Belinda Carlisle (born August 17, 1958 in Hollywood, California) is the lea… Read Full Bio ↴Belinda Carlisle (born August 17, 1958 in Hollywood, California) is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the all-female New Wave band Go-Go's. She is also a successful solo artist.
A former high school cheerleader, Carlisle is the eldest of seven children.
Early Career and The Go-Go's
Carlisle's first venture into music was a brief stint as drummer for the punk band The Germs under the name Dottie Danger, although illness prevented her from ever performing with them live. Soon after leaving this band she founded the Go-Go's (originally named The Misfits) with friend and fellow music novice Jane Wiedlin. With bassist-turned-guitarist Charlotte Caffey, guitarist-turned-bassist Kathy Valentine, and drummer Gina Schock, the Go-Go's became one of the most successful American bands of the early 80's, helping to usher "new wave music" into popular American radio and becoming the first all-female band in rock history to achieve a #1 album, who also wrote their own music and played their own instruments. The Go-Go's recorded two more studio albums (including Vacation, which went gold thanks to the title track). "Head over Heels," from the album Talk Show, made it to #11, but they never repeated the success of their multi-platinum debut, Beauty and the Beat, which featured the hits "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed".
The antics of the Go-Go's in the early- to mid-1980s contrasted with their public image. Since then, the group's notoriety from that time period had become something of a legend, involving drugs and sex. Years later, in a 2007 interview with PlanetOut, Carlisle said that the band had female groupies and said, "Well, without going into too much detail ... I think all of us in the band, we've all had ... we've all seen the experience you are probably wondering about. And, yeah, like I said, without going into too much detail, we've all been there and done that."
Solo career
The Go-Go's broke up in 1985, and Carlisle embarked on a solo career (although she continued to work with fellow Go-Go Charlotte Caffey). Carlisle's first album, Belinda, was released on I.R.S. Records in 1986. Her #3 summer hit "Mad About You" was followed by the Motown-influenced single "I Feel The Magic" and by a cover version of Band of Gold, all three songs included on the album.
During this time, Carlisle also had songs featured on movie soundtracks, notably "In My Wildest Dreams" the opener in the movie Mannequin, as well as "Dancing in the City" from the Whoopi Goldberg movie Burglar.
Heaven on Earth
Carlisle changed her hairstyle significantly for her second solo album, giving up her California Girl blonde bob for a long auburn do for 1987's Heaven on Earth.The musical style eschewed the 1960s-influenced pop of Carlisle's first album in favor of slickly produced 1980s power-pop and was released in the United States through MCA and in the United Kingdom through Virgin). The album became a Top Five bestseller in the UK and Australia and was nominated for an Grammy Award. The album's producer, Rick Nowels, previously worked with Stevie Nicks and would later collaborate with Madonna.
The first release from Heaven on Earth was "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" which topped the single charts not only in the US but also in the UK and Australia. (The dance mix of the song also topped the dance chart.) The radio-ready song was further propelled by a video directed by Academy Award-winning American actress Diane Keaton. The second release from Heaven on Earth was the US #2 and UK Top 10 smash "I Get Weak" written by Diane Warren; it was accompanied by another Keaton-directed video. The third single and video from the album was "Circle in the Sand" another Top 10 hit in the US, the UK and Germany too. "World Without You" was another British hit, followed by 1988's low-charting ballad "Love Never Dies" in the UK. In the U.S., the fourth single "I Feel Free" a cover of the Cream classic, missed the Top 40.
Runaway Horses
Carlisle's follow-up to the success of Heaven on Earth was "Runaway Horses" of October 23, 1989. The album again hit the Top Five in both Australia and the UK, certified double platinum in Australia and platinum in the UK, but failed to reach similar success in the US. The first release, Leave a Light On peaked at #11 in the US and became another Top Five smash in the UK and Australia. The song features a slide guitar solo by George Harrison (see Greatest Hits). The second US single, "Summer Rain" reached #30 in Spring 1990. The song, which Carlisle noted was the most difficult song she had ever sung up to that point, peaked successfully at #6 in Australia where it has maintained popularity, and the tune saw a cover version in 2004 by the Australian group Slinkee Minx. Whereas in the US, Carlisle's success was decreasing, her popularity remained big in Europe and Australia. In 1990, further singles from the "Runaway Horses" album were successful as well, the summer mood influenced La Luna,a Top 20 hit in Germany and Australia, and the powerful rock hymne (We Want) the Same Thing, another Top 10 smash in the UK. In the late autumn of 1990, the Go-Go's reunited for a tour to support their greatest-hits album "Go Go's Greatest", including a new recording of the cover song "Cool Jerk". A notable feature of the tour was an anti-fur campaign, where the band members supported People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal rights organization. Later in the year, Carlisle joined with The Smithereens lead singer Pat Dinizio on his group's ballad "Blue Period."
Live Your Life Be Free
In 1991, Carlisle released her fourth solo album, Live Your Life Be Free. The album marked somewhat of a return to 1960s-influenced music for Carlisle. The single "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" was accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek video inspired by the B-movie Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. The title track "Live Your Life Be Free" merged 1960s influences with producer Rick Nowel's trademark bombast, and featured a video that emphasized colorful imagery, fashion, and Carlisle's photogenic face. Subsequent releases, "Half the World" and "Little Black Book" were also hits outside the U.S. Although Live your life be free flopped in the US due to a huge lack of promotion from the record company, it did have success in Europe (Top 10 in the UK) including the title track as take off single, a Top 20 hit in the UK and Australia.
The Best of Belinda Vol.1
After her bad experiences concerning promotion with her US record company, Belinda broke her contract there. Still active in Europe and Australia with a record contract at Virgin Records, her 1992 <> CD underlined in an impressive way the popularity of her songs, The Best of Belinda Vol.1 a 15 track collection, triumphantly reached #1 in both, the UK and Australia and certified double platinum in both territories. The greatest hits album included all the hits taken from Heaven on Earth, Runaway Horses and Live Your Life Be Free, only omitting the ballad "Love Never Dies", and the three I.R.S. singles from her first album, namely "Mad About You", "I Feel The Magic" and "Band of Gold"; also no soundtrack song features on the collection. Private luck was on her side as well, as later that year Belinda gave birth to her only son, James Duke.
Real
Carlisle's fifth solo album, "Real", was released 1993 on the Virgin label in the U.S. and in Europe. Produced without Nowels, the disc was a departure from Carlisle's polished pop music formula. Gone was her glamorous image and picture-perfect pop. Even the album's cover photograph featured her with very little make-up. Carlisle co-produced and co-wrote much of the disc, collaborating heavily with friend and former Go-Go's member Charlotte Caffey. The album reached #9 in the UK and its first single "It's Too Real (Big Scary Animal)" reached a respectable #12 placing in the UK. The second single from Real was "Lay Down Your Arms", which made the Top 30 in the UK, but did not fare well in other territories, hence it was noticeably absent from Carlisle's second greatest-hits album.
At this time, Carlisle also recorded "One by One" on the soundtrack of the 1993 movie "The Harvest".
After the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, Carlisle and her family moved to Europe. The Go-Go's reunited again later that year to support the retrospective double-CD "Return to the Valley of the Go-Go's" which included three new songs, however the band broke up after the promotional tour. Carlisle has since lived in France and England.
A Woman and a Man
Carlisle returned to the recording studio and resumed working again with Rick Nowels. In 1996, she released in the UK and Australia her sixth solo album, A Woman and a Man, on the Chrysalis Records label. This album, consisting of mostly relaxed adult pop, revitalized her solo career in Europe and included several hits. The leadoff single "In Too Deep" returned Carlisle to the UK Top 10 for the first time in six years, reaching #6."Always Breaking My Heart", written and produced by Roxette's Per Gessle, peaked at #8. The album spawned two more UK hits, "Love in the Key of C" and "California". Another track of the album never released as a single was "He goes on" written by Crowded House's Neil Finn. The album reached at number #12 in the UK, and was certified gold. As a result of A Woman and A Man's UK success, the album was released in the U.S. during the summer of 1997 on the Ark21 label. Despite the recent successful comeback in Europe and the promotional appearances Carlisle made on American television and radio, the album did not enjoy similar success in North America.
In preparation for this album, Belinda recorded a demo of a song called 'Falling into you', which was subsequently (and to Belinda's surprise) rejected by her then record company; Chrysalis. Shortly afterwards this song was recorded and released by Celine Dion and went on to become one of the biggest hits of her career.
In 1996, Carlisle recorded "I Wouldn't Be Here (If I Didn't Love You)" for the Two if by Sea official movie soundtrack. In 1997, she recorded "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" from Disney's Hercules as part of that movie's standard distribution in Europe and was released as a single exclusively in France and Germany. Neither of these tracks have been released on compilation albums.
Greatest Hits
In 1999, Carlisle released a greatest hits album in the UK, a double-disc on the Virgin label. Carlisle recorded three new tracks for the album, including the single "All God's Children", and the songs "A Prayer for Everyone" and "Feels Like I've Known You Forever". The second disc of her "A Place on Earth" greatest hits album contained remixes of some of her hits. Some of the remixes were done by William Orbit, who also worked with Madonna on her 1998 "Ray of Light" album. The album was certified gold in the UK.
Voila
In 2007, the singer released her seventh album Voilà, which was her first solo studio work of full album length in over ten years. The album was produced by John Reynolds. Consisting of a mix of French pop tunes and chanson standards, including covers of Françoise Hardy and Édith Piaf classics. Voilà was released via Rykodisc in the U.K. on 5 February 2007 and in the U.S. the following day. Belinda was originally approached to make another 'pop' album, but she declined immediately in favour of recording this collection of songs, the style of which, she'd 'absolutely fallen in love with', since moving to France in the early 90's. The list of prominent and respected producers and collaborators on the album clearly shows the esteem in which Belinda is held among her peers. While 'Voila' received glowing reviews worldwide it failed to make any real impact on the charts. This is regarded by no means as a failure for Belinda, who has stated it was never part of the plan for the album to become a big hit but rather a rich opportunity for her to indulge her love of classic french love songs and share that love with her loyal fanbase.
Collaborations
During her solo career, Carlisle has had the opportunity to work with numerous prominent musicians from the 1960s. Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas, Chyna Phillips and Carnie Wilson (pre-Wilson Phillips) did backup singing for Heaven on Earth; Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys arranged and sang back-up on "California" from A Woman and A Man. She performed live with her idols the Beach Boys, and performed with Freda Payne when Carlisle covered Payne's classic hit "Band of Gold." As mentioned above, ex-Beatle George Harrison contributed guitar work to the single "Leave a Light On", as well as the song "Deep Deep Ocean", both tracks found on the Runaway Horses album. Belinda performed backing vocals on Then Jerico's album Big Area on the track "What Does it Take?", She also performed back vocals on The Smithereens album 11 for the track "Blue Period".
She also worked with noted musicians of her own generation, such as Duran Duran's Andy Taylor on her debut solo album Belinda (Taylor appears in her "Mad About You" video clip); Thomas Dolby played the keyboards in some Heaven on Earth tracks; and Bryan Adams did backup vocals in "Whatever It Takes" from the Runaway Horses album. Another notable collaboration was the one with the ambient mastermind and legend Brian Eno who played the keyboards in her latest release Voila.
Personal life
In 1986 Carlisle married Morgan Mason, son of the British actor James Mason and former Deputy United States Chief of Protocol. Morgan made appearances in Carlisle's videos "Mad About You" and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". They have a son, James Duke Mason, (born April 27, 1992).
She has been reported as being "deeply into Buddhist chanting", though precisely what form is unclear.[2] In an interview printed on March 7, 2007, the singer stated that "I was wondering about happiness and started reading a lot of books by the Dalai Lama, and slowly embraced Buddhism" (published by Newindpress, India). On Sydney Morning Herald: ""I don't smoke anymore, I don't drink any more and I don't do drugs any more. I am very much into my Buddhism. I found turning 40 a real passage in time for me".
She appeared nude (tastefully but full frontally) in the cover story of the August 2001 Playboy, around the time of a Go-Go's reunion tour and album. [1] [2] She was 42 years of age when the photos were taken.
Later career
Since their late 1990s reconciliation and 2001 reunion, the Go-Go's have continued playing and touring together almost every summer. In recent years Carlisle has continued making singing and non-singing television appearances. She has been a frequent guest on music-related programs and she appeared on a celebrity edition of ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire? In 2004 she appeared on the ITV1 reality show Hell's Kitchen as one of ten celebrity chefs competing against one another. She has also appeared on the ITV1 reality show Hit Me Baby One More Time, where she sang a cover of Coldplay's hit, "The Scientist" as well as her own "Heaven Is a Place on Earth".
2006–2007
Carlisle continued her string of TV appearances in 2006, having signed to appear on the Simon Cowell-produced Celebrity Duets, a FOX network reality competition pairing celebrities not famous for singing (like Lucy Lawless and Cheech Marin) with actual singers like Carlisle, Michael Bolton, Jon Secada and Macy Gray. Carlisle sang "Heaven is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak" with Lea Thompson in the September 7 episode.
Carlisle also performed on the opening night of Manchester Gay Pride 2007.
Carlisle performed a set with other 1980's acts at Retro Fest on 1st September 2007 at Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Discography
Albums
* Belinda (1986)
* Heaven on Earth (1987)
* Runaway Horses (1989)
* Live Your Life Be Free (1991)
* The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 (1992)
* Real (1993)
* A Woman and a Man (1996)
* A Place on Earth - The Greatest Hits (1999)
* Voilà (2007)
Top ten singles
The following singles peaked in the Top Ten either in Australia, Switzerland, United Kingdom or the United States.
AU SI UK US
1986 - "Mad About You" 9 — 67 3
1987 - "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" 2 1 1 1
1988 - "I Get Weak" 34 24 10 2
"Circle in the Sand" 75 — 4 7
1989 "Leave a Light On" 5 8 4 11
"La Luna" 21 10 38 —
1990 "Summer Rain" 6 — 23 30
"(We Want) the Same Thing" — — 6 —
1996 "In Too Deep" 11 — 6 —
"Always Breaking My Heart" 50 — 8 —
See also
List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
Interviews
Audio interview with SYN 907 Melbourne
External links
* Belinda Carlisle at the Internet Movie Database
* Official Website
* Belinda-Carlisle.net
* Belinda Carlisle - A Place On Earth
* Ananova article on Carlisle appearance in Playboy (via Wayback Machine)
* Belinda Carlisle at Tv.com
* Belinda Carlisle Music Collection
References
1. ^ http://www.planetout.com/content/slideshow/splash.html?coll=2976&order=3&navpath=/entertainment/celebrities Planetout.com Retrieved on 05-14-07
2. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/02/04/svbelinda04.xml Telegraph.co.uk Retrieved on 05-14-07
A former high school cheerleader, Carlisle is the eldest of seven children.
Early Career and The Go-Go's
Carlisle's first venture into music was a brief stint as drummer for the punk band The Germs under the name Dottie Danger, although illness prevented her from ever performing with them live. Soon after leaving this band she founded the Go-Go's (originally named The Misfits) with friend and fellow music novice Jane Wiedlin. With bassist-turned-guitarist Charlotte Caffey, guitarist-turned-bassist Kathy Valentine, and drummer Gina Schock, the Go-Go's became one of the most successful American bands of the early 80's, helping to usher "new wave music" into popular American radio and becoming the first all-female band in rock history to achieve a #1 album, who also wrote their own music and played their own instruments. The Go-Go's recorded two more studio albums (including Vacation, which went gold thanks to the title track). "Head over Heels," from the album Talk Show, made it to #11, but they never repeated the success of their multi-platinum debut, Beauty and the Beat, which featured the hits "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed".
The antics of the Go-Go's in the early- to mid-1980s contrasted with their public image. Since then, the group's notoriety from that time period had become something of a legend, involving drugs and sex. Years later, in a 2007 interview with PlanetOut, Carlisle said that the band had female groupies and said, "Well, without going into too much detail ... I think all of us in the band, we've all had ... we've all seen the experience you are probably wondering about. And, yeah, like I said, without going into too much detail, we've all been there and done that."
Solo career
The Go-Go's broke up in 1985, and Carlisle embarked on a solo career (although she continued to work with fellow Go-Go Charlotte Caffey). Carlisle's first album, Belinda, was released on I.R.S. Records in 1986. Her #3 summer hit "Mad About You" was followed by the Motown-influenced single "I Feel The Magic" and by a cover version of Band of Gold, all three songs included on the album.
During this time, Carlisle also had songs featured on movie soundtracks, notably "In My Wildest Dreams" the opener in the movie Mannequin, as well as "Dancing in the City" from the Whoopi Goldberg movie Burglar.
Heaven on Earth
Carlisle changed her hairstyle significantly for her second solo album, giving up her California Girl blonde bob for a long auburn do for 1987's Heaven on Earth.The musical style eschewed the 1960s-influenced pop of Carlisle's first album in favor of slickly produced 1980s power-pop and was released in the United States through MCA and in the United Kingdom through Virgin). The album became a Top Five bestseller in the UK and Australia and was nominated for an Grammy Award. The album's producer, Rick Nowels, previously worked with Stevie Nicks and would later collaborate with Madonna.
The first release from Heaven on Earth was "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" which topped the single charts not only in the US but also in the UK and Australia. (The dance mix of the song also topped the dance chart.) The radio-ready song was further propelled by a video directed by Academy Award-winning American actress Diane Keaton. The second release from Heaven on Earth was the US #2 and UK Top 10 smash "I Get Weak" written by Diane Warren; it was accompanied by another Keaton-directed video. The third single and video from the album was "Circle in the Sand" another Top 10 hit in the US, the UK and Germany too. "World Without You" was another British hit, followed by 1988's low-charting ballad "Love Never Dies" in the UK. In the U.S., the fourth single "I Feel Free" a cover of the Cream classic, missed the Top 40.
Runaway Horses
Carlisle's follow-up to the success of Heaven on Earth was "Runaway Horses" of October 23, 1989. The album again hit the Top Five in both Australia and the UK, certified double platinum in Australia and platinum in the UK, but failed to reach similar success in the US. The first release, Leave a Light On peaked at #11 in the US and became another Top Five smash in the UK and Australia. The song features a slide guitar solo by George Harrison (see Greatest Hits). The second US single, "Summer Rain" reached #30 in Spring 1990. The song, which Carlisle noted was the most difficult song she had ever sung up to that point, peaked successfully at #6 in Australia where it has maintained popularity, and the tune saw a cover version in 2004 by the Australian group Slinkee Minx. Whereas in the US, Carlisle's success was decreasing, her popularity remained big in Europe and Australia. In 1990, further singles from the "Runaway Horses" album were successful as well, the summer mood influenced La Luna,a Top 20 hit in Germany and Australia, and the powerful rock hymne (We Want) the Same Thing, another Top 10 smash in the UK. In the late autumn of 1990, the Go-Go's reunited for a tour to support their greatest-hits album "Go Go's Greatest", including a new recording of the cover song "Cool Jerk". A notable feature of the tour was an anti-fur campaign, where the band members supported People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal rights organization. Later in the year, Carlisle joined with The Smithereens lead singer Pat Dinizio on his group's ballad "Blue Period."
Live Your Life Be Free
In 1991, Carlisle released her fourth solo album, Live Your Life Be Free. The album marked somewhat of a return to 1960s-influenced music for Carlisle. The single "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" was accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek video inspired by the B-movie Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. The title track "Live Your Life Be Free" merged 1960s influences with producer Rick Nowel's trademark bombast, and featured a video that emphasized colorful imagery, fashion, and Carlisle's photogenic face. Subsequent releases, "Half the World" and "Little Black Book" were also hits outside the U.S. Although Live your life be free flopped in the US due to a huge lack of promotion from the record company, it did have success in Europe (Top 10 in the UK) including the title track as take off single, a Top 20 hit in the UK and Australia.
The Best of Belinda Vol.1
After her bad experiences concerning promotion with her US record company, Belinda broke her contract there. Still active in Europe and Australia with a record contract at Virgin Records, her 1992 <
Real
Carlisle's fifth solo album, "Real", was released 1993 on the Virgin label in the U.S. and in Europe. Produced without Nowels, the disc was a departure from Carlisle's polished pop music formula. Gone was her glamorous image and picture-perfect pop. Even the album's cover photograph featured her with very little make-up. Carlisle co-produced and co-wrote much of the disc, collaborating heavily with friend and former Go-Go's member Charlotte Caffey. The album reached #9 in the UK and its first single "It's Too Real (Big Scary Animal)" reached a respectable #12 placing in the UK. The second single from Real was "Lay Down Your Arms", which made the Top 30 in the UK, but did not fare well in other territories, hence it was noticeably absent from Carlisle's second greatest-hits album.
At this time, Carlisle also recorded "One by One" on the soundtrack of the 1993 movie "The Harvest".
After the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, Carlisle and her family moved to Europe. The Go-Go's reunited again later that year to support the retrospective double-CD "Return to the Valley of the Go-Go's" which included three new songs, however the band broke up after the promotional tour. Carlisle has since lived in France and England.
A Woman and a Man
Carlisle returned to the recording studio and resumed working again with Rick Nowels. In 1996, she released in the UK and Australia her sixth solo album, A Woman and a Man, on the Chrysalis Records label. This album, consisting of mostly relaxed adult pop, revitalized her solo career in Europe and included several hits. The leadoff single "In Too Deep" returned Carlisle to the UK Top 10 for the first time in six years, reaching #6."Always Breaking My Heart", written and produced by Roxette's Per Gessle, peaked at #8. The album spawned two more UK hits, "Love in the Key of C" and "California". Another track of the album never released as a single was "He goes on" written by Crowded House's Neil Finn. The album reached at number #12 in the UK, and was certified gold. As a result of A Woman and A Man's UK success, the album was released in the U.S. during the summer of 1997 on the Ark21 label. Despite the recent successful comeback in Europe and the promotional appearances Carlisle made on American television and radio, the album did not enjoy similar success in North America.
In preparation for this album, Belinda recorded a demo of a song called 'Falling into you', which was subsequently (and to Belinda's surprise) rejected by her then record company; Chrysalis. Shortly afterwards this song was recorded and released by Celine Dion and went on to become one of the biggest hits of her career.
In 1996, Carlisle recorded "I Wouldn't Be Here (If I Didn't Love You)" for the Two if by Sea official movie soundtrack. In 1997, she recorded "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" from Disney's Hercules as part of that movie's standard distribution in Europe and was released as a single exclusively in France and Germany. Neither of these tracks have been released on compilation albums.
Greatest Hits
In 1999, Carlisle released a greatest hits album in the UK, a double-disc on the Virgin label. Carlisle recorded three new tracks for the album, including the single "All God's Children", and the songs "A Prayer for Everyone" and "Feels Like I've Known You Forever". The second disc of her "A Place on Earth" greatest hits album contained remixes of some of her hits. Some of the remixes were done by William Orbit, who also worked with Madonna on her 1998 "Ray of Light" album. The album was certified gold in the UK.
Voila
In 2007, the singer released her seventh album Voilà, which was her first solo studio work of full album length in over ten years. The album was produced by John Reynolds. Consisting of a mix of French pop tunes and chanson standards, including covers of Françoise Hardy and Édith Piaf classics. Voilà was released via Rykodisc in the U.K. on 5 February 2007 and in the U.S. the following day. Belinda was originally approached to make another 'pop' album, but she declined immediately in favour of recording this collection of songs, the style of which, she'd 'absolutely fallen in love with', since moving to France in the early 90's. The list of prominent and respected producers and collaborators on the album clearly shows the esteem in which Belinda is held among her peers. While 'Voila' received glowing reviews worldwide it failed to make any real impact on the charts. This is regarded by no means as a failure for Belinda, who has stated it was never part of the plan for the album to become a big hit but rather a rich opportunity for her to indulge her love of classic french love songs and share that love with her loyal fanbase.
Collaborations
During her solo career, Carlisle has had the opportunity to work with numerous prominent musicians from the 1960s. Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas, Chyna Phillips and Carnie Wilson (pre-Wilson Phillips) did backup singing for Heaven on Earth; Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys arranged and sang back-up on "California" from A Woman and A Man. She performed live with her idols the Beach Boys, and performed with Freda Payne when Carlisle covered Payne's classic hit "Band of Gold." As mentioned above, ex-Beatle George Harrison contributed guitar work to the single "Leave a Light On", as well as the song "Deep Deep Ocean", both tracks found on the Runaway Horses album. Belinda performed backing vocals on Then Jerico's album Big Area on the track "What Does it Take?", She also performed back vocals on The Smithereens album 11 for the track "Blue Period".
She also worked with noted musicians of her own generation, such as Duran Duran's Andy Taylor on her debut solo album Belinda (Taylor appears in her "Mad About You" video clip); Thomas Dolby played the keyboards in some Heaven on Earth tracks; and Bryan Adams did backup vocals in "Whatever It Takes" from the Runaway Horses album. Another notable collaboration was the one with the ambient mastermind and legend Brian Eno who played the keyboards in her latest release Voila.
Personal life
In 1986 Carlisle married Morgan Mason, son of the British actor James Mason and former Deputy United States Chief of Protocol. Morgan made appearances in Carlisle's videos "Mad About You" and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". They have a son, James Duke Mason, (born April 27, 1992).
She has been reported as being "deeply into Buddhist chanting", though precisely what form is unclear.[2] In an interview printed on March 7, 2007, the singer stated that "I was wondering about happiness and started reading a lot of books by the Dalai Lama, and slowly embraced Buddhism" (published by Newindpress, India). On Sydney Morning Herald: ""I don't smoke anymore, I don't drink any more and I don't do drugs any more. I am very much into my Buddhism. I found turning 40 a real passage in time for me".
She appeared nude (tastefully but full frontally) in the cover story of the August 2001 Playboy, around the time of a Go-Go's reunion tour and album. [1] [2] She was 42 years of age when the photos were taken.
Later career
Since their late 1990s reconciliation and 2001 reunion, the Go-Go's have continued playing and touring together almost every summer. In recent years Carlisle has continued making singing and non-singing television appearances. She has been a frequent guest on music-related programs and she appeared on a celebrity edition of ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire? In 2004 she appeared on the ITV1 reality show Hell's Kitchen as one of ten celebrity chefs competing against one another. She has also appeared on the ITV1 reality show Hit Me Baby One More Time, where she sang a cover of Coldplay's hit, "The Scientist" as well as her own "Heaven Is a Place on Earth".
2006–2007
Carlisle continued her string of TV appearances in 2006, having signed to appear on the Simon Cowell-produced Celebrity Duets, a FOX network reality competition pairing celebrities not famous for singing (like Lucy Lawless and Cheech Marin) with actual singers like Carlisle, Michael Bolton, Jon Secada and Macy Gray. Carlisle sang "Heaven is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak" with Lea Thompson in the September 7 episode.
Carlisle also performed on the opening night of Manchester Gay Pride 2007.
Carlisle performed a set with other 1980's acts at Retro Fest on 1st September 2007 at Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Discography
Albums
* Belinda (1986)
* Heaven on Earth (1987)
* Runaway Horses (1989)
* Live Your Life Be Free (1991)
* The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 (1992)
* Real (1993)
* A Woman and a Man (1996)
* A Place on Earth - The Greatest Hits (1999)
* Voilà (2007)
Top ten singles
The following singles peaked in the Top Ten either in Australia, Switzerland, United Kingdom or the United States.
AU SI UK US
1986 - "Mad About You" 9 — 67 3
1987 - "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" 2 1 1 1
1988 - "I Get Weak" 34 24 10 2
"Circle in the Sand" 75 — 4 7
1989 "Leave a Light On" 5 8 4 11
"La Luna" 21 10 38 —
1990 "Summer Rain" 6 — 23 30
"(We Want) the Same Thing" — — 6 —
1996 "In Too Deep" 11 — 6 —
"Always Breaking My Heart" 50 — 8 —
See also
List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
Interviews
Audio interview with SYN 907 Melbourne
External links
* Belinda Carlisle at the Internet Movie Database
* Official Website
* Belinda-Carlisle.net
* Belinda Carlisle - A Place On Earth
* Ananova article on Carlisle appearance in Playboy (via Wayback Machine)
* Belinda Carlisle at Tv.com
* Belinda Carlisle Music Collection
References
1. ^ http://www.planetout.com/content/slideshow/splash.html?coll=2976&order=3&navpath=/entertainment/celebrities Planetout.com Retrieved on 05-14-07
2. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/02/04/svbelinda04.xml Telegraph.co.uk Retrieved on 05-14-07
Band Of Gold
Belinda Carlisle Lyrics
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Now that you've gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left are the dreams i hold
Band of gold
And the memories of what love could be
If you were still here with me
You took me from the shelter of my mother
I have never known or loved another
We kissed after taking vows
That night on our honeymoon
We stayed in separate rooms
I wait in the darkness of my lonely room
Filled with sadness filled with gloom
Hoping soon
That you'll walk back through that door
And love me like you tried before
Now that you've gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left are the dreams i hold
Band of gold
And memories of what love could be
If you were still here with me
Don't you know that i wait
In the darkness of my lonely room
Filled with sadness filled with gloom
Hoping soon
That you'll walk back through that door
And love me like you tried before
Since you've been gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left are the dreams i hold
Band of gold
And the memories of what love could be
If you were still here with me
I wait in the darkness of my lonely room
Filled with sadness filled with gloom
Hoping soon
That you'll walk back through that door
And love me like you tried before
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left are the dreams i hold
Band of gold
And the memories of what love could be
If you were still here with me
You took me from the shelter of my mother
We kissed after taking vows
That night on our honeymoon
We stayed in separate rooms
I wait in the darkness of my lonely room
Filled with sadness filled with gloom
Hoping soon
That you'll walk back through that door
And love me like you tried before
Now that you've gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left are the dreams i hold
Band of gold
And memories of what love could be
If you were still here with me
Don't you know that i wait
In the darkness of my lonely room
Filled with sadness filled with gloom
Hoping soon
That you'll walk back through that door
And love me like you tried before
Since you've been gone
All that's left is a band of gold
All that's left are the dreams i hold
Band of gold
And the memories of what love could be
If you were still here with me
I wait in the darkness of my lonely room
Filled with sadness filled with gloom
Hoping soon
That you'll walk back through that door
And love me like you tried before
The lyrics to Belinda Carlisle’s “Band of Gold” refer to a woman who has been left by her lover and now only has a wedding band as a reminder of the love they shared. She waits in loneliness and sadness for her lover to return and love her like he tried before. The emotion in the lyrics expresses a feeling of betrayal and abandonment, as the singer yearns for the return of the lost love. The lyrics indicate that despite the passage of time, the memories of love and happiness the two shared still linger on.
The lyrics also recount the beginning of the relationship, with the singer leaving the shelter of her mother and never having known or loved anyone except for her lover. They took vows on their wedding day, but stayed in separate rooms on the honeymoon night. This could be interpreted as a sign that their relationship was doomed from the beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that you've gone
After you left, my life changed completely.
All that's left is a band of gold
The only thing that reminds me of you is my wedding ring.
All that's left are the dreams I hold
The hope of us getting back together is the only thing I have left.
Band of gold
My wedding ring represents our relationship, but it cannot replace the love we had.
And the memories of what love could be
I recall what it felt like when we were in love and wish we could relive that moment.
If you were still here with me
I miss you and our love, and I wish we could still have that connection.
You took me from the shelter of my mother
You rescued me from my previous life and provided me with a new adventure and love.
I have never known or loved another
You're the only person that I have ever loved, and I can't imagine anyone else fulfilling that void.
We kissed after taking vows
Our faith strengthened our relationship, and we solidified our bond with a kiss.
That night on our honeymoon
The first night of our married life, and we both were excited and nervous for the adventure ahead.
We stayed in separate rooms
We chose to stay in separate rooms for practical reasons, but it created an estrangement between us that would grow over time.
I wait in the darkness of my lonely room
I feel isolated and helpless, with no one to share my emotions with.
Filled with sadness filled with gloom
My heart is heavy with sadness, and I can't find any way to be happy without you.
Hoping soon
I'm still hoping for a miracle, that you'll come back to me and we'll be together again.
That you'll walk back through that door
If you come back, it will be like a dream come true for me.
And love me like you tried before
I long for the same love we had before, when everything felt possible.
Since you've been gone
My life hasn't been the same without you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Edythe Wayne, Ronald Dunbar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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