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Leave a Light On: Belinda Carlisle's Third 'Decades' Box Collects Single Mixes, B-Sides and More

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Belinda Carlisle Decades Cornucopia

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Last year, Edsel Records - the longtime custodian of The Go-Go's singer Belinda Carlisle's solo works - released the box set Decades Volume 1, a 4CD set collecting reissues of her first four studio albums: Belinda (1986), Heaven on Earth (1987), Runaway Horses (1989) and Live Your Life Be Free (1991). As all four of these had been remastered and expanded by the label in the last decade - some more than once - it sort of got lost in the shuffle, as did a similar volume that offered her other four releases: Real (1993), A Woman and a Man (1996), Voila (2007) and Wilder Shores (2017).

With all her basic studio material essentially covered therein (and certainly on other releases), what else could be left to do? Enter Decades Volume 3: Cornucopia, a just-announced package that will focus on Belinda primarily as a singles artist, with edits, mixes, B-sides and compilation-only tracks spanning much of her storied solo career. This 4CD set is, like the others, presented in media book packaging with 32 pages of liner notes that include track annotations and original single sleeve artwork.

Cornucopia starts off with two discs of mostly "orphaned" tracks released largely between 1987 and 2021: B-sides, non-album and greatest hits-exclusive cuts, covers of John Lennon ("Jealous Guy"), the Carpenters ("Bless the Beasts and the Children") and the Sex Pistols ("Submission"), and even an octet of recordings Carlisle and producer Gabe Lopez have put together for various projects released by Edsel. (One A-side has squeaked on these discs: the single mix of Carlisle's cover of Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," issued as a single from her debut Belinda with added background vocals from Payne herself.)

Over the next two discs, the box flips mostly from B-sides to A-sides, offering two dozen unique edits and mixes of material largely drawn from her strongest period as a hitmaker from 1987 to 1993, including "Heaven is a Place on Earth," "I Get Weak," "Circle in the Sand," "Leave a Light On," "(We Want) The Same Thing," "Summer Rain," "Runaway Horses," "Live Your Life Be Free" and others. Cornucopia closes with 11 versions of these and other hits, recorded live in various concerts and issued as single B-sides.

Decades Volume 3: Cornucopia is available in the U.K. and abroad on May 3. Pre-order it at the links below.

Decades Volume 3: Cornucopia (Edsel EDSL-0158 (U.K.), 2024) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Disc 1: An A-Side, B-Sides, Contributions to Soundtracks and Compilations

  1. Band of Gold (feat. Freda Payne) (Single Mix)
  2. Dancing in the City
  3. In My Wildest Dreams
  4. Only a Dream
  5. The Air That You Breathe
  6. Bless the Beasts and the Children
  7. Change (8-Track Demo)
  8. Too Much Water (8-Track Demo)
  9. Wrap My Arms (Demo)
  10. Here Comes My Baby (Demo)
  11. Christmas Lullaby
  12. I See No Ships
  13. Jealous Guy
  14. Love Walks In
  15. The Ballad of Lucy Jordan

Track 1 from I.R.S. Records single 52992, 1986. Original version from Belinda (I.R.S., 1986)
Track 2 from Burglar (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - MCA Records 6201, 1987
Track 3 recorded for the film Mannequin (1987). Released on The CD Singles 1986-2014 - Edsel CARLISLEBOX01 (U.K.), 2015
Track 4 from "Half the World" U.K. single - Virgin VS 1388, 1992
Track 5 from "The Air You Breathe" U.K. CD single - Virgin VSCDT 1428, 1992
Track 6 from Tame Yourself - Rhino R2 70772, 1991
Tracks 7-8 from "Big Scary Animal" U.K. CD single - Virgin VSCDX 1472, 1993
Tracks 9-10 from "Lay Down Your Arms" U.K. CD single - Virgin VSCDX 1476, 1993
Track 11 from Mother & Child (A Christmas Celebration of Motherhood) - Gai Saber/I.R.S. 72438 35173 2 9, 1995
Tracks 12-13 from "In Too Deep" U.K. CD single - Chrysalis CDCHS 5033, 1996
Tracks 14-15 from "Always Breaking My Heart" U.K. CD single - Chrysalis CDCHSS 5037, 1996

Disc 2: A-Sides, B-Sides, Contribution to a Compilation and New Recordings (2013-2021)

  1. Whatcha Doin' to Me (Demo)
  2. Don't Cry (Demo)
  3. Submission - Radiator & Belinda Carlisle
  4. All God's Children
  5. A Prayer for Everyone
  6. Feels Like I've Known You Forever
  7. Sun
  8. Goodbye Just Go
  9. Why
  10. Superstar
  11. If You Could Read My Mind
  12. I Need You to Turn To
  13. Both Sides, Now
  14. Get Together

Tracks 1-2 from "Love in the Key of C" U.K. CD single - Chrysalis CDCHS5044, 1996
Track 3 from Come Again - EMI 72438 59942 2 7 (U.K.), 1997
Tracks 4-6 from A Place on Earth (The Greatest Hits) - Virgin CDV 2901 (U.K.), 1999
Track 7 from Icon - Geffen/UMe B0017945-02, 2013
Track 8 from The Collection - DMG TV 055 (U.K.), 2014
Tracks 9-10 from Heaven on Earth (30th Anniversary Edition) - Demon DEMRECBOX14 (U.K.), 2017
Tracks 11-13 from Runaway Horses (30th Anniversary Edition) - Demon DEMRECBOX38 (U.K.), 2019
Track 14 from Nobody Owns Me - Demon DEMREC964 (U.K.), 2021

Disc 3: Single Versions

  1. Heaven is a Place on Earth (Single Mix)
  2. I Get Weak (7" Version)
  3. Circle in the Sand (7" Version)
  4. I Feel Free (7" Version)
  5. World Without You (7" Remix)
  6. Love Never Dies (7" Version)
  7. Leave a Light On (7" Version)
  8. La Luna (7" Version)
  9. Runaway Horses (Single Remix)
  10. Vision of You (7" Version)
  11. (We Want) The Same Thing (Summer Remix)
  12. Summer Rain (7" Edit)
  13. Valentine (Remix Edit)
  14. Vision of You ('91 Remix)
  15. Live Your Life Be Free (Single Version)
  16. Do You Feel Like I Feel (Single Version)
  17. I Plead Insanity (Single Mix)

Original versions of Tracks 1-6 from Heaven on Earth (Virgin (U.K.)/MCA (U.S.), 1987)

  • Track 1 from MCA single 53181 (U.S.)/Virgin single VS 1036 (U.K.), 1987
  • Track 2 from Virgin single VS 1048 (U.K.), 1988
  • Track 3 from MCA single 53308 (U.S.)/Virgin single VS 1074 (U.K.), 1988
  • Track 4 from MCA single 53377 (U.S.), 1988
  • Track 5 from Virgin single VS 1114 (U.K.), 1988
  • Track 6 from Virgin single VS 1150 (U.K.), 1988

Original versions of Tracks 7-14 from Runaway Horses (Virgin (U.K.)/MCA (U.S.), 1989)

  • Track 7 from MCA single 53706 (U.S.)/Virgin single VS 1210 (U.K.), 1989
  • Track 8 from Virgin single VS 1230 (U.K.), 1989
  • Track 9 from Virgin single VS 1244 (U.K.), 1990
  • Track 10 from MCA promo CD single CD45-18304 (U.S.)/Virgin single VS 1264 (U.K.), 1990
  • Track 11 from Virgin single VS 1291 (U.K.), 1990
  • Track 12 from MCA single 53783 (U.S.)/Virgin single VS 1323 (U.K.), 1990
  • Track 13 from Runaway Horses (Deluxe Edition) - Edsel EDSG-8026 (U.K.), 2013
  • Track 14 from Virgin 12" single VSTX 1264 (U.K.), 1991

Original versions of Tracks 15-17 from Live Your Life Be Free (Virgin (U.K.)/MCA (U.S.), 1991)

  • Track 15 from MCA promo CD single 5P-2087 (U.S.), 1992/Virgin single VS 1370 (U.K.), 1991
  • Track 16 from MCA promo CD single CD45-1570 (U.S.)/Virgin single VS 1383 (U.K.), 1991
  • Track 17 from Live Your Life Be Free (Deluxe Edition) - Edsel EDSG-8027 (U.K.), 2013

Disc 4: Single Versions and Live B-Sides

  1. Live Your Life Be Free (Radio Edit)
  2. Lay Down Your Arms (Single Edit)
  3. All God's Children (Edit)
  4. A Prayer for Everyone (Edit)
  5. Heaven is a Place on Earth (Dyme Brothers 7" Mix)
  6. I Get Weak (U.S. 7" Mix)
  7. Sun (Edit)
  8. I Feel Free (Live)
  9. Circle in the Sand (Live)
  10. Heaven is a Place on Earth (Live)
  11. In Too Deep (Live Acoustic)
  12. Circle in the Sand (Live Acoustic)
  13. Big Scary Animal (Live)
  14. I Get Weak (Live)
  15. Leave a Light On (Live)
  16. Live Your Life Be Free (Live)
  17. In Too Deep (Live)
  18. Heaven is a Place on Earth (Live)

Track 1 from Live Your Life Be Free (Deluxe Edition) - Edsel EDSG-8027 (U.K.), 2013
Track 2 from Virgin single VS 1476 (U.K.), 1993. Original version from Live Your Life Be Free (Virgin (U.K.)/MCA (U.S.), 1993
Track 3 from Virgin single VS 1756 (U.K.), 1999. Original version from A Place on Earth (The Greatest Hits) - Virgin CDV 2901 (U.K.), 1999
Track 4 from Virgin Swedish promo CD single (no cat. #), 1999. Original version from A Place on Earth (The Greatest Hits) - Virgin CDV 2901 (U.K.), 1999
Track 5 from Real (Deluxe Edition) - Edsel EDSG-8028 (U.K.), 2013
Track 6 from MCA single 53242 (U.S.), 1988
Track 7 from Edsel U.K. promo CD single (no cat. #), 2013
Tracks 8-10 from "Love Never Dies" CD single - Virgin VSCD 1150 (U.K.), 1988
Tracks 11-12 from "Love in the Key of C" CD single - Chrysalis CDCHSS5044 (U.K.), 1996
Tracks 13-14 and 17 from "California" CD single - Chrysalis CDCHS 5047 (U.K.), 1997
Tracks 15-16 and 18 from "California" CD single #2 - Chrysalis CDCHSS 5047 (U.K.), 1997

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Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, holding positions at Legacy Recordings and Rhino Records and contributing to Allmusic, Discogs, City Pages, Ultimate Classic Rock and Mondo Records, for whom he penned liner notes for his favorite piece of music: John Williams' Oscar-winning score to 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.' Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.

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Comments

  2. Great overview Mike. Very helpful to see what version is taken from what source. Many thanks!

    Very strange they left out all her original 1986 singles. I'd like to know the reason...

    Reply

  3. Mad About You and the Belinda album were released on IRS records, she moved to MCA for Heaven through Live Your Life so the Edsel releases always favour the MCA material they have the licensing for.

    In Too Deep, Always Breaking My Heart, Love in the Key of C, California from A Woman & A Man LP are huge international hits that always get omitted in these compilations as well.

    I suspect the idea is the Decades 1 set of discs includes Mad About You, Decades 2 includes Voila and AW&AM tracks and they don't want to include too many tracks here that they have to shell out money to IRS Records for, greed is the goal? The "featuring Freda Payne" version of Band of Gold was on a movie soundtrack so included for that reason I guess. It's not a great version, the Belinda only album version is way better imho.

    I love that Edsel is keeping the catalogue alive but there's not much here if you have the 2CD reissues which I wish they would release again rather than endless comps of the MCA years recordings.

    MCA are terrible at re-releases (Kim Wilde fans are saying 'amen' right now) in part because they had a massive fire at a storage warehouse and the masters for some incredible recordings were lost. With limited source material we get these recycled packages.

    I love Wilder Shores, especially the full band tracks on a walking or work out playlist and Kismet is great! Let's hope there's another EP in the works!

    Thank you for sharing and promoting Belinda's releases, love this site and Joe's reviews!

    Reply

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