Motels (album)

Motels is the first studio album by new wave band The Motels, recorded in the spring of 1979 and released in the fall. It was produced by John Carter. It peaked at #175 on Billboard's album chart in December.

Motels
Studio album by
The Motels
ReleasedSeptember 17, 1979 (1979-09-17)[1]
RecordedMay–June 1979
GenreNew wave
Length38:13
LabelCapitol
ProducerJohn Carter
The Motels chronology
Motels
(1979)		 Careful
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

On the 12th of May 1979 (Mother's Day), the Motels signed with Capitol Records. The band began recording on the 14th of the same month and finished within the first week of September. The band consisted of Martha Davis (lead vocals, guitar), Jeff Jourard (lead guitar), Marty Jourard (keyboard, saxophone), Michael Goodroe (bass), and Brian Glasscock (drums).[3]

The first single, "Closets and Bullets", did not chart anywhere, but the second single, "Total Control", became a Top 10 hit in Australia and went Top 20 in France. (It 'Bubbled Under' at #109 in Billboard in the US.) A third single, "Anticipating", was released in Japan in early 1980 but failed to chart. The album was certified Gold in Australia in 1980.

Tina Turner recorded "Total Control" in 1985 on the We Are the World album, a superstar charity recording for famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. Anna Oxa recorded the song in Italian and it was released as a single in Italy in 1980.[4]

Track listing
  • All songs written by Martha Davis, except where noted
  1. "Anticipating" – 3:51
  2. "Kix" – 2:15
  3. "Total Control" (Davis, Jeff Jourard) – 5:54
  4. "Love Don't Help" – 1:58
  5. "Closets and Bullets" – 4:25
  6. "Atomic Cafe" – 2:48
  7. "Celia" – 3:07
  8. "Porn Reggae" – 4:18
  9. "Dressing Up" (Davis, Jourard) – 5:04
  10. "Counting" – 4:33

Charts
Chart (1979/80) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 23

Singles

"Closets and Bullets" (Capitol Records 4167) Released: 15 Sept 1979
"Total Control" (Capitol Records 4796) Released: 05 Nov 1979 Charts: Australia #7 / New Zealand #11 / US #109 / France #19
"Anticipating" (Capitol Records ECR-20651) Released: 21 Jan 1980 (Japan only)

Personnel

Credits are taken from the CD's liner notes.[6]

The Motels
  • Martha Davis – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Jeff Jourard – lead guitar
  • Marty Jourard – keyboards, saxophone
  • Michael Goodroe – bass
  • Brian Glascock – drums

Production

Credits are taken from the CD's liner notes.[6]

References
  1. "THE MOTELS: Albums". www.the-motels.info.
  2. Motels at AllMusic
  3. "The Motels Timeline". www.the-motels.info.
  4. "Artist's Story".
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 209. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. Motels (CD liner). The Motels. Australasia: Capitol Records. 1979. 7484452.CS1 maint: others (link)



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