she/her
Jesus Christ.
Heaven Is a Rate on Earth. The Belinda Carlisle Rate. Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth?
- Thread starter VivaForever
- Start date
D
Deleted member 30181
Overplayed and ubiquitous. It wouldn't even make my Belinda top 20!
she/her
Me about 60% of this top 10, tibbs.
Speaking of, I had a listen to Valentine earlier today and I just couldn't figure out it's appeal. Normally I don't go round calling songs boring as a pejorative, cause god knows I stan plenty of those, but I just can't with that one. I don't get it.
she/her
This is a weird rate.
Sun almost making the top ten?
Valentine IN the top ten?
La Luna beating about a dozen better singles?
If you need me I'll be in the Belinda singles rate which made some sense at least.
Sun almost making the top ten?
Valentine IN the top ten?
La Luna beating about a dozen better singles?
If you need me I'll be in the Belinda singles rate which made some sense at least.
she/her
It absolutely did not. This rate makes so much more sense.
So far, at least. No spoilers.
Mine would be Do You Feel and The Same Thing.
Yeah, I was surprised to see Valentine in the top 10 I must say...
So much slander for Valentine. It's such a fun song.
Just wanted to be clear it was not a criticism of your wonderful hosting. I'm just sad my favourites have been paid dust.
she/her
You make me high, just like the sky, like the 4th of July
Yeah, at Christmas, I can't help but miss you
The sun's been shining for a week, but it just feels like rain...
I was going to say "you know, 10 or no 10, it was time for this to go," but then I remembered that Do You Feel Like I Feel is still here. GET. IT. OUT.
Valentine was written by David Munday (remember him?) and Sandy Stewart (Stevie connection klaxon), and like the rest of the album, produced by Rick Nowels. It was considered for a single release, getting as far as the commission of a radio mix before the idea was scrapped. It's a really cute song about a major crush on someone you know you'll never be with, but hope to be with anyway.
"This should’ve been a single in place of Vision of You," says @Hudweiser (9). I hear that. @pop3blow2 (7.9), on the other hand, considers it "fine, [but] a bit generic in comparison to some of the other stuff on this album."
"Strong chorus and a lovely instrumental with a nice surprise of electric violin in that middle-8," appraises @bonnieetclyde (8). The Corrs are shook.
"Ignoring the terrible single edit which chops large parts on the song out," @CasperFan (9.5) begins dryly, "this is amazing, and I can’t believe it didn’t become a single in the end, but it just shows how good this album is when a song like this is left as an album track! Just gorgeous!"
"The huge drums and the chiming bell synths of this one were an instant hook for me," @Seventeen Days (10) exclusively reveals. "I adore the way Belinda’s voice hits that trembling high note when she sings 'it was cold and dark the last time I saw YOUUUUUU.'" Yas! "Also, those strings during the middle 8!"
And @unnameable (10) is giving me a psychic moment of Miss Cleo whatever considering my intro, saying, "I love romantic, over the top Belinda. She does it with such style. Taylor who?" We never go out of style, we never go out! of! style!
(Remember when I did a whole Taylor-themed rate including this album? Good times, good times.)
Halloween is the fear that I fight in my dream
Yeah, at Christmas, I can't help but miss you
I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day
The sun's been shining for a week, but it just feels like rain...
10. Valentine - 8.92
Runaway Horses
Highest score: 11 (@Cundy) / 10 x 4 (me, @Hatbar, @Seventeen Days, @unnameable)
Lowest score: 6.5 (@Untitled)
Runaway Horses
Highest score: 11 (@Cundy) / 10 x 4 (me, @Hatbar, @Seventeen Days, @unnameable)
Lowest score: 6.5 (@Untitled)
I was going to say "you know, 10 or no 10, it was time for this to go," but then I remembered that Do You Feel Like I Feel is still here. GET. IT. OUT.
Valentine was written by David Munday (remember him?) and Sandy Stewart (Stevie connection klaxon), and like the rest of the album, produced by Rick Nowels. It was considered for a single release, getting as far as the commission of a radio mix before the idea was scrapped. It's a really cute song about a major crush on someone you know you'll never be with, but hope to be with anyway.
"This should’ve been a single in place of Vision of You," says @Hudweiser (9). I hear that. @pop3blow2 (7.9), on the other hand, considers it "fine, [but] a bit generic in comparison to some of the other stuff on this album."
"Strong chorus and a lovely instrumental with a nice surprise of electric violin in that middle-8," appraises @bonnieetclyde (8). The Corrs are shook.
"Ignoring the terrible single edit which chops large parts on the song out," @CasperFan (9.5) begins dryly, "this is amazing, and I can’t believe it didn’t become a single in the end, but it just shows how good this album is when a song like this is left as an album track! Just gorgeous!"
"The huge drums and the chiming bell synths of this one were an instant hook for me," @Seventeen Days (10) exclusively reveals. "I adore the way Belinda’s voice hits that trembling high note when she sings 'it was cold and dark the last time I saw YOUUUUUU.'" Yas! "Also, those strings during the middle 8!"
And @unnameable (10) is giving me a psychic moment of Miss Cleo whatever considering my intro, saying, "I love romantic, over the top Belinda. She does it with such style. Taylor who?" We never go out of style, we never go out! of! style!
(Remember when I did a whole Taylor-themed rate including this album? Good times, good times.)
I wonder why they re-released flop Vision Of You in 91 again instead of trying this instead?
Although I do prefer Vision Of You.
Although I do prefer Vision Of You.
D
Deleted member 30181
Ah Valentine. One of the most beautiful songs of all time (in its album form; I like to pretend the single mix doesn't exist). Obviously as my 11 I'm sad to see it go, but making the top 10? Bitch done good!
My favourite bit is the bridge into the chorus, which of course is cut in the single mix and reassembled as the middle eight. This doesn't work as well for me as you only hear it once, plus it shortens the song. But really, the single mix corrupts the essence of the song with its cheery synth and additional harmonies. NO! This song is about the misery of unrequited love, and all the better for it!
So now my 11's out, I'm pulling for Do You Feel Like I Feel (my second choice for the 11 by a mere nat's knacker). I'd also accept La Luna and Runaway Horses as the winner (my third and fourth choices respectively), although overrated Summer Rain or overplayed Heaven will probably snatch it.
My favourite bit is the bridge into the chorus, which of course is cut in the single mix and reassembled as the middle eight. This doesn't work as well for me as you only hear it once, plus it shortens the song. But really, the single mix corrupts the essence of the song with its cheery synth and additional harmonies. NO! This song is about the misery of unrequited love, and all the better for it!
So now my 11's out, I'm pulling for Do You Feel Like I Feel (my second choice for the 11 by a mere nat's knacker). I'd also accept La Luna and Runaway Horses as the winner (my third and fourth choices respectively), although overrated Summer Rain or overplayed Heaven will probably snatch it.
My cassette version of the album had wrong lyrics in the inlay for both this and the title track. If I find it next time I unpack my attic I’ll post them on here, though I remember the Runaway Horses ones citing that verse 2 began “stars guide us now” where she [very clearly] sings “out on this road...”
she/her
9. Little Black Book - 9.02
Live Your Life Be Free
Highest score: 11 (@unnameable) / 10 x 4 (me, @pop3blow2, @Robsolete, @Remorque)
Lowest score: 7 (@Untitled)
Live Your Life Be Free
Highest score: 11 (@unnameable) / 10 x 4 (me, @pop3blow2, @Robsolete, @Remorque)
Lowest score: 7 (@Untitled)
To think Do You Feel is the highest ranking song off its parent album... New York rubbing temples.gif.
Little Black Book was written by Belinda with Marcella Detroit and Richard Feldman, with Richard also producing. If those two names don't sound familiar, firstable, I'm judging you, and secondable, let's take a quick dive into the history of one of my very favorite bands, Shakespears Sister.
When Siobhan Fahey left Bananarama in a huff over a rotten pizza (not quite Shaznay's jacket, but then, what is?), she decided to start a solo act under the name Shakespear's Sister, its name derived from a Morrissey song that in turn drew it from an essay by Virginia Woolf. She enlisted the help of her then-husband, Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, and one Richard Feldman. Richard then suggested bringing in a singer-songwriter-guitarist he knew, Marcy Levy. Marcy and Siobhan worked so well together that Marcy ended up joining the act, making it a duo, with Siobhan rechristening her Marcella Detroit in an effort to allow her a clean break from her past as a session singer and musician.
In 1991, Marcy and Siobhan were working on the second Shakespears Sister album, Hormonally Yours (a favorite of mine), on which they moved away from working with Richard and toward working with Dave and Alan Moulder. (To be precise, they went from Richard co-writing all but two songs on their first album - one of them a cover - and producing every song to him only co-writing two on the second, and not producing any.)
Where and how Little Black Book fits into that, I don't know. Unfortunately, Belinda doesn't mention it in her memoir. But either way, given that Marcy and Richard were behind it, it's no surprise that I love it. Although not released as a single to support its parent album, it was released to promote The Best of Belinda, Volume 1, because I guess the thought of recording a new song was too much for the Legend to take, dddd. It wasn't even included on the American equivalent, Her Greatest Hits, though nor were (We Want) The Same Thing, La Luna, World Without You, and Runaway Horses.
On that note, @Hudweiser (8.5) opines, "She was a tad lazy using this to launch her Best Of album in Europe, as if it was a new recording, but then turned out not to be." @CasperFan (9) has "always had a soft spot for this - although you’d never thought it would be picked as a single, especially to lead a greatest hits campaign. I don’t know why I love it really but I just do - a nice simple pop song and I’m expecting to be alone in rating it so highly. As with many Belinda songs, I love the middle 8." Well, you certainly weren't alone in your love for it, so well done!
"Love this one, and love it even more knowing Marcella was involved!" says my fellow SS fan @tylerc904 (9). Meanwhile, @pop3blow2 (10) marvels, "What a perfect little gem of a pop song."
"This gets better as the song progresses and builds," @bonnieetclyde (8.5) notes. "It's quite the earworm by the time you reach that final chrous. Great instrumentation too, with the inclusion of some nice strings." I'll join the pop songs with strings fan club, but I think our president is @Seventeen Days (10), who says, "I’m always here for pop songs with strings. I like to imagine the producer is sitting there saying 'yeah, we’re fancy AF so we’re gonna put violins all up in this.' Also, apparently Sheryl Crow sang backup vocals on this."
Play us out, @unnameable (11). "This is pop perfection. This should be studied endlessly to help future generations. This song screams for a cover by your newer pop faves (I’m looking at you, Jepsen). What a blissfully nostalgic slice of heaven, and also proof Marcella Detroit is a genius songwriter." And that was another suggestion for a Carly Rae cover, so do a shot.
Here's the very weird '30s/'40s film-inspired video:
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she/her
I somehow never noticed this! I looked it up on Discogs and found this:
RUNAWAY HORSES (printed):
Stars guide us now
The whole world is sleeping
Ten million dreams will soon be told
Out on this road
I'll share your secrets
I'm not afraid of where we'll go
RUNAWAY HORSES (sung):
Out on this road
Everything changes
No, nothing ever stays the same
Faith comes and goes
Dreams are forsaken
We take our chances every day
Valentine as printed in that Discogs scan is correct, though, as is this cassette scan. Could you have been thinking of the changed second verse in (We Want) The Same Thing?
There's a similar change in The Corrs' So Young: the lyric as sung is "We are so young now / We are so young, so young now," but the booklet said "We were so young then / We are so young, so young now." I've always assumed that was the original lyric, which was changed before they recorded it, but was never caught and changed in the copy that went to print.
There's also a discrepancy of the same sort that I'll be talking about in my next rate...
D
Deleted member 30181
Aww...Little Black Book is adorable and should have outlasted a couple of other songs left.
