Saturday, August 15, 2020

Songs For Saturday: The Go-Go's

It's "Weekend A-go-go" here at I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You.  Both the Songs For Saturday and the Cinema Sunday posts will be about the Go-Go's, the first (and so far only) all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts.

Slap on the ol' Bat Head Phones! 

Crank up the volume!

And let's go-gooooooooooooo!! 




First up is "We've Got the Beat". What makes this version unique is that it's the first version of the song by the Go'Go's done for Stiff Records as part of their UK tour before they got their first official record contract IRS Records. 

Written by Charlotte Caffey, this take has the punk rock edge of the Go-Go's early work. The group line up for this record includes Margot Olavarria who complained the group was moving away from it's punk rock roots. Later, Olavarria was replaced by Kathy Valentine.  



For comparison, click here for a version of "We've Got the Beat" with Kathy Valentine in the line up of the Go-Go's. 


Next up is "Our Lips Are Sealed" co-written by Jane Weidlin.  The song's other writer was Terry Hall, the singer for Fun Boy Three who released their version of "Our Lips Are Sealed" in 1983.  




Fun fact: The video for "Our Lips Are Sealed"  was financed with unused funds from The Police's video budget.

For comparison, click here for the Fun Boy Three version of "Ours Lips Are Sealed". 

After the Go'Go's disbanded in 1985, lead singer Belinda Carlisle had the most successful post group solo career with Heaven Is a Place On Earth and this next song, Mad About You. This song was written by Paula Jean Brown who replaced Jane Wiedlin in the Go-Go's who left the band a year before it broke up. 



Up next on today's play list is a Go-Go's song I recently rediscovered called "Turn To You".  The video has the 4 of the 5 Go-Go's dressed as dudes. 




Wrapping things up is "Club Zero", a new song by Go-Go's written and recorded by the Go-Go's last year. 


The Go-Go's still rock. Out loud! 

"Club Zero" closes out the documentary film "the Go-Go's". 

Which bring us to this: 

"Weekend A-go-go" continues here at I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You tomorrow with Cinema Sunday  and my review of the Go-Go's documentary.

Until next time, remember to be good to one another and to always keep the music alive. 

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