“Dancing the Night Away” (1977) – The Motors * Written by Andy McMaster and Gordon Hann * 45: “Dancing the Night Away” (edit) / “Whiskey and Wine” * LP: 1 * Producer: Robert John Lange
The Motors, on “Dancing the Night Away” (produced by “Mutt” Lange), sound like a rock band for the ages. The album version of the track plays twice as long as the edited 45 version, but both have their merits. The album track lets us bliss out on Bram Tchaikovsky and Nick Garvey’s guitars during the extended intro, while the single version trims it off and saves it for us to experience only as a yearning bridge. (The “Dancing the Night Away” 45 also stands out for being a double-sided 1977 killer, with “Whiskey and Wine” on side B.) The song’s lower register guitar octaves in the verses sound like vintage Cheap Trick, whose debut album appeared the same year and who would later cover this song badly. Although the Motors had some future UK hits, they’d never rise to the level of musical authority they demonstrated right out of the gate.