Following expansions of The Cars' Candy-O and Panorama, the classic New Wave group (one of this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees) will expand two more in their classic discography in the spring.
Rhino Records will release 1981's Shake It Up and 1984's Heartbeat City with rare and previously unreleased bonus tracks on March 30. CD and double LP editions will be available, and will utilize the 2016 remasters overseen by co-lead singer Ric Ocasek as well as art direction overseen by drummer David Robinson. (For the box set The Elektra Years, Heartbeat City changed from a burgundy cover to white, in accordance with the group's original vision; that design choice repeats here.) Ocasek and Robinson have also sat for new interviews for David Fricke's liner notes for each title.
A total of 15 bonus tracks appear between both packages, from B-sides ("Breakaway," from the Heartbeat City period), dance mixes (among the band's only ones: the Top 20 hit "Hello Again"), a cover of The Nightcrawlers' "The Little Black Egg" (the backing track of which was used for Bebe Buell's covers EP) and the two exclusive tracks from the band's seminal 1985 greatest hits set: the Top 10 smash "Tonight She Comes" and a remix of Shake It Up's "I'm Not the One." Gems from the vault include early versions and demos of "Shake It Up," "Since You're Gone," "Drive," "Heartbeat City" and "Coming Up You," later released on the group's 1987 effort Door to Door.
Shake It Up and Heartbeat City continued the Boston quintet's dominant turn from New Wave masters to pop-rock hitmakers. These albums, respectively produced by Roy Thomas Baker (his fourth consecutive collaboration with the group) and ascendant pop-rock craftsman Robert John "Mutt" Lange, contain The Cars' biggest hits, including their first Top 10 track, "Shake It Up"; the power-pop gem "Since You're Gone," and bestsellers like "You Might Think" (remembered for its cutting-edge-at-the-time MTV video), "Magic" and the simmering ballad "Drive," sung by the band's late bassist Benjamin Orr and the band's biggest hit.
Full specs and pre-order links are below.
Shake It Up: Expanded Edition (Elektra/Rhino, 2018)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
- Since You're Gone
- Shake It Up
- I'm Not the One
- Victim of Love
- Cruiser
- A Dream Away
- This Could Be Love
- Think It Over
- Maybe Baby
- Since You're Gone (Early Version) *
- Shake It Up (Demo) *
- I'm Not the One (Remix)
- Cruiser (Early Version) *
- Take It on the Run (Early Version of "A Dream Away") *
- Coming Up You Again (1981 Version of "Coming Up You") *
- Little Black Egg
- Midnight Dancer *
Tracks 1-9 from Elektra LP 5E-567, 1981
Track 12 from The Cars Greatest Hits - Elektra 60464, 1985
Track 16 from Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology (Elektra/Rhino R2 73506, 1995)
All other tracks previously unreleased
Heartbeat City: Expanded Edition (Elektra/Rhino, 2018)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
- Hello Again
- Looking for Love
- Magic
- Drive
- Stranger Eyes
- You Might Think
- It's Not the Night
- Why Can't I Have You
- I Refuse
- Heartbeat City
- Hello Again (Arthur Baker Remix Version)
- Drive (Demo) *
- One More Time (Early Version of "Why Can't I Have You") *
- Baby I Refuse (Early Version of "I Refuse") *
- Jacki (Early Version of "Heartbeat City") *
- Breakaway
- Tonight She Comes
Tracks 1-10 from Elektra LP 60296, 1984
Track 11 from Elektra 12" single 0-66929, 1984
Track 16 from B-side to "Why Can't I Have You" single - Elektra 7-69657, 1984
Track 17 from The Cars Greatest Hits - Elektra 60464, 1985
All other tracks previously unreleased
Bruce Padgett says
Mike, the Amazon U.S. Heartbeat City CD link goes to the LP version. Thanks for all the info though!
Andrew says
Should also include the Hello Again Arthur Baker Dub Mix.