The Go-Betweens

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Not to be confused with The Go-Between.
The Go-Betweens
Origin Brisbane, Australia
Genre(s) Indie rock, jangle pop
Years active 1977–1989,
2000–2006
Label(s) LO-MAX, Postcard
Website Official website
Former members
Robert Forster
Grant McLennan
Lissa Ross
Tim Mustapha
Lindy Morrison
Robert Vickers
Amanda Brown
John Willsteed
Glenn Thompson
Adele Pickvance

The Go-Betweens were an internationally influential indie rock band from Australia, formed by guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan in Brisbane in 1977.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Early on Robert Forster and Grant McLennan were joined by Lissa Ross (drums 1978) and Tim Mustapha (drums 1978–1979) then, during their "classic" period by Lindy Morrison (drums 1980–1989), Robert Vickers (bass 1983–1987), Amanda Brown (violin, oboe, guitar, backing vocals 1986–1989) and John Willsteed (bass 1987–1989) and, in their reformation, by Glenn Thompson (drums 2002–2006), and Adele Pickvance (bass 2000–2006).

The focal point of the group was the songwriting skills of Forster and McLennan, famously described by Village Voice critic Robert Christgau as "the greatest songwriting partnership working today." Each developed a distinctive but complementary style: Forster's songs were angular and angst-ridden, making much use of irony and unusual lyrical imagery, while McLennan's were generally softer and more sensitive, his lyrics often based on character study and reported speech.

The band's first recordings ("Lee Remick", "Karen" - both 1978 - and "People Say", 1979) were simple pop tunes with a rough New Wave edge, an obvious blend of pure pop influences such as The Monkees with the gritty simplicity of The Velvet Underground. By their first official album, 1982's Send Me A Lullaby, they had developed a subtler sound consisting of dry semi-spoken vocals, complex lyrics and melodic but fractious guitar pop influenced by contemporary bands such as Television, Wire and Talking Heads. In 1979, the group had left Australia, first for Glasgow, where they briefly joined the roster of cult independent label Postcard, then following their friends and contemporaries The Birthday Party to the busier music scene in London. Their second LP Before Hollywood (1983) established the group as cult favourites in the UK, McLennan's "Cattle And Cane" becoming a large hit on the independent charts.

The Go-Betweens spent much of the 80s touring, regularly producing such alternative radio hits as "Spring Rain" (1986) and "Streets of Your Town" (1988), without ever securing a chart single - a fact which mystified their supporters in the press, to the point where this "scandalous" lack of popular success became a cliché when writing about the band. Their albums Spring Hill Fair (1984) and Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express (1986) received particularly strong reviews, and showed the band gradually moving towards a smoother and more contemporary sound, while retaining elements of their idiosyncratic early style. Their later LPs Tallulah (1987) and 16 Lovers Lane (1988) were the group's most commercial offerings yet, though again they failed to trouble the charts. After recording six albums, Forster and McLennan disbanded The Go-Betweens in December 1989.

Forster and McLennan pursued solo careers throughout the '90s but were inspired to work together after they were invited by fans at French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles to perform at the magazine's 10th anniversary.

In 2000, Forster and McLennan reformed The Go-Betweens, assisted by all three members of Sleater-Kinney, and recorded the album The Friends of Rachel Worth. The most recent line-up (2005) included Forster, McLennan, Adele Pickvance (bass) and Glenn Thompson (drums).

In October 2005, The Go-Betweens finally achieved mainstream recognition, with the album Oceans Apart (produced by Mark Wallis and Dave Ruffy) winning an ARIA award for Best Adult Contemporary Album.

With the death of Grant McLennan on May 6, 2006, Robert Forster announced that The Go-Betweens were no more.

On the eve of the first anniversary of McLennan's death, Triple J & JTV broadcast a tribute concert to The Go-Betweens, recorded in 2006 at Brisbane venue, the Tivoli Theatre. Inspired by this tribute concert, and featuring many of the same artists, a tribute album to The Go-Betweens, Write Your Adventures Down, was released in June 2007 in Australia by The Red Label.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Compilations and Live Albums

  • Metal and Shells (1985)
  • The Able Label Singles (1986)
  • 1978-1990 (1990)
  • Bellavista Terrace: Best of the Go-Betweens (1999)
  • 78 'til 79 the Lost Album (1999)
  • Live In London (2005)
  • That Striped Sunlight Sound live CD/DVD (2006)

[edit] Singles

  • "Lee Remick"/"Karen" (Able Label, 1978)
  • "People Say"/"Don't Let Him Come Back" (Able Label, May 1979)
  • "I Need Two Heads"/"Stop Before You Say It" (Postcard (UK), Missing Link (Aus), June 1980)
  • "Your Turn, My Turn"/"World Weary" (Missing Link, July 1981)
  • "Hammer The Hammer"/"By Chance" (Rough Trade (UK), Missing Link (Aus), June 1982)
  • "Cattle And Cane"/"Heaven Says" (Rough Trade (UK), Stunn (Aus), February 1983)
  • "Man O'Sand To Girl O'Sea"/"This Girl, Black Girl" (Rough Trade, October 1983)
  • "Bachelor Kisses"/"Rare Breed" (plus "Unkind and Unwise" (instrumental) 12" only) (Sire, August 1984
  • "Part Company"/"Just A King In Mirrors" (plus "Newton Told Me" 12" only) (Sire, November 1984)
  • "Spring Rain"/"The Life At Hand" (plus "Little Joe" 12" only) (Beggars Banquet (UK), True Tone (Aus), February 1986)
  • "Head Full Of Steam"/"Don't Let Him Come Back" (plus "The Wrong Road", 12" only) (Beggars Banquet, May 1986)
  • "Right Here"/"When People Are Dead" (plus "A Little Romance", "Don't Call Me Gone", 7" double pack and 12" only), (Beggars Banquet (UK), Trus Tone (Aus), February 1987)
  • "Cut It Out"/"Time In The Desert" (plus "Doo Wop In 'A' (Bam Boom)", 12" only) (Beggars Banquet, May 1987)
  • "I Just Get Caught Out"/"Don't Let Him Come Back" (True Tone, 1987)
  • "Bye Bye Pride"/"The House That Jack Kerouac Built (Radio One version)" (plus "Bye Bye Pride (Radio One version), 12" only) (Beggars Banquet (UK), True Tone (Aus), August 1987)
  • "Streets Of Your Town"/"Wait Until June" (plus "Casanova's Last Words, 12" only) (Beggars Banquet (UK), Mushroom (Aus), Capitol (US), July 1988)
  • "Was There Anything I Could Do?"/"Rock And Roll Friend" (plus "Mexican Postcard", 12" only) (Beggars Banquet (UK), Mushroom (Aus), October 1988)
  • "Love Goes On!"/"Clouds" (Beggars Banquet, January 1989)
  • "Streets Of Your Town"/"Quiet Heart" (plus "Bow Down" and "The House Jack Kerouac Built", CD and 12" only) (Beggars Banquet, May 1989)
  • "Going Blind"/"Woman Across The Way"/"The Locust Girls" (Circus (UK), WMinc (Aus), Jetset (US), Clearspot (Ger), September 2000)
  • "Surfing Magazines"/"German Farmhouse"/"Haven't I Been A Fool" (live)/"Clouds" (live)/"Cattle And Cane" (live) (WMinc, January 2001)
  • "Caroline and I"/"Instant Replay"/"Girl Lying On A Beach" (Trifekta (Aus), Jetset (US), June 2003)
  • "Finding You"/"Born To A Family"/"Streets Of Your Town" (live) (Tuition, July 2005)

[edit] Trivia

All official albums published in the 80s have words with a double L (e. g., Send me a LuLLaby, TaLLulah), except 16 Lovers Lane, which has two words beginning with an L.


[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links