Rhino Records is releasing expanded editions of The Cars’ Candy-O and Panorama on July 28th on CD and 2 LP. Hits such as “Let’s Go,” “It’s All I Can Do” and “Touch and Go,” will be featured on the first-ever expansive releases that also include rare and unreleased recordings taken from the sessions for each album. Band member Ric Ocasek recently supervised the remastering of these albums for last year’s boxed set The Cars: The Elektra Years, ensuring superior sound quality on these new versions.

Presented in gatefold sleeves, the vinyl versions include music on three sides with an etching on the fourth. In addition, the music on these expanded editions will be released digitally and available via streaming outlets.

For the follow-up to its eponymous debut, The Cars teamed up one again with producer Roy Thomas Baker (Queen) to record Candy-O. The album was released in the summer of 1979 and became a huge hit, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Album Chart and eventually earned quadruple-platinum certification in the U.S. alone. One of the singles, “Let’s Go,” was the band’s first Top 15 hit on the Billboard singles chart.

Candy-O: Expanded Edition goes beyond the original album’s 11 tracks with seven bonus tracks. Among the highlights are unreleased alternate mixes of “Let’s Go” and “Lust For Kicks,” as well as the previously unreleased song “They Won’t See You (The Northern Studios Version).” The album’s liner notes were written by David Wild and include a new interview with guitarist Elliot Easton.

The Cars returned in the summer of 1980 with Panorama, which became the band’s third consecutive platinum album and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Album Chart. The album became a fan favorite thanks to songs like “Touch And Go,” “Up And Down,” and “Gimme Some Slack.”

Panorama: Expanded Edition builds on the original album’s ten songs with four bonus tracks. They include the B-side “Don’t Go To Pieces,” as well as unreleased songs like “Shooting For You,” and “Be My Baby.” For this release, Wild once again pens the liner notes, along with reminisces from keyboardist Greg Hawkes.”

The five original members of The Cars – Ric Ocasek, the late Benjamin Orr, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes and David Robinson – recorded six studio albums together for Elektra Records and have sold more than 23 million albums in the U.S. alone.

Candy-O: Expanded Edition – CD  | 2 LP

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
7. Night Spots
8. You Can’t Hold On Too Long
9. Lust For Kicks
10. Got A Lot On My Head
11. Dangerous Type

Bonus Tracks

12. Let’s Go – Roy Thomas Baker Monitor Mix
13. Candy-O – Northern Studios Version
14. Nights Spots – Northern Studios Version
15. Lust for Kicks – Roy Thomas Baker Monitor Mix
16. Dangerous Type – Northern Studios Version
17. They Won’t See You – Northern Studios Version, Previously Unreleased
18. That’s It – Let’s Go B-side

Panorama: Expanded Edition – CD | 2 LP

1. Panorama
2. Touch and Go
3. Gimme Some Slack
4. Don’t Tell Me No
5. Getting Through
6. Misfit Kid
7. Down Boys
8. You Wear Those Eyes
9. Running Up To You
10. Up and Down

Bonus Tracks

11. Shooting For You – Previously Unreleased
12. Be My Baby – Previously Unreleased
13. The Edge – Previously Unreleased
14. Don’t Go To Pieces – Don’t Tell Me No B-side