Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 2726 Date: 05/17/1986
Debut: 86
Peak: 3
Weeks: 21
Genre: Pop
Pop Bits: When The Go-Go's split up in 1985, lead singer Belinda Carlisle decided to step out on her own for a solo career. Although she wouldn't be the first Go-Go to have a solo effort reach the Pop chart (Jane Wiedlin's "Blue Kiss" hit #77 in '85), she would go on to have the most successful solo career of the former band members and it began with this first single from her debut LP titled Belinda. The song wasn't necessarily an instant hit, but it steadily climbed the chart to reach #3, just one notch lower that The Go-Go's biggest hit "We Got the Beat." The hit would help the album get to #13 and over time it would be a gold seller.
ReduxReview: I was a massive Go-Go's fan so I was a bit devastated when they broke up. But then Jane Wiedlin put out a solo disc that blended new wave, rock, and synthpop, and I really enjoyed it (and still do). So it gave me hope for Carlisle's solo effort. I admit that I was a bit perplexed at first by the disc's near-bubblegum, retro 60s tunes, but I ended up liking it. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it. This first single was the best of the tracks. It was a solid piece of commercial pop with breezy production that seemed to fit Carlisle's voice and bubbly personality. There were definitely no signs of the punk-ish rock of the early Go-Go's here, but things had changed and Carlisle seemed ready and willing to be crafted into a pop diva.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: When Jane Wiedlin left The Go-Go's late in '84, her spot was filled by Paula Jean Brown. Brown brought along with her a few songs she co-wrote and the tunes were considered for inclusion on the band's planned fourth album. However, by May of '85 Carlisle and band member Charlotte Caffey found themselves done with The Go-Go's and closed up the band. As Carlisle planned her solo album she needed tunes, so she secured three of the songs that Brown had co-written including this hit single. And despite the group's break up, Wiedlin, Caffey, and Brown stepped in and helped out on Carlisle's album. Wiedlin would provide some backing vocals (including this song) while Brown would play bass. Caffey did the most by doing some backing vocals, providing some guitar work, and writing or co-writing five of the LP's songs.
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9/10 for me, definitely one of Belinda's best songs and one of the best songs of 1986, this is IMO a near perfect pop song.
ReplyDeleteTrue. It's pretty sweet. It would have been interesting to have heard what it would be like if The Go-Go's had stayed together and recorded it for their next album.
DeleteWhat Darian said. Btw, this is a fantastic blog. I dig the dedication, research, and analysis.
DeleteThanks! I appreciate that.
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