First incarnation
Formed in 1971 in Berkeley, California, the band (then called The Warfield Foxes) moved to Los Angeles by 1973 seeking a record deal. The band consisted of Martha Davis on vocals and guitar, Dean Chamberlain on lead guitar, Chuck Wada on 2nd lead guitar and others. While in L.A., the band changed its name to "The Motels" and the line-up consisted of Martha Davis, Dean Chamberlain, Chuck Wada, Robert Newman on drums and Richard d'Andrea on bass. Both Martha Davis and Chuck Wada contributed original songs to the repertoire.
The Motels and two other local bands, The Pop and The Dogs, kicked off the local band scene with a hallmark concert at a self-produced show, 'Radio Free Hollywood' held at the venerable old theatre, Troupers Hall. (Prior to this show, few if any unsigned bands played local high profile clubs like the Whisky and The Roxy.) The band guested on Rodney Bingenheimer's popular radio show.
After recording a demo for Warner Brothers, which was turned down, they were offered a contract with Capitol but the band turned that down by disbanding in 1976. Dean Chamberlain was soon heard again in his band Code Blue and signed to Warner Brothers Records. Richard d'Andrea joined The Pits and later enjoyed almost three years with The Know. Robert Newman is a successful art director and designer. Chuck Wada still writes and performs and is a financial advisor.
Second, most successful incarnation
In March 1978, Martha Davis was approached by lead guitarist Jeff Jourard to form a new Motels. Extensive auditions resulted in a new lineup consisting of Jourard's brother Marty Jourad who played both saxophone and keyboards, Michael Goodroe on bass, and Brian Glascock on drums.
Short on funds, they shared rehearsal space with The Go-Go's at L.A.'s notorious punk basement, The Masque. Playing in Chinatown at Madame Wong's restaurant/nightclub so many times they were nearly the house band, they began to draw a faithful crowd around the L.A. music scene. By Mother's Day 1979, The Motels had signed with Capitol Records and released their first album in September of that same year. Their first single, "Closets and Bullets," made no impact on the charts, but their second single, "Total Control," found its way to the Top 20 in France and the Top 10 in Australia.
In 1980 Jeff Jourard was replaced with Martha's boyfriend Tim McGovern as lead guitarist. The band went back into the studio to record their second album, entitled "Careful." Released in June of 1980, the album made it to the #45 spot on the US album charts. In Europe and the UK, the songs "Days Are OK" and "Whose Problem?" were Top 50 hits, and the latter was also a top hit in Australia. "Danger" was a Top 20 hit in France.
The band hired record producer Val Garay for their next album. The album, "Apocalypso." was scheduled to be released in November 1981, but after hearing the final product Capitol Records rejected it. Frustrated, the band attempted to go back and rerecord the entire album. In the process, Davis and McGovern's relationship had gone sour. By December of 1981 McGovern was no longer in the band. The rest of the members forged on and finished recorded the new album with Val Garay producing. Using studio musicians to fill in for the vacant guitar spot, the band was able to finish the album by March of 1982. Having auditioned several guitarists to take McGovern's place, Guy Perry finally was given the job. The album, now titled "All Four One," was released in March of 1982.
Before any singles were released, the song "Mission of Mercy" had made enough airplay to land the #33 on the Billboard Rock Album Cuts chart. Their first single from the album, "Only the Lonely," found its way into the Top 10 in the U.S. by June. Other hits included "Take the L" and "Forever Mine." Their first successful U.S. album coincided with the emergence of MTV, which led to music videos for both "Only the Lonely" and "Take the L." Martha Davis won a "Best Performance in a Music Video" award in 1982 for her performance in the "Only the Lonely" video. By now, the band had added a sixth member, Scott Thurston.
The Motels returned in 1983 with the album "Little Robbers." Garay by now not only was producing their albums, but their videos as well; and, he became the band's manager. The first single from the album, "Suddenly Last Summer," made its way to the Top 10 in the U.S. The album went gold in the U.S., Canada, and several other countries. Despite their success, the band cancelled their tour and fired Garay as manager for personal reasons.
With new management, the band forged on in 1984. They appeared on Saturday Night Live in January. They recorded songs for two movie soundtracks: "Long Day" was recorded for Moscow on the Hudson and "In the Jungle" was recorded for the movie Teachers.
In 1985 the band released their sixth album "Shock." The first single "Shame" became a Top 30 hit on the pop charts and a Top 20 on the dance charts. Two other singles were released, "Shock," and "Icy Red."
On February 13, 1987, Davis decided to dissolve the band and go solo.She reformed a version of the band called Martha Davis & The Motels, in 1998; as of 2006 she continues to appear under that name with various lineups.
Three members of the 1978 version of the band reunited with Davis in 2004 for an appearance on Bands Reunited; rejoining Davis were Michael Goodroe, Marty Jourard, and Brian Glasscock. Also appearing in that group was Adrian Peritori (aka "Guy Perry.") The Motels also appeared on the U.S. version of Hit Me Baby One More Time in 2006, and on the Nick at Nite reality program "Class Reunion" in 2007.
Albums
Motels (1979) #175 US
Careful (1980) #45 US
Apocalypso (1981) never released
All Four One (1982) #16 US
Little Robbers (1983) #22 US
Shock (1985) #36 US
Policy (1987) #127 US
Edit description
Anthologyland (2001)
So the Story Goes (2004)
There are also other The Motels:
2) The Motels are an alternative/indie rock band consisted of four 15-year-old members formed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2006. The Motels have composed five songs, however, only one ("Under Street Lights") has been professionally recorded, and "Knapsack" is still in progress. Their music has influences from bands such as The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, Bloc Party, The Libertines, The Velvet Underground, Moptop, Legião Urbana, and Franz Ferdinand.
The band, who has debuted their single Under Street Lights in two New York radios, is made up of Pedro Paulo Ferraz (vocals), Lucas Feith (lead guitar), Antonio Pedro Ferraz (bass guitar), Carlos Eduardo (Kauai) Moliterno (rhythm guitar), and Beto Damazio (drums).
Two versions of Under Street Lights and the demo of Knapsack can be previewed in their website, www.myspace.com/themotelsrio.
(3)The Motels were formed by rock/jazz guitarist Cliff Hanley in 1976, based in Glasgow, Scotland. They mixed funk with punk and added reggae to the mix, with even some bebop creeping in. An extended fill-in by Ronnie Teape for Al Kerr on keyboards also added a bit of prog-rock,too. An early incarnation of the band included Danny Thomson on piano and Louie Rose (of Georgie Fame's Blue Flames) on congas. A lead guitarist, Tam Kerrigan, typical of Glasgow's fine tradition in rock, joined the front line for some months. Several bass players joined, notably the Pastorious-influenced Billy Lang, and Gordon Blank, from another Glasgow band, The Khyber Trifles.There was darkness as well as humour in their music, and they influenced other Scottish bands of the 70s. They eventually split up in London (1981) and the members joined other bands or moved on to session work, Hanley and frontman Craig Lockhart forming a production company.
One Album: Lo-Fi (2008) UK - to hear and download tracks by this band, look for 'Lo-Fi' in Albums.
tag: punkfunk, male vocals, new wave
Shame
The Motels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A very simple crime
A lot of grief reflecting in how we spend our time
I want to change things
I want to make a change
I'm tired of spending time agonizing yesterdays
Shame on me
Shame on every little thing that we do
Shame on me
Shame on you
Now's there's only one thing that we can do.
Another empty day
Another day comes true
A lot of selfish dreams are waiting here for you
I've got to have you
I've got no one to blame
It's just the two of us
With nothing left to say
But..
Shame on me
Shame on you
Shame on every little thing that we do
Shame on me
Shame on you
Now there's only one thing we can do
Shame on me
Shame on you
Shame on me
Shame on you
I've got to change things
I've got to make a change
I'm tired of spending time agonizing yesterdays
Shame on me
Shame on you
The Motels' "Shame" is a reflective and introspective song that delves into the theme of regret and shame. The lyrics revolve around a simple crime committed by the singer and the associated grief that lingers in how they spend their time. The singer expresses a desire to bring about change and move on from their past, but is hindered by their shame and guilt. The chorus repeats the phrase "Shame on me, shame on you" emphasizing the shared responsibility for their actions and the need for both parties to take responsibility to rectify the situation.
The second verse of the song continues the theme of emptiness and unfulfilled dreams that lead to a reliance on another person for fulfillment. The singer realizes the futility of placing blame on anyone for the situation they find themselves in and accepts that they are responsible for their own happiness. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, highlighting the need for both parties to acknowledge their mistakes and make a conscious effort towards a better future.
Overall, "Shame" is a poignant and powerful song that speaks to the human experience of regret, guilt, and the desire for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
A very simple statement
It's easy to see what's wrong
A very simple crime
It's a mistake that we've made
A lot of grief reflecting in how we spend our time
We're unhappy with our choices and actions
I want to change things
I have the desire to improve the situation
I want to make a change
I'm motivated to take action
I'm tired of spending time agonizing yesterdays
I'm exhausted from dwelling on the past
Shame on me
I accept responsibility for my actions
Shame on you
You are accountable for your actions
Shame on every little thing that we do
We must recognize and take ownership of all our behaviors
Now's there's only one thing that we can do.
The only option left is to make positive changes
Another empty day
Another day with no progress or fulfillment
Another day comes true
Another day has arrived with opportunities for change
A lot of selfish dreams are waiting here for you
Our own desires may be hindering our growth
I've got to have you
I need your cooperation to make changes
I've got no one to blame
I'm not blaming anyone else for our current situation
It's just the two of us
We are the only ones responsible for our actions
With nothing left to say
We've exhausted all of our excuses
I've got to change things
I must initiate positive changes
Shame on me
I take responsibility for my past actions
Shame on you
You are responsible for your past actions
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: MARTHA DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bradleyfarrow1998
I’m turning 60 next and I’ve been reminiscing about the 80’s all weekend, great memories! We were fabulous
@KrazeeClark
Same here. This music reminds me of a time right before my life when to.shiz.
@timelessmusicfamilymusic9175
This is the type of song, when you 1st hear it on the radio you know you have to head to the record store to buy it, which I did, never get tired of hearing it.
@shoulderlift
That was exactly the reaction I got when I first heard "Shame". Perfectly said!
@kathysemrau2301
The Motels were so different at the time , their vintage look. I wouldn't say they were a feel good band at all.
They were the best musically and visualizing the stories to the songs. The stories were about a woman' s life . Moments of passion and shame which tough us all.
@Yes-gz9qs
Check out Southern Sons Lead me to water. Their whole CD from that song is fantastic. CHEERS!
@brettsprang7991
Actually I think all their big songs were really goood, Shame, Suddenly Last Summer, Only The Lonely.....I felt like there was a least one more...but didn't I find it...
@davidgeisler9885
@@brettsprang7991 Take the L
@AI_Surfer
The summer of 1985 had a lot of great songs, but none better than 'Shame'. I loved this song from the first few notes. And the video is as perfect as the song is, with Martha looking as beautiful and hot as she ever had/has. Another great song from the album 'Shock', is 'Cries and Whispers'. It took a long time to show up on YouTube, but it's up now and it's a great listen.
@alejandrosanhueza1534
Marta David .
Hermosa .he icono 80.
Una voz para enamorar .
Sigue hermosa al paso de los. Años.
Siempre bella Marta David.❤️🥰