In 1994, The Go-Go's - Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine, and Jane Weidlen, the first all-female rock and roll band to have a #1 album, reunited for the second time to record new material for a box set retrospective, "Return To The Valley of The Go-Go's". The collection was released on the now defunct IRS Records and featured live cuts, unreleased tracks, B-sides and the like as well. When it came time for the Go-Go's to hit the road on a tour to support the album, which yielded the Top 20 hit single, "Has The Whole World Lost It's Head?", there was a slight problem. Charlotte Caffey was pregnant, and since her baby was due sometime during the projected length of the tour, she couldn't participate. Someone had to replace her, and Vicki Peterson got the job. Vicki also participated in the new recording sessions with the band, providing guest vocals and guitar. So how did this happy coincidence come about? How did Vicki become the sixth Go-Go? The answers are forthcoming...
Writer Doug Quint interviewed Vicki in the fall of 1997 on the night of the Continental Drifters gig at the Mercury Lounge in New York City about her stint with the Go-Go's, and the whole of that interview is below. I want to thank Mr. Quint and the editors of Beatnik Beat, The Go-Go's fanzine, for allowing me to reproduce this interview for my homepage.
Vicki Peterson Interviewed By Doug Quint
Q: How were you approached about playing with the Go-Go's?
A: Despite all the rumored Bangles/Go-Go's rivalries, we've actually been aquaintances/friends for years. Charlotte just phoned me up one night, told me she was pregnant( I was thrilled for her and Jeff) { Jeff McDonald of the band Redd Kross and Char's husband. - MK} and said that she couldn't think of anyone else to ask to fill in for her. No pressure though! I thought it would be a blast and after checking the Continental Drifters schedule, I agreed.
Q:How did you go about learning all the songs?
A: With a tape recorder and my guitar.
Are there any interesting comparisons between playing with the Bangles and playing with the Go-Go's?
A: Well, obviously I was playing someone else's parts and style instead of my own, and singing much less... the emotional responsibilities were different at well - the advantage of being a guest. I thoroughly enjoyed that.
Q: Tell us about touring and playing live with the Go-Go's
A: Personally, I had a blast. Again, I just had to show up and play and not worry about a lot of the peripheral band dynamics stuff... but boy, I could write a book....
Q: Kathy said that she though the Go-Go's horrified you..not necesarily on stage! Any truth to this?
A: Yes!
Q: How many shows on that tour did you also open? Any comments on this?
A: In New York and LA the Psycho Sisters opened. I thought it was a good mix of music made by women. I'm used to playing marathons with the Drifters, so doing the support slot helped me warm up for the Go-Go's, oh yeah, and FUN FUN FUN.
Q: What is your most lasting impressions of your time with the Go-Go's?
A: Probably my friendship with Mark Newman(tour manager) which was a nice bonus...that they tortured their manager as only true artists can... oh, and something about straws and corners..
Q: You probably know that Paula Jean Brown was a Go-Go for a while. No one seems to know exactly what happened to her, but her name is listed in the boolet of the Continental Drifters cd. Where is that woman? What is her connection to the Drifters?
A: I met Paula at a birthdya party for Kathy and was really struck by her. We met up again while she was living in Tucson and playing bass for Giant Sand. The Continental Drifters have backed her up live and Susan Cowsill and I sang on her (As yet unreleased) solo Lp. She;s still writing hauntingly beautiful songs which I hope you'll all get to hear some day. Sh e's briefly married to Drifters guitarist Robert Mache and I believe she's moved back to LA. That's all I know folks.
Q:What did you think of playing a run of shows in Las Vegas>
< A: Las Vegas was *** surreal, as it always is. We enjoyed the fact that people were coming to see a show called "the Go-Go's" thinking that it was some girlie show! We were gonna do a show in pasties and g-strings, but....
Q:What's up now?
A: The Psycho Sisters just returned from New York City where we played the Bottom Line and went into the studio to work on an EP due out later this year. The Drifters are heading into the studio in March for the production of our new cd - we'll also be swinging through Austin for the South By Southwest Music Conference and probably hitting the road again in the summer. There's a lot of new music and energy going on around here in its pretty exciting.