Tell me about Go Go

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What are its musical hallmarks? What rhythmic signature? How do you recognize and distinguish it from other forms of funk (without knowing that the group is from DC, etc)?

I picked up a few Trouble Funk records at a yard sale a couple of years ago, and a 1985 comp called "Go Go Crankin'," which all seem to have a distinctive kind of lurch, in addition to really huge orchestration. I've also got a 12" by Arkade Funk ("produced by Trouble Funk") which is much closer to electro in its synth leads. The rhythms sound like a de- and re-constructed, dubbed out, electronic version of what you hear on the other records.

(Apologies if there are other threads on this, but it's hard to search on the word on ILM. I did find this from 2001, but it died after three posts.)

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:37 (twenty years ago)

Can someone tell me WHERE THE HELL I can get some Chuck Brown records? I adore all the shit I've downloaded, but I've never actually seen any of it on cd.

Also, although this may not interest anyone besides me, but there appears to be a big kinship between New Orleans brass bands and go go bands. Rebirth covers "Bustin' Loose", and I've heard tons of riffs and chants from different brass bands that it turns out came from Chuck Brown tunes.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:48 (twenty years ago)

Chuck Brown

I'm not sure those are all by the same guy. Start with Your Game: Live At The 9:30 Club, Washington, DC.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:50 (twenty years ago)

There were a couple other threads -- thing is, that 'thread title' search function searches the exact string, so unless you put in the hyphen you won't get those threads. anyway-

Go-Go questions
Can someone explain DC's Go-Go scene to me?
Whatever happened to Go-Go?

I love that Go Go Crankin' comp...

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Thursday, 2 December 2004 19:53 (twenty years ago)

Thanks Phil. I don't suppose you know if Ricky Wellman is on that?

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:10 (twenty years ago)

"In 2 Places At The Same Time", the live album by EU is a party platter of lowdown fonky goodness.
never heard Arkade Funk, but your description makes it sound pretty amazing.

― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:14 (twenty years ago)

Don't know if Wellman is on it or not. (I don't have it - it's been very highly recommended to me, though.)

One thing I do have is the Trouble Funk Live/Early Singles set. 2CD reissue, available cheap. Also worth picking up (lots of crossover between track listings, but whatcha gonna do?) is their compilation Droppin' Bombs. I have both of those, and they're fantastic.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:17 (twenty years ago)

There is a characteristic loping rhythm that you can hear best in "Run Joe." Congas are ESSENTIAL. Call-and-response vocals. Lots and lots of low end.

I enjoy the work of Mr. Brown, but I'm curmudgeonly about go-go right now because my band has been practicing one room over from a go-go band. Their volume can get truly menacing, and typically overpowers my white geek rock.

― The Mad Puffin, Thursday, 2 December 2004 20:41 (twenty years ago)

I like the fact that a lot of modern Go Go bands do covers of popular rap/r&b songs. sometimes it's kind of hacky, but sometimes it sounds great. whenever I'm passing through D.C. or am far enough south in Maryland to get WPGC in my car I like to listen it on the radio. it brings me back to freshman year when my roommate was a serious Go Go head and had tons of Backyard Band tapes.

― Al (sitcom), Thursday, 2 December 2004 21:07 (twenty years ago)

It's a distinct, lumbering funk beat played by a live band with a lot of percussion. I always thought it had a lot more potential to absorb everything else and influence everything else, the way rap did, than it ever got a chance to do.

One good place to start is the CD anthology I review here, while interviewing Chuck Brown:

http://www.citypages.com/databank/22/1097/article10023.asp

Otherwise there are a gazillion web sites; I'd start with these:

http://www.tmottgogo.com/
http://funkmasterj.tripod.com/gogo.htm

― Pete Scholtes, Thursday, 2 December 2004 21:31 (twenty years ago)

EASE UP OFF MY FOOT, SUCKA!

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:29 (twenty years ago)

the go-go's?

'go go' by the four fours?

― chris andrews (fraew), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:30 (twenty years ago)

Yes, there is one drum pattern that's particularly used. Tons of famous songs use the same kick/snare pattern, but unfortunately none come immediately to mind (sorry).

Everything said above about the use of call & response vocals, cover versions of latest hip hop/r&B hits and live percussion are otm.

I've always thought that the live show was a big part of what makes Go-Go. Very long jams, mc hyping the crowd, and everybody groovin' n' grindin' in VERY close proximity.

I've got two Chuck Brown cd's:
"Chuck Brown Greatest Hits: Back It On Up" (Raw Venture Records And Tapes 1998). I think it's a British import, which many NYC record shops were carrying for a while. It's got the most famous hits like "Bustin Loose", "Back It On Up", and "We Need Some Money"

"Bustin Loose" by Chuck Brown And the Soul Searchers (Valley Vue Records 1992). I think this is the original cd. Essential unsung cut here is "If It Ain't Funky". It's a MONSTER funk jam.

― pheNAM (pheNAM), Thursday, 2 December 2004 22:31 (twenty years ago)

To buy Chuck Brown vinyl, or other hard-to-find local DC go-go jams, get thee to Eastern Market, the outdoor fleamarket in DC!

As far as recognizing go-go, "It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that go-go SWING..."

― DaveQ (daveq), Friday, 3 December 2004 01:16 (twenty years ago)

Hey Phil, get your ass over the bridge to Berkeley and I'll give you all the go-go you can carry back. Sorry, this offer is not good to non-Phils.

― Jeff Chang, Friday, 3 December 2004 05:43 (twenty years ago)

I just legally changed my name to Phil.

― Pete Scholtes, Friday, 3 December 2004 05:44 (twenty years ago)

the disc pete mentions above is grebt: 'the beat'

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Friday, 3 December 2004 05:56 (twenty years ago)

ten months pass...

I'm putting together a personal "best of go go" cd. Any interest? I can YSI, I guess. My knowledge is pretty limited after '97, when I graduated from high school...

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Sunday, 9 October 2005 02:14 (twenty years ago)

i have huuge interest, chris.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Sunday, 9 October 2005 09:35 (twenty years ago)

yeah, YSI it please.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Sunday, 9 October 2005 10:07 (twenty years ago)

yes pls

― mentalist (mentalist), Sunday, 9 October 2005 11:00 (twenty years ago)

I'm interested.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Sunday, 9 October 2005 14:48 (twenty years ago)

Please do. And please include Redds & The Boys, Davis/Pinckney Project, E.U. and Paradise.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Sunday, 9 October 2005 23:20 (twenty years ago)

Sixthed!!!!

What's up with the faux dave q up there???

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 9 October 2005 23:34 (twenty years ago)

Hey, faux q!

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 10 October 2005 00:22 (twenty years ago)

Okay, I'll put it together. Here's a test:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N50C5LX3

That's the 1981 Trouble Funk live album. I'm pretty sure it's out of print now, so I don't feel bad uploading it. Did it work?

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Monday, 10 October 2005 21:02 (twenty years ago)

That looks very suspicious.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 01:51 (twenty years ago)

How do I know what I am downloading?

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 01:51 (twenty years ago)

What kind of wacky download site is that?

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 01:54 (twenty years ago)

uh ??

anyway, thx Chris!

― amon (eman), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 01:57 (twenty years ago)

Maybe I'm just being stupid and paranoid.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 01:58 (twenty years ago)

to the right of megaupload logo there is a timer counting down, 45 seconds or so, then it becomes a download link. its just their way of making you look at ads before they let you have your pirated booty.

― amon (eman), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 02:01 (twenty years ago)

Maybe I'm just being stupid and paranoid.
yep, in theis instance you are

― mentalist (mentalist), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 04:11 (twenty years ago)

I know it's weird looking site, but YSI's upload speed is sooooooo slow. It would have taken all day to get that file up.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 04:26 (twenty years ago)

Megaupload is kind of slick, actually. It gives you a progress meter and everything.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 04:35 (twenty years ago)

yeah, ya did good.

― amon (eman), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 04:36 (twenty years ago)

it's not like it takes a rocket scientist to figure out how to download. He, he

― amon (eman), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 04:37 (twenty years ago)

Okay, here's what I came up with:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HGLRQSZJ

01. Chuck Brown - Blow Your Whistle

02. Hot Cold Sweat - Meet Me at the GoGo

03. Chuck Brown - Bustin' Loose

04. EU - EU Freeze

05. Trouble Funk - Pump Me Up

06. Junkyard Band - The Word

07. Kurtis Blow - Party Time

08. Tilt - Arkade Funk

09. Junkyard Band - Sardines

10. EU - Da Butt

11. Go Go Posse - DC Don't Stand for Dodge City

12. Rare Essence - Lock It

13. Junkyard Band - Loose Booty

14. Huck-A-Bucks - The Bud

I wanted to include a lot more, but these songs are long! There's only so many you can put on a CD. I also couldn't find some of my old tapes...does anyone have an mp3 of "Mortal Kombat" by the Huckabucks, "One Track Mind" by Stinky Dink, and anything by else Rare Essence, especially "Work the Walls?" My tape with Redds and the Boys sounded too muddy to use when I tried to record it. Weird, because it was fine earlier today. I guess I just played it one time too many.

Does anyone know a gogo song with a woman singing "Do Re Mi?" I heard it on the radio a few times, years and years ago, but was never able to identify it.

― Chris H. (chrisherbert), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:18 (twenty years ago)

people be letting this thread sink :(

thx again, downloading now

― amon (eman), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 22:31 (twenty years ago)

yeah thanks as well, can't help you with any GoGo song ID alas

― mentalist (mentalist), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 23:41 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

I wonder if this is the same as the Chuck Brown best-of I just picked up ('05, double disc, same label). It's pretty great...a couple of 70's tracks that are great funk joints in their own right, and then a disc and a half of live go-go jams all at pretty much the same tempo with the same beat.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 5 December 2005 04:46 (nineteen years ago)

The new bonus tracks are pretty entertaining too...one's gospel go-go, and listening to the other one I thought "damn, he's really trying to rip R. Kelly on this" until I looked and saw that Kels produced it.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 5 December 2005 15:11 (nineteen years ago)

The Godfather of Soul Meets The Godfather of Go-Go featuring JAMES BROWN
with very special guest CHUCK BROWN & The Soul Searchers
7pm Doors at the 930 Club
WED. DEC. 28
$55.00

― curmudgeon, Monday, 5 December 2005 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

Washington City Paper article on the future of DC go-go and the declining number of live go-go cdrs

― curmudgeon, Monday, 5 December 2005 19:42 (nineteen years ago)

five years pass...

really excellent BBC documentary from the 80s about the Go Go scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVX_hN11wfY

― zappi, Friday, 11 November 2011 21:29 (thirteen years ago)

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