News

On the heels of the announcement that they would soon be joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Go-Go’s have confirmed plans for a December/January mini-tour in California and Nevada.  A recent reissue expanded the pioneering band’s God Bless the Go-Go’s.  And that’s not all.  Demon Music Group has long been the steward of Belinda Carlisle’s catalogue; following the label’s expanded CD reissues of her entire discography, the label has turned to expanded vinyl presentations.  The first of these is a 35th anniversary edition of Carlisle’s solo debut, 1986’s Belinda.  It’s arrived as a 2-LP set pressed on 180-gram vinyl – its first time in the vinyl format since its initial release.

This deluxe version takes its cues from the 2014 2-CD edition.  The original IRS Records album is featured on the first LP, and it’s as joyful and effervescent as ever with the hit “Mad About You” (No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100) and the fizzy update of “Band of Gold” (the single and dance mixes of which boast original vocalist Freda Payne joining in).  While Carlisle would find greater commercial and artistic success with Belinda‘s follow-up, Heaven on Earth, the album holds up well today for its pop pleasures.  The shimmering and up-to-the-minute-circa-1986 production by Michael Lloyd (The Osmonds, Barry Manilow) emphasized Carlisle’s recognizable, clarion voice while the songs were equally tailored to her talents.  Lloyd’s longtime arranger John D’Andrea supplied the subtle string charts throughout the LP.

Half of Belinda was co-authored by her Go-Go’s bandmate Charlotte Caffey including the dramatic “Since You’ve Gone,” a collaboration with Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, and the girl group-esque “I Feel the Magic” (which was complete with honking saxophone and sleigh bells).  In addition to “Mad About You,” The Go-Go’s Paula Jean Brown co-wrote two cuts, the urgent “Gotta Get to You” and the tropically-tinged “Shot in the Dark.”  The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs joined with hitmakers Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg for “I Need a Disguise,” another retro-styled song positioning Belinda as a latter-day heir to Mary Weiss of The Shangri-Las.

Side Three of the new set features the same five studio bonus tracks as on the 2-CD set: three mixes of “Band of Gold” featuring Freda Payne; the extended version of “Mad About You,” and the soundtrack cut “Dancing in the City,” written by Steinberg and Kelly and produced by CHIC’s Bernard Edwards for the soundtrack of the Whoopi Goldberg vehicle Burglar.  Side Four culls five songs, including “Mad About You” and The Go-Go’s “Head Over Heels,” from Belinda’s solo concert film recorded at West Hollywood’s Roxy.  The 12-song concert is included on DVD in the 2014 release but this marks their audio-only debuts.

The deluxe packaging, featuring the album’s lyrics on the gatefold, finds the two LPs each housed in an illustrated sleeve.  Justin Kantor’s detailed 2014 liner notes have been reprinted on the LP 1 sleeve, too.  Phil Kinrade’s mastering has been retained.  Amazon U.K. has an exclusive pink vinyl pressing while other retailers offer standard black vinyl.  But in any color, Belinda shines as the underrated predecessor to the pop perfection of Carlisle’s very next album, the aptly-titled Heaven on Earth.

The 35th Anniversary Edition of Belinda will be followed in August by a 25th Anniversary set of A Woman and a Man, and then in October by a 30th Anniversary release of Live Your Life Be Free.  You’ll find the track listing and order links for Belinda below!

Belinda Carlisle, Belinda: 35th Anniversary Edition (Demon DEMREC900, 2021)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

LP1: Expanded LP (originally released as I.R.S. Records 5741, 1986)

Side One

1. Mad About You
2. I Need a Disguise
3. Since You’ve Gone
4. I Feel the Magic
5. I Never Wanted a Rich Man

Side Two

1. Band of Gold
2. Gotta Get to You
3. From the Heart
4. Shot in the Dark
5. Stuff and Nonsense

LP2: Bonus Tracks

Side One

1. Band of Gold (feat. Freda Payne) (Single Mix) (single A-side – I.R.S. Records 52992 (U.S.), 1986)
2. Dancing in the City (from Burglar: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – MCA Records 6201 (U.S.), 1987)
3. Mad About You (Extended Version) (12″ A-side – I.R.S. Records 23629 (U.S.), 1986)
4. Band of Gold (feat. Freda Payne) (Extended Mix) (12″ A-side – I.R.S. Records 23706 (U.S.), 1986)
5. Band of Gold (feat. Freda Payne) (Dub Mix) (12″ B-side – I.R.S. Records 23706 (U.S.), 1986)

Side Two (tracks originally released on MCA Home Video 80464, 1986)

1. Shot in the Dark
2. Lust to Love
3. Mad About You
4. Since You’ve Gone
5. Head Over Heels