June 13, 2012

The Cars were a Boston based American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene of the late 1970s.  They were headed by lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson.

Candy-O was their second album and the story of how the record cover came about is very interesting.  The Cars drummer David Robinson somehow convinced 83 year old pinup artist, Alberto Vargas to come out of retirement to work on the cover of album. Initally Vargas had not been keen at all but when his niece, who was a “Car’s” fan, encouraged him, he relented.  

To produce a photo that Vargas could use as a guide, a shoot was set-up at a Ferrari dealership in Beverly Hills and a model with "a nice figure” named Candy Moore (purely a coincidence) was hired. Moore and Robinson later were involved in a brief romance.  The Vargas pinup of a tawny-haired woman provocatively sprawled on the hood of a car was clever representation for the group and Vargas's buxom babe helped Candy-O go platinum in a matter of weeks. 

Alberto Vargas’ work has been world-famous since the 1940′s, when he began painting pin-up girls for Esquire and Playboy magazines. 

Candy-O - The Cars
Elektra/Asylum Records, 1979, 5E-507
Art Direction & Design: Ron Corco and Johnny Lee
Cover Concept: David Robinson
Cover Painting: Alberto Vargas
Photography: Jeff Albertson

Please go to www.ricsrecordrack.com.  This record is still available.

Here are two pictures: the front with the Vargas pic and the back with
the members of the band.