Total Control (song)

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"Total Control"
The Motels Total Control 1979 single cover.jpg
Single by The Motels
from the album Motels
B-side "Love Don't Help"
Released1979
Recorded1979
Length3:45
Label Capitol
Songwriter(s) Martha Davis, Jeff Jourard
Producer(s) John Carter
The Motels singles chronology
"Closets and Bullets"
(1979)		"Total Control"
(1979)		"Anticipating"
(1980)

"Total Control" is a song by American new wave band the Motels. It was released in 1979 as the second single from their debut studio album Motels . The song failed to make an appearance on the US Billboard Hot 100, but reached number 9 on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart in December 1979. [1] It fared better in Australasia, peaking at number 7 in Australia and 11 in New Zealand. The song has been covered by American singer Tina Turner and Australian singer Missy Higgins. In 1980 the italian singer Anna Oxa made a spooky cover of the song, with a new text in italian, under the title "Controllo totale".

Contents

Background

Speaking of the song in 2000, Davis recalled, "When I wrote this my heart had been broken. I was angry, I wrote a thrash punk rock song, [then] Jeff Jourard came along with this wonderful minimalist chord progression [and] I laid my thrash lyrics on the new progression." [2]

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Cash Box noted how Davis' "hauntingly plaintive vocals succeed beautifully in capturing the smoldering intensity of this L.A.-based outfit on the first single off of its self-titled debut effort". The reviewer also commented on the "lazy bass and fluid, moaning sax work [which] catch the bluesy late night feel of the cut". [3] Record World considered the song to be a "rather quirky ballad" on which Davis "gives a hauntingly vulnerable reading". [4]

Track listing

US 7" single

  1. "Total Control" - 3:45
  2. "Love Don't Help" - 1:56

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Total Control"
Chart (1979–80)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] 7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [6] 11
UK Singles Chart (BMRB) [7] 106
UK The Singles Chart ( Record Business ) [8] 110
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 [1] 9

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Total Control"
Chart (1980)Position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [9] 32

References

  1. 1 2 "Bubbling Under the Hot 100". Billboard . Vol. 91, no. 49. Billboard Publications, Inc. December 8, 1979. p. 29. ISSN   0006-2510.
  2. ↑ Martha, Davis (2000). Anthologyland (CD). The Motels. US: Oglio Records. OGL81607-2.
  3. ↑ "Reviews: Singles". Cash Box . Vol. 41, no. 26. November 10, 1979. p. 20. ISSN   0008-7289.
  4. ↑ "Single Picks". Record World . Vol. 36, no. 1686. November 10, 1979. p. 16. ISSN   0034-1622.
  5. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. ↑ "The Motels – Total Control". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  7. ↑ Jones, Alan (February 16, 1980). "Chartfile". Record Mirror . p. 38. ISSN   0144-5804.
  8. ↑ "The Singles Chart - Ones to Watch". Record Business . Vol. 2, no. 48. February 18, 1980. p. 7. ISSN   0144-0691.
  9. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1980". Kent Music Report. January 5, 1981. Retrieved January 17, 2022– via Imgur.
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