The Go-Go's Lingo 14 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Can't Stop the World

Kathy Valentine wrote the song "Can't Stop the World" on the album "Beauty and the Beat" in 1981.

According to Kathy's interview with The Austin Chronicle about earning her first lyrical credit as the newcomer to The Go-Go's, "Richard [Gottehrer (producer)] said, 'We need another song.' We didn't have it, but I was too scared and insecure to say anything, so Charlotte [Caffey] was the one that said, 'I think we should do this song ["Can't Stop the World"].' I needed that. I was too new. I didn't have the right. I hadn't paid as many dues...in that band.

"And I think it [the song] got shortchanged a little. The band didn't know it and hadn't been playing it for two years. I don't think it's the best performance of the song. It could be better. But the payoff for me, over and over for 30 years, is how many fans tell me it's their favorite song off the record. Exene [Cervenka of X] told me she loved that song. And she didn't even like me being in the band because she was friends with the first bass player" (Hernandez, 2011).

The Go-Go's released three songs with "world" in the title: "Can't Stop the World," "The Whole World Lost Its Head" and "Worlds Away." Kathy must be the worldliest Go-Go because she is the only Go-Go with lyrical credit on all three worldly songs.

Answer: I Think I Need Sleep

Charlotte Caffey and Anna Waronker wrote the song "I Think I Need Sleep" on the album "God Bless The Go-Go's" in 2001.

The Go-Go's originally released "I Think I Need Sleep" only in Europe. The Go-Go's released three versions of the album "God Bless The Go-Go's" in 2001. In the US, The Go-Go's released the album with 13 songs. In Japan, The Go-Go's included the one bonus track "King of Confusion" for a total of 14 songs. In Europe, The Go-Go's included the one bonus track "I Think I Need Sleep" also for a total of 14 songs.

In 2021, The Go-Go's reissued the album as a special edition with both bonus tracks for a total of 15 songs.

The songs "I Think I Need Sleep" and "You Can't Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)" are the only two Go-Go's songs with "sleep" in the title. The Go-Go's also wrote "sleep" 37 times in the lyrics of six songs as well as 16 words associated with sleep 86 times in 31 songs: dream (21×), night (16×), dreaming (9×), tired (9×), bed (8×), quiet (5×), nightmare (4×), rest (4×), late (3×), clock, disorder, exhaustion, lullaby, pill, wake and waking.

Answer: Live at Central Park

The Go-Go's released their fourth video album "Live in Central Park" on 11 Dec 2001 with a runtime of one hour and six minutes.

The video album "Live in Central Park" contains The Go-Go's performing 18 songs during a concert at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park of New York City on 22 Jun 2001.

According to Discogs, The Go-Go's released "Live in Central Park" on two formats in five countries during 2001: DVD in Australia, France, Germany, Netherlands and the US and VHS in the US.

Fun video formats! JVC introduced VHS in 1976 and its 1/2" magnetic tape contained within a plastic cassette provides an analog video resolution of 240 TV lines or the digital equivalent of 320 × 486i. After increasing the luminance bandwidth of VHS, JVC introduced Super VHS in 1987 with 420 TV lines (+ 180) or the digital equivalent of 560 × 486i. After 32 years, two months and 22 days, companies stopped manufacturing VHS cassettes in 2011.

Panasonic, Philips, Sony and Toshiba introduced the 4 3/4" Digital VideoDisc (DVD) in 1996 and the 650 nm red laser within the player provides a maximum video resolution of 720 × 480p or an analog equivalent of 540 TV lines. After employing a 405 nm blue-violet laser, Sony introduced Blu-ray in 2006 with a maximum video resolution of 7,680 × 4,320p aka Ultra High Definition (UHD). UHD doesn't have an analog equivalent because analog cameras have a maximum resolution of 720 TV lines. Although the technology of the optical disc has advanced to 33,177,600 pixels, there is still a demand for the 345,600 pixels of the DVD because production companies cannot "upscale" older shows originally recorded as a standard definition format (480 to 576 vertical lines) into a higher definition format.

Answer: Ron and Russell Mael

Ron and Russell Mael co-wrote the song "Yes or No" with Jane Wiedlin on the album "Talk Show" in 1984.

Brothers Ron and Russell formed the art-pop band Urban Renewal Project in 1966 and recorded their first single...albeit unreleased...in West Hollywood, California on 14 Jan 1967. Ron and Russell later formed the band Halfnelson in 1968 and renamed themselves Sparks in 1972.

According to Northern Transmissions, a teenage Jane Wiedlin created a Sparks fan club in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles during the 70s.

According to Discogs, Sparks released 28 studio albums, 19 compilation albums, 80 singles and 45 artsy music videos.

Twenty of Sparks' 28 studio albums (71%) ranked on 61 music charts in ten countries, and 33 of Sparks' 80 singles (41%) ranked on 76 charts in 14 countries. The United Kingdom loves Sparks! Of the 139 music charts ranking Sparks' releases, 33 are in the UK (24%).

According to Music VF, 27 of Ron and Russell's co-writes ranked on music charts in the US and UK, such as "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" (1974) at number two on the UK Singles Chart, "Music That You Can Dance To" (1986) at number six on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, "Amateur Hour" (1974) at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, "Just Got Back from Heaven" (1989) at number seven on Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, "So Important" (1988) at number eight on Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and "When Do I Get to Sing My Way" (1994) at number nine on Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.

Answer: God Bless The Go-Go's

The Go-Go's released their fourth studio album "God Bless The Go-Go's" on 15 May 2001 with 13 songs, including their chart hit "Unforgiven."

To celebrate the release of the album, the City Council of West Hollywood proclaimed God Bless the Go-Go's Day: "Whereas, the Go-Go's have today released the band's first new album in 17 years, entitled 'God Bless the Go-Go's', and have returned home to California, and West Hollywood in particular, to launch this new album; [...] Now, therefore, be it resolved, that we the members of the City Council do hereby proclaim May 15, 2001 God Bless the Go-Go's Day in West Hollywood, California" (City of West Hollywood, "God Bless the Go-Go's Day," 15 May 2001).

Eighteen days after its release date, "God Bless The Go-Go's" premiered on the Billboard 200 at number 57 and ultimately ranked on two charts for three weeks from 2 to 22 Jun 2001 peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Top Internet Albums.

Twenty years after its release date, "God Bless The Go-Go's" premiered on the Official Scottish Albums Chart. After the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced The Go-Go's as an inductee on 12 May 2021, "God Bless The Go-Go's" ranked on the Official Scottish Albums Chart for one week from 20 to 26 May 2021 peaking at number 40.

Happy God Bless The Go-Go's Day, everybody!

Answer: Johnny Are You Queer?

Bobby and Larson Paine co-wrote the song "Johnny Are You Queer?" on the album "Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's" in 1994.

Josie Cotton originally recorded "Johnny Are You Queer?" in 1981; however, the origins of this song have been a mystery. According to the website Kenneth in the (212), "Bobby and Larson Paine...Philadelphia-bred 'marketing-genius types'...discovered the Go-Go's at their first gig at the Masque and instantly became their managers. After hearing 'Fetch Me One More Beer' [a song written by Philo Cramer of the band Fear and his roommate John Clancy], the Paines reworked it as 'Johnny Are You Queer?' for Belinda & Co., which became an instant sensation at Go-Go's live shows.

"But after having a falling out with the Go-Go's, the Paine brothers forbade them from performing it again(!) and ended up having Josie sing the demo, which took on a life of its own. The best part is that rather than split the publishing with Philo Cramer of Fear and co-writer John Clancy, the four of them agreed to flip a coin to decide who got the money [and credit]. The Paine brothers won" (Walsh, 2023).

Two years before Josie's single in 1981, The Go-Go's originally recorded "Johnny Are You Queer?" during a show at the Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco on 1 Aug 1979 and eventually released this first-ever recording on their retrospective album "Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's" 15 years later on 18 Oct 1994.

Josie Cotton's "Johnny Are You Queer?" ranked on two charts in two countries for 17 weeks from 26 Dec 1981 to 24 Apr 1982 peaking at number eight on the Canadian RPM Weekly Top Singles chart and number 38 on the Billboard Club Play Singles.

"Johnny Are You Queer?" is one of four Go-Go's songs with an interrogative title, along with "How Much More," "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" and "Yes or No."

Answer: Skidmarks on My Heart

Belinda Carlisle and Charlotte Caffey co-wrote the song "Skidmarks on My Heart" on the album "Beauty and the Beat" in 1981.

According to Medium's list of "20 Great Songs by The Go-Go's," "This co-write between Belinda Carlisle and Charlotte Caffey is about a guy who loves his car more than his girlfriend...a classic slice of timeless rock mythology. The lyrics are full of humour (you say get a mechanic/I say get a shrink!) in a pop structure and melody that sounded vaguely retro at the time, like a lost hit from the Shangri-Las. Yet transcends its times, too.

"'Skidmarks on My Heart' balances some familiar rock 'n' roll subjects of cars, sex, and jealousy, and adds miles and miles of irony to that mix to make this tune irresistible. Gina Schock's tumbling drum fills and Caffey's twangy surf solo on this are exemplary, with Belinda's vocal suggesting the rage of punk as tempered by the sweetness of pop...classic Go-Go's" (Jones, 2021).

Answer: Bobby and Larson Paine

Bobby and Larson Paine are The Go-Go's first managers, but The Go-Go's fired the Paine brothers in December 1979.

According to Josie Cotton's article in Magnet Magazine, "Enter Bobby and Larson Paine, two guys straight out of Philly...kind of cowboys, kind of marketing-genius types...who had discovered the Go-Go's at their first gig at the Masque. The Paine brothers were freakily dead-on when it came to predicting musical trends. They went on to produce an album for Fear, but they had also begun producing and managing the Go-Go's.

"The Go-Go's decided to go on tour [in the UK] with Madness against the Paine brothers' strong objections, and they basically parted ways because of this impasse. When the Paines forbade the Go-Go's from performing 'Johnny, Are You Queer?' anymore, it was the end of an era, the end of friendship" (Cotton, 2006).

The Go-Go's first gig at the Masque nightclub was on 29 May 1978. The Go-Go's and Madness both performed at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California on 1 Dec 1979. It's assumed Madness invited The Go-Go's on their UK Seaside Tour on 1 Dec 1979; therefore, from the Masque to the impasse, Bobby and Larson Paine were The Go-Go's managers for one year and six months.

According to Setlist.fm, despite the Paine brothers' forbiddance, The Go-Go's still performed "Johnny, Are You Queer?" during the UK Seaside Tour on 21 May 1980 at The Venue in London, England. The next time The Go-Go's performed "Johnny, Are You Queer?" was 19 years later on 16 Jul 1999 at the Bronco Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

Answer: Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Go-Go's received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 11 Aug 2011.

The Go-Go's received the 2,444th star in the category of Recording and it's inlaid in front of the former location of the Masque nightclub at 6652 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. According to Setlist.fm, The Go-Go's first performed at the Masque on Memorial Day 1978 and over the next nine months, the evolving band performed a total of five shows at two locations of the Masque.

Due to several fire safety violations, including insufficient exit doors, fire marshals officially condemned both locations of the Masque in 1979. According to Yelp, 6652 Hollywood Boulevard is now Electronics of Hollywood with a customer rating of one out of five stars.

Answer: California Hall of Fame

The California Museum inducted The Go-Go's during the 17th Annual California Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Sacramento, California on 6 Feb 2024.

A salient line in The Go-Go's biography by the California Hall of Fame: "Singing sunny melodies with weighty lyrics evoking dreams, thrills, loss, love and female empowerment, the Go-Go's evoked the essence of California cool" (Neimanis, 2024).

The California Hall of Fame celebrates the "Golden State's" legends and trailblazers who embody California's innovative spirit and whose achievements have changed the state, the nation and the world.