Let's Go (The Cars song)

"Let's Go" is a song by American rock band the Cars, written by Ric Ocasek for the band's second studio album, Candy-O (1979). A new wave rock song, the song's hook was inspired by the Routers. The song's vocals are performed by bassist Benjamin Orr.

"Let's Go"
Picture sleeve (France)
Single by the Cars
from the album Candy-O
B-side
ReleasedJune 12, 1979 (1979-06-12)
Recorded1979
Genre
Length3:32
LabelElektra
Songwriter(s)Ric Ocasek
Producer(s)Roy Thomas Baker
The Cars singles chronology
"Good Times Roll"
(1979)		 "Let's Go"
(1979)		 "It's All I Can Do"
(1979)
Candy-O track listing
11 tracks
Side one
  1. "Let's Go"
  2. "Since I Held You"
  3. "It's All I Can Do"
  4. "Double Life"
  5. "Shoo Be Doo"
  6. "Candy-O"
Side two
  1. "Night Spots"
  2. "You Can't Hold on Too Long"
  3. "Lust for Kicks"
  4. "Got a Lot on My Head"
  5. "Dangerous Type"
Audio sample
"Let's Go"
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"Let's Go" was released in 1979 as the debut single from Candy-O on Elektra Records. The single was a chart success, reaching number 14 in the United States and charting in multiple other countries. It has since appeared on several compilation albums and has seen critical acclaim.

It was the 100th video to be played on the first day of MTV on August 1, 1981.

Composition

"Let's Go" was described by Brett Milano as "another double-edged anthem" in the liner notes for Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology.[1]

The song's signature hook is a series of claps followed by a shouted "Let's go!", which is derived from the 1962 song "Let's Go (Pony)" by the Routers,[2] as well as a simple synth melody played by Greg Hawkes, using the Sync II lead preset (or a slight variation of it) from a Prophet-5 synthesizer. The song tells the story of a 17-year-old girl and her budding interest in "the nightlife".

Release

"Let's Go" was released as the debut single from Candy-O in June 1979. The song's B-side is a non-album track titled "That's It" that features Benjamin Orr on lead vocals. The single peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US,[3] making it the first song by The Cars to reach the Billboard top 20. The song was an even bigger success elsewhere, hitting the top 10 in multiple countries. In Canada, the track reached #5, and remains the Cars' highest ever charting single in that country. Similarly, "Let's Go" peaked at #6 in Australia, where it remains The Cars' highest charted hit.

Two follow-up singles from Candy-O, "It's All I Can Do" and "Double Life", were released after "Let's Go". Although "It's All I Can Do" was a minor hit, "Double Life" failed to chart.

Reception

Rolling Stone critic Tom Carson described "Let's Go" as "the best cut on Candy-O, while the Billboard review of Candy-O listed the song as one of the "best cuts".[4] Billboard described the song as a "catchy midtempo number" with a guitar-driven "sassy rock sound."[5] Cash Box said it begins "with a crash, moving into a streamlined pop rocker, filled with a futuristic combination of synthesizer blips, handclaps and crunching guitar chording."[6] Record World said that "All the parts are geared for hit status on this fine-tuned mid-tempo rocker."[7] The Fort Worth Star Telegram rated it to be the 8th best single of 1979.[8]

William Ruhlmann, author of The All-Music Guide to Rock, said, "'Let's Go' (the Cars' biggest hit so far) became one of the summer songs of the year," and Hamish Champ, writer of The 100 Best-Selling Albums of the 70s, said the track (as well as its follow-up, "It's All I Can Do"), "give ample evidence of the band's range".[4] AllMusic reviewer Greg Prato said the song was "intensely fun".[9]

Charts

References
  1. Milano, Brett. Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology. Rhino.
  2. McMahon, James (18 September 2019). "The Cars' 10 Best Songs". New Musical Express. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 108.
  4. "Candy-O album reviews". www.superseventies.com.
  5. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. June 23, 1979. p. 69. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  6. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 23, 1979. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  7. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 23, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  8. Kaye, Roger (January 13, 1980). "The best albums, singles and concerts of 1979". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. pp. 1D, 10D. Retrieved 2022-06-18 – via newspapers.com.
  9. Prato, Greg. "Candy-O". allmusic.com.
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6849a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  12. "The Cars – Let's Go". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  13. "Cars: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  14. "The Cars Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  15. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending September 8, 1979". Cash Box. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  16. "National Top 100 Singles for 1979". Kent Music Report. No. 288. December 31, 1979 – via Imgur.
  17. "1979 Top 200 Singles". RPM. Vol. 32, no. 13. December 22, 1979. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  18. "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1979 – Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box. December 29, 1979. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  19. Whitburn, Joel (2000). Pop Annual 1955–1999. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
Sources
  • Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research.
  • Synthmania.com - Prophet-5 Classic polyphonic ana
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