Mark Hoppus unveiled a previously-unreleased cover of The Cars’ seminal 1978 hit “Just What I Needed” on Tuesday (Sept. 17) in tribute to the band’s late singer, Ric Ocasek.
Sharing the track on Soundcloud, the Blink-182 frontman explained that he was approached to record the cover several years ago for an unnamed television show, but wasn’t motivated to release it until learning of Ocasek’s passing over the weekend.
“They wanted moody and strange, dark, and drony, with space for dialogue to go over it,” Hoppus wrote. “I went into the studio with my friend James Ingram and this is what we came up with. The show was cancelled so quickly the episode never aired… It’s been sitting on a hard drive ever since… Enjoy it. And go listen to The Cars.”
Ocasek passed away in his New York City apartment on Sunday (Sept. 15) following a battle with heart disease. The rock icon was 75 years-old.
Listen to Hoppus’ dark take on “Just What I Needed” below.
