Metro Music


Metro Music is the debut album by Canadian new wave band Martha and the Muffins. It was released in 1980 on Dindisc, the first album release for the label, and contains the international hit single "Echo Beach".
The cover image design by Peter Saville is a map of Toronto, the band's hometown, and is based on a map from the National Topographic System of Canada.
The entire Metro Music album also formed the first part of Martha and the Muffins' 1987 compilation Far Away in Time.

Release

The album's first single, "Echo Beach", became a hit in several countries, reaching number three in Canada, number one in Portugal, number five in Australia and number 10 in the United Kingdom in March 1980. It also reached number 37 in the United States on the Club Play Singles chart. A slightly different recording of "Saigon" was released as a follow-up single in the UK a few months later, but failed to chart. In Canada, the follow-up single was "Paint by Number Heart" — it climbed to number 69. The album itself was certified gold in Canada on September 1, 1980; "Echo Beach" was certified gold there on the following October 1.

Track listing

Personnel

  • Martha Johnson – keyboards, vocals
  • Martha Ladly – keyboards, trombone, vocals
  • Mark Gane – synthesizer, guitar
  • Carl Finkle – bass
  • Tim Gane – drums
  • Andy Haas – saxophone

    Chart performance

Album
Chart Peak
position
Australia 46
UK Album Chart34
U.S. Billboard 200186

Singles
SingleChart Position
"Echo Beach"Canada3
"Echo Beach"Australia 5
"Echo Beach"UK Singles Chart10
"Echo Beach/Paint By Number Heart"Billboard Club Play Singles37