What happened to "Go Go" music.

**Super D** · September 6th, 2005, 08:59 PM

Remember groups like, Trouble Funk, Red and the Boys, Chuck Brown and the Soul Searcher, Kasome?

If there are any D.C.ers or Go Go heads out there, let me know who is hot and what's happening on the Go Go scene.

Thanx
super d(motordetroit) 8

**DISCODISK** · September 7th, 2005, 12:44 PM

it went went :lol:

**eddie** · September 8th, 2005, 01:24 AM

This distinct style always baffled me for parameters. What qualifies and what does not? I've heard Chuck Brown's "Bustin' Loose" and EU's "Da Butt" are staples of this sub-genre. Does Cameo's mid 1980's output count.
I heard it's a regional style relevent to Washington D.C. only.
The only definition I've heard is that its lively and the percussion is upfront. But most New Jack has the percussion upfront. Please clerify what go-go is.

**QUINNY** · September 8th, 2005, 02:31 AM

Hell, once you've heard Go Go you'd know exactly what it is/was.

To all intents and purposes it is a Washington DC music, usually in the 105-115 BPM range, with a distinctive rhythm that incorporates all kinda percussion based around really heavy funk, a syncopated rap, which can be almost sung and good old fashioned call and response. Very infectious good time music, which I really bought into during its fifteen minutes of fame in the UK, back in 1985/86.

There are one or two really good Go Go pages on the web and one of the real officionados who has championed the music over here is DJ Snowboy.

This link should prove interesting.

www.tmottgogo.com/gomusicgo.html

**buckaroo** · September 8th, 2005, 08:22 AM

:lol:
I loved Little Benny's "Who Comes To Boogie" back in the mid '80s.

**QUINNY** · September 8th, 2005, 09:59 AM

Originally Written by buckaroo

:lol:
I loved Little Benny's "Who Comes To Boogie" back in the mid '80s.

Great track!! To be honest there wasn't one Go Go track that I didn't 'love' in the few months it was 'happening' in the UK. Having said that, I don't think I could take too much of it in one hit, but a live go go band would be a real blast, eh?

It's interesting to play Chuck Brown's Bustin' Loose from '79, with 26 years hindsight.

Anyone for Go Go Lorenzo - You Can Dance If You Want To? That was one of my faves.

**soulsta** · October 6th, 2005, 09:29 AM

I really hated when gogo music faded out myself. the movie good to go was excellent and not one person saw it in my hometown at the movie theater I worked at and we were looking forward to cranking the sound up in the theater when it opened. but I was a big fan of redd and the boys and junkyard band and rare essence and others. I liked it because of the live bands and the interaction with the crowd. you could always get live music from the gogo scene to play in your box. I asked about gogo music on another thread and everyone over looked it many times. I still have my gogo compilations and the sound track to good to go. I agree once you hear gogo music it stands alone. the drums and bongos and horns that is gogo music along with lots of crowd interaction and song renditions
new jack swing is a bunch of samples at a faster pace.

wow I just read the link from one of the above threaders and noticed some of the things I mentioned was in the literature provided at the site. good stuff to read

**buckaroo** · October 7th, 2005, 04:59 AM

:lol:
It was great at the time. But as Quinny pointed out, after a while, hearing the same bongo drum pattern in every release (just about) became boring... :roll:

Enjoy da memories.

**Disco Funk** · October 10th, 2005, 11:12 PM

I've never really understood the definition of Go Go, even though I am familiar with tracks by Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers, Experience Unlimited, Trouble Funk, Rare Essence, etc... From what you guys are saying, it's like the funk equivalent to those jungle disco breakdowns with lots of percussion instruments being played along a drum break. Isn't there something also in the groove that makes it go-go? Not just a 4/4 funk beat, but something that is distinctive, just like that Planet Rock beat that became the basis for 'freestyle' music during the 80's and 90's? Otherwise a track like 'Cavern' by Liquid Liquid could be called Go Go since it features lots of percussion breakdowns, but its actually considered to be New Wave.

Disco Funk

**eddie** · October 11th, 2005, 10:41 PM

Dear DiscoFunk:

I agree and I'm a musicologist. I have about 6000 albums of jazz and soul and still cannot completely discern this style which was not even a sub-genre at its apex.

**efunk_adelic** · October 12th, 2005, 09:25 AM

now here's a topic that is a blast from the past

**Pete B** · October 12th, 2005, 07:25 PM

Check out Sunburst Band "Rock the Go Go" for a recent example of the genre.

**soulsta** · October 13th, 2005, 03:23 PM

I think it is the elements of the whole gogo thing. the chanting of the band, the interaction of the crowd, the horn section and the drums like one of the threaders above said. you can just tell. they put these special breakdown effects and most importantly the deep full voices of these artists that make that music. and yeah that music does have this distinctive drum pattern or drum riff going. and you don't hear this sound in any genre of music. but the repetitiveness of gogo made it kind of boring after so many tunes I agree. I guess the crowd interaction is what sold gogo for the young generation.

**QUINNY** · October 16th, 2005, 06:46 PM

The one defining element of Go-Go is that it's from Washington. If it ain't from Washington, strictly speaking it ain't Go-Go, although there are accepted exceptions.

Even Hot Chocolate's - You Sexy Thing that was given the Go-Go treatment in '86 by Ben Leibrand (go figure if you can) and Curtis Blow - The Breaks could be considered Go-Go to some extent, but Go-Go with a small g.

**juicylucy** · October 17th, 2005, 07:19 AM

Excellent topic for a forum!

I think the interesting thing about Go-Go is its role in the evolutionary process of dance and club music. I regard it as a counterpart to the more and more simple monotonous rhythm patterns of disco and electric funk in the late 70s / early 80s. Tunes like Trouble Funk - Pump me up sounded fantastic refreshing at that time.

I agree to what has been posted earlier that the Go-Go style rhythm patterns were 'overused' and no further devellopment took place.

But seeing Trouble Funk 'live' was one the most outstanding concerts I've ever seen - yeah, it's definitely a live thing! Also Trouble Funk Express instr. (Go-Go adaption of Kraftwerk's Trance Europe Express) still is one of my all-time favorite tunes.

Did somebody think of what time Go-Go died?
The last popular Club track with Go-Go elements I remember was 'Pump up the Volume' in 87 but this wasn't already original go-go anymore. 8)

**FlyRobinFly** · October 19th, 2005, 08:28 PM

Originally Written by QUINNY

The one defining element of Go-Go is that it's from Washington. If it ain't from Washington, strictly speaking it ain't Go-Go, although there are accepted exceptions.

As Chuck Brown would say "Sure you right!"

I grew up listening to Go-Go and it was popular and strong here in D.C. among urban black youth because it was a home-grown sound based on strong percussion (anything you can get a beat on). These Go-Go bands that you mentioned were the bands playing at my high school homecoming dances, proms etc. (Chuck Brown, EU, Trouble Funk) and they are still playing! I just went to Sugar Bear's (of EU-Experience Unlimited) birthday party last year at a club where he was playing. Year before last, Chuck Brown made an appearance at a local club where I go dancing a lot.

I'm not into it like I used to be. Then again, I'm not sure if I ever was. These groups used to play at a club right down the street from where I lived as a teen and I had no interest in going. When Go-Go groups started recording (late 70's/early 80's I (the strange-bird) was into disco.

Juicy Lucy, Go-Go is not dead. There are new Go-Go groups playing now that the teens are into. And the sound is still pretty much the same with the heavy percussion and the call and response.

ETA: I meant to say (and I have said it elsewhere on the net) that this music did not really take off because it is best listened to "live" and not as a recording. The call and response and the interaction with the audience is what keeps this music alive and doing quite well in D.C. and its suburbs today. My best kept secret is a four record set recorded "live" in 1981 by Trouble Funk. I still play it today! OOOHHH The memories... :lol:

**soulsta** · October 22nd, 2005, 12:07 PM

wow I didn't know that trouble funk had a four lp set. I still like to listen to the music just for that crowd interaction and the funkadelic breaks and things that were thrown in over drums. I have several gogo lps that are pretty fly and I don't know that whole old school flavor of partying just brings back the old school concerts with rappers as well when I listen to gogo music

I see some good thoughts on this thread

**FlyRobinFly** · October 24th, 2005, 07:30 PM

Yeah, the dj played a bit of this at a party I went to back in August. It has a long, extended live version of Drop the Bomb. The whole set is nice!

**soulsta** · October 25th, 2005, 07:31 AM

dang drop the bomb yall. I ran across two versions of that song on two different twelve inches. one sucks and the other is the correct on.

**Super D** · October 26th, 2005, 09:31 AM

Originally Written by FlyRobinFly

My best kept secret is a four record set recorded "live" in 1981 by Trouble Funk. I still play it today! OOOHHH The memories... :lol:

"FlyRobinFly" is that live recording readily available? If so, were can I get my hands on it?

super d(motordetroit) 8)

**soulsta** · October 27th, 2005, 12:50 PM

I would also!

**FlyRobinFly** · October 30th, 2005, 07:52 PM

I don't know if it is available because I don't really shop for Go-Go music anymore. (really I never did) I could check around locally for you. There are some shops that specialize. :)

**FlyRobinFly** · January 5th, 2006, 10:56 AM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...010401987.html

**Disco Funk** · January 27th, 2006, 09:46 PM

Speaking of Go Go, here's Trouble Funk doing 'Hey Fellas':

http://www.youtube.com/w/Trouble-Fun...JM&search=funk

Disco Funk

**jazz_pilgrim** · February 1st, 2006, 05:32 PM

Originally Written by QUINNY

and Curtis Blow - The Breaks could be considered Go-Go to some extent, but Go-Go with a small g.

I have a Kurtis Blow The Breaks 12" - with a Go-Go instrumental mix on the B-side. Which I still play a lot.

Around the same time, I remember buying Paul Weller's Style Council 12" Come To Milton Keynes - for the B side - The Lodgers club mix. Very much Go Go influenced.

My favourite Go Go tracks? - anything by Chuck Jackson - especially the very long 12" mixes ... Sho' You Right was a great tune.

:)