Like the proverbial circle in the sand, Belinda Carlisle’s career continues to go round and round.
While reflecting on 35 years as a solo performer on her aptly titled “Decades” tour, which brings her back to the Bay for a weekend’s worth of shows in Napa (Fri/18) and San Francisco (Sun/20)—she is also looking forward with her new five-track EP, Kismet.
The Go-Go’s frontwoman’s first solo pop outing since 1997, featuring the buoyant synth-driven single, “Big Big Love,” reconnects the star with legendary producer Diane Warren, responsible for two of her greatest hits—1987’s plaintiff “I Get Weak” and anthemic chart-topper “Heaven Is A Place On Earth.”
She also recently teamed up with fellow icons Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, and Debbie Harry to record another Warren track—“Gonna Be You”—for the movie 80 For Brady.
Carlisle spoke to me about how a chance meeting with Warren brought the singer—who last released 2007’s chanson-based Voila and 2017’s chants collection Wilder Shores—back to her pop roots, her newfound appreciation for Madonna, and whether she’ll ever get due recognition for her solo work.
48 HILLS After collaborating with Diane Warren 35 years ago, why were you eager to work with her again?
BELINDA CARLISLE Besides being an amazing songwriter, she’s a great, funny, kind, eccentric person. When we first met in the ‘80s, we clicked; and when we started working together on Kismet, we just picked up where we left off. So we have that kind of relationship where we may not have seen each other for years, but it’s just familiar, and there’s no weirdness or awkwardness. We can be honest with each other. It’s a great working relationship.
48 HILLS What was it like working with four fellow icons on “Gonna Be You” for 80 for Brady?
BELINDA CARLISLE By the magic of technology, we all did our parts separately in different parts of the country. And I know when Diane asked if I’d do it, I said, “Are you kidding me? Of course.” Being a fan of all these women for years, I was so excited about this project and the song.
I idolized Debbie Harry in high school. She was the coolest woman in the world. I was obsessed with her. I’ve met her through the years at Go-Go’s and Blondie shows, and we’ve had dinner together. But I think, for me, it was like, “Oh, finally, finally.”
48 HILLS You’ve said that you thought your last pop record was your final pop record. Why was that?
BELINDA CARLISLE Great pop songs go to much younger artists or artists on the charts. Especially now, at 64, I would never expect anything great to come my way.
“Big Big Love” could have been given to Miley Cyrus.
48 HILLS What was it like recording in English again?
BELINDA CARLISLE It’s like riding a bicycle for me. As far as the French pop album, I lived in France for 24 years and always felt like I had a bit of the chanteuse in me. So that album was fun to make because I wasn’t on the corporate hamster wheel of having to turn out hits.
As far as the next album, I’d been chanting for 30 years and always wanted to do an album of chants that are my favorite mantras and put them in a pop song format. So I got that out of my system.
But I never thought I’d be doing pop music on par with the music I made in the mid and late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
48 HILLS Is the album titled Kismet because it was meant to be?
BELINDA CARLISLE Yeah, Kismet conjures up the way this whole thing came to be.
Diane had written “Big Big Love” and thought I’d be perfect for the song a couple of days before she ran into my son at a coffee shop my son never goes to.
My son knew who Diane was and walked up and introduced himself, and she said, “Oh my God, let’s get your mom on the phone.” So they FaceTimed me, and she said, “Get to the studio; I have some hits for you.” I had no time to think. It was so out of left field.
I was taken aback because when Diane and my son called me, I was afraid. First, do I want to commit? Second, what if it’s bad? But I went to the studio and was blown away. I was like, “This is for me.”
The way these things came together was so weird that the title summed up this project perfectly.
48 HILLS What does being 64 mean to you?
BELINDA CARLISLE It means nothing to me, honestly. It means experience and hopefully, wisdom. But that’s about all. I don’t feel like I’m 64. I don’t act like I’m 64. So I haven’t slowed down. Even when I wasn’t doing music, I was running around the world doing this and that.
48 HILLS Have the deaths of many of your contemporaries like Prince, George Michael, Mark Hollis, and Terry Hall, and your former collaborator Andy Taylor’s recent cancer diagnosis changed your outlook on life and what you have yet to accomplish?
BELINDA CARLISLE Well, most of those artists left us way too young. And it made me feel grateful. It made me appreciate that I’m still here. Olivia Newton-John hit me hard because it represents a time. A lot of her songs transcended music for me and brought back memories.
After Prince, I cried. I cried over Glenn Frey, Tom Petty, and Amy Winehouse, who was only 27. It makes you realize how precious life is and how lucky I am to be here at my age making music. But it’s always horrible when somebody that you look up to passes away.
48 HILLS You recently complimented Madonna in the press for continuing to put herself out there. Do you feel that same boldness yourself?
BELINDA CARLISLE Yeah, I do. We’re on totally different trajectories. But I respect what she’s doing. It’s her thing, she loves it, and that’s amazing that she’s still doing it. She’s had longevity and success on a different level.
But to be out there at my age doing shows, selling out, having a hit single—that’s pretty incredible. It’s great for other women to see that it’s still possible and that age is just a number. Those other women on “Gonna Be You” are not your typical older women either. I do have respect for Madonna and what she’s doing. And really, I hope I get to see her on this tour.
48 HILLS When I heard “Sanity” off Kismet, I instantly thought of “I Plead Insanity” from your 1991 LP, Live Your Life Be Free. I know you’ve overcome so much from childhood to today. Does your life feel more sane today?
BELINDA CARLISLE Absolutely. There’s nothing insane about it, to be honest. I’m older and I’d like to think I’m wiser. I’ve certainly had many experiences and become more centered with sobriety, daily yoga, and chanting. So yeah, I think I’m sane. My husband might beg to differ, but I think I’m sane.
48 HILLS We were all so happy when The Go-Go’s got their long-overdue Hollywood Star and then were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Have you received all the recognition you deserve for your solo career?
BELINDA CARLISLE I haven’t even thought about that. But I feel the perception of my solo career has changed since the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. But at the same time, I’ve been doing my solo career since 1985, so that’s 38 years. You can write somebody off after a couple of hit singles, but you can’t write somebody off after 38 years. There has to be something that they’re offering.
I used to get written up during “Mad About You” like a dumb blonde or airhead. But I always knew that I wasn’t. There was a thought that pop music wasn’t important. And I think pop music is important, especially now, because uplifting people and helping people lose themselves in fantasy is good; my songs have done that.
So the perception of my solo career has changed. I think it’s a combination of just being around for so long and the Rock Hall induction because people need to hear that something’s important to believe it. The Go-Go’s were written off for years until the 2020 documentary came out and people were like, “They did that.” So that changed everything.
BELINDA CARLISLE Fri/18, Blue Note Napa, Napa. $49-$69. Tickets and more info here.
BELINDA CARLISLE Sun/20, August Hall, SF. $49.50. Tickets and more info here.
