It’s not quite right to say that the Go-Go’s' 1981 debut, Beauty and the Beat, is where new wave caught hold in the U.S., but it’s not quite wrong, either. Prior to this, there had certainly been new wave hits – Blondie had been reaching the Top Ten for two years running – but the Go-Go’s ushered in the era of big, bright stylish pop, spending six weeks at the top of the U.S. charts and generating two singles that defined the era: the cool groove of “Our Lips Are Sealed” and the exuberant “We Got the Beat.” So big were these two hits that they sometimes suggested that Beauty and the Beat was a hits-and-filler record, an impression escalated by the boost the Go-Go’s received from the just-launched MTV, yet that’s hardly the case. Beauty and the Beat is sharp, clever, and catchy, explicitly drawing from the well of pre-Beatles ‘60s pop – girl group harmonies, to be sure, but surf-rock echoes throughout – but filtering it through the nervy energy of punk.

For their third album, the Go-Go's abandoned all pretense of being punk, or even new wave, and went for an unabashed mainstream pop masterpiece. They nearly achieved their goal with Talk Show, an album filled with great pop songs but undermined by its own ambition. Talk Show has a sharper sound than its predecessors, with bigger guitars and drums, which helps drive home the accomplished pop hooks of "Turn to You," "I'm the Only One," and "Yes or No." However, the record is cluttered with half-realized songs and an overly detailed production which occasionally prevents the songs from reaching their full potential. But when the production and song are teamed well, the results are incredible, such as the surging "Head Over Heels," another classic single.

The groundbreaking album, Beauty and the Beat was released in 1980… Every track is a treasure, a mini teen drama immediately appealing, relatable and memorable… From the very start they were instantly identifiable and maybe a little out of step… They indeed had a unique vision… It wouldn't be long till they would charm the pants off the entire world… They had everything… THE GO-GO'S seemed to be more talented than most of their peers and they were always a few steps ahead… In 1982 claimed the number one spot on the Billboard chart and stayed there for 6 weeks and of course it eventually went double platinum… THE GO-GO'S were the first all female band that wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to achieve that massive distinction… They soon proved to be a 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 site THE GO-GO'S as an important influence… Now Sympathy is releasing a tribute album to the girls who conquered a male dominated industry and essentially changed everything successfully rewriting the rule book… This tribute, If You Gotta GO-GO, GO-GO now features 24 bands… Included in the line-up are a few big-hitters and others you'll likely be hearing for the first time… I've been working on this since last year with the rather amazing Travis Ramin and tirelessly he has helped turn it into an impressive reality… This was in fact a daunting task and sadly some artists we would of liked to have recruited were unable to participate… Produced by Travis Ramin and with the Mighty GEZA X at the helm tying it all together we are confident it will be an amazing/heartfelt artifact honoring the brilliantly talented and ever-lovely GO-GO'S.