The MARK’S VINTAGE VINYL page features something from Mark’s collection of recordings from over the years. Most of it is on vinyl – hence the name – though there will be a few entries from his CDs (remember those?).
Candy-O, by The Cars
- Second studio album by The Cars, released in 1979.
- The album peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It has sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. The highest charting single was Let’s Go, which made it to #14 on the Hot 100 chart.
- The album cover obviously caught the eye of 18 year olds like me. It was painted by Alberto Vargas, who was famous for his painting of pin-up girls in the 1940s and 1950s. He was 83 years old and retired when he did this cover art. He was persuaded to do it by his niece, who was a fan of The Cars.
- When The Cars hit the music scene in 1978, their new wave sound was distinctive – they were one of the first successful bands that took guitar-oriented rock and merged it with synthesizer pop music. Frontman Ric Ocasek’s quirky vocals fit perfectly with this new genre. Candy-O was a solid follow-up to their biggest selling debut album. Watch the band perform Let’s Go. Lead vocals on the song are from bass guitarist Benjamin Orr, who died of cancer in 2000 at the age of 53. “I like the night life baby…Let’s Go!”