Home

Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music [ A-Z entries]

Gene Lees’ JAZZLETTER

The Rise And Fall of Popular Music [A polemical history]

All Or Nothing At All: A Life of Frank Sinatra

Billie Holiday: Wishing on the Moon

Jascha Horenstein: A CD Discography of the Great Conductor

Donald's Blog

 

Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

MOTELS, The

New wave Group formed '72 in L.A. by vocalist Martha Davis (b San Francisco), who originally named band Warfield Foxes: lineup incl. Dean Chamberlain, guitar; Richard D'Andrea, bass. Track "Counting' on WB demo tape did not get contract (later on Rhino label sampler Saturday Night Pogo '78). Co-frontperson Chamberlain left to form Code Blue, D'Andrea to ex-Blondie Gary Valentine's band the Know; from then on Davis, a single parent (married cage 15), was in sole charge, her haunting, restrained yet menacing vocal style the trademark. She recruited guitarist Jeff Jourard as collaborator, with his brother Jeff on saxophone, bassist Michael Goodroe and UK session drummer Brian Glascock (credits with Bee Gees, Joan Armatrading, Iggy Pop etc); formed for a gig at Hollywood's Whisky A Go Go, the band jelled well and made Motels '79 for Capitol, incl. classic single "Total Control' (later covered by Tina Turner) showcasing Davis's understated yet effective vocal style with taut backing from band: a world away from Blondie, not only in hair colour. Jourard was ousted; former session drummer Tim McGovern (ex-The Pop) replaced him for Careful '80, again prod. by label staff man John Carter; first LP had sold well in Australia, but the new one made USA top 50. McGovern was replaced (resurfaced later with the Burning Sensations) by Guy Perry (ex-Elephant's Memory) on All Four One '82, recorded twice, once with McGovern (rejected by Capitol), again with Davis, Goodroe and session men: the band now became a live-only act and records (under Kim Carnes producer Val Garay) a solo act in all but name. All Four One reached top 20, incl. no. 9 single "Only The Lonely' (not the Roy Orbison song). Two more hit singles (from Little Robbers '83) proved strategy successful; all were backed up by inventive videos: "Only The Lonely' parodied Kubrick film The Shining; "Take The L (Out Of Lover)' was presented in comic-book form. Davis and Garay split after abortive LP sessions '85 and she brought band back to the studio for Shock '85, prod. by Richie Zito with new keyboardist Scott Thurston. Davis won a battle with cancer '87, released Policy that year on Capitol under her own name.