Belinda Carlisle: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview

Feature Photo: Courtesy of Ken Phillips Publicity/Christie Goodwin

To love pop music over the last forty-plus years is to love the music of Belinda Carlisle. But for the uninitiated, or if you just haven’t taken the pop-meets-rock journey yet, with The Go-Go’s, and as a solo artist, to be plain, Carlisle’s booming yet graceful voice has soundtracked our lives.

Surely, you’ve heard hits like “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Circle in the Sand,” “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” and “Mad About You.” And if you’ve loved those songs, then you’re in for a treat, as Carlisle has a new record out in August 2025, One Upon a Time in California.

The record, which Carlisle started before the COVID-19 pandemic and wrapped up after things opened up again, is a journey through the songs that soundtracked her youth while growing up in California.

And so, if you’re a fan of pop music as it was in the ‘60s and ‘70s and are intrigued by the idea of those songs being re-ushered in with Belinda Carlisle’s voice, then Once Upon a Time in California should be for you. “That sort of music informed my taste,” Carlisle tells ClassicRockHistory.com.

“I think my voice and influences, and that sort of sensibility, made it sort of come together,” she says. “We tried to keep the integrity of the song and put a few little changes into it.”

While pop music might not have the same je ne sais quoi it once had, Carlisle isn’t trying to revive it as much as she is paying homage. “I don’t think that I’m reviving them,” she says. “I never thought of it in those terms. I just thought of it as showing people my influences, and the songs that I’ve loved.”

Elsewhere, Carlisle reunited with her Go-Go’s bandmates in April for the Coachella Festival. There are no further plans beyond that, though she knows well enough to “never say never.”

Beyond that, she’s got select shows planned, and a positive message for young artists: “Keep your pride and dignity intact,” she says. “For all the girls, you know, everything is so sexualized; it’s so disturbing, it’s not empowering, and it definitely sets women back. So, don’t sell out like that.”

Photo by Albert Sanchez

You’ve got a new record set for release in August, Once Upon a Time in California. It’s a journey through the songs that inspired you, right?

Yeah, I grew up with California radio, and every summer, you know, through my teen years, I’d go over to my best friend’s house and lie in front of the speakers and listen to 93KHJ, and KRLA. And all those songs that were playing were hits at the time.

I think that it really inspired me to want to sing. I thought I could sing back then, and I thought I could sing at the beginning of The Go-Go’s, and I think I can sing now! But yeah, I mean… those songs mean a lot to me.

The first single from Once Upon a Time in California is your rendition of Albert Hammond’s “The Air That I Breathe.” What’s your personal history with that song?

Well, all the songs—and not just that song—take me back to moments in time and growing up in California. So, that particular song, I was in high school, like a freshman, and that song reminds me of, you know, it was kind of fresh for me when it came on the radio.

So, you know, the other songs, like I said, bring back memories of moments in time. Like the Harry Nilsson songs, I remember when Midnight Cowboy came out, you know? So, with the songs, I don’t have a lot to say about any great stories, except that they mean a lot.

What’s the trick to putting your stamp on such classic songs?

When we started this, first of all, I had a list of literally one hundred songs, but there were certain songs that just didn’t work. I went through the list, and the songs had to fit my voice, first of all, but it’s just my taste with harmonies, and growing up with the big productions of ‘70s radio in California.

The “sound of California” is something that comes up often and definitely harkens back to a certain time. Is that sound still around in music today?

No, I don’t think so. I think it was more about pop music then, but now, it’s the different genres of music, and the not-so-great pop music, to be honest. I mean, there’s some great artists out there, but I think the California sound was of a certain time, for sure.

In a way, with this album, you’re sort of helping to revive that sound for this generation.

Well, I don’t know about revive. But I think it’s going to introduce some of it to my fans, and just some songs that they’ve never heard. Like, [songwriter/producer] Gabe Lopez had never heard of “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” so I mean, I loved introducing him to that song and to some of the other material.

It must be gratifying that, much like these songs from Once Upon a Time in California, many of your songs have become timeless, too.

Totally. I know there are certain songs in The Go-Go’s’ catalog, and in my solo catalog, that have sort of transcended music and become moments in time for people, and in my life as well. You know, “We Got the Beat, “Our Lips Are Sealed, ” “Heaven,” and, of course, “Mad About You,” there are like four or five songs that I’ve been able to sing that mean that much to people as they mean to me.

Does the meaning of those songs change for you as the years go by?

I remember when I was about ten or eleven when Marmalade’s Reflections of My Life came out. I didn’t quite understand the lyrics, but it sounded like a sad song. But it’s not a sad song, it’s just a song about life, and its realities.

So, when I got to sing that song from the perspective of a woman in her 60s, it took on a whole different meaning, like, “Wow, life is so strange, short, painful, and beautiful.” I can go back to times in my life where I experienced some of those lyrics, but being ten or eleven, I just loved it because of the melody. It was such an odd song, but now, it sort of feels biographical in a way.

I bet “Time in a Bottle” has a similar feeling for you, right?

Right! I love that song so much. I remember when I was young, I think I was like thirteen or fourteen when that song came out, and it was on the radio all the time. And I loved the lyrics, and I appreciated the lyrics even back then.

But now, being older, of course, and having the experience of love, and different types of love, I can really relate to it. I mean, I remember when Jim Croce died in the plane crash, you know, it was like the biggest news in America at the time. But what an amazing song; the lyrics are just otherworldly.

I really enjoyed the way that you handled “Everybody’s Talkin’.” It’s such a timeless song, and it really suits your vocal range.

Thank you! I actually knew Harry Nilsson, because he used to come to my husband’s restaurant and hold court every night. He was such a kind man, so I hope that I did him proud. But I love that song, and we played with that a little bit, and put those sort of Roy Orbison kind of touches to it and made it very breezy. It feels very breezy, California convertible, PCH [Pacific Coast Highway] to me, you know? That’s what I feel when I listen back to what we did with that song.

Something that stands out is how well your voice has held up over the years. What’s your secret?

I have a big regimen. First of all, I never had problems with my voice when I was drinking or using, and then, the minute I got sober, it was like, “Oh… I have to take care of my voice.” [Laughs] So, usually, about a month before I start a tour or recording, I will have a strong yoga practice, with lots of Pranayama, and I do a lot of heavy breathing.

And it’s not for the faint-hearted! But with the breathing that I do, which is kind of a Wim Hof thing, I think that’s really strengthened my voice. And then, about a month before, I start doing vocal lessons, you know, a bunch of lessons on my computer. So, when I’m off the road or working on a recording, I do all of that.

And then, I have a humidifier, you know, if I’m traveling, the air conditioner is off, the heat is off, and the humidifier is going. It’s like a jungle wherever I am. [Laughs] But yeah, I have to have a regimen now, and actually, especially because of the breathing, and the Pranayama, my voice is much stronger than it was twenty or thirty years ago.

Once Upon a Time in California really does seem to be about you looking back on how these songs have impacted your life. Now that the album is done, are you able to step back and reflect on the overall process?

You know, I can’t be objective about this album because we started it in 2017. I was living in Thailand at the time, so I’d come back and forth, and I’d spend a week in the studio, so we did it very slowly. And then, the pandemic happened, so we lost two years.

So, we got back into it, I think it was 2021, and we started working on it again, and it was like, “Oh, these songs actually sound okay.” So, when I look back on this process, it was super weird because I’ve never made an album like that before. Usually, there’s a certain amount of time, and it’s very concentrated.

But it was kind of great because we could come back and revisit the songs after six months, or a year, or even two years, and see if they sound okay, and if they were working or not. So, yeah… it was definitely… I’ve never worked like that in my life, but it was just because of outside influences.

Do you plan to tour behind Once Upon a Time in California?

I have some shows at the end of the year on the East Coast. And then, I have a little UK and European tour coming up in late August. Then, next year, I’ll probably do, I mean, I’m not really about touring and slogging it out on the road anymore. I can’t. I’ve done it since I was like eighteen or nineteen years old, so I don’t want to do that anymore. But I do like doing shows, so I’ll probably do little sporadic things.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention The Go-Go’s recent reunion at Coachella, which was unexpected and wonderful to see. Are there plans to play together again?

I don’t think so. Everybody has their lives… but I’ve learned to never say “never” with that band. Because every time I say “never,” something comes along. And the reason why we did that was because it’s a prestigious, very special thing to be offered. And so, we thought we had to take it, but there’s no plans to do anymore.

What do those classic Go-Go’s songs mean to you now, especially given they’re so beloved and have impacted so many people?

Oh, my God, I love them. I mean, when I get to sing a song like “Tonight,” which is like, I mean, the lyrics are so good. Back then, we were like, “It’s us against the world, and we’ll prevail.” We felt like we were immortal, and those songs bring me so much happiness. It really takes me back to living off of Hollywood Boulevard and wheeling our amps down the Boulevard.

And then there’s a song like “Head Over Heels,” which came off of Talk Show, so it’s kind of the end days of The Go-Go’s. That song, you know, it’s funny, somebody the other night said, “That’s my favorite song.” I was like, “Really?” And they said, “Yeah. What’s it about?”

I said, ‘Well, it’s actually not a love song. It’s about fame.” And we were so burnt out and so run down, and we all had our personal issues, you know, we had collective issues. So, singing that song, it’s like, you know, it brings me back to that time where, I mean, I wish we had, well, I don’t have any regrets about how and when it ended.

It had to [end] because of everybody’s personal problems. And then, it just wasn’t working after Jane [Wiedlin] left. But yeah, those lyrics are wise beyond their time. And Charlotte [Caffey] read the lyrics to that song when she was going through a lot of issues, so it’s like, “Wow, we went through that…” It brings me back to how crazy that all was.

It must do your heart good to know that you’ve written and been a part of several songs, like “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” for example, that have literally impacted people’s lives to the point that the songs are deeply personal to them.

Yeah, there are a few of them! I mean, “Mad About You” is the same thing. But there’s no song that I’ve sung that does that as much as “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” I mean, that’s the gift that keeps on giving. It went viral on TikTok, which didn’t make any sense to me, but I loved it. [Laughs] But yeah, people love that song, both young and old.

Pop music has changed a lot since you started, but you’ve been there through it all. What’s your best piece of advice to this generation of pop stars who, quite frankly, are trying to do what you’ve done?

I would say, well, there were many manifestors, and we really made things happen. We had such a belief that it would happen, and everything is energy. I think that we, against all the odds, along with some natural talent in the band, just worked really hard.

We didn’t let anything get in our way, as far as getting us down. So, I guess I would say: work hard and have that belief in yourself—and don’t do drugs. [Laughs] And for all the women out there: don’t sell yourself short. Don’t go the cheap and obvious way.