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How the Go-Go’s Found Their Beat: An Oral History - Vogue
If the music industry is just high school on a larger playing field, the Go-Go’s were the popular girls who cut fifth period to get drunk with the upper-classmen.
Frontwoman Belinda Carlisle mixed Dusty Springfield-style glamour with the cheekiness of Freddie Mercury. Gina Schock let her drums do the talking to produce the distinctive beats that defined the Go-Go’s sound. Guitarist Charlotte Caffey infused her love of '60s beach music into every melody she wrote, while Kathy Valentine’s bass lines made sure they stuck the landing with verve. And even when bouncing around the stage like a punk-rock pogo stick, Jane Wiedlin played her rhythm guitar with spellbinding ease.
When the Go-Go’s formed in 1978, the concept of an all-female band that played their own instruments and didn’t have their hits crafted by a team of songwriters was still novel. The Runaways might’ve had a cult following, but “girl groups” still conjured images of Diana Ross and the Supremes cooing about unrequited love in perfect sequined harmony.
If the music industry is just high school on a larger playing field, the Go-Go’s were the popular girls who cut fifth period to get drunk with the upper-classmen.
Frontwoman Belinda Carlisle mixed Dusty Springfield-style glamour with the cheekiness of Freddie Mercury. Gina Schock let her drums do the talking to produce the distinctive beats that defined the Go-Go’s sound. Guitarist Charlotte Caffey infused her love of '60s beach music into every melody she wrote, while Kathy Valentine’s bass lines made sure they stuck the landing with verve. And even when bouncing around the stage like a punk-rock pogo stick, Jane Wiedlin played her rhythm guitar with spellbinding ease.
When the Go-Go’s formed in 1978, the concept of an all-female band that played their own instruments and didn’t have their hits crafted by a team of songwriters was still novel. The Runaways might’ve had a cult following, but “girl groups” still conjured images of Diana Ross and the Supremes cooing about unrequited love in perfect sequined harmony.