PRIMARY WAVE REVS UP WITH RIC OCASEK CATALOG DEAL

Primary Wave Music has partnered with the estate of late Cars leader Ric Ocasek on the artist's publishing catalog, which includes all songs from his time with the band as well as his solo career.

PW will share in name, image and likeness rights with the estate and endeavor to place Ocasek's music in film & TV projects and marketing, branding & digital collateral and realize sync opportunities.

Ocasek founded The Cars with Ben Orr, having met him in Cleveland in the mid-1960s. They performed in the band ID Nirvana and, after moving to Boston, Milkwood. Once they met guitarist Elliot Easton, they formed Cap’n Swing. In 1973, with drummer David Robinson, they became The Cars.

Forging a unique combination of guitar- and synthesizer-driven rock, the band developed a strong following in New England. Even before signing a record deal in 1977, “Just What I Needed” was getting airplay on Boston radio stations. Their Elektra debut album would be a multimillion-seller and yield the Ocasek-penned singles “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Good Times Roll.” They had their first Top 20 single in 1979 with “Let’s Go.”

“You Might Think,” which Ocasek wrote and sang lead on, led the hit parade for their most successful album, 1984’s Heartbreak City, which reeled off five Top 40 singles. The track was named Video of the Year at the first MTV VMAs.

In 1982, Ocasek released the first of his seven solo albums, Beatitude, following it up four years later with This Side of Paradise. After The Cars broke up in 1987, Ocasek stayed away from music until 1990, when he issued Fireball Zone. He mounted only one solo tour, in 1997, after the release of Troublizing, and last put out an album in 2005.

Ocasek was also a producer, working with Weezer, No Doubt, Nada Surf, Jonathan Richman, The Cribs and others. Elektra hired him as an SVP of A&R in 2003, though he lasted less than a year in the job.

Minus Orr, who died at age 53 of pancreatic cancer in 2000, The Cars unexpectedly reunited in 2011 for the album Move Like This and a short tour. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.

Said Primary Wave CMO Adam Lowenberg, "His words, music and overall vision left such an indelible mark on the historical musical landscape. I cannot imagine my own youth without the songs of Ric Ocasek. We are so eager to begin creating new opportunities to introduce Ric’s world to a whole new audience."