Airport (song)

For the Guster song, see Airport Song.
"Airport"
Single by The Motors
from the album Approved by the Motors
B-side "Cold Love (Live)"
"Be What You Gotta Be (Live)"
Released 19 May 1978[1]
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded 1978[2]
Genre Power pop,[2] new wave[3]
Length 4:36
Label Virgin[2]
Writer(s) Andy McMaster[2]
Producer(s) Peter Ker, Nick Garvey, Andy McMaster
The Motors - Airport excerpt
An excerpt from Airport

"Airport" is a single by English power pop/new wave band The Motors. Released on 19 May 1978 by Virgin Records, the song reached number four on the UK Singles Chart.[2][4][5] On 1 July 1978, the single was awarded a silver certification by the BPI in the UK for sales of over 250,000 units.[1]

Origin

The song was written by singer Andy McMaster in 1976. McMaster then switched from keyboards to bass for the band's first album. After the release of their 1977 debut album 1, the Motors moved away from their pub rock sound to a new wave style with synthesizers (most prominent on tracks McMaster had previously written) and recognisable melodies.[6]

Reception

Reviewing the group's 1981 greatest hits compilation, Lance Philips (in the Rough Guide to Rock) describes "Airport" as "naturally stand[ing] out" and that the "rest doesn't quite match up". Philips also comments on the song's inclusion on the 1978 album Approved by the Motors, saying that despite its appearance the album failed to be a commercial success.[6]

The Motors' entry in the Encyclopedia of Popular Music notes that "Airport" has become a stock piece of music often accompanying footage of aeroplane or airports.[7] The encyclopedia suggests that the song's popularity did nothing to extend the life of the band, which underwent personnel changes by the end of the year.[7]

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 "British certifications – The Motors". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 September 2013. Enter The Motors in the field Search. Select Artist in the field Search by. Click Search
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 381. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. Song Review by Stewart Mason. "Airport - Motors | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  4. "Record Details". 45cat.com. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  5. "MOTORS | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  6. 1 2 Philips, Lance (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 700. ISBN 1843531054.
  7. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4. ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 33. ISBN 0195313739.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.