"I'm Not the One" by The Cars

Song#:  2606
Date:  02/01/1986
Debut:  80
Peak:  32
Weeks:  11
Genre:  Pop, Rock



Pop Bits:  The Cars' Greatest Hits LP featured a lot of their charting songs along with a few that didn't including the new track "Tonight She Comes," which served at the first single. The tune did well reaching #7. For a follow-up this track that originally appeared on their 1981 album Shake It Up was selected. It was not originally issued as a single when that album was released. When looking for another track to possibly push out as a single from the Hits package, this track was chosen. It was spruced up with a new remix and issued out. It was able to get into the Pop Top 40, but that was all it could do. It did slightly better at AC (#24) and Rock (#29).

ReduxReview:  This was a good album track when it was first released on Shake It Up. As a single five years later, it's not all that great. The mid-tempo tune was just too weak to really make an impression at Pop. The remix really didn't add all that much, so it kind of sounded stuck in the early 80s. I think they should have rallied and recorded a second new tune for the LP if they wanted to have two singles. Rehashing something that's been out for years just seemed a bit lazy.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  The Cars' keyboarist Greg Hawkes later became very proficient on another instrument - the ukulele. He began to apply his skills to popular songs including ones from The Cars catalog. This led to him recording an instrumental album in 2008 titled The Beatles Uke. For the LP, Hawkes performed fifteen Beatles hits on the ukulele. To get a fuller sound, Hawkes layered tracks of himself playing various parts. It made the songs sound like they were done by a ukulele band. Hawkes would do a second ukulele album in 2015. The holiday themed album was titled Jingle Ukes.

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