We Got the Beat

Last updated
"We Got the Beat"
We Got the Beat by The Go-Go's US 7-inch vinyl.png
Picture sleeve for 1982 US vinyl single
Single by the Go-Go's
from the album Beauty and the Beat
B-side "Can't Stop the World"
ReleasedAUS: July 19, 1981 (original version)
UK: July 27, 1981 (original version)
US: January 16, 1982 (re-recorded version)
Recorded1980-1981
Genre
Length2:32
Label Stiff (1980), I.R.S. (1981, 1982), A&M (1982)
Songwriter(s) Charlotte Caffey
Producer(s) Paul L. Wexler (original version)
Richard Gottehrer, Rob Freeman (re-recorded version)
The Go-Go's singles chronology
"Our Lips Are Sealed"
(1981)
"We Got the Beat"
(1981)
"Vacation"
(1982)
Music video
"We Got the Beat" on YouTube

"We Got the Beat" is a song by the American rock band the Go-Go's, written by the group's lead guitarist and keyboardist Charlotte Caffey. The band first recorded the song in 1980 for a single on UK-based Stiff Records, and later rerecorded it for their debut album Beauty and the Beat on I.R.S. Records. The initial single release brought the Go-Go's underground credibility during their first UK tour and in the band's hometown of Los Angeles. The first version reached No. 35 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart due to its popularity in clubs as an import, and the second version was a top 10 hit in both the United States and Canada. It is considered a new wave classic hit, as well as being the Go-Go's' signature song. [2] [3] The song was named one of "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". [4]

Contents

Background, composition and release

"We Got the Beat" evolved in part out of the Go-Go's covering the Smokey Robinson song that served as the group's namesake: The Miracles' "Going to a Go Go" (1965). [5] Taking inspiration from that, and from the opening theme of The Twilight Zone , lead guitarist Charlotte Caffey wrote "We Got the Beat" and offered it to the band with hesitation, afraid that it would not be punk enough for the other members' tastes. When the rest of the Go-Go's heard the song, they loved it – and its incorporation into their set marked a stylistic change for the group as they moved away from punk rock and toward a more pop sensibility that would align the Go-Go's with the music that was being termed "new wave".

Go-Go's manager Ginger Canzoneri secured a deal with British indie label Stiff Records to release the original version of "We Got the Beat" as a single, in support of the band's 1980 UK tour with Madness and the Specials. In the 2020 documentary The Go-Go's, Canzoneri recalled that Stiff Records had also wanted to secure publishing rights for "We Got the Beat" and its B-side, "How Much More" (both produced by Paul L. Wexler), but she declined, thinking it was important for the band to hold the publishing rights to their own songs. [6]

After the tumultuous UK tour, the Go-Go's returned home to Los Angeles and packed clubs when they performed, due to the single's popularity – leading them to finally sign a deal with newly established I.R.S. Records. The band headed to New York City to record their debut album at Pennylane Studio, where producer Richard Gottehrer advised the group to slow their songs down. "We Got the Beat" remained an exception to this advice, though the band lengthened it slightly by adding a few bars to the song's instrumental intro.

"We Got the Beat" led off the second side of the Go-Go's debut album, Beauty and the Beat , released in July 1981. It served as the album's second single in January 1982, now with another album track, "Can't Stop the World", on its B-side. Clocking in at 2+12 minutes, the second studio version of the song is recognizable by its drumming intro. [7] The song's lyrics mention various early 1960s dances such as the Pony, the Watusi, and Go-Go dancing.

The song's music video, filmed at a live performance at Palos Verdes High School in Los Angeles on December 4, 1981, received heavy airplay on MTV at the time.

The Go-Go's performed the song, along with "Vacation" and "Our Lips Are Sealed", during the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. [8]

Reception

Cash Box said "The Grammy Awards-nominated Go-Go's continue on their winning ways with this new recording of the cut that started it all for the girls in 1980 as an English single on Stiff; punchy, to-the-point power-pop." [9] Billboard called it a "catchy rocker" that has "the same endearing charm" as "Our Lips Are Sealed." [10]

Chart performance

"We Got the Beat" became the Go-Go's biggest hit, spending three weeks at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, behind Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n Roll". It was during the song's time in the U.S. top 10 that Beauty and the Beat topped the U.S. Billboard 200. [11]

Weekly charts

Chart (1981-1982)Peak
position
US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [12] 35
Australia (Kent Music Report)29
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [13] 3
US (Billboard Hot 100) [14] 2
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [15] 7

Year-end charts

Year-end chart (1982)Rank
Canada Top Singles (RPM) [16] 32
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard) [17] 25

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [18] Gold50,000^
United States (RIAA) [19] Gold1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Track listing

UK 7" Single (1980, Stiff Records)
  1. "We Got the Beat" (Caffey)
  2. "How Much More" (Caffey/Wiedlin)
UK 7" Single (1981, I.R.S. Records)
  1. "We Got the Beat" (Caffey)
  2. "Skidmarks on My Heart" (Caffey/Carlisle)
US 7" Single (1981, I.R.S. Records)
  1. "We Got the Beat" (Caffey) - 2:30
  2. "Can't Stop the World" (Valentine) - 3:22

Debby Ryan version

A cover of "We Got the Beat" was recorded in 2012 by American singer-songwriter Debby Ryan from the soundtrack of the movie Radio Rebel . [20] It was produced by Matthew Gerrard, Ali Dee Theodore and Matthew Tishler. [21]

A music video was released on Disney Channel on February 13, 2012. [22] The video was directed by Ryan and choreographed by Alyson Stoner. [23] [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Go-Go's</span> American rock band

The Go-Go's were an American all-female rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar and keyboards, Belinda Carlisle on lead vocals, Gina Schock on drums, Kathy Valentine on bass, and Jane Wiedlin on rhythm guitar. They are widely considered the most successful all-female rock band of all time.

<i>Beauty and the Beat</i> (The Go-Gos album) 1981 studio album by The Go-Gos

Beauty and the Beat is the debut album from California new wave band the Go-Go's. Released July 14, 1981 on the I.R.S. Records label, the album reached number one on Billboard's Top LPs & Tape chart in March 1982, bolstered by its two big Hot 100 hit singles: "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat", released in 1980, but in a different version. After a long and steady climb, Beauty and the Beat reached number one in the album chart dated March 6, 1982, the week before "We Got the Beat" entered the Top Ten of the Hot 100. The album stayed at the top for six consecutive weeks, and ranked second in Billboard's year-end Top 100 of 1982. The LP sold in excess of two million copies, and was RIAA-certified double platinum, qualifying it as one of the most successful debut albums of all time. Critically acclaimed, it has been described as one of the "cornerstone albums of American new wave".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belinda Carlisle</span> American singer (born 1958)

Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer and songwriter. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte Caffey</span> American guitarist

Charlotte Irene Caffey is an American guitarist, best known for her work in the rock band the Go-Go's in the 1980s, including writing "We Got the Beat".

The Lords of the New Church were a British-American rock band. A supergroup, the line-up originally consisted of four musicians from 1970s punk bands. This line-up comprised vocalist Stiv Bators, guitarist Brian James, bassist Dave Tregunna and drummer Nick Turner. Launched in 1981, the band released three studio albums prior to their dissolution in 1989. During this time, they underwent several line-up changes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I.R.S. Records</span> American record label

I.R.S. Records was a major American record label founded by Miles Copeland III, Jay Boberg, and Carl Grasso in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave and alternative rock artists, including R.E.M., The Go-Go's, Wall of Voodoo, and Fine Young Cannibals. Currently the label is distributed by parent company Universal Music Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Wiedlin</span> American musician

Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin is an American musician and singer, best known as the co-founder, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist of the new wave band The Go-Go's. She is also the drummer and backup vocalist of the rock band The Hex Girls. She also had a successful solo career.

<i>Vacation</i> (The Go-Gos album) 1982 studio album by the Go-Gos

Vacation is the second studio album by American rock band the Go-Go's, released on July 20, 1982, by I.R.S. Records. The album reached number eight on the Billboard 200, and has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The title track reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gina Schock</span> American rock drummer

Regina Ann Schock is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band The Go-Go's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Valentine</span> American guitarist and bassist

Kathryn Valentine is an American musician who is the bassist for the rock band the Go-Go's. She has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and creative pursuits. Valentine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2021 as a member of The Go-Go's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Boys (song)</span> 2003 single by Blondie

"Good Boys" is a song by American rock band Blondie. Issued on August 11, 2003, it was the only single released from their eighth studio album, The Curse of Blondie (2003). The single was released as part of a two-CD set and on 12-inch vinyl. CD 1 features live versions of "Maria" and "Rapture", plus the video for "Good Boys" directed by Jonas Åkerlund. CD 2 features a remix by Giorgio Moroder. The 12-inch vinyl features remixes by Giorgio Moroder, Arthur Baker, and Scissor Sisters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lips Are Sealed</span> 1981 single by the Go-Gos

"Our Lips Are Sealed" is a song co-written by Jane Wiedlin, guitarist of the Go-Go's, and Terry Hall, singer of the Specials and Fun Boy Three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Free Europe (song)</span> 1981 single by R.E.M.

"Radio Free Europe" is the debut single by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1981 on the short-lived independent record label Hib-Tone. The song features "what were to become the trademark unintelligible lyrics which have distinguished R.E.M.'s work ever since." The single received critical acclaim, and its success earned the band a record deal with I.R.S. Records. R.E.M. re-recorded the song for their 1983 debut album Murmur. The re-recording for I.R.S. became the group's first charting single, peaking at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is ranked number 389 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 2009, it was added to the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry for setting "the pattern for later indie rock releases by breaking through on college radio in the face of mainstream radio's general indifference."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vacation (The Go-Go's song)</span> 1982 single by the Go-Gos

"Vacation" is a 1982 single released by the all-female rock band, the Go-Go's. The song was the first single from the album, Vacation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How Much More</span>

"How Much More" is a song written by Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin that was first released as part of the Go-Go's debut single along with "We Got the Beat" in 1980. A re-recorded version was released on their 1981 debut album Beauty and the Beat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debby Ryan</span> American singer and actress

Deborah Ann Ryan is an American actress and singer. She started acting professionally onstage at the age of seven, and was later discovered during Disney Channel's nationwide search for new talent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Go-Go's discography</span>

This is the discography of the American new wave group The Go-Go's. They have released 4 studio albums, 3 compilation albums, and 16 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Love Rock 'n' Roll</span> 1975 single by the Arrows

"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album of the same name, became Jett's highest-charting hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the No. 3 song for 1982. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, representing two million units shipped to stores. Jett's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Ended Right</span> 2011 single by Debby Ryan featuring Chad Hively and Chase Ryan

"We Ended Right" is the second single by American singer-songwriter Debby Ryan, featuring rapper Chad Hively and Chase Ryan. It premiered on July 1, 2011 and was released as a digital download on July 3, 2011 as the first single of Debby Ryan's career on her own independent label, the Ryan River Studio and not being included on any album. "We Ended Right" was written and produced by Debby Ryan, Chad Hively, Chase Ryan and Mark Grilliot.

<i>The Go-Gos</i> (film) 2020 film

The Go-Go's is a 2020 American-Irish-Canadian documentary film directed and produced by Alison Ellwood. The film follows the rise of the girl band The Go-Go's.

References

  1. "10 Best The Go-Go's Songs of All Time". Singersroom. 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2024-01-20. "We Got The Beat" by The Go-Go's is a classic 1980s pop song that is instantly recognizable with its upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics."
  2. "The Go-Go's Bring 'We Got the Beat' to 2016 Billboard Music Awards". Billboard .
  3. "We Got the Beat - the Go-Go's | Song Info | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  4. "Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  5. Billboard Jan 8, 1983
  6. Ellwood, Alison (director) (2020). The Go-Go's (film). United States: Showtime.
  7. The Drummer: 100 Years of Rhythmic Power and Invention edited by Adam Budofsky, Michele Heusel, Michael Ray Dawson and Michael Parillo.
  8. Zaleski, Annie (October 30, 2021). "The Go-Go's Break Out Hits, 'Rock Star' Poses for Long Overdue Rock Hall Induction". Rolling Stone.
  9. "Single Review" (PDF). Cash Box . January 23, 1981. p. 9. Retrieved December 5, 2021 via World Radio History.
  10. "Top Single Picks". Billboard. January 30, 1982. p. 75. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  11. "Billboard 200 - Week of March 6, 1982". March 6, 1982. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. 1 - Beauty And The Beat - Go-Go's
  12. "go-gos Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4342." RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  14. "Billboard Hot 100 - Week of April 10, 1982". April 10, 1982. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. 2 - We Got The Beat - Go-Go's
  15. "go-gos Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  16. "Top 100 Singles of 82 - Image 6167 - RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada . December 25, 1982. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  17. "Talent in Action : Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 51. December 25, 1982. p. TIA-20.
  18. "Canadian single certifications – We Got the Beat". Music Canada . Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  19. "American single certifications – We Got the Beat". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  20. "Behind-the-Scenes of Debby Ryan's "We Got the Beat" with Alyson Stoner!". Sillykhan. 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  21. "Original Soundtrack Radio Rebel". Allmusic. 2012-10-28. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
  22. "Debby Ryan Premieres "We Got the Beat" Music Video!". Sillykhan. 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  23. "Debby Ryan Makes Radio Rebel Announcements About "We Got The Beat"". Disney Dreaming. 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  24. "Alyson Stoner Helps Debby Ryan With Her "We Got The Beat" Music Video". Disney Dreaming. 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-10-31.