Monday, August 15, 2016

Song of the Day: 'The Go-Go's Are Riding on a Donut' by Del Guerrero


Del Guerrero writes:
The Go-Go's are not the same without Kathy on bass so, I wrote this song about it.
For those don't get the reference, a "donut" is a mini spare tire you use until you can the one you've blown back on the car, which about says it all.
FYI: Since everyone's a critic, the song is a silly little ditty, not a masterpiece.

With the Go-Go's on their farewell tour, many people have again been speculating that there had to be "more" to the story about Kathy's dismissal than has been revealed. Kathy posted this in response:


More on the now-settled lawsuit HERE.


House of Schock 

Kudos to Marc Hirsh of The Boston Globe for finally asking someone in the band about the split. Drummer Gina Schock was the lucky winner, but her answer (above) has left a bad taste in a lot of fans' mouths. Not only did Kathy play on the album and contribute a song  -- Gina wrote nothing -- she was just as involved in touring, doing radio promos, interviews, visiting distributors and all the other things the band did collectively to make the album a success. On top of all that, the Go-Go's themselves were the ones who have always said Kathy was the "final piece of the puzzle" that got them a record deal, so it seems more than a little disingenuous for Schock to act like it could have been anyone in that role. From my own point of view I will say that when I meet other Go-Go's fans, three-fourths of the time they single out  "Head Over Heels" or "Vacation" as their favorite song, both of which Kathy co-wrote. The non-Belinda members of the Go-Go's keep bending over backward to say that the band isn't breaking up after the "Farewell Tour," they're just "not touring" anymore. But anyone who knows anything about the Go-Go's knows all they are these days is a touring band, so clearly they're just saying that to save face because Belinda plans to continue doing what she wants as a solo artist and they just don't want to admit they have nothing else going on professionally. The Go-Go's are indeed riding on a donut, and because the missing tire has been irrevocably shredded, it makes sense to park the old car in the garage and begin campaigning for a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where all five women will be recognized for what they achieved as a group. It's a shame it's come to this, but sometimes you just have to accept that entertainers you admire aren't necessarily nice people. 

3 comments:

Dave in Texas said...

If I was going to start a band, I would pick Kathy over any of the other Go-Go's members.

Margie O said...

i can't imagine ever going to another go-go's concert again - those 4 are nuts.

nojarama said...

I'm going to the LA show out of nostalgia, but I am truly disappointed that they couldn't get their shit together & work things out with Kathy. It won't be the same without her.