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Just What I Needed
The Cars
The Cars
The Cars
RaitingFF
Family Friendly
Information
Released 1978
Genre New Wave
Language English
Source Rock Band Track Pack Vol. 2
Available November 18, 2008 (Pack)
(DLC)
Playable in
Rock Band
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 3
Rock Band Blitz
Lego Rock Band
Difficulty
Band 1FcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce
Basic Pro
Guitar 2FcircleFcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce 2FcircleFcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce
Bass 2FcircleFcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce 2FcircleFcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce
Drums 1FcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce 1FcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce
Keys NoNo Part NoNo Part
Vocals 1FcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce 1FcircleUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlceUFCirlce
Details
Male singer
3-part Harmonies



Just What I Needed is a song by The Cars which established them as one of New Wave's leading hitmakers and helped get them a deal with Elektra Records.

Lead vocals were by bass player Ben Orr, but it was written by lead singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek. Orr died of Pancreatic cancer in 2000.

Ocasek wrote this in a basement at a commune in Newton, Massachusetts where he lived.

The 2-track demo recorded by the band became the most-requested song by a local band in the history of WBCN, a popular rock station in Boston.

This was the group's first single. The Cars evolved from a trio called Milkwood.

The group's manager took the Cars' demo tape to two Boston radio stations and got it regular airplay before the group re-recorded it and released this as a single.

Seven years after it was first released, this made its second appearance on a single - this time as the B-side of the Cars' last Top 10 hit, "Tonight She Comes." (Thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL, for above 3)

This song was used in the opening credits of the Oscar winning film Boys Don't Cry starring Hillary Swank. (Thanks, Melania - Moscow)

This was used in Circuit City ads when the electronics store used the slogan, "Just What I Needed." (Thanks, Eric - Suffern, NY)

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