Friday Nite Retro

TGIF! It was the week from hell here. . .oh well, a little music will make it all better! Tonight's focus is on my favorite GoGo - Jane Wiedlin. You know her as the rhythm guitarist for that group, but she was involved in numerous other projects over the years.

The Oconomowoc, Wisconsin born Wiedlin turns the big FIVE-OH in May of this year. Back in her younger days, Wiedlin was part of the LA punk scene that spawned bands like X and The Dickies and went by the name "Jane Drano."

As a member of The Go-Go's, she had a brief love affair with Specials and Fun Boy Three member Terry Hall. It was the ups and downs of this long-distance celebrity relationship with Hall that inspired the hit Go-Go's song "Our Lips Are Sealed":

Our Lips are Sealed


In 1983, Wiedlin recorded "Cool Places" with the new wave band Sparks:

Cool Places


In 1984, she was the first to leave the Go-Go's to pursue a solo career. Her first solo album, the aptly named Jane Wiedlin (1985), spawned this single:

Blue Kiss


Her sophomore effort, Fur (1988) spawned a top-ten single and personal favorite of mine:

Rush Hour


As well as a follow up single:

Inside a Dream


These first three efforts sold poorly and she was dropped from EMI Records. She formed a punk band, froSTed (the unusual orthography coming from the fact Wiedlin is a huge Star Trek fan), which released an album in 1995 to good reviews but poor sales. Kissproof World was released in 2000 on Painful Discs Records.

After a successful tour and clearing of the animosity which had contributed to the original split, The Go-Go's reformed as a regular unit in 2000. The band released God Bless the Go-Go's in 2001, on Beyond Records, its first studio effort in 17 years. However it failed to crack the top 40. Beyond Records folded soon after.

Wiedlin has also acted in movies and provided the voice for several characters on TV and the big screen, including a one-liner role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Her other roles include Joan of Arc (with no spoken lines in English) in the time travel comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and an ill-fated singing telegram girl in the cult comedy/mystery film Clue. In 2000, she sang in the choir on the Frasier episode "They're Playing Our Song".


Wanna see what Jane's up to today? Drop by her official website, or visit her MySpace page. And that is a wrap on this episode of FNR - Have a GREAT weekend!