Elliot Easton comes in to promote his upcoming My Turn and is interviewed by Julie Slater from 100.3 The Sound. In this exclusive video, Elliot discusses life on the road, the beginning and future of The Cars.
This guy is an underrated legend. His guitar work is amazing. If you haven't, check out the guitar solo in "Tonight She Comes". Thank you for everything, Elloitt. I was 14 when the first album came out and I have thought of The Cars as "my band" ever since.
Humble, nice guy. Great to see for a such a fantastic, note-perfect lead player. His solos have such a melodic attitude to them. Never get sick of the Cars.
Very cool of the guys to go out on tour without trying to replace Benjamin. They went out there like a team missing a player, and cobbled together a way to make it work as best they could. Class.
Elliot is a great guy, went to high school in the same town where Elliot lived in Massachusetts. Would see Elliot and Benjamin Orr often, down to earth and both great guys.
I think he just meant he went to high school in the town where Elliot lived in Massachusetts, not that they went to high school together. He went to high school in the town so that is why he often saw Elliot and Ben around.
Such a down-to-earth regular guy. A typical neighbor next-door type. One would never know that he was in one of the greatest bands ever and one of the best guitarist ever.
That's almost Beatles-level speed. The Fab Four recorded their debut LP in one day, though four recordings for that LP already existed as two singles and their B sides. They recorded ten songs in about 18 hours. Not surprised to hear that the Cars did it in so short a time.
"I play for free, and I get paid for the other 22 hours." ~ Elliot Easton. That really puts things in perspective. What a cool down to earth person/artist.
Elliot you are truly a great musician/person. Wish you all the best. Appreciate all the music over the years along with the memories. Memories that would have not been nearly as rich without all of you. So thank you very much. RIP Ben and Rick. Best wishes to Greg and David also.
Well, I really don't know too much about Elliot Easton.. but look out he's a great guitar player. A humble sort of fellow with a great sense of humor. I would love to hear him play some Beatles' songs jamming with his rockabilly style of guitar playing! Rock on Elliot you're fantastic!
Super nice guy , down to earth and super guitar player ( "Slick Licks" was once his nickname ). I find myself being surprised at how old I am when I see some of these fellows today . Great interview .
elliot you are one class act..you say what your fans feel...what you said bout ben priceless.. there is a reason yr my fav guitar god and it yr outlook on life..besides thst you smoke that geetar
Wow. I live in the Worcester area and remember the Blizzard of '78 that Elliot mentions. Wish I knew the Cars were playing. That 1st Cars album is perhaps the greatest collection of song writing in rock history. It is definitely one of the best rock albums of all time. A fusion of rock, jazz, rocka billy, new wave, and punk. Catchy riffs, innovative guitar playing, catchy synth licks that stick in your head, and the great vocals of the late great Benjamin Orr and Ric Ocasek. Let me tell you Elliot. From someone on the outside looking in on the Cars experience, it was an incredibly exciting time watching you guys perform live at the clubs in Boston, Worcester, and New England. I grew up with your records. The Cars gave us something new and fresh that we had not heard before. The album pretty much set the tone for the 80's. All time favorite band. I was/am the guitar player you may have seen covering a few of your songs in my classic rock band! You rock brother!
I LOVE ELLIOT..❤ He is so gentleman, humble .. and fine guitarist..l love that smile Elliot ❤ Forever the Cars ❤ Elliot, David, Greg.... Ben and Rick i miss boys
I have been looking everywhere for an actual, true blue, documentary on the band....GOSH i WISH someone would make a serious, definitive film for us Cars lovers!!!
What a great interview! Elliot isn't shy about sharing personal thoughts. I was just thinking about what a fantastic time that was for me music wise. 79 & 80, last two years of high school, drinking age was 18 (I was the oldest so I was the party guy), and I was introduced to my two favorite artists of all time, both from Boston. Smokin' was our anthem. I'd love to hear stories about their interactions. Maybe there WAS no crossing of paths. But, I'm curious if Elliot knows Barry well. A great "fantasy dinner party" would be with Boston and The Cars in that time.
Heartbeat City album in 1984 was one of the best from the 80s very high tech for its time and produced by the great Mutt Lange who worked is magic also with Foreigner.
Under-rated player, The Cars rhythm section may not have been the best, but Elliot's extremely tasty bits always squeezed the music out of every note. The solo to "Just What I Needed", is now a classic, and well worth learning for the shred heads who've forgotten how to make it sing. Thankfully Elliot's fingers always made that guitar sing with a quirky bendy splendour!
Orr and Robinson were a very solid rhythm section. Listen to Moving in Stereo or something like a A Dream Away from Shake It Up. Or just anything they did. They were very tight.
Good interview. It's interesting to hear about the band from their perspective. We look at them from a totally different side while they're in it and involved. Wow I remember this LA radio station it was great such a change from KLOS! I recall it was started by Jim Ladd and JJ Jackson. They wanted to play alternate cuts on albums the kind of thing that we the fans would do and it was wonderful. It seemed like they didn't have programmed songs that they were able to pick and choose on their own just like in the way old days of LA radio. Anyone remember KLOV and Brother John!! I am talking the hippie days!! But I think they couldn't last because the big corporations knocked them down and got them off the air. Jim Ladd if you ever read this I want you to know we supported you guys and we still remember!!
Julie - Thanks for posting this excellent interview - Thanks for sharing your stories and memories Elliot - really cool stuff... Keep up the great work - you are an awesome guitar player eh! Hope you keep putting out The Cars music!
lost my pop in winter of 78...8 months later got my drivers lic. and in that summer with my first set of wheels I was invited to my friends going to the Navy party...and he had this new band called the Cars playing on 8-track of his beat up 8-track player with a pencil stuck in it to keep the tape playing.....man I got drunk that day
They weren't all the same age, ric was born in 1944. Never will forget being 17 and having 'touch and go' on the little radio selling shoes at the athlete's foot with all those girls around.
Benjamin Orr - September 8 1947 Cleveland Ohio - Died October 3 2000 Ric Ocasek - March 23 1949 Baltimore Maryland Greg Hawkes - October 22 1952 Baltimore Maryland David Robinson - April 2 1953 Woburn Massachusetts Elliot Easton - December 18 1953 Brooklyn New York ~Dutch
I love Elliott classy move going to work with Creedence Clearwater reunited . The Cars are the greatest the best rock and roll band in the history of rock and roll ever to do it bottom line baby ..R.i.p.Ben and Ric I cryed so hard when Ric died It saz like I lost family .. 2019 Ocasek & Orr reunited in heaven
loved these guys as a teenager. due to RU-vid, have come to discover that they are (Ben Orr and Ric Okasek were) fine, decent talented guys, not like some in the music industry.
Actually Elliot is a New Yorker. He was born in Brooklyn. You must be getting him mixed up with The Cars drummer David Robinson. David was born in Woburn Massachusetts which is a suburb of Boston. ~Dutch
Why am i hypnotized after watching this interview ..??..!!!! ....k...im going to go buy some CARS cd's...memorbillia..trinkets..byyy.........smh...lol....
78-79 Winter was one of the worst Winters in weather history for US Midwest with so many snow days with its own t-shirt that says “I survived the Winter of ‘78”.
You certainly didn't over-extend yourself nor your fingers on "Move Like This". Mr. Steinberg...big disappointment, but then again, the material sucked, right ? I counted one, muted solo in ten tracks. Into Ambience, now ? Or were you "being paid for the other" 22 hours ?
Or like maybe Ric didn't want any other solos on the record? It was up to Ric in the end. It's not like Elliot could force him to let him put in a solo.
