Just as the late-1990s gave the music world "boy bands," the '80s saw a flourish of girl groups, including The Bangles, Bananarama and T'Pau. At the forefront of the trend was The Go-Gos. The group's comeback attempt is entitled, "God Bless The Go-Gos."
Unlike the current crop of "boy bands," the five ladies who make up The Go-Gos not only sing, but play their own instruments. Founding members Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey originally called themselves The Misfits. After the addition of drummer Gina Schock and bassist Kathy Valentine, The Misfits became The Go-Gos.
Their 1981 debut album, "Beauty And The Beat," sold more than two million copies and held the Number One spot on the American album chart for six weeks, spawning the hit singles "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got The Beat." Two later albums, 1981's "Vacation," and "Talk Show," released in 1984, failed to match the success of "Beauty And The Beat.
By 1985, the drug and alcohol abuse, hotel room trashing and general rock star bad behavior led to the Go-Gos' breakup. Subsequently, Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin went on to moderately successful solo careers in the late-1980s.
Although The Go-Gos reunited in 1990 and 1995 to tour in support of "greatest hits" albums, the decision to get together again and record a new album started in 1999. Vocalist Belinda Carlisle, and guitarists Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin were approached by movie producers about a Go-Gos film. They, in turn, contacted Gina Schock and Kathy Valentine. The women began sharing songs and began concerts at clubs and smaller venues. That lead to "God Bless The Go-Gos," the group's first album of new music in 17 years.
Go-Gos' lead singer Belinda Carlisle recently disclosed that she did a nude photo session for the mens' magazine Playboy last December. Those pictures are scheduled to appear in Playboy's August issue.
The Go-Gos will be touring the USA in support of their new album by performing at radio station concerts and festivals for the new several weeks.
The first single from "God Bless The Go-Gos" was co-written by Go Gos Jane Widelin, Charlotte Caffey, and Billie Joe Armstrong, frontman for the alternative rock band Green Day. Armstrong paid a backstage visit to the Go-Gos at one of their concerts in northern California. After he told them The Go-Gos had been one of his musical influences, Armstrong, Wiedlin and Caffey agreed to collaborate on a few songs.