By Mel Wallington

AS Duran Duran play sell-out gigs across the nation, the era which was once panned for its bad clothes, big hair and sorry synthetic pop is suddenly back in vogue.

Throughout the 80s, LA-born beauty Belinda Carlisle was belting out anthems with the best of them.

In 2002 the fun-loving former Go-go joined the Hear And Now tour with performers such as Spandau Ballet and Toya Wilcox but she is returning to the UK to headline her own gig in Croydon next month.

She says she finds the resurgence in popularity of groups such as Duran Duran no surprise.

"I think good music is good music whichever decade it comes from, whether it's 70s, 80s or whatever."

Like fellow popstrel Kim Wilde, Carlisle has swapped partying for parenting and taken up the garden fork.

The 45-year-old singer, who once grappled with a drink-and-drugs problem, is now happily married, a devoted mum and lives in the stunning mountains of southern France.

"I'm not really interested in competing any more," she told Leisure.

"I am lucky because I have been working since I was 17 and I can just pick and chose what I want to do at my own pace. I have no interest in being on the hamster wheel any more and being on any kind of schedule or answering to a record company.

"Really, I love where I am at. I have been doing boring things I never got to do before because I was on such a schedule.

"I am really into gardening, I am a mother, I do a lot of cooking and go to cooking school. I am doing things I never had a chance to do. I live in an amazing glamorous place but my life really is pretty normal."

Despite having huge chart hits such as Circle In The Sand and selling more than seven million albums across the world, Carlisle has had a tough time. She suffered a minor breakdown in 1994 after being dropped by her record company and has constantly battled with her weight.

What is the one thing she remembers most from her chart heyday?

"Heaven is a Place on Earth was a special moment for me because I was in the Go-gos for three years before that. That song put me on the map in Europe, which is where I always wanted to be."

Fast-forward 20 years and Carlisle is currently planning a new album, her first for six years. It promises to be a big departure from her previous material.

"I have become a real fan of the classics and this is a classic French album, with some songs in English and some in French.

"It is not pop at all. I am not going to do pop again because it is not really interesting to me anymore.

"This will be a big challenge because I have to sing in French. I can speak French but it is a different thing to sing in it.

"I have been working on the songs for the past couple of months. The process takes a while and I have got a lot of work to do this summer so I will not have time to start recording until the autumn."

Unlike other female stars of the 80s, such as Madonna or Janet Jackson, Carlisle seems happy and content away from the limelight. I asked her what she thought of the two girls who have most recently taken up the pop queen chalice, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, but she dismissed them both and said: "I'm just not interested in that kind of music."

But what about Jackson's boob blunder during a half-time performance at the Superbowl earlier this year? Having posed for Playboy only three years ago, Carlisle is not shy about her own body and I am interested to know what she thought about the episode.

"It was ridiculous. First of all, America is just so ridiculously puritanical these days but I just thought it was an ugly boob. It looked horrible. If she wants to show her t**s, I have no problem with that. It was just the way it was done. There really is a time and a place for that kind of thing."

I could not agree more.

-- Belinda Carlisle & Support, Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Croydon, May 17, 8pm, £18.50-£15.50, 020 8688 9291.

Chico319 said:

it's definitely time for Janet's PLAYBOY spread.

I loved that part. so true.

She looks really great for her age. Damnit, I need to move to France.

For those who want to see those Playboy piccies, here they are:

http://www.house-o-celebs.com/bcar.html

And yes, she is airbrushed beyond belief. The photos look like impressionist paintings. Wonder what she REALLY looks like.

For all the posturing about not going under the knife and "remaining true to women", Belinda appears to have had a facelift or ten. Compare:



with



She was always one of the most naturally beautiful women in the business but I wish she'd aged gracefully.


[This message was edited Fri May 14 12:21:53 2004 by VoicesCarry]

Interview Link Below:

Belinda

That cover of "Playboy" is a few years old but she looked good, however, not matter what she says, they airbrushed the hell out of it! And now that Voices mentions it, she has a had a facelift but at least it isn't that noticeable (unless you copare it to older photos. And Janet's boob didn't look bad at all!