@@mfsb8473 No. Orr may have had a "better" voice in the traditional sense but Ocasek's was definitely more interesting sounding and was one of the elements that made the band unique and original.
When you are almost 60 and never knew Ric wasn't the only singer for the Cars. Seriously appreciate learning about Benjamin and his talent. He was truly awesome
It was a long time before I realized Rick was not the main singer. I bought their double cassette when I was 11 it wasn't til I was about 30 I learned my mistake.
Yeah isn't that weird? I always thought Ric sang all the songs. Some sort of weird Mandela effect. I was in my 50s when I found out. How did this happen?
@@deenine There was some similarity. But Rick's voice kind of wobbled, had a little hippity hop, and was a bit more baritone, with Ben more staccato, leaning tenor. Could be that Rick wanted Ben to sing things a certain way. As Rick wrote most of the material, I'll wager he sang on demo tracks and Ben tried to emulate him to a degree.
We had more than 3 channels when Midnight Special aired, but we were in the San Francisco bay area, so maybe that explained it. Friday night/Saturday morning after Johnny Carson. Between Midnight Special, Rock Concert and later Videowest Backstage Pass; live music was something we could see at home.
Almost forgot how incredibly sexy Orr was as a front man, and not just his look but his voice. This Midnight Special segment is so much better than when I saw them live in 1984, so so much better.
It's crazy because I always thought of him as another random older rocker dude in the 80s, but watching this now... my goodness, he really was so beautiful.
@@bradowen761 Totally agree - I was too young to appreciate Ben when this song came out but OMG he is perfection! Both as a musician, vocalist and rockstar!
Most debut albums are made up of all the band's best stuff they've written and compiled during their pre record deal career years. the 2nd and 3rd album is the real trick. Less time and more pressure.
This video is special. The closeup of Ben Orr is Gold. I wasn’t a big fan of Cars when they started but that has changed since I saw this video. Yes Ric was a genius. The other band members were great but Ben Orr , the voice, the face, the hair, this is his Best. Cheers Ben please rest in peace except to hear those who get such joy from your presence on Earth. Thank you Sir.
I can't stop watching this. He's was just so beautiful, and talented with a captivating stage presence. More importantly, he was humble and grateful for his time with The Cars. Interviewer: "Are you the sexy one, Ben?" Ben: "Hell, no!" How I wish he was with us longer! ❤
Ben was so incredibly GORGEOUS 😍 with a rockstar body, rockstar voice & beautiful angelic voice, as well. He was extremely humble & so proffessional. RIP Ben Orr 😢 & Ric -you both will never be forgotten. I wish I had got the chance to see Ben perform live with The Cars ❤
Okay, I’m an 80’s child who was born in 78 and had no idea there was a front man before Ric and this is the first time I’m seeing Benjamin Orr. My mind is absolutely blown. Just blown.
Ben Orr wasn't showy like Ric; but he did some of their best ballads. I believe the last to really stand out was "Drive" released in 1984 which hit #3 in the Top 100 and #1 in Adult Contemporary. It's also the only single the Cars ever had that certified Gold.
Haven’t you ever heard anyone say, “I’m straight, but he/she is drop-dead gorgeous.” ? Let the person self-identify as they will, they’re simply saying they’re capable of recognizing beauty without bias.
I totally agree with all of the Benjamin Orr comments. He is captivating on stage, with his unique voice, stage presence, and looks. I never get tired of watching him play no matter how many times I see him. Thanks for the memories, Ben!
One of the most perfect pop records ever made. In 1978, I was at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, waiting for Elvis Costello and the Attractions to come on. This single had recently been released and came on over the PA. The audience, already familiar with it, went up for grabs. Brilliant.
Ben's father and paternal grandfather were born in present day Ukraine. His mother, born Alzbeta Benova, was Carpatho-Rusyn and born in present day Kojšov, Slovakia.
@@stevenvondrak Thank you for this comment, first I've ever read that was correct about his ancestry. His mother's birth location was Hungary at the time, but border changed to Czechoslovakia 6 years before she emigrated. Many people from that town settled in the Cleveland area. Mother Hungarian, Father Russian by birth location. Religion was Russian Orthodox.
@sombojoe lads, it's OK to find a guy attractive or handsome. You don't need to qualify your sexuality. It's your opinion. Valid. It's only a little gay. Besides. I was born in 66. I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF ME. ACTUALLY I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK. LOL
It's rare when everyone in a band is a genius and totally compatible for the music. Well these guys were absolute geniuses. And none of them could have done it alone. Their first two albums were absolute flawless master pieces. Every song, not one note out of place, feeds you into the next, on both albums. They blew the lid off of old rock and ushered in the new rock in 1979 and 1980.
That's kinda how they made records back in the day. They go in the studio and get everyone's sound just right, and the mics were setup for each instrument and the sound they wanted to capture. Then the band all just played.
Actually I think all of their older live versions are better than their recorded versions. Once they toured in 1984 though I think the powers that be synthesized their voices whilst in concert. Ruined it for me. I concentrate on these older performances : )
Well put. They must have rehearsed their asses off because there are a lot of moving parts to that song! And yes, Benjamin Orr was gorgeous! 🔥 RIP, Ben and Ric
I generally try to avoid listening to new music because it is generally disappointing what music producers push on consumers. However, I have found bands like The Heavy and Ghost Hounds that are enjoyable listens. Just move away from the pop and popular country and the options become more tenible.
@@KeikoMushi Certainly the basic musicianship seems to be lacking in our society today. 100 yrs ago, just about everybody played some kind of instrument, sang, etc. People didn't sit around and watch TV or surf the net... they DID things... like play music with friends, family, church members, etc. Even 40-ish years ago when I was in grade school, just about everyone was in some kind of music program or group. The band. The choir. But not so much anymore. The focus is now more on sports and test scores. One reason so many great musicians and bands have come out of Great Britain over the years is their music curricula in public schools and universities--which still values and emphasizes music... though also not as much as in the past.
Early this morning I drove up from Virginia to the Cleveland area to watch the total solar eclipse, but also took the opportunity for a first-time visit to Benjamin Orr's gravesite. Returning home this evening I reflected on my visit, The Cars' music, and what a truly talented and wonderful person he was. Very much missed by all.
I'm 63 and Just realized all my favorites are sung by Ben, who is so dang handsome!! Back in the 70's and 80's, you had to buy a music magazine to see good pictures of bands. When MTV happened, I didn't have a TV. I do love YT for all the footage I get to watch and all have yet to discover.
I thought the same thing...that Ric sang all their songs. I stumbled across this video a few years ago here on YT and found out different. Lots of talent in The Cars!
EE was brilliant. He was like their unacknowledged secret weapon. Everybody fawned over Ben and Ric, but EE's parts and playing were absolutely *crucial* for this band. Brilliant.
me too my friend. saw them on Halloween 1979 in Portland Maine and it still ranks as one of my all time favorites slightly behind two Eagles front rows in Boston and a meet and greet with Joe Walsh.
Funnily enough my first thought when I saw the singer was “dang that’s one attractive dude, especially for the 70’s.” And ofc the comment section are 50+% people head over heels over him😂
I remember in high school my girlfriend's dad would often give me a ride home. He was listening to The Cars one night and she tried making fun of him for it, but I said it was good music. The irony is that this song was on a compilation CD called Funk Rock High or something...can't seem to find it anywhere...but it also had the live version of Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick that I played for her one night on the phone before we even started dating. Had a lot of great tunes on that comp. Black Betty by Ram Jam was on there too. Shit, wish I could remember more right now.
Growing up, don’t think I ever appreciated what a unique sound Ben Orr had with his vocals - especially when he goes deep into his basement voice. I mean, he and the other singer sound British (kinda like Bowie) yet it’s an American band! And for some reason, I always thought of the Cars as a purely ‘80s band, didn’t remember “Just What I Needed” coming out as early as ‘78. I used to listen to Casey Kasem’s weekly Top 40 show religiously, his annual Top 100 show & often saw the Midnight Special. Maybe it took a few hit songs for the Cars to really get on my radar? There was so much great music back then, a lot of really great bands/tunes competing to stand out, but the Cars were really first-rate. Plus I was a kid and really took things for granted, there was so much great music - hard rock, pop, punk, funk, rhythm & blues, soul, the beginning of post-punk & New Wave alternative rock. I loved a lot of stuff but didn’t truly appreciate it as I do now!
So many great memories from that show. Staying up, "sleepovers" with my best friend. I saw an interview of Ben, and he said he didn't really like doing vocals. I'm so glad he did. The songs they chose for him to sing were perfect because he sang them.
I love this song more now that I know Ben was on vocals, and I have been listening to them since I was 11 in 1980. The mainstream did not showcase Ben adequately, and Ric was focused on more. One of my favorite vocal endings to any song! Classic.
The Midnight Special was magical as we saw all the best bands the world has produced at their zenith. Thank God for You Tube for these amazing clips of great bands. I think hundreds of years from now people will look at the music of the 197O's and 1980's the same way we look back at the Renaissance. The music from the 1990's to the present day is awful.
@@johnroche7541I remember watching Midnight Special when David Bowie had that red or orange hair. I remember sitting there going holy sht wtf. First time I had ever seen something like that.
This is in my top 5 performances from the cars . They had everything so tight , the double down was a smoky eyed lead singer to make the girls swoon and the guys be in jealousy chains .
looking back now with perspective, I think the Cars I one of the under appreciated groups of all-time. Great songs, great vocalists , sad they are gone
Elliot Easton was such a fantastic guitarist, his live solos were spot on to the studio recordings! Clean crisp and not a missed note! He was so underrated!
I'm 60, and grew up in Boston with The Cars. Since I was never that into their music, I only saw viewed Ben briefly, with a passing "he's kinda cute", and thought Rick sang all the songs. It's only been TODAY that I realized that Ben was the voice of the songs I did like, and how damned BEAUTIFUL he was. His looks are what I'd imagined a literal Angel might look like.
Uhh, I love this! Benjamin is soo gorgeous! In the MTV era it seems like he was kinda pushed to the background, even on Drive you couldnt see him for all the acting going on around him. This is a perfect performance! Thank you so much for posting these super talented guys! Love this channel and seeing all of these amazing bands in their prime!
I saw them live in ‘79 @ Arrowhead Stadium nose bleed seats. We made it down to the standing room only floor section when Cars came on (all day concert). They sounded great but never ‘saw’ them up close, figured Ric sang lead back then also. If only I’d known what Ben looked~played bass like, I’d have squirmed my way to him! 😂😅
Ben Orr as good looking as we was he was very private and reserved, introverted of you will. So I don’t think he necessarily even cared about being in the background.
@@erichschorr2609No, he did mind as did the rest of the group. After a while Ric was in the forefront and it was part of the tension that lead to the breakup.
Ben Orr is one of those few guys like say Otis Redding (regardless of style diff) who could communicate in short stoccato notes so many different nuances within one octave or so.
Ben Orr had the classic rock star "look". The hair, the clothes, the "snarl", that booming bass guitar sound. The last 30 seconds of this song sound so damned killer...
Orr has to be the coolest .. so effortlessly they craft their sound.. that whole album was once important in my driving life… good times. Rest Well Benjamin
Exceptional performance by The Cars, what a wonderful era of music, thank you The Midnight Special for this exceptional collection, you rock..and roll!
Outstanding!! My first ever album was The Cars, given to me as a gift on my 9th birthday in 1978. Benjamin Orr is one of my favorite vocalists. You don't hear "real" male voices like that much anymore.
One of the most underrated singers ever Benjamin Orr at least they finally got their due to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame unfortunately He wasn't there RIP Ben
@@johnurban7333- I’m not fond of the overused “underrated,” either. In terms of Benjamin Orr though, an element of under recognition, thus under appreciation, is there. Even amongst fans of The Cars it’s largely unknown how many of their songs have Benjamin’s lead vocals. He seems too obscure relative to all of his talent. I don’t know as underrated is the word for it, but something seems wrong.
My sister and were traveling up the coast of California I was 17. I had long hair and I had this album. We stooped at a friend of hers house where she lived with her parents and 16 year old brother. We stopped to spend the night with them. The brother and I hit it off and started to play this album. The parents asked me to leave and I had to stay in a hotel, Rock and Roll were against their religion. It was just what needed, I learned a lot about religion that day. Funny how music brings back memories
Incredible video. I’ve never seen this before but I think the Cars first album was the greatest debut in rock history. I can’t tell you how much I love seeing them perform live. We just never had this opportunity at the time. What an amazing band.
One of the most incredible compliments I've ever heard was the women knew he was gorgeous and the guys knew he was cool. I always thought he was very cool and for me cool also means a real person, not snobbish !!
My favorite band in junior high. I had an extremely vivid dream in 2010, of meeting Ben. He was wearing a brown leather jacket with a tan scarf, and smiling at me as I excitedly told him how much I loved his music and how much it meant to me. It only lasted about 30 seconds before the dream scene changed, but I believe it was a true Spirit contact.
The Cars were the sound track for every smokin adolescent girl that I'd have no clue what to do with, what a great band. I played the hell out of that first record when I was 10, 11, 12 years old and still absolutely love it today. Great stuff!
