Our Lips are Sealed

I always loved the G0 Gos. Their song Our Lips are Sealed became my mantra or at least a modified version of it. I hated gossip so when anyone asked me for dirt about an acquaintance, I’d answer with my lips are sealed. I loved that the song became a big hit in the eighties. The Go Gos were considered the first real girl group because they sang, and they played their own instruments. I always wanted to dispute that claim. What about the Runaways? The girl groups of the sixties were also special. Yeah, the Supremes, the Shirelles, the Chiffons etc. didn’t play instruments but they were talented. Their songs pass the test of time. Still, the Go Gos brought excitement we hadn’t seen before. On stage, they were energetic and flashy. Belinda, the lead singer, had a sweet voice that fit the lyrics and rhythm of the music. Boy, they had the beat. In fact, one of their big hits was We Got The Beat! I remember their concert at the Greek theater in L.A. It was a beautiful amphitheater in Griffith Park. The theater was packed. The audience was punked out. Piercings and mohawk hair style were the rage. I wore my black leather jacket with ‘hundreds’ of zippers and a red bandanna. I thought I was cool but probably looked like a nerd trying to be cool.

When the girls bounded on the stage led by Belinda, we all stood and cheered. Gina sat at the drums and started a familiar beat. We remained standing and were soon dancing to We Got the Beat. I bounced up and down and shuffled my feet, trying not knock over the neighbor to my right. To my left was my girlfriend Lori, who was equally energized and dancing with abandon. She would bump me affectionately and intentionally every few beats. Soon, I was sweating profusely and had stripped off my jacket and shirt. Looking down the row, I saw women stripped down to their bras. Some of the guys were down to their underwear. It was wild! Each song seemed to send the crowd into a frenzy. We all knew the lyrics and sang along. Occasionally, I heard members of the audience yelling out the names of the members of the group.  Jane, Gina, Kathy, Charlotte, Belinda! Were these just fans or friends? It didn’t matter. It added to the ambience. By the end of the concert, I needed a shower. Thankfully, so did Lori. After sitting in the parking lot behind the hundreds of cars trying to exit the park, we dove home singing Go Gos songs.

During the next few years in L.A., the music scene was bursting with a fresh sound. Punk had transitioned into New Wave. It seemed most of the new groups came out of England. Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, the Thompson Twins, the Clash, just to name a few introduced a fresh happy sound. And their music was oh so danceable! American groups also dominated the airwaves with the new sounds. Talkin’ Heads. REM, and the B-52s were among the most popular. KROQ, an L.A. radio station was the headquarters of this New Wave phenomenon. Its disc jockeys such as Richard Blade, Doug the Slug, Swedish Eagle, and Dusty Street became celebrities in their own right. They hosted concerts and promoted the music. Large and small music clubs proliferated in L.A. Older venues such as the Troubadour and the Greek began to feature these groups and music. Smaller clubs such as Madame Wong’s West introduced local talent and lesser-known groups such as the Motels. Hollywood featured many clubs such as the Whiskey and Roxy but none classier than the Palace. It attracted a better dressed punkified fan base. You felt like you were walking on the red carpet leading into the academy awards as you entered the building. It was just an alternative universe. Again, piercings, mohawk haircuts and leather were the norm but there were guys in tuxedos and women in gowns. The hallway was dark but opened into a large hall with a lit semicircular bar, stand up tables, a large dance floor and stage. A semicircular balcony hung over the back of the hall. It was teaming with chatty onlookers.

The Palace featured some of the hottest acts. Sparks, Oingo Boingo, Grace Slick, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and Lena Lovich were just a few of them. The crowded dance floor pulsated with the strobe lights and sweating dancers. Everything about the Palace felt so Hollywood, so New Wave and so electric. When Lori and I entered the Palace, we felt transported to a different world. All our daily anxieties would vanish. We felt energized, uplifted and free. New Wave music had that effect on you, but the Palace took it to a different level. It was a multisensory experience. The music, the visual stimulation, the physicality of the dance, the mixed fragrance of pot, incense and smoke lifted you to a higher ground. We couldn’t get enough of it and kept coming back.

Life in L.A. in the eighties was in tune with the music. During the Rodney King riots the Talkin’ Heads were singing Burnin’ Down the House. Missing Persons sang Nobody Walks in L.A. and Gary Newman sang Cars. We all related and couldn’t get enough of it. My car radio was always tuned onto KROQ. Since I drove two hours a day, five days a week, I’d get enough of a fix until I could see a live show over the weekend. It was happy music and happy times. The Go Gos broke up but their legacy continued with the Bangles, the next great girl group. There always seemed to be another group or singer who carried the New Wave baton. It felt fresh, positive and young and so did I. The trend continued into the nineties and then something changed. Grunge happened and everybody seemed depressed. Kurt Cobain committed suicide. Music just didn’t have the same feel. It didn’t bring me to a higher ground. Lori and I broke up. As to what happened next-my lips are sealed.