#414 - The Go-Go's - Beauty and the Beat (1981)
MUSIC HISTORY WRITTEN BY HEAD WRITER DJ MORTY COYLE:
Released on July 8th, 1981 on I.R.S. Records and produced by Richard Gottehrer and Rob Freeman, this is the debut by the Los Angeles, California, New Wave, Girl Group.
In the late ‘70s Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, and Margot Olavarria were early Punk Rock fans from the San Fernando valley who met at Punk clubs and shows including the Sex Pistols’ last show in San Francisco.
Inspired by the D.I.Y. Punk scene where musical ability wasn’t a prerequisite they decided to form a band with Belinda on vocals, Jane on rhythm guitar, Margot on bass, and Elissa Bello on drums who was soon replaced by Gina Shock.
They first called themselves The Misfits before changing it to The Go-Go’s.
Despite their inexperience they immediately started getting gigs and learning how to play on the fly.
Early shows were fun, sloppy, and incompetent as evidenced by the concise review, “The Go-Go’s are to music what botulism is to tuna.”
A few months later they added former bassist Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar who had previous writing and playing experience in her band, The Eyes.
They became popular pretty quickly on the Hollywood Punk scene at clubs like The Masque (Mask) and The Whisky a Go Go and got asked to open a U.K. tour with British Ska bands Madness and later The Specials. Even though they were generally hated and spit on by the angry, neo-Nazi, British, Punks at the gigs, while in England they sang back ups on a Specials’ song and recorded a single for Stiff Records which became an underground hit back in America.
A while later while recovering from an illness and in opposition to their evolution from Punk to the more Pop sound of New Wave Margo Olavarria quit and was replaced by guitarist-turned-bassist Kathy Valentine.
While the band was getting more professional and gaining popularity due to sexism in the music industry they still couldn’t get a record deal until they were finally offered one by the independent label I.R.S. Records.
They made their debut quickly and cheaply in New York with veteran Girl Group producer Richard Gottehrer and Rob Freeman.
Richard Gottehrer had co-written and produced, “My Boyfriend’s Back” for The Angels, “I Want Candy” for The Strangeloves, and produced Blondie’s first two albums.
While The Go-Go’s were admittedly still young, sex and drug-obsessed, gutter punks their songs and image were sanded down until their rough edges had a shiny Pop sheen perfect for teenage audiences.
Fortunately I.R.S.’s owner Miles Copeland who also managed his brother’s band, The Police, had The Go-Go’s open for them on a tour which put them in front of tens of thousands of potential new fans every night.
And with the debut of MTV a month after its release which repeatedly played their first video, “Our Lips Are Sealed” they reached even more at home.
But it was still a surprise when “Beauty and the Beat” sold two million copies and spent 6 weeks at #1 making The Go-Go’s the first and so far only all-female band to write and play all their own instruments on a #1 record.
While they made two more less successful records before splitting up in a haze of drugs, acrimony over songwriting royalties, clashing personalities, and bruised egos they’ve since had reunion tours and albums, and several of them have written memoirs.
Belinda Carlisle went on to have a successful solo career with hits like, “Mad About You” and the chart-topping, “Heaven is a Place On Earth.”
Charlotte Caffey co-wrote “Lovelace: A Rock Musical”, the theme song for the T.V. show, “Clueless”, and the #1 Country hit, “But for the Grace of God” for Keith Urban.
Jane Wiedlin had a Top Ten solo hit with, “Rush Hour”, a Top Fifty duet with Sparks on, “Cool Places”, and acted in the movies, “Clue” and “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”
Kathy Valentine followed co-writing the lead singles for the two following Go-Go’s albums with playing in a few popular local bands.
Gina Shock formed a band with Ellen DeGeneres’ older brother, Vance and has co-written songs for Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez.
In 2011 they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2018 their musical, “Head Over Heels” appeared on Broadway.
Earlier this year their documentary debuted at Sundance and will soon be available to watch on Showtime and they were also supposed to tour this Summer before everything got canceled.
And even though they’ve sold seven million records worldwide and blazed trails for all female musicians they have still not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.