40 Years of Punk & New Wave 1977: Dancing The Night Away - The Motors

(7" UK Picture Sleeve)

12" Version

A-Side: Dancing The Night Away

B-Side: Whisky and Wine

Released on 7" and 12"

 Virgin Records

Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange

Released 9th September 1977

UK Chart #42

The album version is a little bit longer at over six and a half minutes.

********************

Dancing The Night Away

The Old Grey Whistle Test

Don't you just love musical history? Well, the anorak in me certainly does! The road to the Debut Single from The Motors was a long one and I previously outlined some of that history in a post on The Snakes  (who were Nick Garvey's band after he had left Ducks Deluxe in 1975) back in January this year.

Former Ducks Deluxe Bassist Andy McMaster and former Drummer for The Snakes (and also The Art Attacks) Ricky Slaughter teamed up with Nick Garvey and also Rob Hendry (Bram Tchaikovsky joined the band in May 1977 after his departure) and The Motors roared into life.

The band made their live debut at The Marquee Club on Wardour Street in March 1977 and a couple of days later recorded their Debut Session for John Peel on the 22nd March (and broadcast on 22nd April). By May they had been signed to Virgin Records and there followed some minor success with Airport being their biggest hit (reached #4 in 1978).

It's of course been questioned many times the place of The Motors in the world of Punk/New Wave because they were not really punks as such but I think that at least for their Debut Single and Debut Album for that matter they slotted into the New Wave situation. If you are wanting to be a stickler for things though it could also be that they fit the mould of the Power Pop brigade! 

Best not to argue though whether they fitted into one particular genre or not because ultimately their Debut Single I think is an absolute classic. I do prefer the 12" version to the 7" of course but the album version (as well as being longer) is the superior one to listen to I think.

40 years on from its release it is still a record that I go back to time and time again because it's so brilliant.