Belinda Carlisle Go-Go's (originally named the Misfits), with friends and fellow musicians Margot Olavarria, Elissa Bello, and Jane Wiedlin. Olavarria and Bello were soon out of the group and the new line-up included bassist-turned-guitarist Charlotte Caffey, guitarist-turned-bassist Kathy Valentine, and drummer Gina Schock. All five women were largely untrained musicians, and Carlisle recalls having to use tape as fret markers during their initial songwriting: "[Charlotte] had to show us how to plug in our amps," she said. The Go-Go's would go on to become one of the most successful American bands of the 1980s, helping usher new wave music into popular American
Was (Not Was) guest players. In 1982, the group played on "Don't Walk Away", a solo album for lead singer "Sweet Pea" Atkinson. "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes" (1983) had even more guest musicians, including Ozzy Osbourne rapping over electro, Mitch Ryder singing a techno-rockabilly number, Mel Tormé performing a ballad about asphyxiation, and an abstract funk piece called "Man vs. the Empire Brain Building". Singer Donald Ray Mitchell joined the group as third lead vocalist. In 1988, they found their biggest hit with the album "What Up, Dog?", which featured the singles "Walk the Dinosaur" and "Spy in the House of Love".