The Go-Go's
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- For the 1960s band, see The Go-Go's (1960s).
The Go-Go's were an American rock and roll group formed in 1978. They are notable as the first all-woman band in rock that played their instruments and wrote their own songs to achieve commercial success.
They rose to fame in the early 1980s. At first they played primarily pop punk and later defined themselves with the distinct sound of 1980s rock. They have had five top-40 hits.
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Personnel
- Charlotte Caffey, lead guitar and keyboards
- Belinda Carlisle, lead vocals
- Gina Schock, drums
- Kathy Valentine, bass guitar and rhythm guitar
- Jane Wiedlin, rhythm guitar and backup vocals
Additional Personnel
- Paula Jean Brown, bass guitar (early 1985) (replacement for Jane Wiedlin, who left during the Talk Show tour; was made redundant in 1990 after Wiedlin returned)
Background
In 1980, the Go-Go's' "We Got the Beat" became an underground hit.
After exchanging Margot Olavarria for Kathy Valentine (the band's sound was turning from punk to pop, and Olavarria's punk persona was becoming a pop liability), the Go-Go's signed to IRS Records and released Beauty and the Beat, which was a surprise hit and topped the charts for six weeks. "Our Lips Are Sealed" and a new version of "We Got the Beat" were extremely popular singles in early 1982. The follow-up, however, Vacation, sold well but quickly ran out of momentum. 1984 saw a return to critical acceptance with the album Talk Show, but sales were poor. In 1985 the band broke up.
In 1985, Caffey underwent treatment to rid herself of her heroin habit, and Carlisle followed suit. After the drug treatment, the band recruited a replacement for the now-departed Jane Wiedlin, and finally selected Paula Jean Brown as their new bassist, with Valentine moving to rhythm guitar. They played the 1985 Rock in Rio festival with this new lineup, but personality conflicts soon led to the band's breakup.
Belinda Carlisle had a successful solo career for most of the late 1980s, while Wiedlin did some recording and acting. Charlotte Caffey worked with Carlisle and then in 1990 formed a band called The Graces for the album A Perfect View. Gina Schock also pursued her solo project, House of Schock, while Kathy Valentine played for a band called the Blue Bonnets.
In 1990, Wiedlin organized a reunion that began with a benefit for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and again in 1994, when they released Return of the Valley of the Go-Go's. In 2001, they released an album of new material entitled God Bless the Go-Go's. The album went on to sell 85,000 copies. They have since decided to continue performing and recording together.
In 2006, Papa John's Pizza used The Go-Go's hit single "We Got The Beat" in a commercial campaign. Their "Papa's Perfect Pan" meat specialty pizza commercial changed the chorus of the song to "We Got The Meat" to reflect the amount and variety of meat available on their pizzas. (An all-male Go-Go's tribute band called "We Got The Meat" does exist. They formed in 2003.)
Discography
- Beauty And The Beat (1981)
- Vacation (1982)
- Talk Show (1984)
- Greatest (1990)
- Return To The Valley Of The Go-Go's (1994)
- VH-1 Behind the Music: Go-Go's Collection (2000)
- God Bless The Go-Go's (2001)
Singles
- "Our Lips Are Sealed" (1982) #20 U.S.
- "We Got The Beat" (1982) #2 U.S.
- "Vacation" (1982) #8 U.S.
- "Head Over Heels" (1984) #11 U.S.
- "Turn To You" (1984) #32 U.S.