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    RockChat Rewind with Joe Milliken
    On this day in 1979, The Cars released their second album titled “Candy-O.” Recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles and produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the follow-up to their iconic debut release actually charted higher than its predecessor.
    Unlike the debut release, in which all the demo tracks were essentially created by Ric Ocasek, “Candy-O” took a more democratic approach, with all the members of the band having more input, working on demo tracks together before entering the studio. Some of the songs also took a little more of an experimental approach, such as “Shoo Be Doo,” “Night Spots” and the title track, as the band did not want to completely duplicate the vibe of the debut album.
    It was rumored that Elektra Records had initially wanted hold back the release of “Candy-O,” because the previous album was still selling well and remained on the charts. Designed by the drummer, David Robinson, the iconic album cover featured a painting by the legendary “pin-up girls” artist Alberto Vargus, despite the 83-year-old having been retired. The album was also reissued on vinyl by Rhino in 2018, featuring additional photos and unreleased tracks.
    Although it ultimately did not sell as well as the debut, “Candy-O” was a very successful follow up, and climbed some 15 sports higher on the album chart, reaching #3. The single “Let’s Go,” sung by bassist Benjamin Orr, was the band’s first Top 20 hit and reached #14 on the Hot 100 singles chart, while the second single, “It’s All I Can Do,” reached #41. “Candy-O” has gone on to sell more than four million copies worldwide.
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