Today’s classic early ’80s song of the day is “We Got the Beat” by the Go-Go’s. Released in January of 1982, it went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and established the group as the real deal.
“We Got the Beat” was written by Charlotte Caffey, the band’s lead guitarist. It was inspired by the Miracles’ 1965 Motown hit, “Going to a Go Go,” which also inspired the group’s name. Here’s what Ms. Caffey recalls about writing the song:
“I thought it would be very clever to do ‘Going to a Go-Go.’ I thought, Well, let’s try working this out as a cover song. Which is really funny when I think about it. I was listening to it a lot one day, and later that night, the song came to me within five minutes. I don’t even know if it has anything to do with listening to that song, but this whole idea came to me. It was one of those things that just went right through me and came out my hand; I wrote it down, recorded it a little bit, and then brought it into rehearsal a few days later.”
The band first recorded “We Got the Beat” as a one-off single in 1980 for Stiff Records. That version was a hit in the clubs and rose to #35 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
The Go-Go’s re-recorded “We Got the Beat” in 1981 for their new label, I.R.S. Records. It was the second single from their debut album, Beauty and the Beat (“Our Lips Are Sealed” was the first) and became their biggest hit and signature tune.
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, the Go-Go’s performing “We Got the Beat” live at at the Berlin Rockpalast on November 3, 1982. Great performance!
