Happy Anniversary: The Cars, “Let’s Go”

35 years ago, The Cars released a single filled with three minutes and 32 seconds of hand-clapping, synth-pumping pop goodness: “Let’s Go,” written by Ric Ocasek and sung by bassist Benjamin Orr.

According to Wikipedia, the series of handclaps followed by the shouting of the title was derived from a 1962 instrumental of the same name by the L.A. instrumental band The Routers, while the synth melody was provided by some approximation of the Sync II lead preset from a Prophet-5 synthesizer. Perhaps the funniest factoid offered about “Let’s Go” in the entry, however, is the observation that, “in 1980, Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their comeback album, Chipmunk Punk.” Who’s taking the Chipmunks seriously enough that they’ve determined exactly which of their efforts constituted a comeback?

As a single, “Let’s Go” scored significant chart action here in the States, hitting #14 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it was an even bigger hit in Australia and Canada, where it made it to #6 and #5, respectively. One also shouldn’t underestimate its worth as an album opener, either, as it’s hard to imagine a better way to draw listeners into Candy-O, as you’ll be able to remind yourself if you check out the accompanying playlist.

Just as a closing note, though, if you get a chance, do yourself a favor and seek out Ernie Isley’s cover of the song on Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary. The dude seriously funks it up.