Back in 1987 Heaven Is A Place On Earth first sky-rocketed Belinda Carlisle's solo career worldwide and added yet another string to her bow as lead singer of the Go-Gos, one of the most successful female bands of all time. And she knows it in 2013, with the release of most recent single Sun on 1 July 2013.
Thrillingly for fans, it’s her first new English-speaking material for 17 years and the starting point for a bumper year of Belinda Carlisle celebrations that both revisit her Virgin era back catalogue of 15 UK Top 40 hits and look forward to fresh collaborations both live and in the studio.
It was always going to take something very special to inspire Carlisle to return to her pop roots but Sun, an irresistible piece of shimmering, barnstorming, hook-laden anthemic pop, is it. Written by LA singer/songwriter/producer Gabe Lopez (New Kids On The Block, American Idol), Belinda Carlisle and fellow Go-Go Jane Wiedlin, produced, with modern electro sensibilities by Lopez and Ian Masterson. Coated with Belinda’s glorious, soaring, instantly identifiable vocals Sun is a stunning reminder of Carlisle’s timeless appeal as one of pop’s true survivors.
It’s 35 years since the punk-influenced Californian teenager sat on the kerb of a Hollywood sidewalk drinking beers with her gal pals and set about forming a band. Three years later, the Go-Gos not only had the number one album in America with Beauty and the Beat which included the smash hits We Got The Beat and Our Lips Are Sealed, but had broken down the door for every female guitar band that followed. As Q magazine noted, “Before riot grrrl, before ‘girl power’ before ladette culture had a name, there was the Go-Gos.” Rolling Stone went even further calling them, “the world’s best female rock band.”
The Go-Gos sold seven million albums and counted Kurt Cobain and British acts like The Specials and Madness amongst their biggest fans. But by 1985 Carlisle was ready for the fresh challenge of a solo career. Her Gold certified solo album debut, Belinda, was released in 1986 spawning the hit single, Mad About You, before her second album, Heaven On Earth, elevated her to the next level as one of the most successful female artists of the decade.
Heaven Is A Place On Earth is one of those career records that transcends its place in time. A number one hit in both the US and the UK (where it toppled Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes’ The Time Of My Life and Pet Shop Boys' Always On My Mind respectively) it reached the top spot in 8 different countries, earning Belinda Carlisle a prestigious Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocalist in the esteemed company of Whitney Houston, Carly Simon, Suzanne Vega and Barbra Streisand.
Belinda Carlisle will see her Virgin released Solo albums re released and given special treatment by Edsel in August.
Demon Music Group will also release on 9 September of a unique series of very special DVD/CD packages, ‘Live From Metropolis Studios’ – from 4 multi-platinum selling artists - Belinda Carlisle, Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley, Heaven 17 and Level 42, featuring countless hit singles and album tracks performed in front of an intimate live ‘fan only’ audience at the legendary West London studio complex.
Music-News.com were lucky enough to meet Belinda at her South Kensington Hotel to find out more. Click above to see the full uncut interview.
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There are digital releases on Edsel of all 15 UK Top 40 singles with their original format B-sides, two digital only Greatest Hits compilations, and Edsel Deluxe 2CD+DVD re-mastered and digital editions of the four Virgin-era studio albums, Heaven on Earth, Runaway Horses, Live Your Life Be Free and Real on 26/08/2013 featuring a plethora of extras including an interview with Belinda on each of the albums, promo videos, and rare TV appearances.
