Although they emerged in the late 1970s when punk was all the rage, the Boston band The Cars became an early proponent of the more varnished new wave movement. With their punchy and accessible blend of pop hooks, classic rock sensibilities and modern synthesisers, The Cars created a distinctive identity that captivated a global fanbase. It wasn’t long before they rivalled contemporaries like Blondie and The B-52s.
Led by the mulleted rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek and bassist Benjamin Orr, The Cars made their first dent in 1978 with the lauded eponymous debut album. Although they emerged in the punk era, The Cars channelled influences that stretched back to the early years of rock ‘n’ roll. Unlike most of their contemporary emerging artists, Orr and Ocasek were born in the 1940s and grew up through rock’s early climb through the pop charts.
The influence of classic rock progenitors like Elvis Presley is immediately apparent when scanning The Cars’ back catalogue, but they were also decidedly inspired by British Invasion artists, especially The Beatles. Ocasek, just a year younger than George Harrison, the youngest Beatle, was a particularly fervent Beatlemaniac in his 20s and used the band’s accessible work as a model for his own updated approach to pop rock.
Most notably, The Cars’ classic debut album single ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’ was subconsciously based on The Beatles’ ‘I Will’. The track initially appeared on the Fab Four’s 1968 eponymous double album, widely nicknamed The White Album. Credited to Lennon-McCartney, the song was primarily a Paul McCartney composition, driven by an infectious jangly guitar melody.
“It’s still one of my favourite melodies that I’ve written,” McCartney said of the song Barry Miles’ book Many Years from Now. “You just occasionally get lucky with a melody, and it becomes rather complete, and I think this is one of them; quite a complete tune.”
The melody certainly worked its magic on Ocasek, who essentially transplanted the guitar melody for the post-chorus break in ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’. Earlier in the 1970s, he rewrote the song and recorded a demo at his home in Boston. After signing to Elektra, The Cars recorded the song in a session with Roy Thomas Baker, famed for his work with Queen. Nobody seemed to realise the similarity to ‘I Will’ at the time, but Ocasek later chalked it up to subconscious memory.
Alongside the debut album’s lead single, ‘Just What I Needed’, ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’ became a monumental hit for The Cars, launching them to global stardom. ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’ breached the top ten on the UK Singles Chart, reaching a respectable number three.