POP legend Belinda Carlisle talks to Josh Walton about her new release celebrating the 30th anniversary of Heaven On Earth, the album which catapulted her to international solo stardom, as well as her brand new album and upcoming UK tour.

CARLISLE is currently preparing to embark on a UK concert tour, Heaven On Earth – 30th Anniversary, on September 29.  She will also release her brand new album Wilder Shores on the same date. The celebrations will continue on October 1, when Belinda begins her nine-date tour, including a show at Brighton Dome.

The Heaven On Earth – 30th Anniversary box set, released by the Demon Music Group, presents the hit-filled album on four heavyweight vinyl LPs plus a CD, bringing together the original studio album, the single versions of the six hits on the album, plus live versions taken from the 1988 Belinda Live! concert.

The CD features the original album, as well as three brand new tracks including a new acoustic version of one of her most popular tracks, Heaven Is A Place On Earth, her new song Why, and a cover of the Carpenters’ classic Superstar.

With a career spanning over three decades, Heaven on Earth, Belinda’s second solo album proved to be her breakthrough internationally and her most successful album to date.

The single Heaven Is A Place on Earth topped charts the world over. The album peaked at number four in The UK Album Chart, and was certified triple platinum. The release featured four UK Top 40 singles, including Heaven Is A Place on Earth, I Get Weak, Circle In The Sand and World Without You.

“I had success before Heaven On Earth, but had never achieved the level of success I aspired to before that release,” says Carlisle. “I got to travel the world and see a lot as a result, which kept me very busy. The music I grew up with was California pop so this has been a huge influence on me throughout my career. I think the production on the Heaven On Earth album was just really nice and that was part of its success.”

It’s been 35 years since the punk-influenced Californian teenager sat on the kerb of a Hollywood sidewalk drinking beers with her gal pals and planning to form a band.

Three years later, the Go-Go’s not only had the number one album in America with Beauty And The Beat, which included the smash hits We Got The Beat and Our Lips Are Sealed, but also broke down the door for every female guitar band that followed.

As Q magazine noted: “Before riot grrrl, before ‘girl power’, before ladette culture had a name, there was the Go-Go’s.” Rolling Stone went even further labelling them, “the world’s best female rock band”.

By 1985, she was ready for the fresh challenge of a solo career. Her gold certified solo debut album, Belinda, was released in 1986 spawning the hit single, Mad About You, before her second album, Heaven On Earth, elevated her career to the next level. The album went platinum on both sides of the Atlantic.

The single Heaven Is A Place On Earth is one of those records that transcends its place in time and undoubtedly cemented Carlisle’s place in pop history. Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, the song drew contributions to every aspect of its conception, from the iconic video directed by Oscar winning actress Diane Keaton, to the backing vocals supplied by Michelle Phillips of Sixties folk rock legends The Mamas And The Papas. Other contributors included multi-award winning songwriter Diane Warren, with 1980s electro maestro Thomas ‘Hyperactive’ Dolby as a guest on keyboards.

The new version of Heaven Is A Place On Earth is featured on Wilder Shores, Carlisle’s new album, also being released on September 29. Wilder Shores features Kundalini yoga chanting.

Describing her new release, Carlisle says: “Chanting was one of the tools I used to help me in the early days of my sobriety. It’s a proven science and there is no question that it is a powerful method for dealing with everyday life. It’s not just music on the album, it’s a science that requires an element in the voice called the naad which is almost a transference of energy. That being said, I am a pop singer and Wilder Shores is still a pop album with the same structure of verse, bridge and chorus as my previous albums but it is done with repetitive chanting. This project came completely from the heart and from the experience that I have had with chanting. I wanted to share with my fans what I feel can be a life changing practise for anyone.

“On the roof of our mouth there are 84 energy meridian points which are activated by chanting, it stimulates our glandular system, balances our chakras and is an amazing way to achieve peace of mind, optimum health and the ability to shift our perspective on life as needed.

“I decided to include an acoustic version of Heaven Is A Place On Earth on this album because lyrically it is and always has been a song of hope. I’ve performed it in a very broken-down form in big yoga classes, including the very well respected Seane Corn and Gurmukh Khalsa, and have had many people coming up to me afterwards to say they didn’t realise the lyrics were so in keeping with yogic philosophy until they heard it stripped of all its production.”

Commenting on her musical style and influences, Carlisle adds: “It is hard to explain what my influences are really. No one seems to really do a mantra in a pop song so that is exciting to be able to do. It is interesting to look back and think of other artists who have influenced me over the years, including when I first started out. For example my new album is kind of a fusion between eastern and western instruments.

“I think my style and tastes have seen some change over the years, but it has always been pop music I make. It goes back to when I moved to France in 1994. I think that definitely changed my outlook, after being introduced to French pop music. It opened my eyes to other styles.”

Fans will have the chance to catch Carlisle on tour around the UK, with a show at Brighton Dome on October 2. She is excited to be able to play the whole Heaven On Earth album to a live audience for the first time in decades.

She says: “I haven’t performed that album as a whole in almost 30 years. I never had a chance to play the songs off the album a lot of times. That is what I am really looking forward to. I have played in Brighton before and had a gig at a large church or cathedral down that way, which was great. I look forward to hearing the crowd react to some of my favourites.”