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Go-Go 1


A concurrent form of African American popular music, go-go, developed in Washington, DC, in the mid-1970s. By drawing from several disparate sources-funk, Pentecostal church music, hip-hop, soul, Caribbean, and West African drumming-go-go creates a unique sound that has remained popular in Washington, DC, and adjoining Prince George's County, Maryland. Unfortunately, this music is not only geographically limited; it is largely unknown or misunderstood outside the local Black community within which it thrives. (It should be understood go-go music is not related to go-go dancing, which was a term used during the 1960s that referred to dancing to music as entertainment in a venue.)

Chuck Brown

Chuck Brown

Chuck Brown-known locally as the "Godfather of Go-Go"-originated this music and played with a Latin group named Los Latinos in the mid-1960s. In 1966 he put together a group called The Soul Searchers. For their first ten years, The Soul Searchers primarily performed covers of contemporary soul and Motown hits. With the rise of funk from the late 1960s into the early 1970s, The Soul Searchers gradually incorporated selections by groups such as Ohio Players, Maze, Cameo, and George Clinton's various groups, most notably Funkadelic. In 1972, they released their song " We the People " from the same name album. In 1976, when he added a second percussionist, Brown began performing "nonstop" (i.e., continuously for several hours), seamlessly grooving from one selection to the next as the percussion section maintained a highly syncopated beat. Brown's childhood Sundays spent in a rural North Carolina Pentecostal church where services could last up to four hours later inspired his long, coherent performances. Extended "jams" by musicians ranging from the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix to John Coltrane also influenced him. Go-go soon became known for both its extended "sets" and its nonstop performances, which were supported not only by a conventional drum trap set but also by timbales and conga drums. The distinctive sound created by this expansive rhythm section helped to set go-go groups apart from other groups inspired by funk and jazz.

Timbales with a single cowbell.

Timbales with a single cowbell.

However, it was not until 1979, when Chuck Brown recorded and released the album and single " Bustin' Loose," that go-go began reaching a larger audience (see video below). Disco, glitter, bpm (beats per minute), and flashing lights at the time dominated popular music. The interest in rock-oriented groups had temporarily ebbed, and funk was no longer new. It was in this milieu that "Bustin' Loose," with its simple AB form, its distinctive go-go beat, Chuck's warning before the B section "give me the bridge, y'all," and his call-and-response between himself and the audience became one of the top-selling songs of the year across the country.

Major disco clubs had lighted dance floors, with the lights flashing to complement the beat.

Major disco clubs had lighted dance floors, with the lights flashing to complement the beat.

Chuck Brown And The Soul Searchers - Bustin' Loose (1979)

Chuck Brown And The Soul Searchers - Bustin' Loose (1979) [ 00:00-00:00 ]

Don Cornelius

You can bet your last money, it's all gonna be a stone gas, honey.

Don Cornelius

As always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul!