If there is one thing Belinda Carlisle knows, it's California.
Born in Hollywood and raised in nearby Thousand Oaks, the voice behind frolic-inducing '80s gems "We Got the Beat" and "Vacation" with The Go-Go's – and "Mad About You" and "Heaven is a Place on Earth" as a solo star – has sunshine in her veins.
In late August, Carlisle unveiled her latest musical project, "Once Upon a Time in California," a collection of 10 cover songs with ties to her home state or ones that evoke a breezy vibe. She tweaked the vocal arrangement of The Association's "Never My Love" to nod to the quintessential California band, The Beach Boys, and channeled the spirit of Karen Carpenter on The Carpenters' slice of melancholy beauty, "Superstar." Songs from Harry Nilsson ("Everybody's Talking"), Jim Croce ("Time in a Bottle") and The Hollies ("The Air That I Breathe") also made the final cut.
"I was born and raised in California when music was part of the culture," Carlisle says. "My escape as a young girl was California radio and that inspired me to be a singer one day. That, or being an actress."
The idea for the album has percolated since 2017 and Carlisle says she thought of the title a few years ago.
