The Cars - Heartbeat City [Alternate Cover]

MTV had become a major marketing tool by 1984, and the Cars were one of the first bands to use the new video medium to their advantage. The band's fifth album, Heartbeat City (Elektra), spawned several imaginative and memorable videos, which translated into massive chart and commercial success, making it one of the biggest releases of the year. Produced by hitmaker John "Mutt" Lange (AC/DC, Def Leppard), the album included two Top Ten singles -- the ballad "Drive" and the charismatic "You Might Think" -- plus an additional two that landed in the Top 20: the summer anthem "Magic" and the eccentric "Hello Again." But it didn't just stop there, plenty of other tracks could have been hits as well, such as the sparse rocker "It's Not the Night" and the breezy pop of "Looking for Love." Other highlights included the ethereal title track, the melodic rocker "Stranger Eyes," and the moderately paced love song "Why Can't I Have You." Although the Cars experienced their greatest success yet with Heartbeat City, it would unfortunately not last for long -- after just one more studio album (1987's spotty Door to Door), the band split up. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Name Credits Andy Topeka Programming, Production Assistant Benjamin Orr Vocals, Bass Bill Gerber Direction, Director Bob Ludwig Mastering Cathy Henszey Art Direction David Heglmeier Production Assistant David L. Robinson Drums, Programming, Cover Design David Robinson Vocals, Cover Design, Drums Doris Kloster Photography Elliot Easton Vocals, Guitar Elliot Roberts Director, Direction Ernie Campagna Production Coordination George Holz Photography George Marino Mastering Greg Hawkes Vocals, Keyboards, Programming Mike Shipley Mixing Nigel Green Engineer Peter Phillip Artwork Peter Phillips Paintings, Cover Painting Ric Ocasek Vocals, Guitar Robert John "Mutt" Lange Producer Steve Hoffman Remastering, Mastering Steve Rance Production Assistant The Cars Producer