Belinda Carlisle attended Newbury Park
High School, where she was a cheerleader. In the late 1970's Belinda found
her way into the punk scene in Los Angeles. She called herself "Dottie
Danger", dyed her her all different colors (green , purple, blonde,
etc.) , and would make dresses out of trash
bags and wear them to clubs.
Belinda was the drummer for the band The Germs for a short time, just before that band became famous. While Belinda was living at a rooming house in Hollywood (located at corner of Cherokee and Yucca) called The Canterbury, she met Jane Wiedlin (who called herself Jane Drano at the time). In May 1978 Belinda and Jane were at a party in Venice and met with friend Margo Olivarria and decided to form a band. Belinda sang, Margo played bass, and Jane played rhythm guitar. Elissa Bello joined the band as drummer. The called the band The Misfits. The band had their rehearsals in the nearby punk club the Masque, located in the basement of a porno theater. The band made their live debut at the Masque in July of 1978. In September 1978 Charlotte Caffey joined the band to play lead guitar. In 1979 Gina Schock replaced Elissa Bello as Go-Go's drummer. The band renamed themselves "The Go-Go's" in 1979. The band recorded a 5 song demo at Gold Star studios, and opened The LA shows for British group Madness (later famous for the song "Our House") Madness invited the band to come to England with them for a tour. The Go-Go's spent 6 months touring England in 1980. One of the songs on the demo tape, "We Got the Beat" was released as a single on Stiff Records, becoming an underground club hit. In November 1980 Kathy Valentine replaced Margo Olavarria as Go-Go's bassist. In 1981 The Go-Go's sign a record deal with IRS Records, and release their first album Beauty and the Beat. "Our Lips Are Sealed" is released as a single off the album, and becomes a major hit song.  The
album went double platinum. At the 1982 Grammy Awards, the Go-Go's were
nominated as Best New Artist, but lost. In July 1982 The Go-Go's released
their second album Vacation, with single "Vacation" and Get Up and
Go". In July 1984 The Go-Go's released their third album Talk Show, with
the singles "Head Over Heals" "Turn To You". Belinda has called Talk
Show her favorite of all the Go-Go's albums. She said "I Love all the
albums but Talk Show is my favorite. It's painful record for me
to listen to, because we were all so screwed up at the time, but I think
the songs are beautiful. 'Head Over Heals' and 'Forget That Day' are among
my favorite lyrics I have sung"*** Jane
left the band in late 1984, and by May 1985 the band has officially broke
up. During the mid 80's Belinda had a relationship with Mike Marshal, outfielder
for the LA Dodgers. She does not like to talk about it and won't comment
about it during interviews. Belinda first met Morgan Mason at the opening
of a Chinese restaurant in 1984. They did not seem interested in each other.
However Belinda's friend Diane Duarte thought they would make a good couple
and sent them up. Diane called Morgan and pretended to be Belinda, and
asked him out. Belinda and Morgan went to a Hall and Oats concert, and
afterwards to a bar called Trader Vics. The date went very well. She moved
in with Morgan the next day. Belinda says that "Morgan had such a settling
influence on me". In 1986 she kicked her drug and alcohol problems, got
into shape and released her first solo album Belinda on IRS Records.
Singles included "Mad About You", " I Feel the Magic", and "Band of Gold".
Morgan and Belinda went to Paris together and had a mock wedding on front
of Notre Dame Cathedral, later they eloped and married for real at Lake
Tahoe, Nevada. In Dec 1987, Heaven On Earth was released and it's
first single "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" went to No. 1 in the United States
and in many other countries.  The
album was released on MCA Records in the US and on Virgin Records in Europe.
In the US singles included "I Get Weak", "Circle in the Sand", and "I Feel
Free". In Europe singles included "I Get Weak", "Circle in The Sand",
"World Without You" and "Love Never Dies". She embarked on her first world
tour to support the album. Soon after a video of her May 1988 concert at
the historic Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, entitled
"Belinda Live!", was available from Virgin Music Video. Belinda was
nominated for a Grammy in 1988 as best feamle pop vocalist, she lost to
Whitney Houston. 1989 Belinda released her third solo album, Runaway Horses.
The album was released on MCA Records in the US and on Virgin Records in
Europe. Us singles included the top 40 hit "Leave a Light On" plus "Summer
Rain", "Vision of You" and "We Want The same Thing". Singles released by
Virgin Records in Europe and Japan included "Leave a Light On", "Summer
Rain", "Vision of You", "We Want The Same Thing", "Runaway
Horses" and "La Luna". The album was not a major success in the US,
but did very well in Europe and Japan. From this time on Belinda would
enjoy greater success in Europe (especially England) than in her home country
of the United States. In 1989 Morgan had his first hit movie as a movie
producer, he executive-produced the movie Sex, Lies, and Videotape.  Belinda
said in a 1989 US Magazine interview about the movie "I couldn't put this
script down". The Go-Go's got back together in late 1990 for a short tour
to support the new album Go-Go's Greatest. When the band went their
separate ways after the tour, they said in interviews that it was over
for good this time. The album was a greatest hits collection with one new
recording, "Cool Jerk". In 1991 Belinda released her forth solo album
Live Your Life Be Free. While in Europe in 1991 promoting the
album, Belinda found out she was expecting a baby. She continued to appear
on TV show to promote the album, even though she was suffering from a bad
case of morning sickness.  The
album was released on MCA Records in the US and on Virgin Records in Europe.
US singles were "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" and "Live Your Life Be Free".
European singles were "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" and "Live Your Life Be
Free", "Half the World", Little Black Book", and videos also were
made for the songs "I Plead Insanity", and "World of Love" In April
1992 son James Duke Mason was born. Belinda had some problems during pregnancy,
and the baby was born 2 month premature.
During her pregnancy Belinda worked with Charlotte Caffey on some songs
that would later be on Belinda's fifth solo album Real, released in 1993.
Belinda however was no longer with MCA Records, her US record label. She
was upset with the way the record company had not been promoting her records.
She approached then chairman of MCA Records Al Teller at a record
industry banquet and gave him a piece of her mind. As quoted in US Magazine
(Nov.
1993) "I Went up to him, and
I said, 'If it isn't the man who single-handedly fucked up my career in
the country, Well fuck you Al Teller! You're a fucking liar!' " Belinda
said "I felt great about it , there were serious repercussions, and my
contract didn't get renewed." MCA did release one final Belinda Carlisle
album on their label, Belinda Carlisle Her Greatest Hits.
In Europe and Japan Virgin Records released their own Belinda greatest
hits album, The Best of Belinda Vol. 1. It shot to number one of
the British album charts when it was released in 1992. It's the first and
only number one album Belinda has ever had. Belinda's fifth studio album,
Real,
was released in late 1993. Virgin Records America was her new US record
company, while Virgin Records (UK) released the album in Europe. US single
was "It's Too Real (Big Scary Animal)". In Europe singles were "It's Too
Real (Big Scary Animal)" and "Lay Down Your Arms". Once again the album
was much more popular in Europe than in the US. Belinda tried a new sound
with Real, it wasn't a bouncy pop album like her previous ones, it was
a more modern rock sound. In 1994 the Go-Go's got back together again.
IRS Records was going to release another Go-Go's greatest hits album, and
the band thought it would be a good idea to record a few new songs for
it, as well as digging out some of the band early rehearsal tapes to include
on the album.  Return
to the Valley of the Go-Go's, a 36 song, double CD album, was
released in late 1994. Three new songs were on the album, and two singles
were released "The Whole World Lost Its Head" and "Good Girl". The Go-Go's
promoted then new album with a US tour and in early 1995 a European tour.
Belinda began work on a new solo album in 1995, she teamed up with Per
Gessler of Roxette, who produced two songs on the new album. 
Early reports had the album being called "Love In the Key of C", by the
time it was released in September 1996, the title of Belinda's sixth solo
studio album was A Woman and a Man. Belinda was now signed to Chrysalis/EMI
Records. The album was only released in Europe and Japan, US fans would
have to wait until July 1997 for the US release of the album on ARK 21
Records. Singles in Europe were "In Too Deep", "Always Breaking My Heart",
"Love In the Key of C", and "California". Singles in the US were "In Too
Deep", and "California". Late in 1997 Belinda recorded a song for the EMI
compilation album Come Again, she did the song "Submission", a song originally
done by The Sex Pistols. She also recorded a song for the European soundtrack
to the Disney movie "Hercules" , the song was "I Won't Say I'm In Love".
Early 1998 EMI Records of Japan released yet another Belinda greatest hits
album. This one was titled The Greatest, and had songs from 1986
to 1997 including "Submission". As for other projects, Belinda continue
her hobby of archeology, and both a book and a movie about the Go-Go's
in expected sometime soon. Belinda has been working with fellow Go-Go Charlotte
Caffey on the book.  Belinda
did a short acoustic tour in the UK in early 1999. Belinda performed many
of her old hits, as well as a cover of one of her favorite songs, "Different
Drum", originally by Linda Rondstat. The Go-Go's reunited again in 1999
for a summer tour. The Go-Go's albums
Vacation and Talk Show
were re-released in the United Sates on CD to go along with the tour. The
tour was recorded for later release on CD and video.  At
the end of 1999, Belinda released a new album in Europe, entitled A
Place On Earth. This was another greatest hits ablum but had three
brand new songs: "A Prayer for Everyone", "Feels Like I've Known You Forever",
and the single "All God's Children". Belinda toured in England with
Culture Club, and opened for Cher on some of her European concerts. The
Go-Go's have a CD of all new material planned for 2000, with a tour possible. |