This Side of Paradise is the second solo studio album released by Ric Ocasek, lead singer and songwriter of The Cars. It was released in 1986 by Geffen Records. Though it was a solo album, other members of The Cars played significant roles. Greg Hawkes plays keyboards and bass throughout the album (he appears on most of Ocasek's solo albums), and also co-wrote "Hello Darkness" (most Cars albums feature one Ocasek/Hawkes tune). Benjamin Orr is on backing vocals for three songs. Along with Hawkes and Orr, the track "True To You" also features Elliot Easton on guitar. Had drummer David Robinson been present, the song would have been an unofficial Cars reunion. Both production and drumming were by Chris Hughes (formerly known as "Merrick", drummer for Adam and the Ants). Hughes was the recent producer of Tears for Fears most popular two albums. Steve Stevens from Billy Idol's band plays guitar on over half the songs.

In addition, Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears (guitar on "Emotion in Motion"), Tony Levin from King Crimson/Peter Gabriel, Tom Verlaine of Television and G. E. Smith of the Saturday Night Live Band guest on the various songs.

The first single from the album, "Emotion in Motion", which was aided in its promotion by a popular video that received heavy airplay on MTV, reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks for one week, becoming Ocasek's only solo chart-topper (as a member of The Cars, he topped the chart with the singles "You Might Think" and "Magic" in 1984, and "Tonight She Comes" in 1985). Ocasek remains the only member of The Cars to have a #1 hit single.

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