{{Short description|Welsh pop band}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} {{About|the Welsh pop band|racing cars in general|Auto racing}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Racing Cars | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = [[Rhondda]] Valley, [[Wales]] | genre = Pop | years_active = 1973–2010 | label = [[Chrysalis Records]], [[Angel Air Records|Angel Air]] | website = | current_members = | past_members = [[#Band members|Band members]] }}

'''Racing Cars''' was a Welsh pop band, formed in the [[Rhondda]] Valley, [[Wales]], in 1973.<ref name="amg">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/racing-cars-mn0000321820/biography |title=Racing Cars &#124; Biography & History |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=13 October 2015}}</ref> Their only [[hit record|hit]] single was "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", which peaked at number fourteen in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in 1977, and was inspired by the film, ''[[They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (film)|They Shoot Horses, Don't They?]]'' Touring included dates supporting [[Bad Company]] in 1976.

==Career== They were signed to one of the biggest British record labels of the time, [[Chrysalis Records]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/racing_cars/pages/biography.shtml] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122001532/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/racing_cars/pages/biography.shtml|date=22 November 2007}}</ref> Racing Cars's debut album yielded their only [[hit record|hit]] single with "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" It reached number fourteen in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in 1977, and was inspired by the film, ''[[They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (film)|They Shoot Horses, Don't They?]]'' Touring to promote their debut releases, Racing Cars backed [[Bad Company]] in 1976, including dates at [[Earls Court Exhibition Centre|Earls Court]] and the [[York Theatre Royal]]. Without any similar further chart appearances, Racing Cars ultimately acquired one-hit-wonder status. However, the band was sufficiently established on the touring circuit to issue two further albums in 1977 and 1978, which included bit parts for the [[session musician|session]] pianist [[Geraint Watkins]]; [[United States|America]]n saxophonist [[Jerry Jumonville]]; The Bowles Brothers Band (on vocal [[harmony|harmonies]]); and Ray Ennis from [[Newport, Wales|Newport]] who had previously played with a band called [[Good Habit]]. (''Note. Not to be confused with Ray Ennis of [[The Swinging Blue Jeans|Swinging Blue Jeans]].'') These never reached the same commercial heights. Vocalist Gareth 'Morty' Mortimer and guitarist Graham Williams had played together in local bands such as Morty and the Frantics and later evolutions including Strawberry Dust for years before. They were very well known in the Welsh club circuit.

Racing Cars split up for the first time in the late 1970s. In 1980, Morty released a solo album ''Love Blind''. In 1981, Morty joined a band called The Bleeding Hearts with musicians Paul Rosser, Bob Watkins and Dave Iles, it was suggested by Morty that they call themselves Racing Cars, as it was his name. When this band came to an end, lead vocalist Morty has sung backing vocals for artists including [[The Beach Boys]], [[Tina Turner]] and [[Bryan Adams]]. Morty got together with local musicians and formed the Gareth Thomas Mortimer Band (GTM Band).

Morty, Graham Hedley Williams and Paul Rosser reunited as Racing Cars but said "We were a bit reluctant. We're a bit long in the tooth and a bit out of touch but we finally said yes." They continued to play [[concert|gigs]] across Europe, after reforming in 2000 with a new album, ''Bolt From The Blue'' which was released on DA Records and a gig at the [[Cardiff International Arena]].

Racing Cars final album, ''Second Wind'', was released in October 2007.<ref>[http://www.racing-cars.uk.com/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070917174017/http://www.racing-cars.uk.com/|date=17 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Jo-Ann Greene |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/second-wind-mw0000491867 |title=Second Wind – Racing Cars &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |date=1 October 2007 |accessdate=13 October 2015}}</ref> Racing Cars performed a concert together on 11 April 2009 at the Parc and Dare theatre, [[Treorchy]], and made an appearance at the tribute concerts for [[Man (band)|Man]] guitarist [[Micky Jones]] in [[Pontardawe]] on 18 September 2010. They also reformed for a one-off concert 'Rock at the Park' at [[Merthyr Tydfil F.C.|Merthyr Tydfil]]'s football ground, however these dates were without Simon Davies.

Gareth Mortimer died on 17 December 2015 at his home in Rhondda, Wales, from cancer at the age of 66.<ref>{{cite web|author=Doc Rock |url=http://www.thedeadrockstarsclub.com/2015b.html |title=The Dead Rock Stars Club 2015 July to December |website=Thedeadrockstarsclub.com |accessdate=27 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Paul Cashmere |url=https://www.noise11.com/news/music-news-r-i-p-gareth-mortimer-of-racing-cars-at-age-66-20151222 |title=R.I.P. Gareth Mortimer of Racing Cars at Age 66 |website=Noise11.com |date=22 December 2015 |accessdate=27 December 2015}}</ref>

==Band members== *Graham Headley Williams (guitarist) *Gareth Mortimer (guitarist / lead vocalist)&nbsp;– aka Morty *Simon Davies (keyboardist and vocals) *Colin Griffin (drummer) *Chris Thomas (bassist) *Robert James Wilding (drummer) *David Land (bassist) *Ray 'Alice' Ennis (guitarist) *Paul Saurin (keyboards) *Paul Rosser (drummer and vocals) *Bob Watkins (bassist) *Dave Iles (guitarist)

==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |+ List of albums, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart<br />positions |- ! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | <small>[[Kent Music Report|AUS]]</small><br /><ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=18}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Downtown Tonight'' | * Released: 1976 * Label: [[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]] | 39 |- ! scope="row" | ''Weekend Rendezvous'' | * Released: 1977 * Label: Chrysalis | — |- ! scope="row" | ''Bring on the Night'' | * Released: 1978 * Label: Chrysalis | — |- ! scope="row" | ''BBC Radio One Live in Concert'' | * Released: 1992 * Label: Windsong | — |- ! scope="row" | ''Bolt from the Blue'' | * Released: 2000 * Label: DA Records | — |- ! scope="row" | ''Second Wind''<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/><ref name="amg discography">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/racing-cars-mn0000321820/discography |title=Racing Cars &#124; Album Discography |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |accessdate=13 October 2015}}</ref> | * Released: 2007 * Label: Angel Air | — |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |+ List of singles, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:32em;" | Title ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:90%"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|author=David Roberts|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|edition=19th|page=447|location=London|date=2006|isbn=1-904994-10-5}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:90%"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br /><ref name=aus/> |- | 1976 ! scope="row" | "They Shoot Horses Don't They?" b/w "Four Wheel Drive" | 14 || 32 |- |rowspan="3" | 1977 ! scope="row" | "Ladee-Lo" b/w "Get Out and Get In" | — || — |- ! scope="row" | "Down by the River" b/w "Ticking Over" | — || — |- ! scope="row" | "Bring on the Night" b/w "When I'm Walking Home" or "Second Best" | — || — |- | 1980 ! scope="row" | "Are You Big Enough" b/w "Little Miss World" | — || — |}

==See also== *[[Windsong International Records]] *[[List of Peel Sessions]] *[[List of performers on Top of the Pops|List of performers on ''Top of the Pops'']] *[[Pinkpop Festival]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060825204213/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/lemon/artists/racingcars.htm cherryred.co.uk: Lemon Recordings info] * [https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/artists/r/racingcars/ BBC website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061211155256/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/racing_cars/ BBC Wales minisite] * {{discogs artist|Racing Cars|Racing Cars}}

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[[Category:Welsh pop music groups]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1973]] [[Category:Chrysalis Records artists]] [[Category:Polydor Records artists]]