The Go-Go's

  • Los Angeles, CA
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  • Rock
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  • 1978
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About The Go-Go's

Official Site: http://gogos.com/ | @officialgogos


The Go-Go's were the most popular all-female band to emerge from the punk/new wave explosion of the late '70s and early '80s, becoming one of the first commercially successful female groups that wasn't controlled by male producers or managers. While their hit singles -- "We Got the Beat," "Our Lips Are Sealed," "Vacation," "Head Over Heels" -- were bright, energetic new wave pop, the group was an integral part of the Californian punk scene. And they did play punk rock, even if many of their rougher edges were ironed out by the time they recorded their first album, 1981's Beauty and the Beat. Even as they became America's darlings, the Go-Go's lived the wild life of rockers, swallowing as many pills and taking as much cocaine as possible, trashing hotel rooms, and just generally being bad. More importantly, their earliest music -- now collected on Return to the Valley of the Go-Go's -- was raw and rocking; it may not have directly inspired the female alternative rockers and riot grrrls of the '90s, but it certainly foreshadowed it.

Originally formed in 1978 as the Misfits, the group featured Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals), Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar, keyboards), Margot Olaverra (bass), and Elissa Bello (drums). The band soon changed its name to the Go-Go's and began playing local parties and small clubs in California. In 1979, Gina Schock became the group's drummer. During that year, the band recorded a demo and supported the British ska revival group Madness in both Los Angeles and England. The Go-Go's spent half of 1980 touring England, earning a sizable following and releasing "We Got the Beat" on Stiff Records. An import copy of "We Got the Beat" became an underground club hit in the U.S., which meant the band was popular enough to sell out concerts, yet they had a difficult time landing a record contract.

At the end of 1980, bassist Olaverra became ill and had to stop performing; she was replaced by Kathy Valentine, a guitarist who had never played bass before. Early in 1981, the Go-Go's signed with IRS Records. Released in the summer of 1981, their debut album, Beauty and the Beat, became one of the surprise hits of the year, staying at number one for six weeks and selling over two million copies; "Our Lips Are Sealed" hit number 20 and a re-recorded version of "We Got the Beat" spent three weeks at number two.

The following year, the group released Vacation. Although it sold well -- the album made the Top Ten and it went gold, spawning the Top Ten hit single "Vacation" -- it failed to keep the momentum of the first record. During the next year the band was unable to perform as Caffey recovered from a broken wrist. In 1984, the Go-Go's returned with Talk Show, their most musically ambitious album. While it had two Top 40 hits -- the number 11 "Head Over Heels" and "Turn to You" -- it failed to even go gold. By the end of the year, Wiedlin had left the band, and the Go-Go's broke up in May of 1985.

Belinda Carlisle became the most successful solo artist to emerge from the group, scoring a string of mainstream pop singles in the late '80s, including the number one single "Heaven Is a Place on Earth." For a while, Charlotte Caffey was in Carlisle's backing group; she eventually formed the Graces, who released Perfect View in 1990. Jane Wiedlin recorded two solo albums and acted in a few films. Wiedlin also organized the group's brief 1990 reunion, where they performed at a benefit for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals; they also recorded a version of "Cool Jerk" for their 1990 Greatest Hits album. The Go-Go's reunited once more in 1994, recording three new songs for the double-disc compilation Return of the Valley of the Go-Go's.

After recording new material, the group decided to continue as a full-time unit. In 2000, they appeared on VH1's Behind the Music series and released an accompanying best-of album, VH1 Behind the Music: Go-Go's Collection. God Bless the Go-Go's, the band's first studio album comprised entirely of new material, followed in 2001. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

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Music

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  • Whole World Lost Its Head
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    Whole World Lost Its Head
  • Our Lips Are Sealed
    the-go-gos
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    Our Lips Are Sealed
  • We Got The Beat
    the-go-gos
    Video
    We Got The Beat

Interviews & Exclusives

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  • BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 3
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    BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 3
  • BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 2
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    BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 2
  • BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 4
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    BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 4
  • BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 1
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    BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 1
  • BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 5
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    BTMRemastered: The Go-Go's Act 5

Photos

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  • A studio portrait of female pop group The Go-Go's around the time of their 2001 album 'God Bless the Go-Gos.'
    The Go-Go's
    A studio portrait of female pop group The Go-Go's around the time of their 2001 album 'God Bless the Go-Gos.'
    Beyond Music/Courtesy of Getty Images
  • The Go-Go's
  • The Go-Go's
  • The Go-Go's
  • The Go-Go's
  • Jane Wiedlin with the Go-Go's in 2001.
    The Go-Go's
    Jane Wiedlin with the Go-Go's in 2001.
    Beyond Music/Getty Images
  • Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's at People's 50 Most Beautiful People party, 2001.
    The Go-Go's
    Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's at People's 50 Most Beautiful People party, 2001.
    Scott Gries/Getty Images
  • Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go's
    The Go-Go's
    Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go's
    Kevin Winter/Getty Images
  • The Go-Go's: Vacation
    The Go-Go's
    The Go-Go's: Vacation
  • The Go-Go's
    Chris Cuffaro

News

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  • The Go-Go's
    Busta Rhymes Joins The "Twerk It" Movement With Album's Lead Single
    VH1 Tuner
    May 16, 2013
    Pharrell and Busta Rhymes cooked up a strip club/club banger for the summer with "Twerk It," the lead single from Busta's upcoming 10th album. Ther...
    Read More
  • The Go-Go's
    Hangout Festival 2013: 11 Things to Do in Gulf Shores
    MTV Hive
    May 14, 2013
    This week, MTV, VH1 and CMT are headed down to Gulf Shores, Alabama for the fourth annual Hangout Music Festival . We'll be streaming all the hot act...
    Read More
  • The Go-Go's
    The Go-Go's Cancel "Farewell" Tour
    prefixmag.com
    Most of us said farewell toThe Go-Go'sin 1988, but apparently the band was going to behitting the roadthis summer for a "farewell" tour. I say going t...
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  • The Go-Go's
    Belinda Carlisle Reveals Wild Side of Go-Go's Days In New Memoir | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    they were signed to IRS records who steered them to a more pop-orientated sound for their debut album "Beauty and the Beat" that launched the band to ...
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  • The Go-Go's
    The Go-Go's Still Exist, But Not For Much Longer
    prefixmag.com
    that's your depressing answer to where they are now. Dates: 07.07 San Diego, CA: Lilith Fair 07.08 Phoenix, AZ: Lilith Fair 07.10 Tampa, FL: Tampa Bay...
    Read More
  • The Go-Go's
    The Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin is 'Lady Robotika' in New Comic Book Series | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    launch in San Francisco next year. "Now that I'm living in San Francisco, I figured it would be the best place to stage something in, there's so much ...
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  • The Go-Go's
    Go-Go's 'Will Have New Music Coming,' Says Guitarist | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    The Go-Go's are still a going concern, and guitarist Jane Wiedlin, for one, hopes that a summer tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut ...
    Read More
  • The Go-Go's
    Go-Go's 'Will Have New Music Coming,' Says Guitarist | Billboard.com
    www.billboard.com
    The Go-Go's are still a going concern, and guitarist Jane Wiedlin, for one, hopes that a summer tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut ...
    Read More

Tour Dates

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  • Jun 9 Sunday
    St Louis, MO, US The Pageant
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  • Jun 12 Wednesday
    Glenside, PA, US Keswick Theatre
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  • Jun 13 Thursday
    Vienna, VA, US Filene Center, Wolf Trap
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  • Jun 15 Saturday
    Niagara Falls, NY, US Seneca Niagara Events Center, Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel
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  • Jun 16 Sunday
    Red Bank, NJ, US Count Basie Theatre
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  • Jun 19 Wednesday
    New York, NY, US Roseland Ballroom
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  • Jun 20 Thursday
    Ridgefield, CT, US Ridgefield Playhouse
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  • Jun 22 Saturday
    Hyannis, MA, US Cape Cod Melody Tent
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  • Jun 23 Sunday
    Boston, MA, US Bank of America Pavilion
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  • Jun 25 Tuesday
    Detroit, MI, US Chene Park Amphitheater
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  • Jun 26 Wednesday
    Cincinnati, OH, US PNC Pavilion at Riverbend
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  • Jun 26 Wednesday
    Milwaukee, WI, US US Cell Stage
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  • Jun 29 Saturday
    Anderson, IN, US Hoosier Park
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  • Jun 30 Sunday
    Highland Park, IL, US Ravinia Pavilion
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  • Jun 30 Sunday
    Highland Park, IL, US Ravinia Pavilion
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  • Jul 3 Wednesday
    Milwaukee, WI, US BMO Harris Pavilion
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  • Jul 3 Wednesday
    Milwaukee, WI, US BMO Harris Pavilion
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  • Jul 6 Saturday
    Tulalip, WA, US The Tulalip Amphitheatre
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  • Jul 7 Sunday
    Portland, OR, US Oregon Zoo
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  • Jul 9 Tuesday
    Saratoga, CA, US Mountain Winery
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  • Jul 11 Thursday
    Tucson, AZ, US Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater, Casino del Sol
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  • Jul 12 Friday
    Scottsdale, AZ, US Talking Stick Resort
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  • Jul 14 Sunday
    Costa Mesa, CA, US Pacific Amphitheatre
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Discography

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  • God Bless the Go-Go's (2001)
    The Go-Go's
    God Bless the Go-Go's (2001)
    Beyond Records
  • Talk Show (1984)
    The Go-Go's
    Talk Show (1984)
    A&M Records
  • Vacation (1982)
    The Go-Go's
    Vacation (1982)
    A&M Records
  • Beauty and the Beat (1981)
    The Go-Go's
    Beauty and the Beat (1981)
    A&M Records
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