Imagine the person you dearly idolize and then imagine they idolize you back. Well, maybe in Belinda Carlisle case idolizing could be overreacting, but this doesn’t mean she wasn’t shocked at having George Harrison’s wife telling her that he used to be a fan of the Go-Go’s and her music. She talked about it very recently to NME.
As it turns out, George Harrison’s admiration for the Go-Go’s wasn’t born out of sheer coincidence, as he and Carlisle had collaborated in the past. They worked together on the tracks ‘Leave a Light On’ and ‘Deep Deep Ocean’ from Carlisle’s album ‘Runaway Horses.’ However, they never had the chance to meet in person or work together in the same studio, as the collaboration was carried out remotely.
The heartwarming story behind Belinda Carlisle’s discovery of Harrison’s admiration came after his death when his wife passed on the message to her. The news that George Harrison was a big fan of the Go-Go’s left Carlisle stunned and filled with gratitude. She further elaborated on the similarities between their work, particularly in their later years, which might explain why Harrison was drawn to her music.
Belinda Carlisle recounted the story in her own words, saying:
“George Harrison. After he died, his widower told me through a friend that he was a fan and loved my work which took me aback. He played guitar on two of the tracks on my ‘Runaway Horses’ album. I didn’t work with him in the studio because it was done remotely, but he was always my favorite Beatle. Late in the Beatles and his solo material, there’s a lot of parallels between his work and mine – I did an album of chanting, which is similar to his journey to India with the Maharajas. Sammy Davis Jr was another one – he once told me I was a ‘vision of nowness.’”
In conclusion, this endearing anecdote about George Harrison’s admiration for the Go-Go’s and his work with Belinda Carlisle reveals a delightful and unexpected connection between these two incredible musicians. It’s a great representation of the powerful impact that music can have in uniting people, regardless of their background or genre.
