David Kessel on working with The GO- GO’s and The Ventures
As the sons of legendary Guitarist and Producer Barney Kessel, my brother Dan and I were more than elated to work with the original Ventures, the best selling instrumental band in the world. So many musicians grew up listening to them and buying their instructional albums. (How to play like them.) They have been a monumental influence all over the world. You don’t have to speak a language to understand the music. It’s international. My Dad loved playing and touring in Japan and so did The Ventures. They both found a very appreciative audience for instrumental guitar music when they played over there. The Guitar talks anywhere and everywhere, in any language.
I first saw a picture of The GO -GO’s in a fanzine. I thought that they knew they had a thing, I just wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew they had it. I, along with my brother Dan, talked to DJ scene maker extraordinaire Rodney Bingenheimer about the band. He gave us the phone number of Margo, the original bass playing leader of the band. I personally spoke to Margo’s mom inquiring about the band being available to make some recordings and she got Margo on the phone to discuss the issue.
Dan and I were invited to come to a rehearsal and meet the band and talk about making some recordings. They were rehearsing at Wilshire Fine Arts, a $2 an hour room with a dirt floor. A lot of the punk bands used it because of how cheap it was (The Plugz, a cool East L.A. Punk band with Tito Larriva, were right next door). We did several more rehearsals with The Go-Go’s there, and actually had to teach them how to play together as a unit looking at each other, and making the chord changes together with the drums. We got along fine with the band and I ended up being friends and hanging out with Charlotte Caffey, the lead guitarist. Wilshire Fine Arts was a cool dump. It was run by a very dignified older guy that everyone really appreciated and respected, named Wendell. I was very pleasantly impressed when Charlotte told me she mailed him a postcard from The Go-Go’s first tour in the UK, thanking him for being so nice.
During this time the band had some early demo recordings that were getting action on Rodney Bingenheimr’s ”Rodney On The Rock” show on KROQ in L.A. Rodney’s show was (and still is) a very important launching pad for any new music in LA, New York, London, and everywhere. If Rodney plays your music, you get recognition as being relevant. Rodney has most recently joined SIRUS XM to keep the cool music going.
My brother and I, along with Rodney Bingenheimer believed in the band even though they were originally really sloppy players as a unit. We invited one of the top booking agents in L.A. at the time, Marshall Berle, to a GO-GO’s rehearsal. Marshall became the bands’ first real booking agent. Marshall had his office at the top floor of The Whiskey a Go Go on the Sunset Strip. This led to the band’s first gig at the Whiskey, and subsequent higher profile bookings. The band ended up with a tour in England opening for Madness and The Specials. When they came back, they were a really tight Punk Rock band. I discussed with Charlotte that it was a very impressive performance leap for the band, but they should incorporate some New Wave vibe and look. It was around this time that Charlotte expressed to me that she was dissatisfied with Margo’s bass playing and heavily considering getting Kathy Valentine (who was in The Text Tones) to join the group and play bass with The Go-Go’s, to help tighten up the band’s rhythm section. She asked me what I thought about it, and I told her they would sound more together and make a way more musical professional presentation.
During this period, my brother Dan and I started working with the legendary instrumental group The Ventures. They were the original guys back together (Don Wilson Rhythm Guitar, Bob Bogle Bass Guitar, Nokie Edwards lead guitar, and Mel Taylor on Drums), wanting to make a new statement. Rodney Bingenheimer had suggested this musical pairing of us working with the band. We were recording an album for Toshiba EMI in Japan (released on The Ventures label Tridex elsewhere) and wanted to integrate the band into the Punk/New Wave scene that was happening. Charlotte Caffey of The Go- Go’s had written a primarily instrumental song” Surfin’ And Spyin’ “that we thought was perfect for The Ventures.” The Ventures agreed to do the song, so, Charlotte and Jane Wiedlin came into the studio to sing backups on it, along with several other songs that were on the album we were recording. “Surfin’ And Spyin’” was released as a single backed with “Showdown At Newport”, a new Ventures song named by Rodney Bingenheimer.
At this period The Go -Go’s were getting a real buzz going on. A lot of people were getting on board with liking them. Fans at shows, some good press, etc, but no major record company would give them a deal.
The labels were signing all kinds of Punk and local hipster bands, but not The Go- Go’s. My brother and I pitched them to Warner Bros Records when all the new music was happening and exploding, but the response we got from the A&R guy (who shall remain nameless) was that if this kind of music ever made it, he would quit the business (He didn’t).
We ended up putting shows together with The Ventures and The Go -Go’s at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip. By this time Rodney Bingenheimer had played The Ventures, The Go- Go’s and the record with them together “Surfin’ And Spyin’”, on his radio show to the point that there was a real frenzy for these two bands to play together. The original plan was a Friday Show and a Saturday show, but the demand was so high for tickets that a second show was added on each day. Still, demand led to a fifth show matinee on Sunday of that same weekend.
These shows led to official interest in The Go- Go’s, but still not enough for any label to believe in them. I remember being in my car with Charlotte and her not being sure about two offers the band had recently received. Elektra Records had offered them a singles deal, which I thought was noble, but not good enough. IRS records headed by Miles Copland had offered the band an album deal, which I recommended they take. IRS had major distribution, but a lean and mean machine. IRS got the mentality of the Punk/New Wave movement.
They concurrently signed with Ian Copland’s FBI (Frontier Booking International), the premier booking agency for Punk and New Wave at the time, for getting the band high profile gigs. Once “We Got The Beat” went to #1 on the Billboard charts, they were deservedly off and running. Years later, I went on to become a partner with Ian in the Backstage Café in Beverly Hills, which was a music and entertainment industry hub. He and I had fun swapping Go -Go’s and other stories.
Both my brother Dan and myself were and are honored to have worked with The Ventures, and to have helped them reach a new audience that emerged during the Punk Rock/New Wave movement, by teaming them with The Go-Go’s.
The Ventures are timeless and have a vitality that transcends generations.
Go-Go’s, welcome to the The Rock ‘N’ Hall Of Fame. You earned it with hard work and you deserve it. You set a gold standard for women in rock.
CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!
