Equal parts JB and P-Funk and with the energy of both, Go Go Music peeked it's head out of DC in the early 80's, got a little bit of attention then went back down in the groove. To me Go Go was the perfect compliment to Hip Hop, but it just didn't turn out that way on a national scale. The scene still kicks and I'm sure Moggers down DC way know what I'm talkin about. Live is the way to see it, but Still Smokin still packs a punch.
Don't Touch That Stereo
Posted on 05/11/2007
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Posted on 11/02/2007
Posted on 09/02/2006
My Trusted MOGs
wow, the horn section kind of grabbed me by the balls and said you will listen
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My Trusted MOGs
Ooh, I love In the Mix Spike, from the Go Go Crankin' Album I used to have on vinyl. Yeah, the shows we're just one long groove, sooo sweet.
Glad you liked it Rawk, if you remember LL's Rock the Bells, the original version sampled Trouble Funk's drum rolls. The roto tom madness.
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I grew up in the D.C. suburbs and Trouble Funk was THE band to play at the school dances. I thought what made it go-go was the beat - which Spike's entry is a good example of.
Trouble Funk Trivia:, I've got a Trouble Funk live disc with liner notes by Henry Rollins. Turns out he was a huge fan and would go to shows all the time (I guess between gigs at the 9:30 or scooping ice-cream in Georgetown).
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Tell 'em about it Cody B!
For me, go-go was, still is, and always will be the perfect combination of musicianship, expression of local identity, and partying. I have no idea why it never broke out of DC, Spike Lee had EU (Experience Unlimited) do a song in School Daze, Salt 'n Pepa used some of the same producers, and Chuck Brown (the Godfather of Go-go) had some minor hits such as "We Need Some Money," but outside of NYC and the mid-Atlantic, these and so many other excellent DC acts gained little exposure.
It's not like no-one noticed. LL Cool J toured some with Junkyard; Rare Essence cracked Billboard's Top 10 with "Work The Walls;" and Ricky Sugarfoot Wellman was drafted out of the Soul Searchers by none other than Miles Davis. But on the whole and as a style unto itself, go-go remains a local form. Maybe the endless DC geographical references and the 5-minute conga solos have something to do with it...
Unfortunately, most of the best recorded evidence of the true power of the genre has always been almost entirely produced, generated, and consumed locally, through soundboard ("PA") tapes, limited release EPs, and so forth. If you can find them, some good albums to investigate are:
Experience Unlimited, "Live in 2 Places at the Same Time!" Trouble Funk, "Saturday Night Live" Rare Essence, "Live at Breeze's Metro Club" Junkyard Band, "Sardines" Chuck Brown, "Any Other Way to Go?"
Hey Sean Hanley, where you at? Drop some knowledge. Sometimes I miss DC...
My Trusted MOGs
Great to hear from the locals. thanks mully,steve.
I do have that Chuck Brown record and it is nice and a couple of slabs of Trouble Funk live. Gotta get my ass to the go go one time.
Anyone ever see that go go movie? Was Paul Simon in it? I see a few clips on youtube and I know still smokin was made for the soundtrack. I guess it was Go Go's Beat Street! I guess it was called Good To Go And it was Art Garfunkel..oh well I was close
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hmm.. my prior comment got lost.. anyways.. blah blah blah.. great... blah blah blah. Miami Bass next? Some classic stuff there.
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Cody I just want to thank you for turning me on to what has become my new driving music.
Your bad ass funk is shuttin' down Toyota's and Honda's all around my neighbourhood.
And the chicks dig it too.
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Damn! Almost spaced out on Go-Go. I was deep into Trouble Funk back in the day. Leave it to Cody B, y'all. (Unless Crash beats 'em to it.)
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Representing DC here. - Southwest and Northwest. Aight!
Classic Go Go song - Sardines and Pork and Beans!
That was my jam when I was a kid!
I did a post over on last.fm on this too.
http://www.last.fm/user/2Serenity/journal/2007/06/14/450625/
I ordered some go go CDs because mine have mysteriously disappeared!
I prefer the older go go but I always love Chuck Brown. I even got my father into it when I was a kid. Well, he had no choice. He took me to my one and only go go concert at the Capital Centre in Landover, MD. He laughed at me because I was dancing all night long non stop but then he started trying to do the moves. That was funny. This was back in 1987.
The radio station back then that played Go Go were WKYS and WHUR on FM radio.
But at first it was only played on AM radio on Sunday nights after 10 pm.
There was a girl go go group too named Pleasure but I have no idea what happened to them.
Now, I gotta play some Chuck Brown!!