DC go-go

STN

STN

sou'wester
I've become interested in this of late, in a rather abstract way (i.e. all I know about it is that a style of music called this exists, and that it is something to do with hip-hop and funk), but it's mentioned in a novel I read recently, and my mum saw fit to but me a book about it for some reason. There's a cheap Snowboy comp of it available, which I might get.

This is a bit of a useless post really, but I'm hoping that people will discuss it, recommend mixes etc etc...

Edit: okay, okay, I could go and read the book, and I will do so, but I think a live discussion could be valuable. Is it mostly an 80s thing or what?
 
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Colz

Colz

Wild Horses
Ah, Go Go. I love it. Only stuff I have was bought in the 80s, whatever trickled over to Dublin. THE comp for me was 'Go Go Crankin'/Paint The White House Black' , a selection of DETT/TTED releases from about 84/85...one of my favourite b-day presents ever.
All the usual suspects are on it, Trouble Funk, Chuck Brown, EU etc. Brilliant stuff.
 
mixed_biscuits

mixed_biscuits

_________________________
I got this in a random buy recently. Pretty good. Can be had cheap; I think I shelled out at least a quid for it.

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Colz

Colz

Wild Horses
Definitely worth grabbing that Snowboy one.

There was an interesting hip hop / go-go crossover at one stage in the mid 80s, but the music never got popular outside of DC (as far as the US goes)..



There's a film too, starring Art Garfunkel of all people...'Good To Go'

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091138/


Streetsounds did a 'Gotta Go Go' compilation too, mixed by Mastermind as per the 'electro' series...some nice bits on that one.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
I've got a twelve inch called Arcade Funk Machine or something similar. Think it was something to do with Trouble Funk (side project maybe). It's a very unusual tune in a good way.
And that's everything I know about go-go.
 
C

crackerjack

Well-known member
fantastic dance music (trouble funk hacienda gig around 86 lives long in memory), not always so great on record. oddly, the best comp was put together by the NME, also called Good To Go-Go
 
Colz

Colz

Wild Horses
IdleRich said:
I've got a twelve inch called Arcade Funk Machine or something similar. Think it was something to do with Trouble Funk (side project maybe).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I believe its a TF side project. Unusual for Go Go, unusual track full stop!

Def Jam signed DC's Junkyard Band in the late 80s, a great single 'the word/sardines'

 
P

petergunn

plywood violin
IdleRich said:
I've got a twelve inch called Arcade Funk Machine or something similar. Think it was something to do with Trouble Funk (side project maybe). It's a very unusual tune in a good way.
And that's everything I know about go-go.
Click to expand...


Arcade Funk put out two 12"s (as far as i know) "Tilt" is their best song, a def go go sound (on a gold label), they have another 12" on a light blue label that's more of an electro sound...

yeah, pretty sure it's Trouble Funk...

anything on the TTED or DETT label is gold...

go go is still around to this day, a little google work will turn up sites selling mixtapes to this day.... bands do covers of new hip hop and r&b songs going up to the present day... the Neptunes period of hip hop has esp good for go-go bands, as their productions already had cowbell and guitars in 'em...
 
Colz

Colz

Wild Horses
I think this is the only one that really crossed over on this side of the water - was quite a big hit if I remember, even making it to one of those 'Now Thats What I Call...'
compilations...


I have a DJ Richie Rich 7" that came with rm (record mirror) many moons ago, basically a 2 turntable Go-Go mix for the British market. Still nice.
 
C

crackerjack

Well-known member
petergunn said:
Arcade Funk put out two 12"s (as far as i know) "Tilt" is their best song, a def go go sound (on a gold label), they have another 12" on a light blue label that's more of an electro sound...

yeah, pretty sure it's Trouble Funk...

anything on the TTED or DETT label is gold...

go go is still around to this day, a little google work will turn up sites selling mixtapes to this day.... bands do covers of new hip hop and r&b songs going up to the present day... the Neptunes period of hip hop has esp good for go-go bands, as their productions already had cowbell and guitars in 'em...
Click to expand...

Rich Harrison (Beyonce's Crazy In Love among others) was clearly influenced by go-go. What happened to him?
 
D

DannyL

Wild Horses
Go Go used to get played alongside Hip Hip on the radio back in tha day by people like Tim Westwood, It's great funky dance music which absolutely kills it live. I think there's something unique about the drum sound - steel pan maybe? Second gig I ever went to was Troublefunk live at the Hammersmith Odeon in something like 1985, and they wee absolutely incredible. I'd love to know more about the scene it came out of - wouldn't mind a read of that book.

Got picked up London hipsters of the time, played by people like Jay Strongman at the Mudd Club and on UK pirates which is where I heard it. I'd guess it got eclipsed by the success of hip hop and the way that bands went out of fashion in the 80s for electronic based dance music - that's just guesswork on my part.

Used to have a few Go Go 12"s in the great Lost Record Collection (thanks Mum!) - some worth picking up are:

Early in the Morning - Troublefunk (my fave of theirs)
Troublefunk Express - their version of Trans Europe Express (you'd like this Rich, goes well with that Tilt record)
Art of Drums - Maccattack - this got a UK release on Baad Records (I think?), which was quite odd at the time, used to see it around a lot for 99p

Should be able to pick all of these up for cheepz I would've thought. Anything by Troublefunk is worth owning. There's a UK LP of their live tour at the time as well.
 
C

Client Eastwood

Well-known member
DannyL said:
Go Go used to get played alongside Hip Hip on the radio back in tha day by people like Tim Westwood, It's great funky dance music which absolutely kills it live. I think there's something unique about the drum sound - steel pan maybe? Second gig I ever went to was Troublefunk live at the Hammersmith Odeon in something like 1985, and they wee absolutely incredible. I'd love to know more about the scene it came out of - wouldn't mind a read of that book.

Got picked up London hipsters of the time, played by people like Jay Strongman at the Mudd Club and on UK pirates which is where I heard it. I'd guess it got eclipsed by the success of hip hop and the way that bands went out of fashion in the 80s for electronic based dance music - that's just guesswork on my part.

Used to have a few Go Go 12"s in the great Lost Record Collection (thanks Mum!) - some worth picking up are:

Early in the Morning - Troublefunk (my fave of theirs)
Troublefunk Express - their version of Trans Europe Express (you'd like this Rich, goes well with that Tilt record)
Art of Drums - Maccattack - this got a UK release on Baad Records (I think?), which was quite odd at the time, used to see it around a lot for 99p

Should be able to pick all of these up for cheepz I would've thought. Anything by Troublefunk is worth owning. There's a UK LP of their live tour at the time as well.
Click to expand...

Tthe Art of Drums a bad track. Dont know if its a UK production but it does differ from the Washinton stlye in that it doesnt have any horns iirc (and im going a long time back) and it almost electro bassline as oppposed a bass guiter bassline.

I'll have to have a look but i have some bits and pieces of go-go inc a double album comp but i cant remember any of the tracks on it. but most of them are like 10 - 15 mins jams. Ill a look and get back to you.

I never heard heard much played out at the time apart from maybe Trouble Funk's Drop the Bomb.
 
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DannyL

Wild Horses
Bang Diddley said:
Tthe Art of Drums a bad track. Dont know if its a UK production but it does differ from the Washinton stlye in that it doesnt have any horns iirc (and im going a long time back) and it almost electro bassline as oppposed a bass guiter bassline.

I'll have to have a look but i have some bits and pieces of go-go inc a double album comp but i cant remember any of the tracks on it. but most of them are like 10 - 15 mins jams. Ill a look and get back to you.

I never heard heard much played out at the time apart from maybe Trouble Funk's Drop the Bomb.
Click to expand...

No, it wasn't a UK production (as far as I know) - it just got a UK single release, which was odd at the time. You are bang on about the bassline, wonder who did it? As I've never heard anything else by 'em.

I never heard any out at the time either but that was cos I was too young to go to clubs!
 
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