NATALIE SWEET has The GO-GOs He’s So Strange, covered
Natalie Sweet He’s So Strange [If You Gotta Go-Go, Go-Go Now] is available on Sympathy Records, Tidal, Apple
by Walter Price
I wouldn’t be able to accurately accuse the younger TikTok brainwashed generation(s) of not knowing the absolute importance that The Go-Gos had on the post-punk rock music world. But, I can say that you can hear the seminal rocknroll pop stars’ influence in the truncated music being pushed out in massive volumes…whether the makers know the origins or not.
A band that is earnestly celebrated by the infamous Long Gone John, “Their groundbreaking album, Beauty and the Beat was released in 1981…Every track was a treasure, a mini teen drama immediately appealing, relatable and memorable…It finally claimed the number one spot on the Billboard chart and stayed there for six weeks and eventually went double platinum…The GO-GO’s were the first all-female band to write their own songs and play their own instruments to achieve that massive distinction…The GO-GO’s quickly proved to be an invaluable blueprint and an undeniable inspiration for like-minded girls and they spearheaded a deluge of hopeful girl bands…Pretty much any successful female artist of the past 40 years will swiftly cite The GO-GO’s as an important influence…So here I am four decades after their arrival releasing a tribute album to the girls who conquered a male-dominated industry and essentially changed everything while successfully rewriting the rule book…I’ve never lost my admiration and undying appreciation for The GO-GO’s and my hope is that they will continue to keep go-going for a long long time yet to come…Ironically “If You Gotta GO-GO, GO-GO Now” coincides with their long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!”
So, although late, I was delighted to stumble across a tribute album to triumph over all tribute LPs. The ultra delicious IF YOU GOTTA GO-GO GO-GO NOW (2022) via Sympathy for the Record Industry. Chockful of your fave fringe, if you will, artists paying homage to the greats that forged the way for many songwriting, hard-playing ladies (and boys as well) over the past several decades.
You have Josie Cotton – Fading Fast, Baby Shakes – This Town, The Heels – Skidmarks on My Heart, Pale Lips – Get Up and Go, E.G. Daily – We Got the Beat, and, my goto galactic Go-Go’s track “He’s So Strange” redux by the incomparable Natalie Sweet—to just highlight a handful of gems from this brilliant 24-track set. A long time coming, good time. I wish this LP upon all the up-and-coming music crafters…
You can stream Natalie Sweet‘s addictive homage as well as the full album, here at the GTC.
NATALIE SWEET He’s So Strange
Artist photo via Bandcamp // Quotes via Sympathy for the Record Industry
“The GO-GO’s were there near the beginning…From the very start they were instantly identifiable and gloriously just a little out of step…They indeed had a unique vision…They may’ve had Punk Rock hearts, but they were decidedly pop-driven…I was fortunate to see them very early on and I watched them evolve into the band that would soon brighten the airwaves and charm the pants off the entire world…They had everything…” – Long Gone John