Get Belinda Carlisle and Diane Warren on the phone and just stay out of the way.
The two music goddesses – reunited after a fortuitous occurrence at a Los Angeles coffee shop – are so eager to talk about their new collaboration that their conversation often collides, their laughter is frequent and their opinions are candid.
Carlisle, forever known as the perky frontwoman of The Go-Go’s, recently released the EP “Kismet” on streaming with CD and vinyl to come in August; it’s her first English-language studio recording since 1997. All five of its tracks were written by Warren, 66, one of the preeminent songwriters in music history. (If you need a refresher, she’s crafted smashes for Aerosmith, Beyoncé, Cher, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Michael Bolton and a few dozen other artists.)
Warren also penned Carlisle’s gloriously melodic solo hit “I Get Weak,” which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988; the No. 1 spot was commandeered by Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give you Up”.
But after teaming up more than 30 years ago, their professional lives diverged until about 18 months ago, when Carlisle, 64, had recently relocated from Thailand to L.A. (she now lives in Mexico).
We’ll let them tell the rest of the story.
Question: So, Belinda, the genesis of this EP is thanks to your son, James, who happened to bump into Diane at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf? What possessed him to go over and say hello?
Belinda Carlisle: My son will talk to anyone. I guess he may have seen Diane when he was a baby 30 years ago (and recognized her), but he just walked over and introduced himself.
Diane Warren: I didn’t even know you had a son! In one second I said, get your mom on the freaking phone! I had just written “Big Big Love” a couple of weeks before and had no idea who was going to do it and this happened and it was like, ‘Oh, perfect.’
Carlisle: It was so out of left field. My son never even went into that coffee shop before. I was bowled over because it was so unexpected and I kept thinking, ‘Do I want to do this? What if the song sucks?’ But when I first heard “Big Big Love” it was so good and it was so me and then Diane played me a bunch of other songs and every single one resonated with me melodically and lyrically.
Do you think this was the universe at work? Would you have done new music if this scenario hadn’t happened, Belinda?
Carlisle: No, there was no opportunity. I thought I’d finish what I had planned for this year and I’ll retire and go start a donkey sanctuary. But it was the universe saying it’s not time to disappear just yet. It was totally that message.
And hence the title of the album?
Carlisle: I do believe in the power of manifesting and also that there is something greater than us at work. That’s what happened with this whole project.
Diane, of these five songs, which ones did you already have tucked away and which did you write specifically for Belinda?
Warren: “If U Go” was written for Belinda and “I Couldn’t Do That for Me” were done before, but not the way I wanted. It was waiting for the right home and I knew Belinda was the right home. (She) sings better than ever, (she) looks great. Once a star, always a star.
Carlisle: Aww, Diane, thanks. These songs could have been given to a younger artist. I thought the days of finding a great pop song were over for me.
You’ve both been in this business a long time, albeit on different sides. What has gotten better and worse as far as women having a voice?
Carlisle: There are definitely more female artists. Record companies wouldn’t sign The Go-Go’s because we were women. But I think the sexualization is not a great thing and there is more of that now than before. Five steps forward, two back. I went on the Billboard Music Awards a few years ago with the band and I thought we had seen and done everything and we were shocked, and we’re no prudes. All of the young girls wearing nothing and twerking, it’s unnecessary. You get attention because it’s an industry run by men and that is not empowering.
Warren: I know a major artist who was told by the head of her record company, if you don’t have your tits and ass out, it’s not going to work. She was like, I’m not doing that. And now she’s extremely successful.
Diane, congrats on the honorary Oscar and Belinda, on The Go-Go’s Rock Hall induction in 2021. But both seem woefully overdue.
Warren: For Belinda, how did it take so long for the biggest girl group ever to get recognized? But my honorary Oscar was a beautiful gift. I don’t think of it as losing (Warren has been nominated for an Academy Award 14 times and received her Academy Honorary Award in 2022). I’ve won with the fact that they’ve never given that award to a songwriter before and I was floored by that.
Belinda, is anything happening with The Go-Go’s?
Carlisle: That’s finished. There is something to be said for quitting or stopping at the top. I think that the Rock Hall was a great way to cement the legacy of the band. But (Go-Go’s guitarist) Charlotte (Caffey) is doing backup vocals on three of the songs on “Kismet.”
Belinda, you’re heading out on a rare U.S. tour this summer, but might there be more ahead for you and Diane?
Carlisle: Honestly, this experience was so joyful, I really am open to doing more.
Music notes
