Heartbeat City
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| Heartbeat City | |||||
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| Studio album by The Cars | |||||
| Released | March 13, 1984 | ||||
| Recorded | July 1983-January 1984 | ||||
| Genre | Rock and roll/New wave/Soft rock | ||||
| Length | 38:41 | ||||
| Label | Elektra Records | ||||
| Producer | The Cars & Robert John "Mutt" Lange | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| The Cars chronology | |||||
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Heartbeat City is the fifth studio album by American new wave band The Cars, released in 1984.
Heartbeat City contains a total of five American Top 40 singles, two of which ("Drive" and "You Might Think") were Top 10 as well, reaching #3 and #7, respectively. A number of songs from the album gained significant radio and TV exposure, notably "You Might Think", which had a memorable music video in heavy rotation on MTV in 1984 and 1985. Another hit single frequently seen on MTV was "Magic", in which singer/songwriter Ric Ocasek walked on water -- that is, the water in a swimming pool at a backyard barbecue party. This song reached #12 in the U.S. The "Drive" video (directed by actor Timothy Hutton) showed Ocasek, who did not sing the song, arguing with a troubled young woman (portrayed by model Paulina Porizkova, whom Ocasek would soon marry.) "Hello Again" had a video directed by the legendary Andy Warhol -- who also appeared onscreen, further raising the video's curiosity factor. It is exceedingly unlikely that anyone who watched MTV in the mid-to-late 1980s didn't see a Cars video from Heartbeat City.
When The Cars performed at Live Aid, they played three songs from the album ("You Might Think" and "Drive", plus the album's title track) alongside the fan favorite "Just What I Needed".
The album was produced by acclaimed producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. His commitment to the Cars album meant that he wasn't able to work on the forthcoming Def Leppard album, Hysteria. (However, due to delays in that album's recording, Lange was eventually able to produce the album.)
Contents |
[edit] Cover Art
The cover art (including an image of a 1971 Plymouth Duster 340) is from a 1972 piece by Peter Phillips called "Art-O-Matic Loop di Loop."[1]
[edit] Track listing
All songs written by Ric Ocasek except as noted.
- "Hello Again" – 3:47
- "Looking for Love" – 3:52
- "Magic" – 3:57
- "Drive" – 3:55
- "Stranger Eyes" – 4:26
- "You Might Think" – 3:04
- "It's Not the Night" (Greg Hawkes, Ocasek) – 3:49
- "Why Can't I Have You" – 4:04
- "I Refuse" – 3:16
- "Heartbeat City" – 4:31
[edit] Personnel
- Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Greg Hawkes – keyboards, backing vocals
- Ric Ocasek – rhythm guitar, lead vocals on 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10
- Benjamin Orr – bass guitar, lead vocals on 4, 5, 7
- David Robinson – drums, percussion
[edit] Technical personnel
- Mike Shipley - mixing engineer
- George Marino - mastering engineer
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Billboard 200 | 3 |
| 1984 | UK Album Chart | 25 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "You Might Think" | Billboard Hot 100 | 7 |
| 1984 | "It's Not the Night" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 31 |
| 1984 | "Magic" | Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| 1984 | "Drive" | Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| 1984 | "Drive" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 9 |
| 1984 | "Drive" | Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| 1984 | "Hello Again" | Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 8 |
| 1984 | "Hello Again" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 22 |
| 1984 | "Hello Again" | Billboard Hot 100 | 20 |
| 1985 | "Why Can't I Have You" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 11 |
| 1985 | "Why Can't I Have You" | Billboard Hot 100 | 33 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – United States | 4x Platinum | December 17, 2001 |
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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