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Motels

MOTELS

 
Motels  is the first studio album by the band The Motels, recorded in May, 1979, released in September, 1979, and was produced by John Carter.  The first single, “Closets and Bullets”, did not chart; but the second single, “Total Control”, became a Top 10 hit in Australia and a Top 20 hit in France by early 1980.  A third single, “Anticipation”, was released in Japan in early 1980.  The album became certified gold in Australia in 1980.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
The bandleader and songwriter for Code Blue, Dean Chamberlain is best known as one of the founders of the 1980’s new wave band the Motels, which was formed all the way back in 1971. 
 
After struggling in Los Angeles for a couple of years, Capitol Records offered the Motels a recording contract in 1977; instead, the band broke up, citing creative differences.  From Dean Chamberlain’s standpoint, he thought that there was too much emphasis on lead singer Martha Davis.  One song, “Counting” survived from this very early period in the Motels; the song was first included on a 1978 Rhino Records compilation album, Saturday Night Pogo. 
 
“Counting” later appeared as the final track on the first album, simply called Motels, which came out in 1979.  I have seen the album several times in record bins; maybe it is the lack of “The” or the fact that it has a completely different look from their flashy later albums, but I never even thought of this album as being by the Motels.   
 
(September 2012)