Few debut albums have left a mark on pop music quite like “Beauty and the Beat.” Released in 1981, The Go-Go’s breakthrough record introduced fans to a string of unforgettable hits and helped make the band one of the biggest acts of the decade.
Now, 45 years later, the milestone is giving fans another reason to celebrate. Lead singer and songwriter Belinda Carlisle shared her own tribute to the anniversary on Instagram.
Happy 45th Birthday ‘Beauty and the Beat’
Belinda Carlisle, along with Jane Wiedlin, Gina Schock, Charlotte Caffey, and Kathy Valentine, made music history in 1981 with “Beauty and the Beat.” The LP became the first album entirely written and performed by an all-female band to reach number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.
To celebrate this milestone, Carlisle shared the following recollections about the anniversary.
“The album, which I had already titled ‘Beauty and the Beat,’ came together pretty easily. I remember everyone having trouble laying down the basic tracks for ‘We Got the Beat,’ which we were redoing from the 1980 UK version.”
“Everyone’s timing was a little off, so we took a break, ordered pizza, and tried it again. We nailed it on the first take. Food always worked with us,” the singer and songwriter continued.
“‘Our Lips Are Sealed’ was a gem that we had played for a whole year. I knew it was going to be a hit when I first heard it, and I was right. The song only got better the more we played it.”
Carslile continued, “The entire album was like a time capsule. ‘Tonite’ captured the vibe of being on Hollywood Boulevard. ‘Lust to Love,’ which Jane wrote, was immediately one of my favorite Go-Go’s songs.”
“‘Automatic’ was about Jane’s boyfriend Dean, who was in the Rockats. ‘You Can’t Walk in Your Sleep,’ a Jane and Charlotte collaboration, was about Jane’s problem with insomnia and occasional tendency to sleepwalk. Kathy brought in the song ‘Can’t Stop the World,’ which she had originally intended for the Textones, but it was such a natural for us. Finally, ‘Skidmarks on My Heart’ which I co-wrote with Charlotte, was about my brother who was going through a hard time, my cat, and my first car, the one missing the passenger side.”
How did Belinda Carlisle Come Up With the Album’s Iconic Cover?
GettyAs Belinda Carlisle’s post continued, she shared details of how she came up with the iconic cover art for “Beauty and the Beat.”
She explained, “I came up with the concept for the album’s front and back cover before we even left LA. I thought putting us in face masks and wearing only towels was a look that would be timeless.”
Carlisle continued, “Take away our identities and clothes, and we were women who would be just as current in 25 years as we were then. I think I was right.”
“The back cover showing us all in bubble baths was supposed to be pure girly fun. And it was, except we shot the photos in our hotel room and the Mr. Bubble…. well, that’s a story for another time,” she concluded.
Happy 45th birthday to “Beauty and the Beat.”
