Beauty and the Beat

Infobox Album |
Name = Beauty and the Beat
Type = Album
Artist = The Go-Go's


Released = July 1981
Recorded =
Genre = Pop rock
New Wave
Length = 32:17 (33:12 with
"Surfing and Spying" B side)
Label = I.R.S.
Producer = Rob Freeman,
Richard Gottehrer
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7ubyxdkbjolj link]
*Robert Christgau (B+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=go-gos link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thegogos/albums/album/194714/review/5947001/beauty_and_the_beat link]
Last album = -
This album = "Beauty and the Beat"
(1981)
Next album = "Vacation"
(1982)

"Beauty and the Beat" is the debut album from the Californian all-female band the Go-Go's. Released in 1981, on the IRS Records label, the album was preceded by the import single "We Got the Beat", which became a massive club hit in Europe and, later, the United States. When the album was finally released, it steadily climbed the Billboard 200 chart, eventually sitting at Number One for six weeks. The long playing work sold in excess of three million copies, and went double platinum, making it one of the biggest "surprise" debut albums of all time. It is now widely considered as one of the cornerstone albums of 1980s new wave music. It was the first album entirely written and performed by an all-female band to top the charts.

The title is a play on the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast", retold in numerous formats (one of the latest was the successful Walt Disney's cartoon).

RS500|413 This album was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005. The lead single and album opener, "Our Lips Are Sealed", has been covered over the years by numerous artists, and remains a staple of 80's playlists. It is frequently cited as one of the Top 100 and Top 50 songs of the 80's. "Rolling Stone" magazine has named it one of the Top 100 Pop Singles of all time.

"This Town" was used as the theme song for "Rich Girls", a reality show, which formerly aired on MTV. It was performed by Lillix.

Track listing

#"Our Lips Are Sealed" (Terry Hall, Wiedlin) – 2:45
#"How Much More" (Caffey, Wiedlin) – 3:06
#"Tonite" (Caffey, Wiedlin, Case) – 3:35
#"Lust to Love" (Caffey, Wiedlin) – 4:04
#"This Town" (Caffey, Wiedlin) – 3:20
#"We Got the Beat" (Caffey) – 2:32
#"Fading Fast" (Caffey) – 3:41
#"Automatic" (Wiedlin) – 3:07
#"You Can't Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)" (Caffey, Wiedlin) – 2:54
#"Skidmarks on My Heart" (Caffey, Carlisle) – 3:06
#"Can't Stop the World" (Valentine) – 3:20 +
#"Surfing and Spying" (Caffey) – 1:55 (single B side only)

Credits

Band

*Charlotte Caffey - guitar, keyboards, background vocals
*Belinda Carlisle - lead vocals
*Gina Schock - percussion, drums
*Kathy Valentine - bass, background vocals
*Jane Wiedlin - rhythm guitar, vocals, background vocals

Production

*Rob Freeman: production, engineering, and mixing
*Richard Gottehrer: production
*James A. Ball: assistant engineer and mixing assistant
*Ted Blechta, Darroll Gustamachio, Gray Russell, John Terelle: assistant engineers
*Stuart Furusho, David Leonard: mixing assistants
*Doug Schwartz: remixing
*Greg Calbi: mastering

taff

*Ginger Canzoneri, Mike Doud, Mick Haggerty, Vartan: art direction
*Mike Fink, Mick Haggerty: design
*George DuBose, Mick Haggerty, Cindy Marsh: photography
*Cindy Marsh: illustrations

Charts

Album

ingles