The Go-Betweens - The Most Fascinating Facts Anywhere

The Go-Betweens

Links

Buy

The Go-Betweens Vinyl - direct link @ ebay.co.uk

(Lenin is a participant in the eBay (EPN) affiliate program)

Robert Forster and Grant McLennan met through university drama

The story began at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where Forster and McLennan met while studying drama. Their shared interest in literature, film and music helped establish the creative partnership that would define The Go-Betweens. Although their songs often sounded intimate and personal, the pair's friendship began in an academic environment rather than a conventional music scene.

The band's name was chosen while crossing a Brisbane bridge

In his memoir Grant & I, Robert Forster recalled driving across the Grey Street Bridge with McLennan when the question of a band name arose. Forster suggested The Go-Betweens, and McLennan accepted it after a short pause. The name also echoes L. P. Hartley's novel The Go-Between, published in 1953.

Their first single came out on their own label

The Go-Betweens released their debut single, “Lee Remick”, backed with “Karen”, in 1978 on Able Label, an independent venture associated with Forster, McLennan and their friend Damien Nelson. Rather than waiting for a record company to discover them, the group took the DIY route and put their own music into circulation.

“Lee Remick” was inspired by a Hollywood actress

Forster wrote “Lee Remick” as a love song despite not having a particular romantic partner in mind. He later explained that he projected the idea onto the American actress, known for films including Days of Wine and Roses. It was an unusual subject for a fledgling Brisbane band emerging during the punk era.

The B-side “Karen” had a very different inspiration

“Karen” was inspired by the atmosphere of the University of Queensland library and the people who worked there. Forster later described the librarians as having a stillness and kindness that appealed to him. It is a small but revealing example of how the band's songs could draw on ordinary experiences rather than conventional rock subjects.

The first single involved some decidedly hands-on work

The early Able Label releases were genuinely independent productions. Accounts of the “Lee Remick” single describe the participants manually attaching the labels to the records after the pressed copies arrived. This was a far cry from the machinery of a major label, and it underlined how much of the band's early progress depended on their own effort and resourcefulness.

A promising American record deal fell through

The early singles attracted interest from Beserkley Records, the American independent label associated with Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. The proposed arrangement offered the prospect of reissuing the first singles and making further recordings. However, Beserkley ran into financial difficulties before the deal could properly develop, leaving The Go-Betweens to continue without the breakthrough they had hoped for.

They recorded for Scotland's influential Postcard Records

During an early trip to Britain, Forster and McLennan recorded “I Need Two Heads” for Postcard Records, the Glasgow label closely associated with Orange Juice and the independent pop movement. The release connected the Australian duo with a network of musicians and listeners thousands of miles from Brisbane, even though international success remained elusive.

Lindy Morrison became central to the band's sound

Drummer Lindy Morrison joined in 1980 and became a defining part of the group's sound through the decade. Her playing gave the songs a distinctive rhythmic character that was not simply a conventional rock backbeat. Morrison later spoke openly about the unequal recognition given to different members of the band, adding another dimension to the group's history.

The band initially went through several drummers

Before Morrison settled into the line-up, The Go-Betweens had a succession of drummers. Their earliest recordings and performances did not emerge from a stable, long-established group, but from a pair of songwriters gradually assembling a working band. This makes the confident, distinctive sound of their later records all the more striking.

Grant McLennan was still developing as a bassist when they began

Forster encouraged McLennan to take up bass as the band developed. McLennan became one of the group's two principal songwriters, but the arrangement of their early roles evolved over time. The partnership was never simply a singer and backing musician: both men eventually contributed songs and vocals that gave the group its distinctive dual perspective.

Their first album was released in 1982

Send Me a Lullaby appeared in 1982 and collected the band’s early ideas into a full-length statement. It was followed by a more expansive run of albums that included Before Hollywood and Spring Hill Fair. The early records show a group developing rapidly while retaining the slightly rough edges of their independent beginnings.

“Cattle and Cane” drew on McLennan's Queensland childhood

One of the band's most admired songs, “Cattle and Cane”, was written by McLennan and draws on memories of growing up in rural Queensland. Its personal details and sense of distance helped make it much more than a conventional nostalgic song. It has since become one of the defining recordings in the band's catalogue.

Their literary interests were more than a pose

Forster and McLennan studied literature as well as drama, and their reading informed the way they approached songwriting. James Joyce is among the writers associated with their university studies and later discussions of the band's work. Their lyrics often suggest stories and characters without spelling everything out, inviting listeners to fill in the gaps.

Their move to Britain brought them into contact with Nick Cave's circle

During their years in Britain, The Go-Betweens shared a squat in Fulham with members of the Birthday Party, including Nick Cave. The connection placed them close to another Australian musical community trying to establish itself in the UK. Despite the shared circumstances, the two groups pursued very different musical directions.

Robert Vickers helped expand the band's arrangement

Bassist Robert Vickers joined in the early 1980s, allowing McLennan to move more freely between bass and guitar and broadening the group's instrumental possibilities. Vickers had been part of Brisbane's music scene before joining The Go-Betweens. His presence helped the band move beyond the spare sound of the original duo.

Amanda Brown brought violin and oboe into the picture

Amanda Brown joined the band in the mid-1980s and contributed violin, oboe, guitar, keyboards and vocals. Her multi-instrumental work added new textures to the arrangements, especially as the group moved towards the more polished sound of later albums. She was not simply an extra musician: her playing became an important part of the band's identity.

“Streets of Your Town” was not an uncomplicated pop song

Released in 1988, “Streets of Your Town” became one of the band's best-known songs, with a bright, memorable melody that contrasts with darker aspects of its lyrics. The recording's deceptively sunny quality helped make it accessible, while its unsettling undertones rewarded closer listening. The song's history also reveals tensions about recognition and creative contributions within the group.

The title of their final 1980s album marked a new level of polish

16 Lovers Lane, released in 1988, brought together songs including “Love Goes On!”, “Streets of Your Town” and “Dive for Your Memory”. It is often regarded as one of the group's most accomplished records, combining carefully arranged pop with the lyrical detail and emotional ambiguity that had always distinguished their songwriting. The album also came near the end of the band's first period together.

The band's story continued after their original split

Forster and McLennan ended the original run of The Go-Betweens in 1989 and pursued separate projects. They reunited in 2000 and recorded further albums, including The Friends of Rachel Worth, Bright Yellow Bright Orange and Oceans Apart. McLennan died in 2006, bringing the partnership to an end, but the band's work continues to influence generations of independent songwriters.