Ric Ocasek
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Ric Ocasek
| For The Record... |
| Name originally Richard Otcasek; born c. 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland; father was a computer analyst for NASA; currently married to Paulina Porizkova (a model and actress); children: (from former marriage(s)/liasons) several, including son, Christopher. Education: Attended Bowling Green State University and Antioch College. Worked odd jobs, including steel mill worker, selling business forms, and selling clothing; played in various bands during the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Leatherwood, Milkwood, and Cap’n Swing; member of the Cars, c. 1976-1988; solo recording artist, 1982—. Has appeared in films, including Hairspray and Made in Heauen. Awards: The Cars received a Grammy Award as best new group of the year in 1978. Addresses: Record company—Geffen Records, 3300 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91510. |
Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Singer-songwriter Ric Ocasek has been making hits since 1978. With the New Wave/rock group the Cars, he has been responsible for smashes such as "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend’s Girl," and "Shake It Up." In addition, Ocasek has released two successful solo albums; the latter, This Side of Paradise, included the hit single "Emotion in Motion." He has also appeared in films, such as director John Waters’s Hairspray.
Ocasek, who keeps his age something of a secret, was born Richard Otcasek circa 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland. As a child, he loved the music of rock pioneer Buddy Holly, and he was encouraged in this by his grandmother, who presented him with a guitar when he was ten. Like many other children given similar presents, Ocasek took lessons on the instrument for a while, and then grew bored. As he told Lisa Robinson in Interview magazine, he had a relatively calm early adolescence in Baltimore, "with the crowd who were into electronics and good grades."
But when Ocasek was sixteen, his father got a job with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Cleveland, Ohio, and at first the young man had a difficult time adjusting to the Midwest because of his strikingly different appearance. "I got punched in the face the very first day of school," he told Robinson. "Knocked on the floor. For nothing. Just because I had my hair dyed blond…. See, it was a trend in Baltimore to dye your hair blond in the front…. Anyway, people stared at me a lot because I was tall and skinny, but later on, it worked to my advantage."
But before Ocasek began to attract attention in the music world, he first tried college, attending both Bowling Green State University and Antioch College. By the late 1960s, however, he had had enough of higher education. As he explained to Jon Páreles in Rolling Stone, Ocasek returned to his efforts with the guitar, and in addition, he "started immediately writing; I thought that was the thing to do…. After I started writing songs I figured it would be good to start a band. Sometimes I’d put together a band just to hear my songs."
While Ocasek was rehearsing with one such band in Columbus, Ohio, he made the acquaintance of vocalist and bass player Ben Orr. The two hit it off, and Ocasek invited Orr to join his band. Together they enjoyed a small measure of local success, opening concerts in midwestern college towns for fading groups such as MC5 and the Stooges. Emboldened by such gigs, they decided to try their luck in New York City, but were largely unsuccessful. After a short return to the Midwest, Ocasek took off for Boston. When he had assessed that city’s musical climate, he called Orr and told him that he should relocate there as well. Together
they went through various bands, changing names and personnel with some frequency. At one time Ocasek and Orr constituted two-thirds of a folk trio called Milkwood, which was successful enough to release an album on Paramount in 1972. During roughly the same period, Ocasek also met fellow musician Greg Hawkes, who played with him and Orr very briefly before seeking out a better-paid band.
By 1976, Ocasek and Orr had started yet another band, this one called Cap’n Swing. For this vehicle they managed to discover, among others, lead guitarist Elliot Easton; with him, Ocasek and Orr felt confident enough to make another attempt on New York City. When they had failed yet again to attract the notice of record producers, they returned to Boston, where Ocasek fired everyone from Cap’n Swing except himself, Orr, and Easton. He managed to lure Hawkes back, and also recruited drummer David Robinson. At last, the Cars were formed.
The band made their professional debut at a New Year’s Eve party in New Hampshire; by March of 1977 they were playing the better punk venues of Boston, notably the Rathskeller, and they received the opportunity to open a concert for rock artist Bob Seger. More opening opportunities followed, along with better club dates in the Boston area. Finally, a song from one of their demo tapes, "Just What I Needed," became so popular on two Boston radio stations that record companies began seeking them out. Ocasek and the Cars had signed with Elektra by the time 1977 came to a close.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 1978, winning praise from fans and critics alike, and causing the Cars to capture that year’s Grammy Award for best new group. Through the 1980s, other hits followed "Just What I Needed," including "My Best Friend’s Girl," "Magic," "You Might Think," and "Drive," most of them written by Ocasek. He and the Cars also gained a reputation for making creative videos to accompany their hits, and these received a great deal of airplay on video channels such as MTV. After releasing the album Door to Door, which included the hit "You Are the Girl," the Cars broke up in 1988.
But Ocasek had already begun to turn his attention to solo projects long before. In 1982 he released Beatitude, which Mark Coleman described in Rolling Stone as "a set of arty oddities." Though the disc received some favorable critical comment, it did not sell well. Ocasek fared better with fans on his 1986 solo effort, This Side of Paradise, which featured the hit single, "Emotion in Motion." Ironically, some critics saw this album as insubstantial compared with Ocasek’s previous work; Coleman complained that "where the Cars push their loves songs through cynical twists and sharp turns, Ocasek gets stuck in romantic glop." Robinson, however, praised both Beatitude and This Side of Paradise as "hauntingly beautiful."
Ocasek has also produced records for other groups and musicians, including the New Models and the Bad Brains, and he has enjoyed the small film roles he’s had, including portraying an aging beatnik in Hairspray and a junkyard owner in Made in Heaven. He told Robinson that he doesn’t "want to do that rock-star-turning actor bit," but that he’d "love to play some weird character things" in the future.
Selected discography
Albums with the Cars; on Elektra
The Cars (includes "Just What I Needed," "Good Times Roll, "and "My Best Friend’s Girl"), 1978.
Candy-O, 1979.
Panorama, 1980.
Shake It Up (includes "Shake It Up" and "Since You’re Gone"), 1979.
Heartbeat City (includes "You Might Think" and "Magic"), 1984.
Door to Door (includes "You Are the Girl"), 1988.
Solo albums
Beatitude, Geffen, 1982.
This Side of Paradise (includes "Emotion in Motion"), Geffen, 1986.
Other
(With Milkwood) Milkwood, Paramount, 1972.
Sources
Interview, March 1987.
People, November 3, 1986.
Rolling Stone, January 25, 1979; November 20, 1986.
Stereo Review, March 1987.
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Ric Ocasek
- Genres: Rock
Biography
Although he's best known as the leader, singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter for the Cars, Ric Ocasek has also produced for a wide variety of other artists over the years. Born Richard Otcasek in Baltimore, MD, on March 23, 1949, Otcasek was 16 when he became interested in music via such early rockers as Buddy Holly & the Crickets. In the early '70s, Otcasek moved from Cleveland to Boston and began playing in a folk band called Milkwood with friend Ben Orzechowski. They released a lone, forgotten album in 1973 called How's the Weather. When the record failed to chart, the group promptly split up, but Otcasek and Orzechowski would remain together. Inspired by proto-punk outfits the Modern Lovers, the Velvet Underground, and Roxy Music, they formed Rick & the Rabbits and changed their last names from Orzechowski to Orr, and Otcasek to Ocasek.By the mid-'70s, the new band included additional members Greg Hawkes (keyboards/synths), Elliot Easton (guitar), and former Modern Lovers member Dave Robinson (drums). Shortly after, the quintet changed its name to the Cars (with Ocasek becoming the undisputed leader -- penning all of their tunes), resulting in a more streamlined sound and look, which fit in perfectly with the burgeoning new wave movement. Signed to Elektra, the group rocketed to stardom on the strength of their classic, mega-selling self-titled debut in 1978, and with further releases such as 1979's Candy-O, 1980's Panorama, and 1981's Shake It Up, the band became one of the top rock bands in the U.S. It was also during this time that Ocasek began to branch out artistically by producing for Suicide, Bad Brains, Romeo Void, and Iggy Pop, and issuing his 1982 solo debut Beatitude.
With the advent of MTV, the way a band looked proved almost just as important as the music, and the Cars seemed to be custom-made for the new channel as their 1984 release Heartbeat City became one of the year's biggest rock records, spawning several Top Ten singles and heavily rotated and stylish videos. Ocasek found himself in the tabloids around this time when he began dating, and eventually marrying, fashion model Paulina Porizkova (who had appeared in the video for the Cars' hit ballad "Drive"). 1986 saw Ocasek release his second solo effort, This Side of Paradise, before returning to the Cars for what would be their final album, 1987's mildly received Door to Door, before splitting up a year later.
Not much was heard from Ocasek immediately after the Cars' split, but he eventually resurfaced in 1990 with Fireball Zone. He subsequently released other solo works throughout the decade, including 1993's Quick Change World and Negative Theater, 1996's Getchertikitz (a collaboration with Suicide's Alan Vega), and 1997's Billy Corgan-produced Troublizing (for which he supported with a very brief tour, his first since leaving the Cars). Beginning in the mid-'90s, Ocasek began producing again for acts such as Bad Religion, Black 47, Johnny Bravo, D Generation, Guided By Voices, Hole, Possum Dixon, Martin Rev, Jonathan Richman, and both of Weezer's hit self-titled releases in 1994 and 2001. In 2005 the Sanctuary distribution family gave him his own label, Inverse, to develop new acts and released the first new Ocasek album in eight years, Nexterday. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi
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Ric Ocasek
| Ric Ocasek | |
|---|---|
 Ric Ocasek of The Cars in 2009 Photo: Adanne Osefoh |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard T. Ocasek |
| Born | March 23, 1949 Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Genres | Rock, powerpop, New Wave, protopunk, garage rock, |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter, music producer, record producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | Elektra, Reprise, Rhino |
| Associated acts | The Cars |
| Website | www.ricocasek.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Dean Cadillac BC Rich Fender Jazzmaster |
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Ric Ocasek (born Richard T. Otcasek; March 23, 1949 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist (along with Benjamin Orr) and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars. He is also the cousin of Joseph Ocasek. His surname can be created from Otčenášek meaning the little Lord's Prayer.
When Ocasek was 16, his father, a computer analyst for NASA, was transferred to Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from high school in Cleveland, Ocasek then attended Bowling Green State University near Toledo, Ohio.[1][2] He is married to model Pavlína Pořízková.
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Contents
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Early career
In the early 1970s, Ric Ocasek played in the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-influenced folk band Milkwood with friend Ben Orzechowski (Ben Orr). The band released one album in 1972 called How's the Weather under the Paramount record label. The album had no success and quickly disappeared shortly after release, and Milkwood split up. It was then that Ric Ocasek and Ben Orr formed up their new band Rick & the Rabbits. In 1974 Ric and Ben played as a duo at a south shore Boston Ground Round Restaurant; until a company V.P. stopped in one night and said they were not family-friendly entertainment, and had to let them go .
The Cars
Ric Ocasek's breakout success was as a founding member of the new wave band Cap'n Swing, later renamed The Cars, which had numerous hit songs from 1976 to 1988. He played rhythm guitar and sang lead vocals on many tracks, as well as playing keyboard instruments and bass. Ocasek was the principal songwriter of the band, and wrote nearly all of The Cars material, sharing credit on only a few songs with bandmate Greg Hawkes as co-writer. During his time with The Cars, Ocasek developed a reputation as a successful producer, and took this role for many up-and-coming bands of differing genres including, but not limited to Weezer, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Nada Surf, No Doubt, Guided by Voices, Bran Van 3000, and Suicide, as well as some of The Cars albums and singles. In 2010, Ocasek reunited with the surviving original members of The Cars to record their first album in 24 years, titled Move Like This, which came out on May 10, 2011.
Solo career
The singer released his first solo album in 1982. Beatitude is a somewhat more experimental variation of The Cars' New Wave rock sound. A more synthesizer-heavy follow up, This Side Of Paradise, was released in 1986. A #15 hit single, "Emotion in Motion", accompanied the album.
The Cars disbanded in 1988, and he 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 Vega comprising only beatnik poetry set to music, sound effects, etc.), and 1997's Billy Corgan-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 Cars and since then, such as Bad Brains' Rock for Light and Guided by Voices' Do the Collapse. His other production credits include Weezer's Blue Album & Green Album (both multi-platinum), Suicide, Romeo Void, Hole, Bebe Buell, No Doubt, Nada Surf, Irish folk-punk band Black 47, Bad Religion, Johnny Bravo, D Generation, The Wannadies, Possum Dixon, Martin Rev, Jonathan Richman, and, most recently, the 2006 album by The Pink Spiders titled Teenage Graffiti. He also produced a portion of the third Motion City Soundtrack album, Even If It Kills Me.
In other media
Ocasek wrote a book of poetry, 1993's Negative Theatre. It was at one time expected to be incorporated into an album and multimedia incarnation of the same name, but these plans were dropped abruptly. For many years Ocasek had a 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.[3]
Ocasek had a cameo role in the John Waters feature film Hairspray,[4] and had a bit part in the 1987 movie Made in Heaven[5] in which he played a mechanic.
Ocasek stated in a 2005 interview in 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 Cars again, but gave the okay to his former bandmates to do so with Todd Rundgren replacing him on vocals (the resulting band is called The New Cars).
On April 17, 2006, Ocasek appeared on The Colbert Report and volunteered to put Todd Rundgren "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 Colbert. He also appeared again on April 18, 2007, in order to support his wife during her appearance on the show, after remarks that she found Colbert "extremely attractive". He has been mentioned many times in other episodes as well.
The Cars, with Ocasek, appeared on The Colbert Report on August 9, 2011, to promote their new album, Move Like This.
Personal life
Ocasek has been married three times; he married early in life, but divorced and was married to his second wife, Suzanne Ocasek in 1984. Ocasek was still married to Suzanne when he met model Pavlína Pořízková during filming of the music video for The Cars' song "Drive" (directed by Timothy Hutton) later that same year. At that time, Pořízková was 19 years old and Ocasek was 35. He also stated he was bisexual in a 1986 interview, stating, "I like beautiful women. Tall, thin, beautiful women. Fat little ugly women. I like all kinds of women. I'm always attracted to the opposite sex. I'm attracted to both sexes, actually. But not only beautiful men -- I think I like weird men." [6]
Five years after meeting, in 1989, Ocasek and Porizkova married. This was Ocasek's third marriage, and Porizkova's first. In 2009, the couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary and their 25th anniversary since they first met.
Ocasek has a total of six sons, two from each of his three marriages.
He and co-founder of The Cars, Benjamin Orr, were known to be close friends. Their friendship was commemorated in a song Ocasek wrote as a dedication to Orr upon his death in 2000 ("Silver", from Nexterday).
Discography
Solo albums
- Beatitude (1982 Geffen Records)
- This Side of Paradise (1986 Geffen Records)
- Fireball Zone (1991 Reprise Records)
- Quick Change World (1993 Reprise Records)
- Negative Theater (1993 Warner EU; European release only)
- Troublizing (1997 Sony Entertainment)
- Nexterday (2005 Sanctuary / Inverse)
Spoken word album
- Getchertikitz, a collaboration with Alan Vega (1996 Sound Effects)
Singles
| Year | Song | Australia | Canada | US Hot 100 | US MSR | US A.C. | US Dance | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Something to Grab For" | - | - | 47 | 5 | - | - | Beatitude |
| "Jimmy Jimmy" | - | - | - | 25 | - | 60 | ||
| "Connect Up to Me" | - | - | - | - | - | 37 | ||
| 1986 | "Emotion in Motion" | 8 | 18 | 15 | 1 | 8 | - | This Side of Paradise |
| "True to You" | 100 | - | 75 | 9 | - | - | ||
| 1991 | "Rockaway" | - | 46 | - | 11 | - | - | Fireball Zone |
Other appearances
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" | Simply Mad About the Mouse |
See also
References
- ^ New, The. "Ric Ocasek". New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/person/104931/Ric-Ocasek. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (October 17, 2004). "Just What They Needed?", New York Times
- ^ Doug Whiteman (March 29, 2009). "The Cars' Ocasek shakes up career with art debut". Associated Press. http://encore.celebrityaccess.com/index.php?encoreId=184&articleId=30292.
- ^ "New York Times". New York Times. October 13, 2010. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/21282/Hairspray/cast. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ "Made in Heaven (1987) Acting Credits". New York Times. October 13, 2010. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/30701/Made-in-Heaven/cast. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ "Ric Ocasek". Nndb.com. http://www.nndb.com/people/942/000024870/#FN1. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
External links
- Official website
- Ric Ocasek VH1 artist page
- Ric Ocasek AOL artist page
- Ric Ocasek Billboard artist page
- Ric Ocasek Allmusic artist page
- Ric Ocasek at the Internet Movie Database
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Mentioned in
Rosanna Arquette: Saturday Night Live (TV Episode)
(1986 Comedy TV Episode)
A Way of Life
(1988 Album by Suicide)
Simply Mad About the Mouse
(1991 Children's/Family Film)
The Cars: Unlocked - The Live Performances
(2006 Music Film)
New Sheets
(1998 Album by Possum Dixon)
» More