"Airport"
Single by The Motors
from the album Approved by the Motors
B-side
  • "Cold Love (Live)"
  • "Be What You Gotta Be (Live)"
Released12 May 1978 (1978-05-12)[1]
Recorded1978[2]
GenrePower pop,[2] new wave[3]
Length4:36
LabelVirgin[2]
Songwriter(s)Andy McMaster[2]
Producer(s)Peter Ker, Nick Garvey, Andy McMaster
The Motors singles chronology
"Sensation"
(1978)		 "Airport"
(1978)		 "Forget About You"
(1978)

"Airport" is a single by English power pop/new wave band the Motors. Released on 12 May 1978[1] 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. It also reached number 19 in South Africa on 24 November 1978.[6]

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.[7]

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.[7]

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.[8] The encyclopedia suggests that the song's popularity did nothing to extend the life of the band, whose membership changed by the end of the year.[8]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 31
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 24
Europe (Europarade Top 40)[11] 13
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 15
France (IFOP)[13] 5
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 36
Ireland (IRMA)[15] 8
Israel (IBA)[16] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 28
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 26
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 37
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[20] 19
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[21] 4
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 4

References

  1. 1 2 "Music Week" (PDF). Music Week. 27 May 1978. p. 60. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  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. ↑ "SA Charts 1965 - 1989, Songs A-B". Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  7. 1 2 Philips, Lance (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 700. ISBN 1843531054.
  8. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4. ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 33. ISBN 0195313739.
  9. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "The Motors – Airport" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  11. ↑ "The Europarade - 1976 to 1979". UKMIX Forums. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  12. ↑ Timo (13 August 2015). "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit MOK - MOY". Sisältää hitin. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  13. ↑ "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque artiste commençant par M". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  14. ↑ "The Motors – Airport" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  15. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Airport". Irish Singles Chart.
  16. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 42. 21 October 1978. p. 82. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Motors" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  18. ↑ "The Motors – Airport" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  19. ↑ "The Motors – Airport". Top 40 Singles.
  20. ↑ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  21. ↑ "The Motors – Airport". Singles Top 100.
  22. ↑ "Motors: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.


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