Some of them are quite good
https://youtu.be/jWjOysG7J_8?si=U6sDLMp8iTIGMFm-

Cool. Will checkem out.

sirthx2 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:30 am

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:17 am

sirthx2 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 11:13 am

Agreed. Ric could not possibly have a more unique voice.

It's funny that nearly every single person alive that isn't a Cartard thinks the same thing, no? So, when Benn sings 'Let's Go-ow..." it isn't the exact same new wavy thing Ric was known for? Of course it is. If you ONLY knew the hits, which must of us did, it for sure could have been the same guy singing all those songs. yeah, Ben has a bit of softer rasp at times, but if they swapped vocals in a concert no one would notice.

So you pulled out two (affected) words where Ben sounds like Ric. Nicely done! Now if I could only tell the difference between Tommy Shaw and Dennis DeYoung, that would be awesome! Also LOVE the fact that you're attempting to bag on people who can tell the difference between two things, whiles praising those who can't. Fucking Sludge. Never change!

What the fuck are you even saying? Are you pretending that most people knew Ric didn’t sing every hit song aside from “Drive”? it’s only been “a thing” since like forever.

I always liked Orr's voice better. It's more purre. Ocasek's got more of an ironic east-coast hipster thing about it that I kind of hate.

Mind you, when I was a kid I didn't realize it was two different guys, thought it was just one using different parts of his voice like Robin Zander does or something. Thennnn I saw Drive and was like: "Who is that guy, and why are they showing him singing?"

Mind. Blown.

I'll also say I really enjoyed Todd Rundgren in The New Cars as I thought his voice was a nice blend of both Orr and Ocasek's vocals. A few years ago I saw Rundgren walking around on my street as I think he was lost and I said "hey I really enjoyed you in The New Cars" and he looked at me and wryly said "you were about the only one!"

Yeah i had no idea Ric wasn't the vocalist on every song. They sound identical.