Shock (The Motels album)

Last updated
Shock
The Motels Shock.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 1985 (1985-08) [1]
Recorded1984–85
Genre New wave
Length43:18
Label Capitol
Producer Richie Zito
The Motels chronology
Little Robbers
(1983)
Shock
(1985)
Clean Modern and Reasonable
(2007)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Shock is the fifth studio album by new wave band the Motels. It was recorded during 1984 and 1985, and released in August 1985. It sold approximately 400,000 copies in the United States.

Contents

Singles released from this album include the American Top 30 hit, "Shame," and its follow-up, "Shock", as well as an Australia-only release, "Icy Red", that did not chart. "Shame" reached No. 21 on Billboard's Hot 100. [3] Both songs were aided by popular music videos.

Martha Davis was inspired to write "Shame" by affairs depicted on various soap operas. [4]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Shock"Martha Davis, Scott Thurston 4:30
2."Shame"Davis4:12
3."Hungry"Davis4:21
4."Annie Told Me"Davis, Brian Glascock 4:22
5."Icy Red"Davis4:32
Total length:21:57
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."New York Times"Davis3:58
2."State of the Heart"Davis, Guy Perry, Richie Zito 4:44
3."My Love Stops Here"Davis, Marty Jourard, Michael Goodroe3:47
4."Cries and Whispers"Davis, Zito, Davitt Sigerson 4:11
5."Night by Night"Davis4:41
Total length:21:21

Singles

YearMonth and dateCatalogue numberSingleChartPosition
1984September 27Capitol Records #9241"In the Jungle" [lower-alpha 1]
1985July 3Capitol Records #5497"Shame"Australia (Kent Music Report)18
United States ( Billboard Hot 100)21
United States (Billboard Mainstream Rock )10
United States (Billboard Dance Club Songs )14
1985OctoberCapitol Records #5529"Shock"United States ( Billboard Hot 100)84
1985Capitol Records AU#CP-1698"Icy Red" [lower-alpha 2]

Personnel

Credits are taken from the cassette's liner notes. [5]

The Motels

Additional personnel

Production

Credits are taken from the cassette's liner notes. [5]

Charts

Chart (1985)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [7] 18
US Billboard 200 [8] 36
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums [9] 54

Notes

  1. This track was not included on the Shock album but was later released as the B side to the single "Shock"
  2. This single was released in Australia only

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Motels</span> American New Wave band

The Motels are an American new wave band from Berkeley, California, that is best known for the singles "Only the Lonely" and "Suddenly Last Summer", each of which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, in 1982 and 1983, respectively. In 1980, The Motels song "Total Control" reached No. 7 on the Australian chart, and their song "Danger" reached No. 15 on the French chart.

"Mama Told Me Not to Come", also written as "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)", is a song by American singer-songwriter Randy Newman written for Eric Burdon's first solo album in 1966. Three Dog Night's 1970 cover topped the US pop singles chart. Tom Jones and Stereophonics' version also reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's All Been Done</span> 1998 single by Barenaked Ladies

"It's All Been Done" is a song by Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the second single from their 1998 album, Stunt. The song was successful in Canada, peaking at No. 1 on the RPM Top Singles chart and becoming the band's highest-charting song in their native country. The song was used as the theme song for the television series Baby Blues. The song is also notable for being one of the band's first to feature an electric guitar solo by Ed Robertson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold on My Heart</span> 1992 single by Genesis

"Hold on My Heart" is a song by English rock band Genesis from their 14th studio album, We Can't Dance (1991). The ballad was released as the album's third single on 6 April 1992. The song reached number one on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart, the RPM Adult Contemporary chart, and the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, as well as number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the band's home country, the song peaked at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Barking at Airplanes</i> 1985 studio album by Kim Carnes

Barking at Airplanes is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes, released on May 5, 1985, by EMI America Records.

<i>All Four One</i> 1982 studio album by the Motels

All Four One is the third studio album by new wave band the Motels, released in 1982. It features the Top 10 hit "Only the Lonely", and the follow-up hit "Take the L". Both songs were assisted by popular MTV music videos. The album was recorded and mixed digitally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caught a Lite Sneeze</span> 1996 single by Tori Amos

"Caught a Lite Sneeze" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released as the first single from her third studio album, Boys for Pele (1996), on January 1, 1996. The song is about wanting to do anything to keep a relationship going, knowing that it is over. It references Nine Inch Nails's album Pretty Hate Machine in the lyrics "Caught a lite sneeze / Dreamed a little dream / Made my own pretty hate machine." On December 11, 1995, Atlantic Records made the song available for streaming on their website, one of the earliest examples of a major label implementing such a feature.

<i>Pictures for Pleasure</i> 1985 studio album by Charlie Sexton

Pictures for Pleasure is the first studio album released by singer/guitarist Charlie Sexton in 1985. The album was the first solo effort by the then 16-year-old musician who had already secured a reputation as a skilled guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take This Heart</span> 1992 single by Richard Marx

"Take This Heart" is a song by American singer Richard Marx, released as the third single from his third studio album, Rush Street (1991). It peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while reaching number four on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song additionally reached the top 20 in Australia and the United Kingdom and peaked at number four in Canada.

<i>Motels</i> (album) 1979 studio album by The Motels

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.

<i>Careful</i> (The Motels album) 1980 studio album by The Motels

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

<i>Little Robbers</i> 1983 studio album by the Motels

Little Robbers is the RIAA Gold-certified fourth studio album by new wave band the Motels. It was recorded between February and August 1983 and released on September 16 of that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free as a Bird (Supertramp song)</span> 1987 single by Supertramp

"Free as a Bird" is the title track from Supertramp's 1987 album of the same name. Released as a single at the end of that year, the song achieved only marginal commercial success, with a top-25 showing on the Polish charts being a relative highlight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Now You're in Heaven</span> 1989 single by Julian Lennon

"Now You're in Heaven" is a song written by Julian Lennon and John McCurry, recorded by Lennon and released as the lead single from his third studio album, Mr. Jordan (1989), on which the song appears as the opening track. A David Bowie-inspired song, it was the highest-charting single released from the album, topping the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and reaching No. 5 in Australia. It was certified gold in the latter country by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of over 35,000 units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame (The Motels song)</span> 1985 song by the Motels

"Shame" is a song by American new wave band The Motels, which was released in 1985 as the lead single from their fifth studio album Shock. The song was written by Martha Davis and produced by Richie Zito. "Shame" peaked at number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remember the Nights</span> 1983 song by the Motels

"Remember the Nights" is a song by American new wave band The Motels, which was released in 1983 as the second single from their fourth studio album Little Robbers. The song was written by Martha Davis and Scott Thurston, and produced by Val Garay. "Remember the Nights" peaked at number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shock (The Motels song)</span> 1985 song by the Motels

"Shock" is a song by American new wave band The Motels, which was released in 1985 as the second single from their fifth studio album Shock. The song was written by Martha Davis and Scott Thurston, and produced by Richie Zito. "Shock" peaked at number 84 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forever Mine (song)</span> 1982 song by the Motels

"Forever Mine" is a song by American new wave band The Motels, which was released in 1982 as the third single from their third studio album All Four One. The song was written by Martha Davis and produced by Val Garay. "Forever Mine" peaked at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take the L (song)</span> 1982 song by the Motels

"Take the L" is a song by American new wave band The Motels, which was released in 1982 as the second single from their third studio album All Four One. The song was written by Marty Jourard, Martha Davis and Carter, and produced by Val Garay. "Take the L" peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tell It to the Moon</span> 1987 song by Martha Davis

"Tell It to the Moon" is a song by American singer-songwriter Martha Davis, which was released in 1988 as the second single from her debut solo studio album Policy. The song was written by Diane Warren and produced by Richie Zito. "Tell It to the Moon" failed to chart in the US, but peaked at number 65 on the Australian Music Report chart.

References

  1. The Motels Information Site – Albums
  2. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Shock". AllMusic.
  3. "Billboard – Chart History – The Motels". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  4. "September 7, 1985." Casey Kasem's American Top 40 – The 80s. Hst. Casey Kasem. iHeartRadio. KOSF, San Francisco, September 6, 2020. Radio.
  5. 1 2 Shock (Cassette liner). The Motels. Hollywood, California: Capitol Records. 1985. 4XJ-12378.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. Rhys-Morgan, Dean. Bold, Beautiful and Damned: The World of 1980's Fashion Illustrator Tony Viramontes, London: Lawrence King Publishing Ltd., 2013 ISBN   978-1-78067-3073
  7. 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.
  8. "Top Pop Albums". Billboard . Vol. 97, no. 38. Billboard Publications, Inc. September 28, 1985. p. 80. ISSN   0006-2510.
  9. "Cash Box Top 100 Albums". Cash Box . Vol. 49, no. 15. September 28, 1985. p. 24. ISSN   0008-7289.