Belinda (Belinda Carlisle album)
| Belinda | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 19, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1985–1986 | |||
| Studio | Guerilla Studios (North London, England) | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 37:08 | |||
| Label | I.R.S. | |||
| Producer | Michael Lloyd | |||
| Belinda Carlisle chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Belinda | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C[2] |
| Rolling Stone | (mixed)[3] |
| Q | |
| People | (favourable)[4] |
Belinda is the debut studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle. It was released on May 19, 1986 by I.R.S. Records. Carlisle began work on the album in 1985 following the breakup of the Go-Go's, for whom she was the lead singer. The album was supported by four singles, with lead single "Mad About You" peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in Canada.
Composition
[edit]Some of the songs on Belinda were written by Carlisle's former bandmates in the Go-Go's Charlotte Caffey and Paula Jean Brown[5] while the rest of the tracks were written by other songwriters such as the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs. Carlisle has a single co-writing credit on one track ("Gotta Get to You").
"Band of Gold" was a hit song for Freda Payne in 1970, which Carlisle covered for this album. Although Payne herself does not appear on the album version of the track, John Luongo overdubbed and remixed the track for a single release, which included prominent backing vocals by Payne. The 7-inch single was only issued in Canada (where it hit No. 91 on the charts), but Payne's vocals were also heard on the dance mixes of Carlisle's version of the song, which were issued on a 12-inch single in the US. The various "Band of Gold" remixes would later appear as bonus tracks on the 2003 re-release of the album.
"I Need a Disguise" was written by the team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, who co-wrote the song with Susanna Hoffs, as it was originally intended for use by the Bangles.[6][better source needed] Kelly and Steinberg also co-wrote another song for Carlisle called "Dancing in the City", which she would eventually record and would later appear on the soundtrack for the 1987 movie Burglar. "Stuff and Nonsense" is a cover of Tim Finn's song originally performed by his band Split Enz on their 1979 album Frenzy. The song "Shot in the Dark" appeared on the soundtrack for the film Out of Bounds (1986).
Reception
[edit]Commercial
[edit]The album was successful in North America, peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 and at number 24 on the Canadian Albums chart. It was moderately successful in Australia, where it peaked at number 42 and charted for 12 weeks. Belinda was certified Gold in the US and Platinum in Canada, selling over one million copies worldwide.
Critical
[edit]Upon release, Belinda was met with mixed reviews from critics. Mark Coleman of Rolling Stone wrote, "The problem with Belinda is that all the ingredients are there, but the end result just doesn't feel right."[3] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commented retrospectively that "The pop on Belinda may not be as infectious as the Go-Go's' finest singles, yet it fit in well with the slick formats of mid-'80s radio and managed to be more memorable than many of the mainstream hits of the time, as the ingratiating hit 'Mad About You' proves."[7]
In their review, Billboard stated that "The Go-Go's lead vocalist swings toward a broader, mainstream appeal with this first solo set, already rolling behind the first single, 'Mad About You.' Less tongue-in-cheek than her old band's work, this is generally lively, uptempo pop given an early '60s sweep by producer Lloyd."[8]
Retrospectively, in 2020, Steve Harnell of Classic Pop noted that "retaining Go-Go’s guitarist Charlotte Caffey as the major songwriter on this debut LP allowed for some sense of familiarity amongst the Brave New World of Carlisle’s solo career. Caffey supplied five songs on Belinda, a record that spins through a [sic] myriad styles as Carlisle searched for a new musical direction...Belinda certainly had its moments, but there was still much work to be done in establishing Carlisle as a solo act."[9]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mad About You" |
| 3:36 |
| 2. | "I Need a Disguise" | 3:55 | |
| 3. | "Since You've Gone" |
| 3:12 |
| 4. | "I Feel the Magic" |
| 3:20 |
| 5. | "I Never Wanted a Rich Man" | Caffey | 4:12 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Band of Gold" |
| 3:42 |
| 2. | "Gotta Get to You" |
| 4:06 |
| 3. | "From the Heart" |
| 3:12 |
| 4. | "Shot in the Dark" |
| 3:23 |
| 5. | "Stuff and Nonsense" | Tim Finn | 4:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Mad About You" (extended version) |
| 5:26 |
| 12. | "Band of Gold" (extended version) (featuring Freda Payne) |
| 6:42 |
| 13. | "Band of Gold" (dub mix) (featuring Freda Payne) |
| 7:43 |
| 14. | "Band of Gold" (single mix) (featuring Freda Payne) |
| 3:41 |
Personnel
[edit]Musicians
- Belinda Carlisle – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Jim Cox – keyboards, synthesizers
- Claude Gaudette – keyboards, synthesizers
- Nicky Hopkins – keyboards, synthesizers
- Michael Lloyd – keyboards, synthesizers
- Bobby Martin – keyboards, synthesizers, saxophone (6)
- Phil Shenale – keyboards, synthesizers
- Charlotte Caffey – guitars, backing vocals
- Laurence Juber – guitars
- David Lindley – guitars
- Andy Taylor – guitars
- Dennis Belfield – bass
- Paula Brown – bass, backing vocals
- Paul Leim – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
- John Rosenberg – trumpet (10)
- John D'Andrea – string arrangements (3, 6, 10)
- Sid Sharp – string direction (3, 6, 10)
- Don Griffin – musical instruments (3, 6, 10)
- Elisa Fior – backing vocals
- Susanna Hoffs – backing vocals
- Tom Kelly – backing vocals
- Billy Steinberg – backing vocals
- Jane Wiedlin – backing vocals
- The Waters (Maxine Waters Willard and Julia Waters Tillman) – backing vocals
Technical
- Michael Lloyd – producer, arrangements
- Nathan Lam – associate producer
- Carmine Rubino – engineer
- William Orbit – engineer, remixing
- Dan Nebenzal – assistant engineer
- Tania Hayward – assistant engineer
- Belinda Carlisle – art direction
- Carl Grasso – art direction
- Matthew Rolston – cover photography
- Bradford Bramson – sleeve photography
- Robert Feist – additional vocal production[citation needed]
- Ellen Shipley – additional vocal production[citation needed]
- Ron Stone – management
- Danny Goldberg – management
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[18] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[19] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Belinda - Belinda Carisle". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1987). "CG: Artist 2641". Robert Christgau. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- ^ a b Coleman, Mark (July 3, 1986). "Belinda Carlisle: Belinda : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 27, 2007. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
- ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Belinda". people.com. People. June 23, 1986.
- ^ The Go-Go's (documentary film) by Alison Ellwood on Sky Arts 20 March 2021 at 9pm
- ^ "Back to the 80s: Interview with songwriter Billy Steinberg". 10 March 2012. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Belinda Carlisle - Belinda Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
- ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. No. 31 May 1986. p. 60. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ^ Harnell, Steve. "Belinda Carlisle: Album by Album". Classic Pop. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 55. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0727". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "Belinda Carlisle Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. September 13, 1986. p. 35. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100: 4 June 2021 - 10 June 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Albums of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. December 27, 1986. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Belinda Carlisle – Belinda". Music Canada. January 30, 1987.
- ^ "American album certifications – Belinda Carlisle – Belinda". Recording Industry Association of America. November 24, 1986.
