Belinda Jo Carlisle (born August 17, 1958) is a Grammy Award-nominated American singer. Belinda was born in Hollywood, California, is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the all-female new wave band The Go-Go's and also a solo artist. At school, Belinda became a cheer leader. At the age of 19, she left home with the confidence that one day she would be a star that she later became. Carlisle's first venture into music was a brief stint as drummer for the punk band The Germs, under the name Dottie Danger. Soon after leaving The Germs, she founded The Go-Go's (originally named The Misfits), with friend and fellow musicians Margot Olaverria, Elissa Bello, and Jane Wiedlin. Olaverria 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.
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). After the excesses of the Go-Go's years Carlisle underwent a period of physical recuperation and image remodelling emerging as a modern young Californian female. Carlisle's first album, Belinda, was still released on I.R.S. Records, in 1986. This album was successful in North America and was certified Gold in the U.S. And Platinum in Canada. Her summer hit "Mad About You" peaked at #3 in the U.S., topped the Canadian Singles Chart and charted in the top 10 also in Australia. "Mad About You" was followed by the Motown-influenced single "I Feel the Magic", and by a cover version of the Freda Payne song "Band of Gold".
*Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth ?
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
When the night falls down I wait for you
And you come around and the worlds alive
With the sound of kids on the street outside
When you walk into the room
You pull me close and we start to move
And we're spinning with the stars above
And you lift me up in a wave of love...
*
When I feel alone I reach for you
And you bring me home when I'm lost at sea
I hear your voice and it carries me
In this world we're just beginning
To understand the miracle of living
Baby I was afraid before
But I'm not afraid anymore
*
{Talking about heaven I'm on Cloud 9 now. Lovely song!}
The first release from Heaven on Earth was "Heaven Is a Place on Earth", which topped the single charts, not only in the U.S., but also in the UK and in several other countries (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 single from the album was "I Get Weak", which shot to #2 in the U.S. and #10 in the U.K. The song was written by Diane Warren. The third single from the album was "Circle in the Sand," another Top 10 hit in the U.S., the UK, and Germany.
Carlisle's follow-up to the success of Heaven on Earth was Runaway Horses, released on October 23, 1989. The album hit the Top 5 in both Australia and the UK, certified double platinum in Australia and platinum in the UK and in Canada, but failed to reach similar success in the U.S. The first release, "Leave a Light On", peaked at #11 in the U.S., and became another Top 5 smash in the UK, Australia and Canada.
Carlisle's fifth solo album, Real, was released in 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. 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, "Big Scary Animal", peaked at #12 in the UK. The second single from Real was "Lay Down Your Arms", which made the Top 30 in the UK. Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals co-wrote the single Here Comes My Baby.
[wikipedia]
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