Going To The Go-Go


I was doing a bit of crate-digging at home the other day and pulled out the 1985 compilation album Go Go Crankin’ which dates from that brief moment in the mid-80s when Go-Go music from Washington DC was the hottest thing around – at least on the London club scene and in trendy style magazines.

Go-Go was heavily percussive funk with an emphasis on extended live jams that had been a local scene in DC for years before it came to the attention of taste-makers and trendies on the other side of the pond. It was given a big push by Island Records, hyped by a big feature in The Face, and was very popular at London warehouse clubs like The Dirtbox where it shared turntable space with Rockabilly, Reggae, and Electro (clubs were a lot more eclectic in the days before House devoured the entire scene).

But despite the big push it never broke through to a mass audience the way Hip-Hop did, probably because Go-Go was more dependent on funky jams than snappy tunes — not surprisingly then that it’s high point in the UK was probably Trouble Funk’s famous gig at London’s Town & Country Club in 1986.

It’s brief moment in the English sun did bring us some great records though, of which Go Go Crankin’ was probably the most essential collection. I hadn’t played it in years and it’s still prime booty-shaking music.

Recorded from vinyl so forgive any sound imperfections.

Download: Let’s Get Small – Trouble Funk (mp3)
Download: Meet Me At The Go Go – Hot Cold Sweat (mp3)
Download: We Need Some Money – Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers (mp3)

15 thoughts on “Going To The Go-Go”

  1. man I love that Chuck Brown. I’ve never owned it, but it’s been stuck in my head since the 80s. I’ve never forgotten it. I loved Go-Go, it was like the sort of music I imagined a modern day version of a Mod should be listening to. Money was played all over the place, radio and out and about, just as I was old enough to blag my way into places (16, but lucky enough to have a best mate who was 6 foot!)

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  2. You should check out the link to the Trouble Funk gig video if you haven’t already, some great shots of the Town & Country Club back in the day. Many happy memories of that place

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  3. What was the Wendy May night, the Locomotion? I went to that quite often. The T&C (Forum as it became later) was a main venue for me, I could walk home for starters, although it was quite a long walk!

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  6. the locomotion was a mighty fine thing. and to think we were probably all there at the same time some night or other…

    go- go features a lot in the pelecanos books along with the jaz funk favourites of lead characters. well worth a read if you like a bit of crime.

    and the dirtbox was wonderful. still see phil dirtbox sohoing about. nice man he is too
    x

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  7. the locomotion was a mighty fine thing. and to think we were probably all there at the same time some night or other…
    go- go features a lot in the pelecanos books along with the jaz funk favourites of lead characters. well worth a read if you like a bit of crime.
    and the dirtbox was wonderful. still see phil dirtbox sohoing about. nice man he is too
    x

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  10. Ally, I love Pelecanos for his use/love of music. The amount of people going through the blogs who were at the same gigs/clubs or watching the same programmes at the same time back then. Freaky really.

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  14. Standard black DMs, but old 501s, probably from Flip in Covent Garden. Never owned a pair of white denims. Did have one vintage pair that had most of the colour washed out of them though. Lovely pair of jeans.

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