Careful (The Motels album)

For the Boy Harsher album, see Careful (Boy Harsher album).

Careful
Studio album by the Motels
Released	June 15, 1980 (1980-06-15) [1]
Recorded	March–May 1980
Genre	New wave
Length	35:01
Label	Capitol
Producer	Carter
The Motels chronology
Motels (1979) Careful (1980) All Four One (1982)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Smash Hits	5/10 [3]

Careful is the second studio album by American new wave band the Motels. It was recorded between March and May 1980, and released in June 1980. The album was produced by Carter, who had produced the group's 1979 debut.

"Danger" was released as the album's lead single and landed in the Top 20 in France. "Days Are O.K." and "Whose Problem?" became Top 50 songs (and their only chart hits) in the United Kingdom. None of the singles released from the album charted in the United States, but the record reached number 45 on the Billboard album chart in the summer of 1980. It eventually sold nearly 400,000 copies in the U.S.

With the departure of Jeff Jourard as lead guitarist, Tim McGovern (from the group the Pop) was added as lead guitarist for the group. Recording for the second album began on 4 February 1980 and would be completed by May 1980. ^[4]

"Danger" was the second Motels single that was accompanied by a music video (following 1979's "Total Control").

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Danger"	Martha Davis, Tim McGovern	3:26
2.	"Envy"	McGovern	3:26
3.	"Careful"	Marty Jourard, Michael Goodroe	3:30
4.	"Bonjour Baby"	Jourard, Goodroe	3:25
5.	"Party Professionals"	Davis	3:15
Total length:			17:02

Side Two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Days Are O.K. (But the Nights Were Made for Love)"	McGovern	3:35
2.	"Cry Baby"	Jourard, Goodroe	3:28
3.	"Whose Problem?"	Davis	3:51
4.	"People, Places and Things"	Davis	2:46
5.	"Slow Town"	Davis	4:19
Total length:			17:59

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1980) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [5] 26 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [6] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1980) Position New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [7] 47

Personnel

Credits are taken from the CD's liner notes. ^[8]

The Motels

• Martha Davis – vocals, rhythm guitar
• Tim McGovern – lead guitar
• Marty Jourard – keyboards, saxophone
• Michael Goodroe – bass
• Brian Glascock – drums

Production

Credits are taken from the CD's liner notes. ^[8]

• Produced & Engineered by John Carter
• Recorded by Warren Dewey
• Assistant Engineering by Richard McKernan
• Cover Painting by Duggie Fields - "Acquired Mannerisms"

References

1. The Motels Information Site - Albums
2. Careful at AllMusic
3. Hepworth, David. "Albums". Smash Hits (July 10–23, 1980): 31.
4. "The Motels Timeline".
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. "Charts.nz – The Motels – Careful". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
7. "Top Selling Albums of 1980 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand . Retrieved January 29, 2022.
8. Careful (CD liner). The Motels. Hollywood, California: Capitol Records. 1980. CDP 7 48444 2.