June 30, 2023 • 12 mins
Come along with Kyle McMahon in this episode of Pop Culture Weekly, where he interviews the legendary Belinda Carlisle. Belinda shares her excitement about performing for the upcoming PBS special A Capitol Fourth, her new EP Kismet, working with Diane Warren and whether we might ever see The Go-Go's on stage again. She also takes us back to the early days of her career, sharing the amazing journey of The Go-Go's, the first all-female band to top the charts playing their own instruments and writing their own songs. Listen in as she reflects on their historic achievements and the wonderful legacy of the band.
Belinda also shares about her successful solo career and her recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We discuss her collaboration "Gonna Be You" with iconic artists Cyndi Lauper, Dolly Parton, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry from the film '80 for Brady' and her excitement about working with these powerful women she admires. She also talks about her new EP, Kismet, written by the brilliant and legendary songwriter Diane Warren, and her upcoming "Decades" tour that celebrates her illustrious career. Join us for this engaging conversation with one of the most influential women in pop music.
PBS A Capitol Fourth airs live on PBS July 4th, 2023 at 8pm EST as well as Facebook and YouTube. The special will remain on demand on YouTube, Facebook, and the PBS site.
Kyle McMahon's Death, Grief & Other Sh*t We Don't Discuss is now streaming: https://www.deathandgrief.show/Chapter-One-The-Diagnosis-AKA-WTF/
---------------
Get all the Pop Culture Weekly podcast info you could want including extra content, uncut interviews, photos, videos & transcripts at: https://podcast.popcultureweekly.com
Watch celebrity interviews at: https://www.facebook.com/realkylemcmahon/videos
or Kyle McMahon YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/officialkylemcmahon
Read the latest at http://www.PopCultureWeekly.com
Follow Kyle on:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmacmusic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/realkylemcmahon
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kmacmusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/officialkylemcmahon
Website: http://www.kylemcmahon.me
Belinda also shares about her successful solo career and her recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We discuss her collaboration "Gonna Be You" with iconic artists Cyndi Lauper, Dolly Parton, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry from the film '80 for Brady' and her excitement about working with these powerful women she admires. She also talks about her new EP, Kismet, written by the brilliant and legendary songwriter Diane Warren, and her upcoming "Decades" tour that celebrates her illustrious career. Join us for this engaging conversation with one of the most influential women in pop music.
PBS A Capitol Fourth airs live on PBS July 4th, 2023 at 8pm EST as well as Facebook and YouTube. The special will remain on demand on YouTube, Facebook, and the PBS site.
Kyle McMahon's Death, Grief & Other Sh*t We Don't Discuss is now streaming: https://www.deathandgrief.show/Chapter-One-The-Diagnosis-AKA-WTF/
---------------
Get all the Pop Culture Weekly podcast info you could want including extra content, uncut interviews, photos, videos & transcripts at: https://podcast.popcultureweekly.com
Watch celebrity interviews at: https://www.facebook.com/realkylemcmahon/videos
or Kyle McMahon YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/officialkylemcmahon
Read the latest at http://www.PopCultureWeekly.com
Follow Kyle on:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kmacmusic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/realkylemcmahon
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kmacmusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/officialkylemcmahon
Website: http://www.kylemcmahon.me
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to Pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from I Heart Radio.
(00:05):
Your Pop Culture News, Views, Reviews, and Celebrity Interviews on all the movies, TV, music,
and pop culture you crave weekly.
Here's Kyle McMahon.
Hey, what's up?
It's Kyle McMahon.
Welcome to Pop Culture Weekly.
It's a very special episode.
I am out of studio in New York right now for a project.
(00:29):
But I did have the pleasure of interviewing Belinda Carlisle, the one and only a trailblazer
in the music world.
And I talked to her about her brand new EP, as well as performing at a capital fourth,
and if the go-go's will ever make a return.
(00:53):
Let's get right into my interview with her.
Here she is, Belinda Carlisle.
All right, well first of all, thank you so much for speaking with me.
I really appreciate it.
My pleasure.
And so I want to talk to you about the new EP, Kiss Mid, as well as capital fourth.
But for a moment, if we can, I'd like to go back to the beginning of your career with
(01:16):
the go-go's.
You as a band, you were the first theme, all female, act that went number one, playing your
own instrument.
So that, I mean, that's really history-making and it still stands today.
What is that like for you, you know, 30 some years later, that that record still stands?
Well, it's amazing.
(01:37):
I mean, we'd not only played our own instruments, but we wrote our own songs.
And it was a complete female operation, female management, female roadies.
And, you know, we started off being a girls club.
And the fact that we made an album, that first album considered to be such a classic
like that, of course, it's amazing.
I mean, the whole story of the go-go is amazing, you know, against all odds, forming in 1978,
(02:05):
not knowing how to do a thing, to having the number one album in America three years later.
I mean, when does that happen?
And you, you know, you of course went on to dominate.
You went off on your own and did a soul, you know, had an extremely, have a extremely successful
solo career and then you were nominated with the go-go's of two years ago and inducted
(02:28):
into the rocket and roll hall of fame.
What was that like?
Well, it's an incredible way to cement the legacy of the band.
I mean, it doesn't get any better than that.
It was a night full of like love and celebration.
And, you know, I mean, it was, it was, I think it probably was the most incredible evening
(02:52):
professionally of any of our lives.
And if it hadn't been for the documentary that came out a year and a half prior, we might
still be waiting for that induction.
Okay.
And, you know, for you now, obviously again, have had this incredibly successful solo career.
You did a song recently for 80 for Brady with Cindy Lauper and Dali Parton and Gloria
(03:19):
Stefan and Debbie Harry.
Like, and I believe it was written by Diane Warren, what, you know, that's an incredible
group of powerful women.
What did that moment, what did that song mean to you?
Well, I mean, I would have to pinch myself that I was actually working with these, these
(03:40):
women that I admire.
I don't know.
I mean, it was kind of surreal for me, nothing like that's ever happened to me in my life.
I mean, we all recorded our parts separately.
But I don't know.
For me, it was like, I'm a fan of these women, you know, I've met them throughout my 40-odd
(04:04):
year career.
And yeah, I mean, it was, it was a weird, incredible surreal moment.
And for the film, you know, what, what a cast with that film with 80 for Brady.
Yeah, it worked because it was funny because everybody in their families in their 80s,
in their or near their 80s or late 70s.
(04:28):
And then Diane's concept of getting together women from the 80s, I mean, she's very clever.
So I would never have thought of that.
So yeah, it all worked really, really well.
And it's, I'm proud to be a part of the project.
I love that.
And you have a brand new EP out called Kiss mit, which is completely written, if I'm not mistaken,
(04:52):
by Diane, right?
Right.
I mean, I was, I was planning to slow down some of my retirement.
And out of the blue, I get this call.
My son ran into Diane in a coffee shop in LA and introduced him something.
He's like, ah, what your mom doing.
So they face timed me and I was like out of the blue.
It was so weird.
(05:14):
Get down to the studio.
I have some hits for you.
And I had to really, I think whether I wanted to do it or not because it's a big commitment.
And, you know, I wasn't really in that headspace, but you don't say no to Diane Warren.
So I went, I went to the studio and she played me big, big love and I fell in love with the
(05:34):
song instantly.
And so I said, okay, let's go.
I had no idea what it was going to be.
I don't think any of us really knew what it was going to be.
And they ended up being a five-songy P. And yeah, all these weird coincidences like her
writing big, big love a couple days before she ran into my son and not knowing who it was
for.
And then immediately she was like, bingo.
(05:56):
So yeah, you know, it was kind of meant to be.
And yeah, you know, it was a very joyful experience.
And this is your first pop English language album in 27 years?
Yeah, it was only because I never really thought that a good pop songs of any kind of quality
(06:19):
would come to me because usually they go to younger artists or artists that are charting.
So I, and I was totally fine with that.
I mean, that's just the way it goes.
So the fact that she gave these songs to me as like a gift, you know, I mean, and they're
on par with the material that I was doing in the late 80s or early 90s.
(06:42):
So I'm not going to do something just for the sake of doing it.
I mean, I have to really love it.
So it was a very, like I said, very joyful and quite a surprise to me of all people to
be doing this.
Well, it's a great collection of songs and, and I, you know, I love Diane Warren.
I love you.
And so the two is, is to have a whole EP of Diane Warren's songs with you singing is so
(07:07):
great.
And you're hitting the road on the decades tour, supporting both the album and your career,
right?
Right.
I start.
It's kind of a continuation.
I did some American dates in November last year.
And it's a continuation of that on the East Coast, West Coast.
And then I finished in Australia at the end of the year.
(07:28):
So yeah, it's a celebration of all my albums.
I'm doing material from most of my solo albums.
Of course, I always do a few go-go songs.
That's my roots.
And I'll be doing a couple of songs on the case of my EP.
Awesome.
Awesome.
And, you know, with the go-go's, you have re-enighted, taken hiatuses, broken up, re-enighted again.
(07:54):
You know, where are you now?
I don't, the go-go's are finished.
We decided that after the rock haul, that was a great way to cement the legacy of the band.
We did a few dates after that that we had to make up.
And everybody kind of went their separate ways.
Some of us felt that it was a perfect way to, you know, to say goodbye.
(08:20):
And I think you can go on too long.
And, you know, it was like a perfect way to just buy a little bow.
And like I said, cement the legacy of the band.
I love that.
Now, so, July 4th, you're going to be at the west lawn of the United States Capitol for
a Capitol 4th on PBS.
(08:43):
What do you, what can we look forward to you doing there?
Singing.
Besides that, I don't know.
I'm really excited about it.
For me, it's kind of like a dream come true because I've never done anything like this before.
You know, I've been to DC, of course, to the years on tour.
At about 15 years ago, I actually went out of the tour of the Capitol building.
(09:06):
And I was just so fascinated with just the city and the history and the buildings and just
like so much.
So, yeah, I'm excited about it.
I'm looking forward to playing with all these other artists that I'm a bands of.
I think it's going to be great.
And you're going to be performing three songs, right?
(09:27):
Three songs, yes.
It's short and sweet, yeah, with an orchestra.
So, it'll be great.
That's awesome.
Have you ever played with full orchestra before?
Yes, I have.
I just, the go goes to two nights at the Hollywood Bowl with the L.A.
Simpil Harmonic.
You can't mess up.
It's like high pressure.
(09:47):
You can't mess up because you're a mess up if there was everybody off.
I did one last year in the UK and I've done the pops before years ago.
But so, I always like doing, it's a whole different thing.
It's kind of high pressure.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I'm sure you will do amazing.
I'm really looking forward to it.
It's such, I go every year to Capitol fourth and it's such a just feel good party celebration
(10:13):
of America.
And all the things that, you know, all the various us's that live in this country.
So I'm looking forward to seeing you perform and people can go and get the EP right now, right?
Yeah, it came out May 12th.
It's streaming now and it'll be out on vinyl and CD very soon.
(10:36):
I don't know the exact date, but soon.
Awesome.
Thank you, Belinda.
I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Of course.
There she is, Belinda Carlisle, what an awesome person, an awesome talent.
And, you know, I was, I really liked her answer relating to the go-goes.
(10:58):
You know, the, just what she said about that was the perfect time to end it and they're all
fine with that.
That's just interesting to me.
In any event, I'll have a very special episode coming out in just a few days from
Capital Fourth.
Alfonso Ribeiro is hosting and babyface will be performing boys to men, Elmo, Cookie Monster,
(11:26):
and Chicago and of course, Belinda.
And it's just always, every year, a great, great way to celebrate, you know, America's birthday.
And you'll be able to listen to that on the 4th of July and then watch a Capital Fourth
Live on PBS that night.
(11:47):
And then it'll be in repeats or on demand for two weeks following.
So let me know what you think of today's show.
Let me know what you think of Belinda.
Hit up my socials.
I'm doing such a bad job of promoting the socials here and promoting the show on the socials.
So I've been told I need to do that.
So I am doing that.
(12:08):
You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter @kmechmusic or Facebook, Real Kyle McMahon, YouTube,
wherever you want.
Just hit me up and let's talk pop culture.
All right.
I will see you very soon.
I love you.
We up.
Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Weekly.
You're all the latest at popcultureweekly.com.
(12:31):
[Music]
Welcome to Pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from I Heart Radio.
(00:05):
Your Pop Culture News, Views, Reviews, and Celebrity Interviews on all the movies, TV, music,
and pop culture you crave weekly.
Here's Kyle McMahon.
Hey, what's up?
It's Kyle McMahon.
Welcome to Pop Culture Weekly.
It's a very special episode.
I am out of studio in New York right now for a project.
(00:29):
But I did have the pleasure of interviewing Belinda Carlisle, the one and only a trailblazer
in the music world.
And I talked to her about her brand new EP, as well as performing at a capital fourth,
and if the go-go's will ever make a return.
(00:53):
Let's get right into my interview with her.
Here she is, Belinda Carlisle.
All right, well first of all, thank you so much for speaking with me.
I really appreciate it.
My pleasure.
And so I want to talk to you about the new EP, Kiss Mid, as well as capital fourth.
But for a moment, if we can, I'd like to go back to the beginning of your career with
(01:16):
the go-go's.
You as a band, you were the first theme, all female, act that went number one, playing your
own instrument.
So that, I mean, that's really history-making and it still stands today.
What is that like for you, you know, 30 some years later, that that record still stands?
Well, it's amazing.
(01:37):
I mean, we'd not only played our own instruments, but we wrote our own songs.
And it was a complete female operation, female management, female roadies.
And, you know, we started off being a girls club.
And the fact that we made an album, that first album considered to be such a classic
like that, of course, it's amazing.
I mean, the whole story of the go-go is amazing, you know, against all odds, forming in 1978,
(02:05):
not knowing how to do a thing, to having the number one album in America three years later.
I mean, when does that happen?
And you, you know, you of course went on to dominate.
You went off on your own and did a soul, you know, had an extremely, have a extremely successful
solo career and then you were nominated with the go-go's of two years ago and inducted
(02:28):
into the rocket and roll hall of fame.
What was that like?
Well, it's an incredible way to cement the legacy of the band.
I mean, it doesn't get any better than that.
It was a night full of like love and celebration.
And, you know, I mean, it was, it was, I think it probably was the most incredible evening
(02:52):
professionally of any of our lives.
And if it hadn't been for the documentary that came out a year and a half prior, we might
still be waiting for that induction.
Okay.
And, you know, for you now, obviously again, have had this incredibly successful solo career.
You did a song recently for 80 for Brady with Cindy Lauper and Dali Parton and Gloria
(03:19):
Stefan and Debbie Harry.
Like, and I believe it was written by Diane Warren, what, you know, that's an incredible
group of powerful women.
What did that moment, what did that song mean to you?
Well, I mean, I would have to pinch myself that I was actually working with these, these
(03:40):
women that I admire.
I don't know.
I mean, it was kind of surreal for me, nothing like that's ever happened to me in my life.
I mean, we all recorded our parts separately.
But I don't know.
For me, it was like, I'm a fan of these women, you know, I've met them throughout my 40-odd
(04:04):
year career.
And yeah, I mean, it was, it was a weird, incredible surreal moment.
And for the film, you know, what, what a cast with that film with 80 for Brady.
Yeah, it worked because it was funny because everybody in their families in their 80s,
in their or near their 80s or late 70s.
(04:28):
And then Diane's concept of getting together women from the 80s, I mean, she's very clever.
So I would never have thought of that.
So yeah, it all worked really, really well.
And it's, I'm proud to be a part of the project.
I love that.
And you have a brand new EP out called Kiss mit, which is completely written, if I'm not mistaken,
(04:52):
by Diane, right?
Right.
I mean, I was, I was planning to slow down some of my retirement.
And out of the blue, I get this call.
My son ran into Diane in a coffee shop in LA and introduced him something.
He's like, ah, what your mom doing.
So they face timed me and I was like out of the blue.
It was so weird.
(05:14):
Get down to the studio.
I have some hits for you.
And I had to really, I think whether I wanted to do it or not because it's a big commitment.
And, you know, I wasn't really in that headspace, but you don't say no to Diane Warren.
So I went, I went to the studio and she played me big, big love and I fell in love with the
(05:34):
song instantly.
And so I said, okay, let's go.
I had no idea what it was going to be.
I don't think any of us really knew what it was going to be.
And they ended up being a five-songy P. And yeah, all these weird coincidences like her
writing big, big love a couple days before she ran into my son and not knowing who it was
for.
And then immediately she was like, bingo.
(05:56):
So yeah, you know, it was kind of meant to be.
And yeah, you know, it was a very joyful experience.
And this is your first pop English language album in 27 years?
Yeah, it was only because I never really thought that a good pop songs of any kind of quality
(06:19):
would come to me because usually they go to younger artists or artists that are charting.
So I, and I was totally fine with that.
I mean, that's just the way it goes.
So the fact that she gave these songs to me as like a gift, you know, I mean, and they're
on par with the material that I was doing in the late 80s or early 90s.
(06:42):
So I'm not going to do something just for the sake of doing it.
I mean, I have to really love it.
So it was a very, like I said, very joyful and quite a surprise to me of all people to
be doing this.
Well, it's a great collection of songs and, and I, you know, I love Diane Warren.
I love you.
And so the two is, is to have a whole EP of Diane Warren's songs with you singing is so
(07:07):
great.
And you're hitting the road on the decades tour, supporting both the album and your career,
right?
Right.
I start.
It's kind of a continuation.
I did some American dates in November last year.
And it's a continuation of that on the East Coast, West Coast.
And then I finished in Australia at the end of the year.
(07:28):
So yeah, it's a celebration of all my albums.
I'm doing material from most of my solo albums.
Of course, I always do a few go-go songs.
That's my roots.
And I'll be doing a couple of songs on the case of my EP.
Awesome.
Awesome.
And, you know, with the go-go's, you have re-enighted, taken hiatuses, broken up, re-enighted again.
(07:54):
You know, where are you now?
I don't, the go-go's are finished.
We decided that after the rock haul, that was a great way to cement the legacy of the band.
We did a few dates after that that we had to make up.
And everybody kind of went their separate ways.
Some of us felt that it was a perfect way to, you know, to say goodbye.
(08:20):
And I think you can go on too long.
And, you know, it was like a perfect way to just buy a little bow.
And like I said, cement the legacy of the band.
I love that.
Now, so, July 4th, you're going to be at the west lawn of the United States Capitol for
a Capitol 4th on PBS.
(08:43):
What do you, what can we look forward to you doing there?
Singing.
Besides that, I don't know.
I'm really excited about it.
For me, it's kind of like a dream come true because I've never done anything like this before.
You know, I've been to DC, of course, to the years on tour.
At about 15 years ago, I actually went out of the tour of the Capitol building.
(09:06):
And I was just so fascinated with just the city and the history and the buildings and just
like so much.
So, yeah, I'm excited about it.
I'm looking forward to playing with all these other artists that I'm a bands of.
I think it's going to be great.
And you're going to be performing three songs, right?
(09:27):
Three songs, yes.
It's short and sweet, yeah, with an orchestra.
So, it'll be great.
That's awesome.
Have you ever played with full orchestra before?
Yes, I have.
I just, the go goes to two nights at the Hollywood Bowl with the L.A.
Simpil Harmonic.
You can't mess up.
It's like high pressure.
(09:47):
You can't mess up because you're a mess up if there was everybody off.
I did one last year in the UK and I've done the pops before years ago.
But so, I always like doing, it's a whole different thing.
It's kind of high pressure.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, I'm sure you will do amazing.
I'm really looking forward to it.
It's such, I go every year to Capitol fourth and it's such a just feel good party celebration
(10:13):
of America.
And all the things that, you know, all the various us's that live in this country.
So I'm looking forward to seeing you perform and people can go and get the EP right now, right?
Yeah, it came out May 12th.
It's streaming now and it'll be out on vinyl and CD very soon.
(10:36):
I don't know the exact date, but soon.
Awesome.
Thank you, Belinda.
I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Of course.
There she is, Belinda Carlisle, what an awesome person, an awesome talent.
And, you know, I was, I really liked her answer relating to the go-goes.
(10:58):
You know, the, just what she said about that was the perfect time to end it and they're all
fine with that.
That's just interesting to me.
In any event, I'll have a very special episode coming out in just a few days from
Capital Fourth.
Alfonso Ribeiro is hosting and babyface will be performing boys to men, Elmo, Cookie Monster,
(11:26):
and Chicago and of course, Belinda.
And it's just always, every year, a great, great way to celebrate, you know, America's birthday.
And you'll be able to listen to that on the 4th of July and then watch a Capital Fourth
Live on PBS that night.
(11:47):
And then it'll be in repeats or on demand for two weeks following.
So let me know what you think of today's show.
Let me know what you think of Belinda.
Hit up my socials.
I'm doing such a bad job of promoting the socials here and promoting the show on the socials.
So I've been told I need to do that.
So I am doing that.
(12:08):
You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter @kmechmusic or Facebook, Real Kyle McMahon, YouTube,
wherever you want.
Just hit me up and let's talk pop culture.
All right.
I will see you very soon.
I love you.
We up.
Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Weekly.
You're all the latest at popcultureweekly.com.
(12:31):
[Music]
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