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The Go-Go’s Made History 38 Years Ago. There’s Still More to Their Story.

A new documentary about the Los Angeles band explores the punk roots that came before its pop sheen, and the power dynamics that led to its split.

By Lindsay Zoladz

In March 1982, “Beauty and the Beat” — that classic, effervescent, catch-a-wave-of-pink-champagne debut by the Los Angeles band the Go-Go’s — made history: It became the first record by an all-female group who wrote its own songs and played its own instruments to hit No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. Thirty-eight years later, it’s hard to decide what’s more of a shock: That it took so long to happen, or that it hasn’t happened since.

“People automatically assume we were probably put together by some guy,” the lead singer Belinda Carlisle says in Alison Ellwood’s spirited new documentary “The Go-Go’s,” which airs on Showtime this weekend. “But we did it all ourselves.”

Of course, the Go-Go’s were hardly the music industry’s first commercially dominant girl group (with their dozen No. 1 singles, the Supremes rivaled the Beatles’ popularity in the mid-1960s) nor were they the first gang of guitar-slinging women to “do it all themselves” (the hippie-rockers Fanny and the British punks the Slits were just a few of the feminist-minded bands forging disparate paths in the 1970s). But the Go-Go’s fused those two impulses together most seamlessly for mass consumption. “Beauty and the Beat” was, in the words of the bassist Kathy Valentine, “a pop record with a punk rock ethic.”

The “pop” part of the Go-Go’s equation is what’s stayed freshest in our cultural imagination, thanks to the glistening sheen of timeless, still-ubiquitous tunes like “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “We Got the Beat” and “Vacation.” (They were the soundtrack to a Broadway musical in 2018.) What’s compelling about Ellwood’s documentary, though, is how thoroughly it excavates the group’s early punk bona fides.

“There never would have been the Go-Go’s without the punk rock scene in Los Angeles,” the guitarist Jane Wiedlin says, placing the group within the context of local peers like X, Bags and the Eyes (the band that a mop-topped blonde named Charlotte Caffey would eventually leave to join the Go-Go’s.) While honing their chops, the Go-Go’s toured the United Kingdom opening for the underground heroes Madness and the Specials, braving the jeers and spit of angry skinheads. When we first meet Carlisle in the doc, she’s not wearing cheery MTV-ready pastels, but a caustic-Elvis sneer and a plastic garbage bag as a dress.

Caffey was “terrified” when she first brought the group a demo tape of a little ditty she’d written called “We Got the Beat”: “I was thinking, man, these girls are going to throw me out of this band, because it was a pop song.” But her bandmates knew a great tune when they heard one, and the track’s aerodynamic momentum perfectly matched the Go-Go’s’ increasingly skyward ambitions. (The film is a treasure trove of archival footage; one memorable clip shows Carlisle singing an early, punky version of “We Got the Beat” in a dingy club and taunting the crowd to dance: “Come on, don’t be too cool.”)

Plenty of journalists fixated on the creation myth that the Go-Go’s “couldn’t play their instruments” when they started out — though the same sort of scrappy, D.I.Y. energy was often seen as a sign of authenticity for male punk bands. And it wasn’t entirely true: Caffey was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who’d studied classical piano in college; the tough-talking Baltimore transplant Gina Schock — the group’s insistent, thumping heartbeat — was a drummer to be reckoned with from the day she joined the band.

“The genuine exuberance of our music gave people an escape and a respite from the meanness and greed defining the era,” Valentine wrote in her excellent recent memoir “All I Ever Wanted,” with the crisp clarity of cultural hindsight. In their casually charismatic music videos, the Go-Go’s offered the allure of rakish, why-so-serious fun. (“We Got the Beat” had the cosmic luck of coming out a month before MTV went on the air.) Their take on gender equality meant not only playing and writing just as well as the guys, but partying as hard (or harder) than they did, too. At their most bacchanalian, one inebriated Go-Go received the dubious honor of being kicked out of Ozzy Osbourne’s Rock in Rio dressing room — no small feat.

Ellwood, to her credit, doesn’t avert her eyes from the uglier parts of the Go-Go’s story, like the firing of the founding bassist Margot Olavarria, a dyed-in-the-wool punk who objected to the band’s increasingly polished, melodic sound. “It wasn’t just about the music, it was the sense of being packaged into a product,” Olavarria recalls. “It was becoming less about art and more about money.”

Prophetic words. What plenty of people found most “empowering” about the Go-Go’s — they write their own songs! — created, behind the scenes, a complicated power imbalance that accelerated the band’s collapse. Because Caffey, Wiedlin and Valentine were the group’s primary songwriters, their share of the profits were considerably larger than Carlisle’s or Schock’s. That’s probably what motivated Carlisle to pull the biggest power move she could muster: going solo.

“I’ve wondered many times how it would have been if part of the whole deal had been to keep everyone happy,” Valentine writes in her book. If the group had contributions from all members, “we could have supported each other and granted space for each of us to grow instead of confining ourselves to a formula with a limited shelf life.”

But the same personal chemistry that fueled the group’s rocket ship ascent is also what made them combustible. Since that first split in 1985, the Go-Go’s have broken up and reformed more times than the documentary has time to chronicle. Most recently, Valentine parted ways with the group in 2012, but she’s back in the fold now. The beat goes on.

Why hasn’t another all-female band matched the heights of the group’s mainstream success? The persistence of sexism and double standards are the most obvious answers. But maybe the young girl-rockers that the Go-Go’s inspired also learned from their travails and sought something brasher and thus less compromising than top-of-the-world success.

At one point in “The Go-Go’s,” Kathleen Hanna, a riot grrrl instigator and the incendiary frontwoman of the feminist punk band Bikini Kill, remembers attending a Go-Go’s concert in 1982. “As a young girl,” she says, “going into a space where women owned the stage, and owned it unapologetically like they were born to be there — to me, it represented a moment of possibility.”

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The Go-Go’s: A Year of Living Dangerously

By Christopher Connelly

Christopher Connelly

I’m about 10 feet away from the room where the Go-Go’s are meeting when the whispering begins:

“God, what a jerk that guy is …”

“Yeah, can you believe we gotta talk to that clown  …”

“I just hope he doesn’t hang around too long … oh, hi , Chris!”

Peals of laughter bounce off the walls. Welcome to the world of the Go-Go’s, where women are girls, men are boys, everyone is fair game and no one ever stops smiling. If you can’t have fun with the Go-Go’s, maybe you can’t have fun, period. “Being in this band is like being in high school all over again,” says Gina Schock, the group’s drummer. “We’re like a bunch of little maniacs.”

So why fight it, I figure, as the band tears out the door of their management company’s office on their way to a rehearsal for a video from Talk Show , their current hit album. But just as I accept the idea that the Go-Go’s are America’s most wholesome hedonists, Gina approaches me on a stair landing and pulls her shirt up.

The scar begins at her collarbone. Light brown, as wide as a man’s thumb, it runs down her chest, between her breasts and underneath her brassiere, stopping a few inches above her bellybutton. This is where the sternum of the Go-Go’s’ drummer was sawed open in an operation that tore the heart out of America’s best female rock band.

Gina’s open-heart surgery was merely the most visible of the problems the Go-Go’s had suffered over the last 18 months. There was another medical problem, management hassles, even a lawsuit with their record company. At one point, the group nearly broke up.

“I kept saying, ‘Something good’s got to come out of all this,'” says guitarist Charlotte Caffey. “‘This stuff doesn’t happen to us. This happens in real life. Not in the Go-Go’s little bubble.'”

Jane For Jane Wiedlin , even the Go-Go’s triumphant Vacation tour in 1982 was troublesome at the end, coinciding as it did with an especially rough time with her boyfriend, singer-songwriter Tim Scott. Still, as the 26-year-old Wiedlin hastens to note, “The off times have been our most difficult periods more than anything,” and the hassles began almost as soon as the tour was over. For one, Ginger Canzoneri, the energetic but inexperienced manager who guided the band from its earliest incarnation to the top of the charts, left the band.

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“She disappeared,” Wiedlin explains. “We didn’t want her to leave or quit or be fired or anything. But knowing Ginger as well as we do, her normal way of dealing with a situation that she’s unhappy with is just to disappear. It had been building up for a long time; I’m surprised we didn’t see it coming.”

At the beginning of 1983, the Go-Go’s got another shock, when they received their semiannual financial statement from I.R.S. Records. They discovered that they were owed more than a million dollars in royalties from the sales of Beauty and the Beat , their first LP, and the two hit singles it spawned — “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat.” But when the band demanded its money, I.R.S. reportedly said they didn’t have it. According to Emily Shenkin, a lawyer for the group, the Go-Go’s then declared their intention to leave the label, and I.R.S. filed suit to keep them. (The dispute was resolved out of court. Royalties were paid, and the Go-Go’s remained on I.R.S.)

Even before Canzoneri’s departure, the band had hired Front Line Management, which guided acts like the Eagles and Steely Dan. But that association was jeopardized when Front Line founder Irving Azoff suddenly left the company to head MCA Records. Stunned, the band began reevaluating managers all over again. After a month and a half, they decided to remain with Front Line after all.

According to Jane, the haggling played havoc with the band’s inner strength — and its unity. The central problem was “not being surrounded by business people that we could yell and scream at,” she says. “So, the anxieties of the band were all turned inward. In the beginning, we all had boyfriends to take things out on, and then later we had all these people who worked for us that we could take it out on. And then last year, we really didn’t have anybody but ourselves.”

Go-Go’s Guitarist Jane Wiedlin Claims Influential Rock DJ Sexually Abused Her as a Teen

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Curled up on a sofa in her Malibu digs — a sun-swept house that features a parade of Mexican tchotchkes; two diaphanous teddies, hung on the wall of her bedroom; and, outside, a miniature horse named Bunny Wailer — Jane seems the perfect essence of a Go-Go. From her unintimidating glamour and pixieish stage presence to her unforgettable voice (think of Georgette from The Mary Tyler Moore Show ), she comes across as bonny and bright as Sunday’s child.

Wiedlin, however, is no niblet. She’s the Go-Go who checked out New York’s S&M club, Hellfire; who has read the searing bondage-and-discipline memoir Nine and a Half Weeks five times; who nearly sent her parents into apoplexy when she discovered David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album as a teenager. “My family all said, ‘Oh, he’s a fag.’ And I said, ‘No, it’s cool to be bi.’ That’s when they really started thinking I was sick.”

The Go-Go’s: A Year of Living Dangerously , Page 1 of 6

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The Go-Go's

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The Go-Go’s Talk ‘Stranger Things’

Legendary rock band The Go-Go’s have had a career full of big hits and exciting tours, all while paving the way for bands that would follow. Now, the band has teamed up with the Frito-Lay and Netflix for the  Stranger Things  Doritos Music Fest ’86. The story goes that back in 1986, The Go-Go’s bus crashed near Hawkins, Indiana and they disappeared into another dimension, which  Stranger Things ; fans will know as the Upside Down. Now, the band is back from the otherworldly zone and they’ve brought along some friends, including fellow ’80s musicians Corey Hart and Soft Cell, and modern pop star Charli XCX.

Read the full article on popculture.com .

By The Go-Go's

June 22, 2022

In-Person Book Signing Event at The Last Bookstore with the Go-Go’s Gina Schock and Kathy Valentine

March 25, 2022

The Go-Go’s Are Hitting The Road!

We’re so excited to get back on the road, and we’ve got rescheduled tour dates for you.

3/24 – San Francisco

3/25 – Reno

3/27 – Temecula

3/28 – Anaheim

3/31 – San Diego

(Pssst: we’ve got a special LA show announcement coming *really* soon, and we can’t wait to share it with you!!)

If you’re holding onto tickets from the original dates, they’re good for these new dates!

Fan Club pre-sale is this Thursday, 3/27 @ 10am PT, public on-sale is on Friday, 3/28 @ 10am PT.

January 26, 2022

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The go-go’s documentary sets the record straight about a trailblazing band.

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The Go-Go's. (Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)

The biggest takeaway from The Go-Go's a new documentary directed by Alison Ellwood about the popular band from the 1980s, is: why aren't they in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? In hindsight, the story of how the Go-Go's became one of the most beloved and successful acts at the dawn of the MTV era is an underdog one. Formed in the late 1970s during the Los Angeles punk scene, the Go-Go's were founded by five young women who at the time didn't know how to play their instruments and appeared more like a novelty act. Gradually, through personnel changes and dogged determination, the Go-Go's established a growing following in L.A. and later signed to I.R.S. Records. Their 1981 debut album, Beauty and the Beat, went to number one on Billboard —the first time that an all-female band who wrote their own songs and played instruments achieved such a distinction.

For the next four years, the Go-Go's – singer Belinda Carlisle, guitarist/keyboardist Charlotte Caffey, guitarist/singer Jane Wiedlin, bassist Kathy Valentine and drummer Gina Schock – were on a roller-coaster ride of fame and fortune as America's musical sweethearts. At their height of their popularity, the Go-Go's were feted with hit singles such as “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “We Got the Beat,” “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels”; sell-out shows; and maximum media exposure, including the infamous Rolling Stone cover . But it wasn't all fun: the group battled both the male-dominated music industry and themselves amid a mixture of substance abuse and personal and creative tensions that eventually led to their breakup in 1985. Even though they have reunited and toured since then, the Go-Go's legacy had already been established in paving the way for future female rock acts: from the Bangles to the ‘90s Riot Grrrl bands.

Overall, this candid and absorbing film by Ellwood ( History of the Eagles, Laurel Canyon ) does justice to the band's turbulent and triumphant story. As the new documentary (which airs this Friday on Showtime) shows, the Go-Go’s were a group that did it their own way without the guidance of a controlling male figure. In addition to interviews with the members of the classic lineup and archival footage going back to their early punk incarnation, The Go-Go's also features testimonials from I.R.S. Records co-founder Miles Copeland; the Police's Stewart Copeland; the band's former manager Ginger Canzoneri; and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna, among others. Coinciding with the film's release, the Go-Go’s recorded a new song, the anthemic rocker “Club Zero”—their first one in 20 years. (The band’s 40th anniversary tour was rescheduled from this year to 2021 due to the pandemic).

Ahead of The Go-Go's broadcast, I interviewed Caffey, Schock and Ellwood about the film and aspects of the band's unique history. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Can you talk about working on the film?

Alison Ellwood : I was thrilled because I've always been a Go-Go's fan. They'd been toying with the idea of having a film made. They were very gun-shy because of the experience with VH1 [ Behind the Music ]. They did not like that. So we started talking, probably close to three years ago now, and there were a lot of conversations. Then we finally met up in person and talked more about it. They finally agreed to do it. I said: “I'll make you a film that is a fair film, but I've got to trust you to be honest with me. I don't want to do a fluff piece.” They promised, and I promised. I think everybody's happy.

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How do you feel about the way the documentary turned out?

Charlotte Caffey : Honestly, we were so nervous in the beginning. We had that horrible experience with Behind the Music where they just made it all salacious. That's not about the band—that's a soap opera. If you're together with a spouse or a partner for 40 years, you're going to have arguments. But if you're with four other people, you're going have exponentially that many more things happen. We were very clear with Alison we didn't want all that nonsense. We've worked through a lot of gnarly crap between each other, and we're here now. We want to celebrate the band. That's what I think it did. I love it so much. I'm so excited for people to see it.

Gina Schock : I'm really happy with the way it came out. It's what it is. Alison is a really good storyteller. We just had to trust her. We've been so afraid to do anything like this, we don't want another VH1 story. She promised us that she would do the right thing. And she did.

The Go-Go's circa 1981 (L-R): Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock (drums), Belinda Carlisle, Kathy ... [+] Valentine (bass, behind Belinda Carlisle’s head), Jane Wiedlin.

What was it like watching yourselves on the screen?

Caffey : It was a very healing thing for all of us. There was something that brought up a lot of great feelings and I didn't expect that to happen at all. And at the end of it, I was filled with warmth and love for all the girls. It was really cool. We keep getting together and doing these things, like the musical [ Head Over Heels ] that happened several years ago. They just keep coming to us, it's nothing that we search out. So there's a reason where we keep getting together. And when we do, we have a really great time. We are just the most twisted, sick, hilarious people that I know. It's great to be at a good place with everybody.

Schock : The girls are such a part of my life. When times are tough, we sort of pull together as like a family does—not always liking each other, but certainly love each other at the end of the day. I'm just in a very grateful mood right now, and I think everybody else is.

Going into the project, did you have an idea of how you were going present the band’s story?

Ellwood : By the time we started the interviews, I had a sense of what the narrative was going to be. When I first started researching, I was not familiar with their punk background at all. So that was revelatory to me. When I dug into that and started listening to the earlier music, and even listening to the earlier versions of the songs that became their pop hits, they were very punk-sounding, much faster, much rawer. So that was really fun to know that there was going to be that evolution in the music. By the time we did the interviews, I knew that that was a huge part of the story.

The Go-Go's achieved a lot in a relatively short period, from playing punk shows in L.A., to recording a #1 album in Beauty and the Beat .

Caffey : We have been selling out shows for a couple of years in L.A. And when we were in England, we would call in to Rodney on the ROQ , [Los Angeles radio deejay] Rodney Bigenheimer's show, and totally lie: “We are so famous here.” ( laughs ) We were making crap up left and right. We got back, and the lines were wrapped around the Starwood. We played our 'welcome back home' show there. That was a short time before the New Year Eve gigs when Kathy played.

We couldn't get a record deal, no one would sign us— no one. We went to every record company there was, and Miles [Copeland of I.RS. Records] was the only one. But the thing that kept me going were the songs that we were writing, it was incredible. Like that first record [ Beauty and the Beat ], it was just so awesome and our live performances were very punky. The first record sounds a certain way because our producer Richard Gottehrer really wanted to highlight the songwriting, and it wasn't like our live shows, which were still very rough and punk sounding because we just played that way and we still do. I could only hope that something big was coming, but I had no idea how big it was.

Portrait of the music group the Go-Go's as they pose backstage at an unspecified venue, Chicago, ... [+] Illinois, July 30, 1981. Pictured are, from left, Kathy Valentine, Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin, Belinda Carlisle, and Gina Schock. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

Schock : I always thought: “Oh my God, we are going to be famous, we're going to be huge.” We were 21, 22 years old. You think anything is possible and then you're going to make it, thank God. Because I really did believe that we were going to be huge.

The first album is a special one for most bands or most artists in general. The first record is your whole life, and then after that you have a couple of months to write stuff and get it for the next record. That was also just kind of a crazy, lucky thing that the first record took off the way it did. But there was a lot of strategic planning on Miles Copeland's behalf. He said: “We're touring in a van all over the country.” Then he said, “How do you feel about opening for the Police?”, because the Police were playing arenas. So we started doing that and then the sales started picking up. Before you knew it, people were coming to the shows to see the opening band as well as the headliner. We'd walk on stage and the place was full.

As shown in the documentary, from 1981 to 1985, the Go-Go's packed so much in the career from having hit singles to constant touring.

Caffey : There was a lot that jammed in, and what comes with that is pretty overwhelming. As much as I loved people loving those songs that I wrote or co-wrote or coming to our concerts, it was very overwhelming and very invasive and like: “Whoa.” And of course, I've been an open book about my drug addiction forever. So putting those two things together, it was like a powder keg for me. But I had loads and loads of fun. We all had such a good time. It was a whirlwind and there was no stopping, and we did not stop it. That's probably why we burned out because you can't just keep going like that, especially when you add in all the partying.

Schock : I wish that we all would have slowed down and savored the moment, loved what was happening and then appreciate it. It was going by so fast. Whatever the record told us to do, we'd do. We were just constantly touring, and then MTV happened and that kicked things up a notch for everybody. All of a sudden, everybody's making videos. So a lot was happening during that period of time in the music business. It was a whole lot packed into those several years. But that's all we knew. Whatever they told us to do, we'd do. I wish we would have had more time to really enjoy it. But it happened the way it was supposed to happen, I guess.

From the “Vacation” video shoot circa 1982 (L-R): Charlotte Caffey [face not visible], Jane Wiedlin ... [+] [head down], Charlotte Caffey [cigarette], Gina Schock [sunglasses])

Did you know the impact the Go-Go's were having in breaking down the door for female rock musicians, or you were too caught up in the moment at the time?

Caffey : We were definitely in the moment because there were all these major things we had to do ahead of us on any given day. We thought we're going to bust through, there's going to be all these female bands. They trickled in: the Bangles came next, and then there's Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill. But if you really think about, there really isn't just an ocean of them. And we were surprised.

Being in a band, whether your female or male, is really hard. We were really dedicated. We put the band above everything, including relationships, because you had to. It's like the kind of thing where you can't help but do it—like if you just have to do it, there's no other thing that you can do, this is it. I felt so strongly about what we were doing, and I believed in it so much. I wasn't even thinking in terms of fame and fortune—I was thinking in terms of: “Oh my God, we're so good.”

Schock : I never thought about that. I don't think any of us did. We were too busy doing our job and having a great time being rock stars. That's a lot of fun. ( laughs ) We had a great time doing that, until it stops being fun. I certainly didn't realize the impact we had all these years later, too busy in the throes of it.

Ellwood : To this day, they're the only female band to have a number one album and play their own instruments and write their own music. It's crazy 42 years later. I talked to all of them about this. Belinda says in the film “We wouldn't have called herself feminists back then, but we were.” I think they as people don't really label things, and I think that because their songs are so catchy, I think they were labeled as the sort of girl next door and they were certainly not that. ( laughs ) They were pretty wild, but so were a lot of people back then. It was the '80s.

One of the most heartbreaking moments of the movie was when the group split up in 1985 amid tumultuous circumstances.

Caffey : That was terrible. For me at that moment in my life, because I was three months sober, I had to make a choice. I had to choose my life over this band. I didn't think I could stay sober in the band because there was too much animosity and too much stuff that had come down. And plus Jane had left the band. Paula [Jean Brown, her replacement] helped me get into rehab and I'll be forever grateful to her. It wasn't a popular decision at the time. But that was the way it was, and I celebrated 35 years of sobriety a few months ago, not the Hollywood kind. I have never taken a drug or a drink since February 1, 1985. so it's like: “It's just me” That's what I need to do for my life. I'm like: “What was I thinking?”

We really wanted to be honest. There's no hiding in this band, I love Jane talking about her depression and stuff. It's good for people to hear that, to see people moving through things, and it's important.

But then five years later, the Go-Go's reunited.

Schock : We were all busy with our solo careers. In 1990, Belinda's management got a call from Jane Fonda's people saying: “Could we get in touch with all the girls? We have something we'd like to offer them, and we hope you'd be interested.” [Jane Fonda] was busy trying to get a green initiative on the ballot in L.A., and she wanted us to be a part. We all said of course. So we started having dinners together and talking. We went to her house three or four times hanging out with her, which was really cool. She's awesome. We did a show at Universal as part of Jane Fonda's thing, and later that year we were back on tour. ( laughs ) It all fell right back into place. We're just like family...we can't get away from each other.

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 25: Gina Schock, Belinda Carlisle, Alison Ellwood, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte ... [+] Caffey, and Kathy Valentine from The Go-Gos poses for a portrait at the Pizza Hut Lounge on January 25, 2020 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Emily Assiran/Getty Images for Pizza Hut)

For the documentary, the Go-Go's recorded “Club Zero,” their first new song in nearly 20 years. How was that experience like?

Caffey : When we decided we wanted to write an end credits song, it could be cool to all of a sudden have something new. I had just written this music with Anna Waronker and I've worked with her for years. That's what we wanted to write: “Let's do something really up and anthemic and punky and cool.” So here's this music and all of sudden I'm putting lyrics and I'm like, “Oh my God, this is f***ing working.” So I showed it to everybody, everyone loved it. Then we continued on and Kathy, Jane and I finished the lyrics. It's kind of this cool and right for this moment. We didn't even know what was coming when we wrote it like a year-and-a-half ago. We think it's just perfect for the documentary and for this moment right now.

Schock : We all worked on it, got together, went in to record it. We knocked it out in two days, which kind of amazed me because we haven't recorded in 20 years. We went into the studio and two days we were done, backing vocals and all, boom! Done! I was like kicking myself in the butt: “You know what? We really are pros.” I was amazed, no problems at all, and we went in there and kicked ass. Everybody's voice in this band is super important. Without the five of us, it's not the Go-Go's.

Ellwood : I had no idea that they were going to end up writing a new song. I had secretly hoped that they would try to do that. Then once I realized they actually were seriously doing it, I said: “Please let us film you playing around with it, it would be such a great ending for the film.” That's what we shot at the Whisky [in Los Angeles]. It was fun for them to come back to where it all began, once they were pretty big.

PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 25: (L-R) Kathy Valentine, Belinda Carlisle, Gina Schock, Jane Wiedlin, ... [+] Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's attend the "Music and Storytelling" panel hosted by the Los Angeles Times at The Audible Speakeasy during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Audible)

What do you hope viewers will come away from the film?

Caffey : I hope they walk away being uplifted, number one. This is a story about a group of girls who got together and started something that we felt passionate about, and we just kept going. We had so many obstacles. We had a lot of sexism and misogyny, there's a lot of things that were against us. But we've just pushed forward and we showed everybody. And we showed ourselves: “Hey, we really are something.” I say it not in a conceited way. I say it in a proud way because I love this band, and we've been through a lot.

Ellwood : A full understanding of who they were and are as women and the band, and that their contribution to music was substantive. I think that they tend to be written off a little bit too easily, people perceive them as being a little bit fluffy. But if you listen to their lyrics, there's a lot of subterfuge going on. The lyrics are much darker at times than the music sounds. Just a full appreciation of who they are as musicians and as women who've contributed something to this world that is worthy.

What accounts for the Go-Go's longevity after 40 years?

Schock : For each of us, this is the longest relationship that the five of us have ever been in. After that amount of time, it is like family. It's the old cliché: you might not like your family all the time, but you love them. I think that's the bottom line with us. We're like a bunch of kids when we get together.

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There’s More to The Go-Go’s Than Peppy Hits

By Tracy Moore

Despite the sorority-girl sheen of their image and the fizzy bounce of hits “Vacation” and “We Got the Beat,” The Go-Go’s were one of the sleaziest bands in history. Behind the scenes, they were shooting heroin, inhaling $300 of cocaine a day, slipping Polaroids of their crotches under their roadies’ hotel doors, nailing dudes left and right, and consuming enough booze, pills and speed to get kicked out of Ozzy Osbourne’s dressing room—ironic move from a guy whose cells were practically stitched together with drugs.

“We were cute and bubbly,” guitarist and songwriter Jane Wiedlin once told VH1. “But we were also crazy, twisted, drug-addict sex fiends.” If you’ve read any of the band’s memoirs, interviews, or watched the infamous VH1 Behind the Music about their raunch, you already know that much.

What you might not have gleaned from retrospectives on the band, who formed in the thriving, increasingly fractured punk scene of late ’70s LA, is the legitimacy of their musicianship, songcraft, and early bonafides. Finally, in a new documentary, director and documentarian Alison Ellwood steps in to correct the record.

To be clear, the documentary—told through interviews with the band’s current and former members, manager, and a host of industry scenesters—alludes plenty to all the excess. You can’t tell the story of The Go-Go’s without charting their meteoric arc; in the course of a month, they go from playing porno-theater basements to Madison Square Garden. By1985, they’re dunzo.

But what’s new here, and staggering, is how the film looks at the underpinnings of their sound , how it slows down the blur of fame’s excess to marvel at the propulsive elegance of those perennially summery hits—work that earned the band double platinum status, and the fandom of pop greats such as Brian Wilson .

In other words, The Go-Go’s are legit artists—not that you’d know it from constant assertions in the doc by members of the punk scene (and members of the band themselves) of how sloppy and unlistenable their first go was (whose wasn’t?), or their lifeless and oft-highlighted 1981 SNL performance , which confirmed critics’ suspicions of hackishness. (In reality, they were “cross-eyed drunk” after sitting around the studio for 12 hours before playing.) The band was marketed (by both music execs and the Go-Go’s themselves) as a group of fun-loving good girls, and sexualized on magazine covers—an approach that didn’t exactly scream “serious songwriters.”

Yet to this day, The Go-Go’s are still the only all-female rock band to write their own songs, play their own instruments, and debut an album at No. 1 on Billboard. It’s an achievement that, while always noted, somehow hasn’t earned them the corresponding respect it should, nearly rendering their success as some kind of happy amateur’s accident relegated to the bargain-bin of disposable ’80s pop.

Ellwood clears all that up. We learn that the band was not composed of wannabe posers; drummer Gina Schock had started playing as a teen in Baltimore, and her tight percussion and work ethic transformed the band. Guitarist Charlotte Caffey , who would pen most of their hits, was already playing bass in local punk band The Eyes, and was a classically trained pianist. Singer Belinda Carlisle briefly played drums for L.A. punk band The Germs. Bassist Kathy Valentine had played guitar in previous punk bands; for one of them, The Textones, she had already composed the song “Vacation,” which the Go-Go’s would re-record. Wiedlin had taken folk guitar lessons and wrote poetry. Each band member would go on to pen more hits for their solo and side projects and, after the split, for artists ranging from Keith Urban to Miley Cyrus to Selena Gomez .

“You have no idea how barren the landscape was in ’81,” Rolling Stone ’s Chris Connelly remarks at one point. “The idea that women would tell their stories in these kinds of songs, and do it the punk way, finding their way in a very difficult environment? It was unheard of.”

“All-girl band writing their own tunes?” asks Lee Thompson of ska band Madness, whom the Go-Go’s credit with their first significant exposure. (In the early days, they opened for Thompson’s group.) “I mean, outrageous.”

Outrageous, indeed. And not just because of the baldfaced sexism behind the group’s initial inability to get signed, even after they had a hit; they were rejected explicitly, as they were told in label rejection letters, because they were women. They’d eventually get picked up by IRS Records, run by Miles Copeland , brother of The Police’s Stewart Copeland . Opening for that band worldwide would cement their success.

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Even more incredulous is how their talent has been overshadowed by their bubbly image. We Got the Neutron Bomb , an oral history published in 2001 of the L.A. late ’70’s punk scene, briefly mentions The Go-Go’s, but not without caveats about the band’s careerism, poserdom, incompetence, and worst of all—gasp!—ambition.

But those songs! Take “We Got the Beat,” the band’s first proper recording, released on British punk label Stiff Records in a one-single deal at the start of their career. Written by Caffey, it’s drawn from a Motown-meets-Brill Building template, fusing punk, a dash of surf, and The Shangri-La’s buoyant aesthetics. It’s cheerleader punk. In the doc, we see it come together when Caffey’s bounce meets Schock’s jolt, catapulted straight into the sun by Carlisle’s raspy soprano.

For “Our Lips Are Sealed,” we see Wiedlin take a few scant lyrics in a love letter from The Specials’ Terry Hall and turn them into a glossy new wave reincarnation of sparkly, gossipy, teen-love odes. It’s in the spirit of Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to be With You;” it’s celebrated, by musicians generally and by this documentary, for its inventive chord work and dreamy middle eight, or bridge.

But sure; they couldn’t play.

Ellwood’s doc takes great care to show us how ludicrous it is that the Go-Go’s have been overlooked for so long. They rose to the top of a notoriously sexist industry—with a female manager ( Ginger Canzoneri , whom they would eventually regret ditching when fame called), and even, at first, female roadies—and without the aid of a controlling male figure, unlike ’60s girl groups and their scene peers in all-female bands such as The Runaways.

The Go-Go’s isn’t just a feminist love letter that humanizes the group and highlights their talent. Ellwood ultimately shows the group as a proper rock band without the female asterisk; you’re left seeing more than some all-female blip in musical history. Like so many bands before and since, we also see them living the same so-common-it’s-cliche experiences we’ve been gawking at since (male) rock was born—yes, drugs; yes, sex; yes, constant touring; yes, exhaustion; yes, infighting and creative differences; yes, how the hell will we split the publishing. Their story is, in that sense, remarkably unremarkable.

That said, it’s fair to walk away from the film with a question: why hasn’t another all-female band achieved this sort of success, either before The Go-Go’s or since? Ellwood’s respectful portrait doesn’t really concern itself with that larger answer in the big-picture sense. Instead, she seems intent on leaving us with a more important question about their legacy and recognition: why hasn’t this band, with all its contributions to pop, been invited to the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame? And for that, she lets Police drummer Stewart Copeland give the only possible response: “What the fuck?”

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Tracy Moore

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Bios, band histories for the greatest in rock.

The Go-Go’s Band History

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Quick Facts

Early history, beauty and the beat.

• God Bless the Go-Go's
• The Go-Go's Today
• "We Got the Beat"
• "Our Lips Are Sealed"
• "Vacation"

Head Over Heels Musical

Documentary.

• Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Induction

Bottom Line

When you think of The Go-Go’s, what do you think of? Do you get their catchy singles, such as “Vacation,” stuck in your head? Or do you think of the legacy they left ? The Go-Go’s have been credited for starting pop-punk, a genre that combines the fast-paced style of punk music with hooking melodies that make the music more radio-friendly. Many may also not know that The Go-Go’s were the first all-female band to reach No.1 on the album charts .

There’s probably a lot about The Go-Go’s you didn’t know, such as how they formed and their entire career history. Continue reading my guide about The Go-Go’s band history.

• Notable Band Members : Belinda Carlisle (lead vocals), Jane Wiedlin (rhythm guitar), Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar), Kathy Valentine (bass), Gina Schock (drums)
• Genre : Punk, pop-punk, pop-rock
• Years Active : 1978-1985, 1990, 1994, 1999-2022
• Origin : Los Angeles, California
• Most Successful Album : Beauty and the Beat
• Website : The Go-Go’s
• Last Updated : August 2023

The band was originally called The Misfits (not to be confused with the legendary horror punk band from New Jersey). Their original sound was very punk, and they built themselves a name in LA’s underground punk scene–especially since Carlisle was a former member of The Germs. When The Go-Go’s first formed, they mainly played around LA and San Francisco.

Making It Big

In 1981, The Go-Go’s signed to I.R.S. Records and released their debut album, Beauty and the Beat , in 1982. That same year, they toured with The Police for their Ghost in the Machine tour. After the tour, they skyrocketed to fame. The Go-Go’s were nominated for a 1982 Grammy for Best New Artist.

The Go-Go’s debut album,  Beauty and the Beat, was a massive success. On March 6, 1982, it landed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 charts. It topped the charts for two weeks and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.  Beauty and the Beat  also did well in Canada; over 100,000 copies were sold, and the album received the platinum certification.

Why did this album get popular so quickly? Yahoo Music said perfectly: “They were the original squad goals.” When I listen to this album, it’s so cheerful and fun. I was born in the 90s, but others explained the 80s as a carefree and delightful time. This whole album perfectly captures this vibe.

Still, this album has more than just 80s anthems. For example, the song “How Much More” has a lot of influence from the rockabilly style from the 50s. The song “Automatic” is so relaxing yet powerful, and I can tell a lot of indie artists from the 90s were influenced by this song alone.

It’s also important to highlight the influence this band had on young women at the time. On the album cover, you see a group of women having a spa day and painting their toenails. This image resonated with young women who made feminine products, such as facial masks and nail polish, super rock n’ roll.

The Go-Go’s released their second album, Vacation, shortly after–July 20, 1982. This album had mixed reviews, but it’s one of my personal favorites from the band. It was still a successful album, though some sources say the album received the gold certification while other sources say it achieved platinum . Both the album and title track reached number 8 on the Billboard Charts .

The Go-Go’s didn’t release another album until 1984, with  Talk Show . The band had to go on hiatus after Vacation’s release since drummer Gina Schock needed surgery for a congenital heart defect.

The album got a good reception but didn’t achieve the fame and notoriety the other two albums had. The album also didn’t achieve any certifications or reach the top 10. However, the album did produce two singles: “Turn to You” and “Head Over Heels.”

I’m meh about this album. On one end, it’s as joyful as their other albums, and songs such as “Turn to You” also make perfect 80s anthems. But this song doesn’t hold the magic that the other albums have.

The Go-Go’s broke up in 1985. The breakup started with guitarist Jane Wiedlin leaving the band in 1984. Originally, Valentine moved to guitar, and they hired a new bass player, Paula Jean Brown. They played the Rock in Rio Festival in 1985 with the new lineup, but the band realized their hearts were no longer in the music and officially broke up.

There are other reasons for The Go-Go’s breakup. Creative differences always shook up the band, which is why they made their switch from traditional punk to their radio-friendly pop-punk sound.

Fame was also getting to the musicians. Vocalist Belinda Carlisle admitted in her memoir that she was always self-conscious about her weight, but she developed an eating disorder from the pressure of being in the spotlight. For example, the tabloids called her “pretty and plump” and “cute and chubby.”

A couple of the members also got hooked on drugs. Carlisle became an alcoholic and cocaine addict, but she admitted she started doing coke at 14 years old since it was an appetite suppressant. She has been sober since 2005.

But Carlisle wasn’t the only band member with a drug and alcohol addiction. In fact, most of the band members were big into partying. Soon, the partying became more than fun. Guitarist and keyboardist Charlotte Caffey purchased a secluded house and became addicted to heroin. She entered rehab in 1984.

After The Go-Go’s breakup, the band members went their separate ways. Charlotte Caffey formed her band, The Graces, and had a successful career as a session musician, even writing the music, book, and lyrics for the musical, Lovelace: A Rock Musical . She’s also in a band with her husband called Ze Malibu Kids. However, she stopped playing live music in the late 80s due to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Drummer Gina Schock was also involved in her musical career, filling in for the band A-ha and forming her band, House of Schock. Jane Wiedlin also had a busy music career; she released multiple solo albums, was a session musician, and did some writing, modeling, and acting.

Guitarist and bassist Kathy Valentine tried to pursue a musical career, even forming the band World’s Cutest Killers with Girlschool guitar player Kelly Johnson. However, the band broke up, and all her other projects failed. Valentine decided to get out of the limelight and went back to school.

Belinda Carlisle had arguably the most successful solo career. After The Go-Go’s broke up, she started her solo career, releasing her debut album, Belinda , in 1986. The album was successful, certified gold in the U.S. and platinum in Canada. The album yielded popular singles, such as “I Feel the Magic” and “Mad About You.”

The follow-up album to  Belinda called Heaven on Earth was also successful. It became a top five bestseller in the UK and was nominated for a Grammy. The album yielded one of Carlisle’s most famous songs, “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” as well as other successful singles such as “I Get Weak,” “World Without You,” and “Circle in the Sand.”

Carlisle continued releasing music and contributed to multiple film scores before The Go-Go’s first reunion.

The Go-Go’s had their first reunion in 1990 when the original lineup reformed to play a benefit show for the California Environmental Protection Act. Since then, the band reformed briefly over the years to record new songs and covers for various compilations. The band toured again in 1994 but had ex-Bangles guitarist Vicki Peterson fill in for Caffey, who was pregnant then.

God Bless the Go-Go’s

The band would continue with the classic lineup until 2001, when they released their first album in over 15 years. The album was God Bless the Go-Go’s . The album was successful, peaking on the Billboard 200 Charts at number 57. The album yielded one single, “Unforgiven,” co-written by Green Day singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong.

I like this reunion album since The Go-Go’s returned to their rock and punk roots. It’s still catchy enough to be considered pop-rock but has a bit more edge than their past material. It’s definitely a stand-out album in their discography but still holds that same magic.

After the album’s release, the band played multiple shows, even the All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson at Radio City Music Hall.

The Go-Go’s Today

It was around 2010 that the band suffered some lineup changes. They almost disbanded again in 2010 with a “farewell” tour, but they rejected the idea and continued touring. Bassist Kathy Valentine wasn’t on the 2011 Ladies Gone Wild tour due to an injury. Abby Travis filled in for Valentine on bass.

In 2013, bassist Kathy Valentine left The Go-Go’s , and the band said the reason was “irreconcilable differences.” However, Valentine sued the band . The complaint she filed the lawsuit due to the band forcing her out of the group and taking her financial shares. Since then, the lawsuit has been settled outside of court. Valentine wouldn’t rejoin the band until 2018 to announce their new musical,  Head Over Heels .

As of 2023, The Go-Go’s is officially done . Belinda Carlisle made the announcement and explained that the band had gone their separate ways.

Most Famous Songs

Even if you’re not a Go-Go’s fan, most of us would consider their most famous songs to be a guilty pleasure. These songs are “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” and “Vacation.

“We Got the Beat”

“We Got the Beat” is the perfect example of an A-plus single. The song is catchy, energetic, and all instruments and lyrics are written well. You can hear surfer rock influences that made the song funky but with enough pop so anyone can sing along. Watching the live footage, you can see how amazing their stage presence was. It’s a shame they’re only seen as a novelty “all-girl band” since they’re so talented.

“Our Lips Are Sealed”

This is by far the happiest song that The Go-Go’s wrote. It serves as an 80s anthem and highlights the carefree decade. As the video shows, this is the soundtrack for cruising in a convertible throughout Los Angeles. There isn’t much punk or rock influence, but even the hardest rockers (such as myself) can’t help but sing along to this pop hit.

“Vacation”

As I said, this was my favorite Go-Go’s song when I was younger. It doesn’t have the same surfer rock vibes as the rest of the album and focuses more on the pop side. Still, this song is super catchy, and the song is written well overall. The lyrics are sad, despite this being such a happy-sounding song. Still, I love this track, and it makes me want to dance every time I hear it!

Other Notable Highlights

While The Go-Go’s are known for their chart-topping hits, they have had other ground-breaking moments in their career. This includes a musical, documentary, and their well-deserved induction in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

Head Over Heels  is a musical originally based on the book by Jeff Whitty and adapted to a musical by James Magruder and produced by actress Gwenyth Paltrow. The musical features the lyrics and music by The Go-Go’s as well as Carlisle’s popular hits “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” and “Mad About You.” Head Over Heels  is based on the plot of The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia  by Sir Philip Sidney. The musical premiered at Hudson Theatre in New York in the summer of 2018.

In 2020, a documentary about The Go-Go’s was released. Titled The Go-Go’s , the documentary was directed by Allison Ellwood, who directed other rock documentaries such as  History of The Eagles . The documentary premiered at Sundance and was televised on Showtime in the US.

The documentary features interviews of the current and former band members, covering the formation and rise of The Go-Go’s, their success, breakup, and ended with their reunion. There is some criticism about the documentary since it skipped important information such as the lawsuits. But the documentary does feature “Club Zero,” the band’s newest song in almost 20 years.

Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Induction

Music style.

The Go-Go’s are best described as a pop-punk band, but their roots stem from punk. Other terms I hear include “new wave” and “pop.” Their sound was revolutionary since they were a bridge between rock, punk, and 80s pop. They were rebellious but fun, and it was groundbreaking that an all-female band was the first to fuse these different genres.

Growing up in Southern California also influenced their music. Vocalist Belinda Carlisle explained it best in this interview with NPR : “There wasn’t a whole lot for a kid in Southern California to be angry about.” Their music captured the youthfulness of California, which bled into modern pop-punk.

The late 70s into the 80s was an interesting time. On one end, the underground music scene was inclusive and accepted diversity. On the other end, white men still dominated the industry. Because of this, it should be no surprise that The Go-Go’s experienced sexism.

In an interview with Yahoo News , guitarist Jane Wiedlin explained that people were not politically correct (PC) when they rose to fame. DJs at radio shows would ask them who they slept with to get successful (the band responded with “no one”). Wiedlin also said she felt men in the industry were threatened by them since an all-female band topping the charts was very powerful for the time, and others in the industry called The Go-Go’s “the five-headed monster.”

What The Go-Go’s think made them stand out was their authenticity. They played the music they liked and wore the clothes they have been wearing for years–their management didn’t manufacture their music or their image.

The Go-Go’s did hope more all-female bands would follow in their footsteps. While many took off, not as many gained the success that The Go-Go’s did. In that same interview with Yahoo News, Wiedlin also states: “…sexism is still alive and well in America,” and I’m positive that’s why.

As stated, The Go-Go’s are credited as one of the main bands behind the pop-punk movement. Major bands and artists in the genre, such as Green Day , No Doubt , and Avril Lavigne, all mention The Go-Go’s as one of their main inspirations. Miss Peppermint , who starred in Head Over Heels as “Pythio,” said performing their songs was a “dream come true” since she grew up listening to the band.

Different artists have covered their songs; notably, Hilary and Haylie Duff covered “Our Lips Are Sealed” for their film A Cinderella Story, released in 2004.

As an all-female band, The Go-Go’s expressed “girl power” before the term existed. Even in a male-dominated industry, The Go-Go’s had their style–they were rough but poppy and had a strong sisterhood to match.

Many journalists credit The Go-Go’s as the first all-female band to write and play their music, which isn’t true. The Runaways pre-dated The Go-Go’s, with heavy metal band Girlschool forming around the same time as The Go-Go’s. However, I will argue that The Go-Go’s were the first all-female band to make it  big .

Answer : In an interview with CBS News , The Go-Go’s explained that they chose the name from reading the definition in the dictionary. A “go-go” is something or someone that’s effervescent and fun.

Answer : Belinda Carlisle is still making music. She just released her name EP “Kismet” in 2023.

Answer : Wiedlin has a band with Italian-born musician Pietro Straccia called Elettrodomestico.

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10 Facts About The Go-Go's That Can't Be Beat

By kristy puchko | apr 23, 2021.

You know "We Got The Beat," "Vacation," and "Our Lips Are Sealed," but do you know the story of the all-girl band behind the hit songs? The Go-Go's were omnipresent in the early '80s , belting out the peppy pop jams that made millions dance, swoon, and sing along. Yet as fast at they rose to the top of the charts, they fell prey to a rock n' roll lifestyle of substance abuse, big egos, and in-fighting.

Behind the beaming smiles, cheeky tutus, and ear-catching choruses, The Go-Go's were hiding a dark side and a tender core. Yet theirs is not a cautionary tale for would-be rocker girls. It's ultimately one of survival, friendship, and keeping the beat alive. Here is their story.

1. The Go-Go's formed because of one of the worst rock shows in history.

Founding members Belinda Carlisle (lead vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, background vocals), Margot Olavarria (bass), and Elissa Bello (drums) were teenagers in the emerging punk scene of late 1970s Los Angeles. So, when the Sex Pistols hit San Francisco, L.A. punks flocked to the seminal band's show, frenzied in anticipation. However, it had been a rocky American tour, and by the time the Sex Pistols hit California, they were over it. Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten offered a sloppy, phoned-in performance, then the latter ended the concert by heckling the crowd with, "Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?"

In the in-depth 2020 documentary The Go-Go's , the band spoke extensively about their origins and beyond. Wiedlin recalled this pivotal moment, saying, "These guys are our heroes. And they kind of sucked!" Yet this disappointment made the idea of forming a band far less intimidating. In 1978, the foursome decided to become an all-girl band, like the Sex Pistols meets The Chantels . There was just one problem ...

2. The Go-Go's didn't know how to play their instruments.

To the LA punk scene, this didn't matter much. The rawness of the music was part of the appeal. However, the band leveled up when they brought in Charlotte Caffey, who had played piano since the age of 4 and had studied at a music school. When Carlisle first approached her, the fiery frontwoman was wearing a cocktail dress made out of a garbage bag. Caffey was in awe of her, and said yes to joining as a guitarist … even though she didn't play guitar. She played bass. In The Go-Go's doc, Caffey shared her rationalization, saying, "It's a couple of more strings. It'll be okay!"

Funny enough, the band later brought in Kathy Valentine to play bass. She only knew how to play guitar, but lied to get the gig. Determined to keep up with a band she admired, Valentine learned all their songs with the help of a cassette tape of a Go-Go's rehearsal, a borrowed bass, and a three-day cocaine binge. In the aforementioned documentary , Caffey remembered this as being "badass."

3. Creative differences led to some changes within The Go-Go's lineup.

The first major shake-up came in 1979, when Bello balked over the others' requests that she quit her survival gig to focus on the band. That's when Gina Schock joined. She was so dedicated to her drummer dream of playing rock arenas that she'd traveled from Baltimore to Los Angeles with "$2000 and two grams of coke," as well as a deep dedication to practicing daily. In The Go-Go's documentary, the women agree it was Schock who whipped them into shape as musicians.

Another major shake-up came after the band's first tour, when they considered becoming a pop band. A die-hard for the punk scene, Olavarria hated the idea . However, in the winter of 1980, she got sick and had to beg off a few gigs. Enter Valentine with her charismatic smile, tireless dedication, and willingness to play pop songs. This quintet clicked, so Olavarria was kicked out. Together, Carlisle, Caffey, Schock, Wiedlin, and Valentine would become known as the " classic Go-Go's line-up ."

4. The Go-Go's first tour was a trial by fire.

The Go-Go's reputation grew in Los Angeles, thanks to their standing gig as the opening act at the legendary Whisky a Go Go. There, they played before English bands like Madness and The Specials, who were so impressed that they invited the women on a UK tour in 1980. The Go-Go's first manager, Ginger Canzoneri, was so determined to secure this incredible gig that she sold her car and pawned her jewelry to pay for their flights to London.

The band was elated to travel to the homeland of punk to perform. However, they soon realized it wasn't the dream they expected. Skinheads were turning up to the shows, and Nazi punks were not impressed by American chicks belting their first single, "We Got the Beat." They were catcalled, heckled, and spat upon. "They hated our guts," Schock said in a 2016 group interview with Billboard . "Belinda would walk offstage completely covered in spit. I remember walking offstage a lot of times and we’d all be crying."

It was tough, but they band was tougher. "We were determined. We were going to show those f***ers," Caffey recalled in The Go-Go's. "Every night, we'd get on stage and we'd be so belligerent in our playing, just being more of who we were."

5. Sexism made it difficult for The Go-Go's to get a record deal.

Canzoneri took advantage of the London tour and the band's booming LA reputation to reach out to record companies about signing The Go-Go's. Repeatedly, she was told in no uncertain terms that there was no faith that an all-girl band could make a hit album. The establishment didn't get their appeal. However, I.R.S. Records founder Miles Copeland III saw The Go-Go's as an act that would appeal to a new generation of music lovers. So he signed them, leading to the creation of their first album, Beauty and The Beat.

Still, they had to be scrappy about the record's production as they weren't stars yet. For the cover album's photoshoot , the band wore beauty masks and white towels as if enjoying a spa day. However, those towels weren’t cheap. Canzoneri bought them from Macy's in New York City, then promptly returned them once the shoot wrapped. Which means someone out there might have a piece of rock n' roll history in their linen closet.

6. The Police were big supporters of The Go-Go's.

We're talking the band, not the police force. Miles Copeland was also the manager of the UK New Wave act. So when The Police made a music video that came in $6000 under budget, Copeland shifted those funds to The Go-Go's to make their first music video, "Our Lips Are Sealed." The video followed the women frolicking around Los Angeles and trying to get arrested for trespassing in a fountain. The band thought that'd make an exciting end to the video. However, the actual police didn't pay attention to them, so the dramatic finale never came to pass. Still, the video blew up on MTV.

From there, The Go-Go's toured as the opening act for The Police, who were huge at the time. It was during this tour that The Go-Go's debut album hit #1 on the Billboard Charts, passing The Police's latest record along the way. Far from jealous, Sting celebrated, bringing them a bottle of champagne to reveal the good news. "It was actually very gentlemanly of them to do that," Wiedlin remembered in The Go-Go's , "and not kick us off the tour!"

7. The Go-Go's made history with their debut album, but fizzled fast.

Beauty and the Beat was one of the few debut albums in rock history to top the charts. This accomplishment put The Go-Go's on the same page as The Beatles and Elvis . Plus, they were the first—and remain the only—all-women band who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to reach number one on the Billboard charts. Major moments would follow, like headlining their own tours; performing on American Bandstand, Solid Gold, and Saturday Night Live ; and appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone .

"We were in the pressure cooker of this really quick rise to fame," Caffey told People in a 2018 interview . "And it was really kind of cuckoo." Between 1981 and 1984, The Go-Go's released three albums, and by the time they toured for the third, Talk Show , they were on the brink of breaking up.

8. Publishing rights and personal drama brought The Go-Go's down.

Tensions rose once the pay disparity between members became known. Caffey, Wiedlin, and Valentine weren't only being paid for records and concerts, but also publishing rights for the songs that they wrote. This meant Carlisle and Schock were making way less, which sparked infighting. Things came to a head while the band was making Talk Show .

By 1984, all of The Go-Go's were pushed to the brink by the pressure not only to perform, but also to seem bubbly and beautiful to an insatiable public. All of them turned to drugs and alcohol to cope. In particular, Caffey was struggling with heroin addiction. Schock and Carlisle were feeling threatened about their place in the band, and Wiedlin was frustrated over the production of the deeply personal song, " Forget That Day ." She'd asked to sing lead vocals on it. The group rejected the idea, which smarted.

Making matters worse, the group's new management team declared the publishing rights for this record would be split equally among its members. Having already put a lot of work into writing the lyrics for several tracks, Wiedlin rejected this proposal and ended up quitting the band over it. However, she was still contracted to do the promotional tour. This meant that the whole band had to smile and act as if everything was fine for the press and the public. In the documentary, Wiedlin referred to this as "Robo Go-Going," essentially going through the motions of being a fun and friendly girl group. To this day, Wiedlin refuses to listen to Talk Show .

9. The Go-Go's reunited and are still rocking.

After Wiedlin left the band, Carlisle and Caffey decided to break it up altogether. Each Go-Go went her own way, forming new bands or going solo. Yet they couldn't stay away for long. By 1990, Caffey, Carlisle, Schock, Valentine, and Wiedlin had reunited for a benefit concert. In 1994, they turned out the compilation album, Return to the Valley of the Go-Go's . By the end of the '90s, they were touring together regularly, and in 2001 they released their first studio album in 17 years, God Bless the Go-Go's .

They toured throughout the 2010s, yet difficulties continued to pop up. Schock and Valentine each sued the others at different points over contract disputes, and the latter briefly quit the band in 2013. However, they've ultimately embraced these ups and downs as part of their journey. After rejoining The Go-Go's, Valentine explained in 2018 interview with the Los Angeles Times , "We’re all complicated human beings, and we were married for a long time. Then we had an acrimonious divorce. But we had a kid, which was the Go-Go’s. And maybe the kid does something good, gets a Stanford scholarship or something, and the parents get back together and find out they loved each other all along."

Since then, the classic Go-Go's lineup has teamed up for the acclaimed documentary about their life and work. Plus, they planned a 2021 tour .

10. The Go-Go's hit Broadway and made (more) history.

On July 26, 2018, The Go-Go's debuted Head Over Heels , a jukebox musical-comedy that featured a slew of their songs. Loosely based on Sir Philip Sidney's 16th century prose romance The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia , the show unfurls a fairytale about love, sexuality, and gender fluidity amid a rockin' royal court.

The stage musical received mixed reviews, and ran for only six months. However, it scored four nominations for the Outer Critics Circle Awards and two from The Drama League Awards. Plus, Head Over Heels proved historic with its casting. By playing the role of non-binary oracle Pythio, RuPaul's Drag Race star Peppermint became the first trans woman to originate a principal role on Broadway. As she's featured on the show's original Broadway cast recording, The Go-Go's had another groundbreaking album to add to their legacy.

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The Go-Go's

Latest news, chart rewind: in 1987, belinda carlisle’s ‘heaven is a place on earth’ ascended to no. 1.

• By Gary Trust
• Dec 5, 2023 10:39 am

Watch Jane Wiedlin From The Go-Go’s Perform ‘Our Lips Are Sealed’ at Musack Event

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• Oct 24, 2023 1:03 pm

The Linda Lindas Serve Up Rollicking Cover of ‘Tonite’ by ‘Our Heroes’ The Go-Go’s: Listen

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• Jul 26, 2022 3:54 pm

Charli XCX, Go-Go’s, Soft Cell, Corey Hart Will Rock the Upside Down For ‘Stranger Things’ Concert

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• May 10, 2022 9:11 am

Trending Up: Willow Is Everywhere, With Hits Both New and Old — Plus SZA and Muni Long on R&B Radio, ‘Sun and Moon’ & More

• By Jason Lipshutz , Kristin Robinson , Andrew Unterberger
• Apr 13, 2022 3:43 pm

Chart Rewind: In 1982, The Go-Go’s Got the ‘Beat’ to a Historic No. 1

• By Keith Caulfield
• Mar 6, 2022 10:45 am

Belinda Carlisle on Rock Hall Induction, Teaming With Trixie Mattel and the Good News About Her Masters

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• Dec 9, 2021 3:38 pm

Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss Make Music History In ‘Story of A&M Records’ Series: Watch the Trailer

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• Nov 4, 2021 12:00 pm

The Go-Go’s Are Just the 5th All-Female Group to Join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

• By Paul Grein
• May 12, 2021 7:26 pm

The Go-Go’s React to Rock Hall Induction: ‘F–kin’ Crazy’

• By Gary Graff
• May 12, 2021 10:21 am

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Everything you need to know about Ashridge House, from its royal history to its Hollywood connections

When visiting historic European destinations, we’re eager to experience intriguing history, rich culture, and opulent architecture. That’s why we’re particularly excited about our brand-new Highlights of Southern England: London, Bath & Oxford tour . This itinerary features everything we love about tours of the UK with one added bonus: You’ll stay overnight on the grounds of Ashridge House, a storied property that has hosted royals and celebrities over the centuries. On top of being a fancy country house hotel in England, Ashridge House is also the site of many unforgettable moments in history. Read on to learn more about Ashridge House, its legacy, and how you can stay at one of the best country house hotels in the UK without planning a thing.

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Fifteen-year-old Finishes Tied for 20th at Korn Ferry Tour Event in Florida

Miles Russell became the youngest player in the Tour's history to make a cut, then shot a final-round 66 to earn a spot in next week's event.

• Author: Bob Harig

Getting to play in a professional event as a freshman in high school was a nice perk for Miles Russell. Now he is likely to to extend the experience by a week.

Russell, 15, who became the youngest player to make a cut in a Korn Ferry Tour event, shot a final-round 66 on Sunday at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Bradenton, Fla., to shoot up the leaderboard and eventually finish in a tie for 20th place at 14 under par.

A player who finishes among the top 25 in a Korn Ferry event is eligible to play the following week.

With a bogey at the 18th hole at Lakewood National, Russell was tied for 15th when he finished his round.

Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, Russell had hoped to accomplish his stated goal of finishing among the top 25. He shot rounds of 66-66 to make the cut then had a 70 on Saturday before his final-round score enabled him to qualify for the Veritex Bank Championship in Arlington, Texas.

Last year, Russell broke a record held by Tiger Woods when he was youngest player to be named American Junior Golf Association player of the year. He lives in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Phil Mickelson praised his fellow lefty on X (formerly Twitter) for “playing such incredible golf.”

Miles Russell, a 15 year old left handed golfer made the cut in this week’s Korn Ferry event. This is an amazing accomplishment. It’s great to see a young lefty playing such incredible golf. 👍👍 — Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) April 21, 2024

Earlier in the week, Russell told reporters that he had been given a sponsor’s exemption to play in the PGA Tour’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship in November.

“I knew it was going to be a good test to see where I am against some of the best,” Russell said after making the cut. “It’s definitely something I’ll remember even when times get hard. I’ll remember it when that happens and go with the flow.”

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Visit Nashville, South

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Known as Music City, Nashville — in the heart of Tennessee — is a place of pilgrimage for fans of country music. Many legendary artists performed here in the early days of the genre, from Hank Williams to Johnny Cash, Elvis to Dolly Parton. Today, you can tour the Ryman Auditorium, once home to the Grand Ole Opry live radio show, and visit museums dedicated to the stars.

Current musicians head to the honky tonk bars lining Printer’s Alley, where they perform country, jazz and blues to cowboy-booted audiences as artists have done since the 1940s. Away from the lively music scene, you can take a walking food tour to sample Southern delicacies, and explore the area’s history through visits to 19th-century plantations and Civil War battle sites.

I never fail to have a good time whenever I visit Nashville. The whole city has a vibrant energy, fed by its deep musical roots. There’s also a long history to explore, and you can’t leave without sampling some of its Southern cuisine.

Things to see and do in Nashville

Enjoy live music along printer’s alley and broadway.

Running between Union Street and Commerce Street in central Nashville, Printer’s Alley has been home to jazz, country and blues bars since the 1940s, most of which defied the alcohol prohibition laws in force at the time. Over the years, these bars have provided a performing space for many musicians, including ‘Nashville sound’ exponents Chet Atkins, Boots Randolph and Floyd Cramer.

Today, there are hundreds of places to choose from along both streets where, with a drink in hand, you can listen to smooth saxophone chords or the strums of acoustic guitars. As you stroll along the streets picking your next venue, music from the latest up-and-coming local talent drifts out through open windows.

Tour the Ryman Auditorium

Built in 1892 as a gospel church, the Ryman Auditorium is a performance space best known for hosting the Grand Ole Opry live radio show between 1943 and 1974. During this time, early country musicians including Johnny Cash, Elvis and Hank Williams all graced the stage here, earning the venue its reputation as the ‘Mother Church of Country Music’.

You can take a guided backstage tour of the Ryman and learn more about its history and past performances through a number of exhibits, including original memorabilia and signed posters. Your guide will lead you through dressing rooms dedicated to some of the more famous performers, and you’ll get a chance to step foot on the stage for a photograph. There’s also the option to make your own music recording.

Learn about Nashville’s country music heritage

If you’re at all interested in country music, we suggest the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as your first port of call. Here, temporary exhibitions focusing on specific country musicians can be explored alongside a wider look at the rise of country and folk music from the 19th century to the present day.

Browse the museum’s collection of instruments, costumes, photographs and other original memorabilia and learn more about the music genre through videos and interactive exhibits, including recording booths and songwriting stations.

We also recommend visits to Nashville’s RCA Studio B and the Johnny Cash Museum. Elvis, Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton and the Everly Brothers all recorded songs at the studio. The Johnny Cash Museum has a collection of personal items and memorabilia donated by the musician’s family.

Sample Southern cuisine on a food tour

Southern cooking is one of the most distinctive cuisines in the USA, from meatloaf, brisket and smoky barbecue ribs to fried chicken and catfish. While in Nashville, we recommend you sample some of the city’s culinary highlights on a three-hour walking tour with a local guide.

As you stroll for around 1.6 km (1 mile) through downtown Nashville, you’ll stop at five different eateries to taste a variety of local delicacies. These may include the city’s signature hot chicken (chicken marinated in spicy cayenne paste and fried), barbecued meat and sweet Goo Goo Clusters (bite-size chocolates containing caramel, marshmallow, nougat and peanuts). Throughout the tour, your guide will tell you about the history of Nashville and its cuisine, pointing out key sites you pass along the way.

Relax and admire artwork in Centennial Park

As well as featuring landscaped gardens, a man-made lake and a 1.6 km (1 mile) walking trail, the park is home to a full-scale replica of the Parthenon. A focal point of the park, it was restored in 1931 and now houses an art gallery featuring 63 19th- and 20th-century paintings, as well as a 12.8 m (42 ft) statue of the Greek goddess Athena.

Also in the park’s grounds are a historic steam locomotive, a Korean fighter jet and Civil War-era cannons.

Explore Nashville’s history at Belle Meade Plantation

Around 20 minutes southwest of Nashville, Belle Meade Plantation is a Greek-Revival-style mansion dating back to the mid-19th century. Once a sprawling thoroughbred horse farm, it was owned by the Harding family, who became one of the largest slaveholders in Nashville.

On a guided tour of the plantation, you can learn what life was like here for both the wealthy owners and the slaves who worked the land and cared for the racehorses. Your guide, dressed in period costume, will lead you around the main house before you explore the grounds and visit the stables, dairy and carriage house. Your tour also includes a wine tasting at the plantation’s winery.

Visit American Civil War battle sites in Franklin

The city of Franklin is just a half-hour drive from Nashville. It was the site of one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles, which took place on 29th November 1864. Around 10,000 Confederate and Federal soldiers died in the clash, which happened on Franklin’s outskirts.

Today you can visit two sites that were caught in the midst of the battle. The Carter family house became the Federal army’s impromptu headquarters during the fighting, and the Carnton Plantation played refuge and hospital to hundreds of wounded Confederate soldiers.

Touring these restored sites with a guide, you’ll hear about the events leading up to the battle and the roles the house and plantation played. You can also explore the grounds and outbuildings of both sites.

Best time to visit Nashville

Between April and May and September and October, the warm weather brings out the best of Nashville, with various festivals taking place. These months do therefore attract the most visitors, so expect attractions to be busier. Between June and August the city becomes very hot and humid, which can feel uncomfortable. Meanwhile, winter months (December and January) can get quite cold, with snow a possibility.

Events, festivals and seasonal reasons to visit

• The Antiques & Garden Show takes place over three days each February. The largest of its kind in the US, it combines horticultural items, antique pieces and standout gardens, with experts and lecturers on-hand to share their knowledge.
• Taking place over four days in June, the CMA Music Festival sees more than 400 artists perform over 70 hours of musical sets, sign autographs and take part in celebrity sports competitions.
• Also in June, the Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival is a two-day event celebrating the street’s vibrant community through arts, music and food. Local jazz and blues artists put on live performances, and local food vendors sell their wares.
• September sees the Music City Food + Wine Festival take place over a weekend. Celebrity chefs from around the USA join local chefs, and wine and beverage makers to take part in panel discussions and demonstrations and to sample their latest culinary delights.

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Computer Science > Artificial Intelligence

Title: distilling privileged information for dubins traveling salesman problems with neighborhoods.

Abstract: This paper presents a novel learning approach for Dubins Traveling Salesman Problems(DTSP) with Neighborhood (DTSPN) to quickly produce a tour of a non-holonomic vehicle passing through neighborhoods of given task points. The method involves two learning phases: initially, a model-free reinforcement learning approach leverages privileged information to distill knowledge from expert trajectories generated by the LinKernighan heuristic (LKH) algorithm. Subsequently, a supervised learning phase trains an adaptation network to solve problems independently of privileged information. Before the first learning phase, a parameter initialization technique using the demonstration data was also devised to enhance training efficiency. The proposed learning method produces a solution about 50 times faster than LKH and substantially outperforms other imitation learning and RL with demonstration schemes, most of which fail to sense all the task points.

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