Although they both emerged from 1980s new wave, there aren't too many artists more dissimilar than Jane Wiedlin and Pet Shop Boys. The one thing they do have in common, though, is that each wrote a song called "Inside a Dream."
Jane's was featured on her second solo LP, "Fur," and was released as the second single, after the surprise Top 10 hit "Rush Hour." "Inside a Dream," which peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, is a lot like Jane herself: Bubbly on the outside but a lot darker inside, with its upbeat major chord progression juxtaposed against its rather morose lyrics. Cute little Jane "wants to lose" herself "inside a dream" and "find a world worth living for" -- cheer up, pipsqueak!
Pet Shop Boys released "Inside a Dream" as an album track on the duo's 2013 album, "Electric." The song is dreamy and dance-y, with congruent lyrics ... like being on Ecstasy without the risk of death by fentanyl.
This is kind of a quirky one. Jane Wiedlin performed a handful of Go-Go's songs at the opening of an art show by Beatriz Monteavaro at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida Southwestern State College. Why'd she do it? Turns out Beatriz's artwork is inspired by the Go-Go's -- the exhibit is called Vacation -- and that's her playing drums! Details HERE.
A lot of negative comments online about this performance, butI liked some of Jane's phrasing on "Vacation"!
Go-Go’s fans were driving in risk upon seeing this photo dated today outside the Whisky on the Sunset Strip. A call to the venue informed me that there is no (public) performance tonight -- marquee be damned -- so I’m guessing there is some additional footage being shot for the upcoming documentary about the band. Can it possibly top their "Behind the Music"?!!!
UPDATE:
Kathy confirmed they are filming for the Showty doc.
Producer Matt Rollings, Charlotte Caffey, Keith Urban, Jane Wiedlin, Capitol's Mike Dungan and BMI's Harry Warne
Apparently Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin -- the New Wave's Lennon-McCartney -- went to Nashville in 2000 and wound up writing a No. 1 country song for a young Keith Urban, who thinks Char's name is Caffrey!
Jane's voice seems a little worse for the wear, but you get the idea how sweet this could be.
Keith describes the nearly unsuccessful writing session here.
With the passing of the great Doris Day, much has been written about the work she did to prevent animal cruelty. The tributes have been heartfelt and well-deserved -- and so many great old photos. But this 1970 print had for faux fur -- featuring Doris, Amanda Blake (1929-1989), Jayne Meadows (1919-2015), Angie Dickinson (1931-present) and Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017) -- might just be my favorite memento of all.
Wow. Amazon’s “Forever” is the most wonderful and emotionally devastating thing I’ve seen in ages (in a good way). Bravo to everyone involved. The only missed opportunity was using this Jane Wiedlin song as its theme ...
They've got the beat: Kathy Valentine, Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin, Belinda Carlisle and Gina Schock
The world's head was a little less lost Monday night when Kathy Valentine reunited with the Go-Go's for a short concert at Bowery Ballroom to promote "Head Over Heels," the upcoming musical heading to Broadway featuring 17 of the band's songs.
An inspired mash-up of posh and punk, "Head Over Heels" is an unpredictable, Elizabethan romp about a royal family that must prevent an oracle's prophecy of doom. In order to save their beloved kingdom, the family embarks on an extravagant journey wrought with mistaken identities, jealous lovers, sexual awakening, scandal and self-discovery, where everything (and everyone) is not quite what it seems.
Insider buzz on “Head Over Heels” is strong. The show’s had a few workshops since it premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 2015. It’s gotten better each time, sources say.
It did hit a bump in the road when the original writer, Jeff Whitty, left the production. Whitty, who wrote the script to “Avenue Q,” is a talented writer. And at the Go-Go’s concert Monday night, people involved in the show told me much of his original script was “great fun” and “brilliantly theatrical.”
But it was long. “Head Over Heels” ran three hours in Oregon, prompting one of the Go-Go’s to remark, “I love the Go-Go’s. I’m in the Go-Go’s. But I can’t take three hours of the Go-Go’s.”
James Magruder stepped in to streamline the script, under the supervision of director Michael Mayer, who won the Tony for his terrific production of “Spring Awakening.”
While “Head Over Heels” uses Go-Go’s music, it’s not the band’s story. The show is based on “Arcadia,” a 16th-century prose poem by Sir Philip Sidney, and is set in a magical land of dukes, oracles, lions, bears -- and more than a couple of cross-dressers. The cast includes Jeremy Kushnier, Taylor Iman Jones, Andrew Durand, Rachel York and Peppermint (of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fame).
While it's no secret I'm not a big musical theater goer, I don't know that there was anyone more excited to be there than I was -- especially with this guy by my side.
Damian's future's so bright ...
Legendary MTV veejay Mark Goodman spoke with director Michael Mayer -- who described the show as the perfect escapist antidote for today's troubled times -- before introducing the band.
And then out came the ladies ...
who launched into "Vacation," Kathy's classic written for her old band the Textones ...
followed by "How Much More," which Charlotte wrote with Jane ...
Andy Cohen and Sandra Bernhard -- (S)Andy -- were to my right, loving every minute of it ...
Was a little surprised that they then did "Mad About You," which was technically written (by replacement Go-Go Paula Jean Brown) for the band's first post-Jane album before ending up on Belinda's solo debut ...
Then came their cover classic, "Cool Jerk." Belinda really seemed to get into the song with Kath and her bad, bad bass ...
The play's title track was next -- a Caffey/Valentine collaboration ...
Followed by the one-two "Beauty and the Beat" punch of "Our Lips Are Sealed" (Wiedlin/Terry Hall)
... and "We Got the Beat” (Caffey).
Afterward we got to spend a little time with Kathy ...
And I confronted Mark Goodman about his missing trademark curly locks. (He hates them and gets his hair straightened these days!)
Miss Guy -- my all-time favorite deejay -- did not disappoint ...
Then I bumped into Charlotte and showed her the photo I took of her when my friend Mark and I stalked the Go-Go's on their 1984 tour. She was so tickled she went running -- with my phone -- across the venue (with no warning) to show her posse, laughing and saying, "That was definitely 'Talk Show' hair!"
It remains to be seen if "Head Over Heels: The Musical" is my cup of tea -- the music's obviously great and the cast is adorable, so that helps! -- but seeing these five women onstage again most definitely is. Here's hoping they continue to play together. We wouldn't want them to be rusty (or estranged) when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally comes knocking.
Jane Wiedlin is back as part of a duo with Pietro Straccia. Kudos for the gender-bending video and for coming up with something that sounds nothing like the Go-Go's, Frosted or her solo material -- sort of power pop with an electronic twist. Smart to divide lead vocal duties as Jane's voice can fall prey to the law of diminishing returns over the course of an album. Elettrodomestico's debut album -- fittingly titled "If You're a Boy or a Girl" -- is available now HERE.
The legendary Go-Go's played the final show of their so-called farewell tour Tuesday night at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, the city where it all began nearly four decades ago. Like many fans, I skipped this tour, and the previous ones that occurred after bassist Kathy Valentine was unilaterally dismissed in early 2013. While some have pointed out that I've never thought twice about seeing dozens of other bands that have had revolving band members -- Blondie, the Pretenders, Hole and the Beach Boys come to mind -- what made the Go-Go's wonderfully unique in the rock 'n' roll landscape is that they spent more than three decades together with their classic lineup intact, making them a very special exception to the rule. So while the Eagles and Van Halen were acting like "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," these five adult women were consummate professionals, never giving in to the stereotypes of women being other women's worst enemy. That all ended when Kathy Valentine broke her wrist and missed some touring dates. Not only did the four other women gang up on her in her absence to create an evil caricature that no one would want anything to do with, Kathy's hand-picked fill-in pulled an Eve Harrington, eventually usurping Kathy's place in the band. How they went from being the only group of women in music history to have written and played a No. 1 album to 50-something "Mean Girls" by way of "All About Eve" is one of the saddest and most disillusioning stories in rock 'n' roll history.
With the band now on permanent vacation, it was somewhat heartening to see that Kathy Valentine's attempt to reach out to her former bandmates was greeted with a kind response from Belinda Carlisle, who many think was merely the enforcer for one petty and vindictive singing telegram ...
Next stop: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? A gay can dream!
UPDATE:
Mrs. Mason (and the other women invarious interviews) continues to spread lies, trying to lead fans to believe there had to be "legitimate reasons" Kathy Valentine was ousted from the band. First we were told all would be laid out in the lawsuit, but that turned out to be a lot of gas. Now we're being told the Go-Go's can't discuss it because of "legal reasons." Note to world: "Confidential settlement" means you can't discuss how much was (or wasn't) paid to make a lawsuit go away. It DOES NOT mean you cannot discuss why you wanted to part ways with someone -- so fess up or shut up. Way to reinforce negative stereotypes about how "catty" women are to one another, ladies.
This one's considered by many fans -- and Go-Go's -- to be the band's best song. My updated post about what Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin and Kathy Valentine have done solo over the years got a lot of attention over the weekend. Check it out HERE.
This is from August, but Billboard did a fun piece on the 10 biggest singles by the Go-Go's and its members as solo artists. Was a little surprised to see Jane's one-hit wonder made the cut! See all 10 HERE.
Hilarious that a house in Burbank, Calif., that Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's sold in 2004 was written up in the Los Angeles Times with her as the hook all these years later. Hollywood really does fetishize fame ... at any level. Read HERE.
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