PicoBlog

(Redferns / via twitter.com/officialgogos)

While recently viewing Alison Ellwood’s documentary The Go-Go’s (2020) on the all-girl pop band from the 1980s, I couldn’t help but compare it to Vicki Blue’s own doc Edgeplay (2004) about the hard rock all-girl band the Runaways, which she was also a member of. Structure and production values aside, it was interesting to me how different, yet similar the two groups viewed their histories as legends and as women. In the Go-Gos doc, the narrative was all about girl power. First all-girl band to record and play all their own material, first all-girl band to chart the very top of Billboard—even to this day, they’re the only all-girl band to do this. Their manager, Ginger Canzoneri, was a woman and so were some of their tour roadies. One thing I noticed during Ellwood’s film is that the ladies kept mentioning how their roots were ‘organic.’ They started as a local band formed by lead singer Belinda Carlisle and rhythm guitarist Jane Wiedlin before getting signed by IRS Records in 1981, specifying that they didn’t have a Svengali running the show. Naturally, my first thought hearing the Svengali comment was Runaways manager and producer Kim Fowley. Low and behold, a photo of the Runaways and Kim pops up for a second in The Go-Go’s as if to make it clear “this isn’t us.” In Edgeplay, there’s barely a feminist narrative about the rock girls, except to state that they loved, played and worked as hard as male musicians. It feels more like former bandmates letting off steam about past frustrations and demons they want to come to terms with. Of course, there’s plenty of this with the Go-Gos as well, ironically claiming they’re badass feminists who didn’t need help from men while also fighting and sabotaging each other near the end of their prime. Whereas the Runaways have always had public beef with each other and mainly became feminist icons by happenstance.

(Lynn Goldsmith)

Many think the Go-Gos and the Bangles are the big, competing all-girl bands of classic rock, but the Runaways actually fit into this spectrum too. Bangles bassist Micki Steele was a founding member of the Runaways until bailing right before the group signed to Mercury Records in early 1976. There’s a photo in the Go-Gos doc of drummer Gina Schock hanging out with Runaways guitarist Joan Jett. One of Ginger’s ex-girlfriends is former Runaways songwriter Kari Krome. Both the Go-Gos and the Runaways were formed in Los Angeles, CA. Because of the mutual connections between the bands, I have to wonder if the Go-Gos got wind of all the seedy and sinister secrets regarding sexual misconduct, exploitation and manipulation from the men on the Runaways team; and decided to dodge anything similar happening by surrounding themselves with other women. [Obvious exceptions would be Richard Gottehrer and Martin Rushent, who produced the Go-Gos albums in the 1980s.] They also had the advantage of being in their 20s to early 30s throughout the ‘80s, while the Runaways were 15-21 during their limited stint from 1975 to 1979, making them extra vulnerable and naïve to the dark sides of fame and showbusiness.

Though this helped the Go-Gos curb sexual harassment and coercion, they also ended up with different issues. The biggest female band in the world rocked as hard as the boys, partied as hard as the boys, fooled around as much as the boys, and ultimately crashed as hard as the boys. Plenty of legendary rockstars, such as Sting, Rod Stewart and Blondie’s Clem Burke, will tell you these gals could drink any of their male peers under the table. But Belinda and lead guitarist Charlotte Caffey in particular suffered major addictions [Belinda with cocaine and Charlotte with heroin], and poor Gina had to endure open heart surgery in 1984. If there’s one thing more impressive than the Go-Gos’ chart records, it’s the fact that they’re all still alive. The Runaways did their share of hard partying as well, but most of their tragedy lies in abuse and money struggles. Probably the least surprising thing about each band is that multiple members came out as bisexual or lesbian later in life. Over the years, each band has developed important spots in music history, partly because three bandmates went on to superstardom: Joan and lead guitarist Lita Ford from the Runaways and Belinda from the Go-Gos. Jane released her own solo records and has co-written songs recorded by Keith Urban and on the soundtrack for Harry Elfont & Deborah Kaplan’s Josie & the Pussycats (2001). Runaways frontwoman Cherie Currie had moderate success as an actress in the ‘80s, with the movies Adrian Lyne’s Foxes (1980) and Joe Dante’s segment of The Twilight Zone (1983), and episodes of CBS’ “Murder, She Wrote” (1984) and NBC’s “Matlock” (1990-91); as well as led a brief rock duo with her twin sister Marie in 1979-80. But time has shown all these ladies shine most with their respected groups.

(Tom Gold)

And how does the music hold up against each other? Well, that’s like comparing the Beatles to Led Zeppelin. The Runaways started out heavily inspired by the glam rock movement of the early 1970s before becoming sort of a punk/hard rock hybrid near the end of the decade, while the Go-Gos began as legitimate punks in 1978 before accepting new wave and pop were the route to go in 1980. ‘Cherry Bomb,’ ‘You Drive Me Wild’ and ‘I Love Playing with Fire’ are as catchy as ‘We Got the Beat,’ ‘Our Lips are Sealed’ and ‘Head Over Heels’ and the latter can rock as much as the former. Both bands’ debuts, the Runaways’ 1976 self-titled LP and the Go-Gos’ ‘Beauty and the Beat’ (1981), are still noted as landmarks of their eras, and female rock groups and music artists still list both groups as favorites. Though time usually helps heal things, Edgeplay and The Go-Go’s also show that while the bandmates might not be the best of friends past or present, they’re now older and wise enough to keep things professional and civil.

Which band did you favor back in the day? Are you a Go-Gos fan or a Runaways lover?

ncG1vNJzZmismJq6prPGopysrZVjwLau0q2YnKNemLyue89oq6arXaeytb7OZquhnV2ZtqeyxKucp5uVYq%2BmwNaenKc%3D