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Close-up of sand from the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, showing a surface area of 1 square centimetre.

Sand dunes in Libya.

Heavy minerals (dark) in a quartz beach sand (Chennai, India).

Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO₂), usually in the form of quartz.

The second most common form of sand is calcium carbonate, for example aragonite, which has mostly been created, over the past half billion years, by various forms of life like coral and shellfish. It is, for example, the primary form of sand apparent in areas where reefs have dominated the ecosystem for millions of years, like the Caribbean.

Composition[link]

In terms of particle size as used by geologists, sand particles range in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or ⅟16 mm) to 2 mm. An individual particle in this range size is termed a sand grain. Sand grains are between gravel (with particles ranging from 2 mm up to 64 mm) and silt (particles smaller than 0.0625 mm down to 0.004 mm). The size specification between sand and gravel has remained constant for more than a century, but particle diameters as small as 0.02 mm were considered sand under the Albert Atterberg standard in use during the early 20th century. A 1953 engineering standard published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials set the minimum sand size at 0.074 mm. A 1938 specification of the United States Department of Agriculture was 0.05 mm.^[1] Sand feels gritty when rubbed between the fingers (silt, by comparison, feels like flour).

ISO 14688 grades sands as fine, medium and coarse with ranges 0.063 mm to 0.2 mm to 0.63 mm to 2.0 mm. In the United States, sand is commonly divided into five sub-categories based on size: very fine sand (⅟16 – ⅛ mm diameter), fine sand (⅛ mm – ¼ mm), medium sand (¼ mm – ½ mm), coarse sand (½ mm – 1 mm), and very coarse sand (1 mm – 2 mm). These sizes are based on the Krumbein phi scale, where size in Φ = -log base 2 of size in mm. On this scale, for sand the value of Φ varies from −1 to +4, with the divisions between sub-categories at whole numbers.

Sand from Pismo Beach, California. Components are primarily quartz, chert, igneous rock and shell fragments. Scale bar is 1.0 mm.

Close up of black volcanic sand from Perissa, in Santorini, Greece

Sand from Kalalau Beach, Hawaii (Field width = 5.5 mm). We see a few grains of olivine, which is the green sand of some beaches of Hawaii.

The most common constituent of sand, in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings, is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO₂), usually in the form of quartz, which, because of its chemical inertness and considerable hardness, is the most common mineral resistant to weathering.

Correlative analysis of Icelandic volcanic beach sand from Reynisfjara beach, using a Stereo Microscope and an Scanning Electron Microscope with EDS detection system for element analysis.

The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions. The bright white sands found in tropical and subtropical coastal settings are eroded limestone and may contain coral and shell fragments in addition to other organic or organically derived fragmental material, suggesting sand formation depends on living organisms, too.^[2] The gypsum sand dunes of the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico are famous for their bright, white color. Arkose is a sand or sandstone with considerable feldspar content, derived from the weathering and erosion of a (usually nearby) granitic rock outcrop. Some sands contain magnetite, chlorite, glauconite or gypsum. Sands rich in magnetite are dark to black in color, as are sands derived from volcanic basalts and obsidian. Chlorite-glauconite bearing sands are typically green in color, as are sands derived from basaltic (lava) with a high olivine content. Many sands, especially those found extensively in Southern Europe, have iron impurities within the quartz crystals of the sand, giving a deep yellow color. Sand deposits in some areas contain garnets and other resistant minerals, including some small gemstones.

Environments[link]

Sand from Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah. These are grains of quartz with a hematite coating providing the orange color. Scale bar is 1.0 mm.

Sand is transported by wind and water and deposited in the form of beaches, dunes, sand spits, sand bars and related features. In environments such as gravel-bed rivers and glacial moraines it often occurs as one of the many grain sizes that are represented. Sand-bed rivers, such as the Platte River in Nebraska, USA, have sandy beds largely because there is no larger source material that they can transport. Dunes, a distinctive geographical feature of desert environments, are on the other hand sandy because larger material is generally immobile in wind. Sand is a component of soil.

Study[link]

An electron micrograph showing grains of sand

Photomicrograph of a volcanic sand grain; upper picture is plane-polarized light, bottom picture is cross-polarized light, scale box at left-center is 0.25 millimeter.

The study of individual grains can reveal much historical information as to the origin and kind of transport of the grain. Quartz sand that is recently weathered from granite or gneiss quartz crystals will be angular. It is called grus in geology or sharp sand in the building trade where it is preferred for concrete, and in gardening where it is used as a soil amendment to loosen clay soils. Sand that is transported long distances by water or wind will be rounded, with characteristic abrasion patterns on the grain surface. Desert sand is typically rounded.

People who collect sand as a hobby are known as arenophiles. Organisms that thrive in sandy environments are psammophiles.

Uses[link]

At 300 km/h, an ICE 3 (DB class 403) releases sand from several bogies to the rails.

Sand sorting tower at a gravel extraction pit.

• Agriculture: Sandy soils are ideal for crops such as watermelons, peaches, and peanuts, and their excellent drainage characteristics make them suitable for intensive dairy farming.
• Aquaria: Sand makes a low cost aquarium base material which some believe is better than gravel for home use. It is also an absolute necessity for saltwater reef tanks, which emulate environments composed largely of aragonite sand broken down from coral and shellfish.
• Artificial reefs: Geotextile bagged sand can serve as the foundation for new reefs.
• Beach nourishment: Governments move sand to beaches where tides, storms or deliberate changes to the shoreline erode the original sand.^[3]
• Brick: Manufacturing plants add sand to a mixture of clay and other materials for manufacturing bricks.
• Cob: Coarse sand makes up as much as 75% of cob.
• Mortar: Sand is mixed with cement and sometimes lime to be used in masonry construction.
• Concrete: Sand is often a principal component of this critical construction material.
• Hydraulic Fracturing: The drilling technique for natural gas also known as fracing use "frac sand". The rounded silica sand is used as a "proppant" a material that holds the cracks open that is caused by the hydraulic fracturing process.
• Glass: Sand is the principal component in common glass.
• Landscaping: Sand makes small hills and slopes (for example, in golf courses).
• Paint: Mixing sand with paint produces a textured finish for walls and ceilings or non-slip floor surfaces.
• Railroads: Train operators use sand to improve the traction of wheels on the rails.
• Roads: Sand improves traction (and thus traffic safety) in icy or snowy conditions.
• Sand animation: Performance artists draw images in sand. Makers of animated films use the same term to describe their use of sand on frontlit or backlit glass.
• Sand casting: Casters moisten or oil molding sand, also known as foundry sand and then shape it into molds into which they pour molten material. This type of sand must be able to withstand high temperatures and pressure, allow gases to escape, have a uniform, small grain size and be non-reactive with metals.
• Sand castles: Shaping sand into castles or other miniature buildings is a popular beach activity.
• Sandbags: These protect against floods and gunfire. The inexpensive bags are easy to transport when empty, and unskilled volunteers can quickly fill them with local sand in emergencies.
• Sandblasting: Graded sand serves as an abrasive in cleaning, preparing, and polishing.
• Water filtration: Media filters use sand for filtering water.
• Zoanthid "skeletons": Animals in this order of marine benthic cnidarians related to corals and sea anemones, incorporate sand into their mesoglea for structural strength, which they need because they lack a true skeleton.

Hazards[link]

A stingray about to bury itself in sand

While sand is generally non-toxic, sand-using activities such as sandblasting require precautions. Bags of silica sand used for sandblasting now carry labels warning the user to wear respiratory protection to avoid breathing the resulting fine silica dust. Material safety data sheets (MSDS) for silica sand state that "excessive inhalation of crystalline silica is a serious health concern".^[4]

In areas of high pore water pressure sand and salt water can form quicksand, which is a colloid hydrogel that behaves like a liquid. Quicksand produces a considerable barrier to escape for creatures caught within, who often die from exposure (not from submersion) as a result.

Environmental Issues[link]

Sand's many uses require a significant dredging industry, raising environmental concerns over fish depletion, landslides, and flooding. Countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia ban sand exports, citing these issues as a major factor.^[5]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sand

• Beach
• Dry quicksand
• Sandstorm
• Heavy mineral sands ore deposits
• Oil sands
• Particle size
• Quicksand
• Sand island
• Sand Rat
• Sandstone
• Singing sand
• Tar sands
• White Sands National Monument

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up sand in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Beach Sand: What It Is, Where It Comes From and How It Gets Here Beaufort County, SC
• ISO

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Kseniya Simonova
Kseniya Simonova in 2010
Birth name	Kseniya Simonova
Born	(1985-04-22) April 22, 1985 (age 27) Yevpatoria, Crimea, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
Nationality	Ukrainian
Field	Painting, Drawing, sand animation
Training	Tavrida National V.I. Vernadsky University (2007), "Ukrainian Academy of Printing". http://party.civicua.org/study/institut/0000380.htm.  (2003)
Awards	Winner of "Ukraine’s got Talent”

Kseniya Simonova, (Ukrainian: Ксенія Симонова; married name: Kseniya Paskar, Ксенія Паскар) is the 2009 winner^[1][2] of the TV contest Ukraine’s Got Talent,^[3] which is part of the Got Talent series. She is a performance artist in sand animation and a philanthropist.

Biography[link]

Early life and family[link]

She was born on April 22, 1985 in Yevpatoria, a town on the Crimean peninsula, in Ukraine, which was then a part of the Soviet Union. Her mother, Irina Simonova, is an artist, a theatrical designer and teacher of fine arts. Her father, Alexander Simonov, is a former military officer who runs a business in furniture design. Since she was a child, Kseniya painted, drew and designed with her mother.

Kseniya’s parents discouraged her from a career as an artist. Kseniya explained, “It is a constant struggle. I knew that, and was ready for it. If you chose this profession, you're struggling all your life. You do not enjoy everyday life - like comfort, and buying furniture... You're always looking for something more, and actually, I was never interested in a life of comfort and buying furniture.”

In 2007, she married Igor Paskar,^[4] a theater director and magazine editor. Their son Dmitry was born on November 27, 2007.

Education[link]

She graduated from the Artistic School of Yevpatoria and studied in the School of Fine Arts. At school, Kseniya wrote research papers on English folk poetry and 15th and 16th century English folk songs and ballads. She also translated folk poetry and great poets like William Shakespeare, Robert Burns and George Gordon Byron.^[5] For her research work, Kseniya earned entrance to any University in Ukraine with English Philology Departments. In 2002, Kseniya chose a psychology major and graduated in 2007 from the Tavrida National V.I. Vernadsky University with honors. Her scientific specialization was Psychophysiology – a sphere between Psychology and Anatomy.^[6] At the same time, in 2003, Kseniya entered the Ukrainian Academy of Printing and studied Graphic Design. She graduated in 2008, six months after giving birth to her son.

Working as an Artist[link]

Since 2006 Kseniya has been working for a magazine “Crimean Riviera” as an artist. In 2007, Kseniya and her husband Igor Paskar, launched a bilingual magazine “Chocolate” in English and Russian. The magazine stopped production in 2008 due to the financial crisis.

Sand Artist[link]

This section contains close paraphrasing of a non-free copyrighted source, http://simonova.tv/en/story/ (Duplication Detector report). Ideas in this article should be expressed in an original manner. More details may be available on the talk page. (December 2011)

The idea to do a sand performance was her husband's idea, who wanted to do a new theater project. At first Kseniya refused, “I immediately realized that this is very difficult to perform. It was sand – not pencils or paints. How can this be used as a drawing material?” At the same time, their financial situation was strained, with the magazine out of business and a baby to support. Simonova remembers, “I was terribly depressed. I had problems with lactation and somehow had to calm myself. Igor said, 'Either we will go crazy or let’s do something! What about the sand?' I said, 'Why not?'"

First, Kseniya used sand from the beach, but it was too uncomfortable for sand animation. Then they tried river sand, but that did not work. Igor spent days sitting at the computer looking for appropriate sand on the Internet and finally found it. There was a group of geologists selling a special volcanic sand, but it was too expensive. Igor had to sell all his printing equipment to buy 3 kilograms of sand.

Kseniya Simonova started practicing drawing with sand in a small dark room in a house they rented. She said it was so difficult that she wanted to give it up in three days. It was physically hard because she had to stand for long hours. Ksenyia trained at nights for three months. In the day she was a full-time mother. From 10 pm to 4 am she was a sand artist. To realize the essence of sand animation, with its constant transformations of images, she had to retrain her vision and start seeing objects as they would appear in sand.

[edit] Winner of Ukraine's Got Talent

Her husband, Igor, suggested that she should enter the competition Ukraine's Got Talent, where the prize was one million hryvna, the equivalent of $110,000. Kseniya decided to enter.

She presented a two minute sand story ^[7] and was selected as a semi-finalist. She wanted to perform a sand story about World War II, but the producers encouraged her to choose a more popular theme. Kseniya refused, saying, "I just want to bring some immortal sense to this show. Not just pictures or video clips. Something close to all hearts."

The sand story Kseniya presented live on TV^[8] was an eight minute story of a young couple separated by the war.

In an interview she said, "It was so emotionally hard, and I now still can not think about those minutes without pain... My hands were dying and reviving making the images."

Kseniya was hoping to get some exposure as an artist, but it became much more. The audience was in tears. As soon as she finished her performance, applause erupted and she received a standing ovation.

Kseniya passed the semi-finals and moved on to the finals. In the third round, she performed a sand story about a son who became successful and forgot his parents.^[9] Kseniya wanted grown children to remember their parents and to encourage them to call. After that performance, people came up to her in the street saying, "After watching your story, I picked up the phone and called my mom. I haven’t talked to her in a year. Thank you very much!"

Kseniya was declared the winner of the competition^[10] and collected 100,000 euro. She was named an online sensation, when in one day her video from the show was viewed more than a million times. In one year, it was viewed over 25 million times. Kseniya understood what happened only after she returned to her native town Yevpatoria and could no longer walk freely in the streets. She was surrounded by people asking for autographs. With the money they won, Igor and Kseniya bought a house in Yevpatoria. They received invitations from all over the world to perform.

International fame[link]

This section contains close paraphrasing of a non-free copyrighted source, http://simonova.tv/en/story/ (Duplication Detector report). Ideas in this article should be expressed in an original manner. More details may be available on the talk page. (December 2011)

In the next two years, Simonova performed over 200 sand stories^[11][12] for audiences in Ukraine, Russia, Norway, Japan, Poland, Austria, China, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Qatar, India, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Kazakhstan and others.

She was honored to perform for Presidents George Abela (Malta, 2009), Bronisław Komorowski (Gdansk, 2010), Dmitry Medvedev (Moscow, Astana, 2010), Viktor Yanukovych (Kiev, 2010), Nursultan Nazarbayev (Astana, 2010), and for Members of the British Royal Family (London, 2010)^[13] and Norway (Oslo, 2010).

In 2009, at the invitation of the President of Malta, George Abela, she performed^[14] at the live Charity Ball L’Istrina to raise money for people suffering from cancer. In 24 hours, the performers raised 2.5 million euro.

On December 4, 2009, Simonova presented the first Sand Picture Exhibition.^[15] In 2010, she founded an International Cultural Center “Sand Club” in Yevpatoria.

On July 5, 2010, Simonova performed on the anniversary of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan for an audience of 12 Head of States. They were Presidents of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Emir of Abu-Dabi and the King of Jordan, and each one received a sand picture of his country from Simonova as a present.

On August 15, 2010 Simonova and her team presented a sand film^[16] in memory of a great poet and rock-musician Victor Tsoy.

In 2010, Simonova was invited to open^[17] the Fifth Annual Anti Human Trafficking Awards Ceremony sponsored by the International Organization for Migration in Kiev.^[18]

At 26 April 2011, Kseniya Simonova contributed a specially prepared animation at a memorial for Chernobyl in Rotterdam,^[19] marking the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster that still affects a lot of people in Ukraine and Belarus.

In 2011, she also performed on stage at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, during the performance of Ukrainian entry by Mika Newton.^[20]

Awards[link]

• 2009 honored by the Mayor of her hometown, Yevpatoria
• 2009 Gold Medal and honors («Общественное признание») from Yevpatoria, Government of Crimea
• 2009 “Person of the Year” finalist^[21] in Kiev
• 2009 honored by the Supreme Council of Crimea
• 2010 honored by the International Organization for Migration in Ukraine
• 2010 Honored Artist of the Autonomy, awarded by the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

• 

  Exhibition: A Sand Personality

• 

  Exhibition: A Sand Personality

• 

  Opening of the exhibition: Kseniya and the Mayor of Yevpatoria

• 

  Exhibition: A Sand Personality

• 

  Exhibition: A Sand Personality

• 

  Exhibition: A Sand Personality

Philanthropy[link]

In June 2008, Simonova and her husband Igor Paskar founded a local open charity organization “Live, my Sun!” («Живи, Солнышко!») to assist ill children and adults, pregnant women, young mothers and orphans. She is a Pro-life advocate. The organization works with the Orthodox Christian church and the Crimean diocese.

She creates sand videos to raise money for medical needs of children in Crimea. In her interviews, Kseniya says that she feels the greatest pleasure from helping others, much more than from buying cars, villas or jewellery. She is sure that God gave her a very special talent – an ability to tell the stories of those who need help – with sand.

References[link]

External links[link]

• simonova.tv, official website
• youtube.com/simonovatv, official YouTube channel (English)
• youtube.com/xensand, official YouTube channel (Ukrainian)
• Ukrainian sand artist proves that reality TV's got talent, The Guardian, 13 August 2009
• Ian Johnston, Sand artist Kseniya Simonova, winner of Ukraine's Got Talent…, Daily Telegraph, 19 September 2009

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (March 2011)

Fritz Kalkbrenner (° 1981 in Berlin) is a German DJ and producer.

Since 2002, Kalkbrenner has worked as a culture and music journalist for TV stations including MDR, MTV and Deutsche Welle.

In 2008 he produced the soundtrack for the motion picture Berlin Calling with his brother Paul Kalkbrenner. Both appeared in the film. The track Sky and Sand was his breakthrough in the music business.

Unlike compositions by his brother, Paul, Fritz's music is warmer - his cold electro-beats are influenced by warm soul-sounds and is a distinguishing characteristic from other electronic artists. His real breakthrough came with the movie “Berlin Calling” and in particular the soundtrack: “Sky and Sand”, which Fritz and his brother produced together. Fritz himself has released one album: “Here Today Gone Tomorrow”.

source: http://best4ears.de/

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Here Today Gone Tomorrow (Suol, 2010)
• Suol Mates (Suol, 2012)

Singles and EP's[link]

• DJ Zky / Fritz Kalkbrenner – Stormy Weather (Cabinet Records, 2004)
• Paul & Fritz Kalkbrenner – Sky and Sand (BPitch Control, 2009)
• Chopstick & Johnjon feat. Fritz Kalkbrenner – A New Day (Baalsaal Music, 2009)
• Wingman EP (Baalsaal Music, 2009)
• The Dead End EP (Suol, 2010)
• Chopstick & Johnjon feat. Fritz Kalkbrenner – Keep On Keepin' On (Suol, 2010)
• Facing The Sun (Suol, 2010)
• Kings In Exile (Suol, 2010)
• Right In The Dark (Suol, 2011)
• Wes EP (Suol, 2011)

Movies[link]

• Berlin Calling (2008)

External links[link]

• Fritz Kalkbrenner at MySpace
• Fritz Kalkbrenner at Best4Ears
• Fritz Kalkbrenner at Discogs
• Fritz Kalkbrenner at the Internet Movie Database
• Berlin Calling (Hannes Stöhr) at iTunes

This article about a German musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Belinda Jo Carlisle
Also known as	Belinda, Dottie Danger, Belinda Jo Kurczeski
Born	(1958-08-17) August 17, 1958 (age 53)
Origin	Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Genres	Pop rock, pop
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, author
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1978–present
Labels	I.R.S. (1986) MCA (1987–1991) Virgin (1987–1999) Chrysalis (1996) Rykodisc (2007–present)
Associated acts	The Go-Go's The Germs Black Randy and the Metrosquad
Website	www.belindacarlisle.tv

Belinda Jo Carlisle (born August 17, 1958) is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands of all time and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments.^[1] Topping the Billboard charts with the Go-Go's, she sold more than seven million albums^[2] in just three years and later went on to a successful solo career with hits "Mad About You", "Summer Rain", "I Get Weak", "Circle in the Sand", "Leave a Light On" and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" among others, which were major successes in the United States and United Kingdom as well as internationally. Her autobiography, Lips Unsealed, published in June 2010, reached No. 27 on the The New York Times Best Seller list and received favorable reviews.^[3] On August 11, 2011, she received, as a member of the Go-Go's, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life[link]

Belinda Carlisle was born in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles to Harold, a travelling salesman (he sold vacuum cleaners) and his wife Joanne, who raised the children at home. The first of seven siblings, with three brothers and three sisters, she was five years old when her father abandoned the family and upon her mother's second marriage, did not have a close relationship with her stepfather, Duke Kurczeski. Growing up in Ventura County's Thousand Oaks, a part of the Greater Los Angeles Area, she was a cheerleader at Newbury Park High School and, at the age of 19, left home.^[4][5]

Early career and The Go-Gos[link]

Carlisle live with The Go-Go's in 2008

Carlisle's first venture into music was a brief stint as drummer for the punk band The Germs, under the name Dottie Danger. Around this time Carlisle did some back-up singing for the Black Randy and the Metrosquad. Soon after leaving The Germs, she co-founded The Go-Gos (originally named The Misfits), with friends and fellow musicians Margot Olaverria, Elissa Bello, and Jane Wiedlin. Olaverria and Bello were soon out of the group and the new line-up included bassist-turned-guitarist Charlotte Caffey, guitarist-turned-bassist Kathy Valentine, and drummer Gina Schock. The Go-Go's became one of the most successful American bands of the 1980s, helping usher New Wave music into popular American radio, and becoming the first all-female band, who wrote their own music and played their own instruments, to ever achieve a #1 album. The Go-Gos recorded two more studio albums on I.R.S. Records, including 1982 Vacation, which went gold. "Head over Heels", from their 1984 album Talk Show, made it to #11, but they never repeated the success of their 1981 multi-platinum debut, Beauty and the Beat, which featured the hits "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed".

In 1984, Carlisle made a foray into acting in the movie Swing Shift starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and performed backing vocals for the Don Henley recording of "She's on the Zoom" from the Vision Quest soundtrack.

Solo career[link]

The Go-Go's disbanded in 1985 and Carlisle embarked on a solo career, although she continued to work with fellow Go-Go Charlotte Caffey.

[edit] 1986–1987: Belinda

Carlisle's first solo album Belinda was released in 1986, also on I.R.S. Records. This album was successful in North America and was certified Gold in the US and Platinum in Canada. Her summer hit "Mad About You" peaked at No. 3 in the US, topped the Canadian Singles Chart, and charted in the top 10 in Australia. "Mad About You" was followed by the Motown-influenced single "I Feel the Magic", and by a cover version of the Freda Payne song "Band of Gold". All three songs were included on her debut album. The single "Since You've Gone", co-written by Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, was used only for promotion. Susanna Hoffs co-wrote the single "I Need a Disguise". Duran Duran's Andy Taylor played guitar on some album tracks and appeared in her "Mad About You" video clip.

During this time, Carlisle also had songs featured on movie soundtracks, notably "In My Wildest Dreams" from the movie Mannequin "Shot in the Dark" from the Anthony Michael Hall thriller, Out of Bounds, as well as "Dancing in the City" from the Whoopi Goldberg movie Burglar.

[edit] 1987–1989: Heaven on Earth

Carlisle changed again her hairstyle significantly for her second solo album, giving up her California Girl blonde bob for a long auburn style for 1987's Heaven on Earth. The musical style eschewed the 1960s-influenced pop of Carlisle's first album in favor of slickly produced 1980s power-pop, and was released in the United States through MCA, and in the United Kingdom through Virgin. The album became a Top 5 bestseller in the UK and Australia, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. The album's producer, Rick Nowels, previously worked with Stevie Nicks, and would later collaborate with Kim Wilde, Jennifer Rush and Madonna. Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas, Chynna Phillips and Carnie Wilson sang backup for the album. Thomas Dolby played the keyboards on some album tracks.

The first release from Heaven on Earth was "Heaven Is a Place on Earth", which topped the single charts, not only in the US, but also in the UK and in several other countries (the dance mix of the song also topped the dance chart). The radio-ready song was further propelled by a video, directed by Academy Award-winning American actress Diane Keaton. The second single from the album was the Diane Warren-penned "I Get Weak", which peaked at #2 in the US and #10 in the UK. The third single from the album was "Circle in the Sand", another Top 10 hit in the US, the UK, and Germany. "World Without You" was another British hit, followed by 1988 low-charting ballad "Love Never Dies", making this her fifth single from the album in the UK. In the US, the fourth and last single, "I Feel Free", a cover of the Cream classic, failed to reach the Top 40.

After the release of the Heaven on Earth album, Carlisle embarked on the 'Good Heavens' world tour during which she sold out Wembley Arena in London.

In 2009, a remastered edition of the album was released with extra tracks, remixes, and a bonus DVD containing a complete live concert from 1988 (available for the first time on DVD).

[edit] 1989–1991: Runaway Horses

Carlisle's follow-up to the success of Heaven on Earth was Runaway Horses, released on October 23, 1989. The album hit the Top 5 in both Australia and the UK, certified double platinum in Australia and platinum in the UK and in Canada, but failed to reach similar success in the US The first release, "Leave a Light On", peaked at #11 in the US, and became another Top 5 smash in the UK, Australia and Canada. The song features a slide guitar solo by George Harrison; he also played on the song Deep Deep Ocean. The second US single, "Summer Rain", reached #30 in early 1990. The song, which Carlisle noted was the most difficult song she had ever sung up to that point,^{[citation needed]} peaked successfully at #6 in Australia, where it has maintained popularity, and the tune saw a cover version, in 2004, by the Australian group Slinkee Minx. It was the final release from Runaway Horses in the UK where it was released as the album's sixth single in December 1990, peaking at #23 in January 1991. Whereas in the US Carlisle's success was decreasing, her popularity remained big in Europe and Australia. In 1990, further singles from the Runaway Horses album were successful as well: the title track, the summer mood influenced "La Luna", a Top 10 in Switzerland and top 20 hit in Germany and Australia, and "(We Want) The Same Thing", remixed from a country-styled release into a massive Pop hit, reaching #6 in the UK. Bryan Adams contributed backup vocals for the track "Whatever It Takes".

In the late autumn of 1990, the Go-Go's reunited for a tour to support their first best-of album, Greatest, including a new recording of the cover song "Cool Jerk" (Go-Go's original cover was featured on their 1980 European EP, with a second version being released in 1982). A notable feature of the tour was an anti-fur campaign, where the band members supported People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA, an animal rights organization. That same year, Carlisle joined with The Smithereens lead singer Pat Dinizio on his group's ballad "Blue Period" and also performed backing vocals on Then Jerico's album The Big Area on the track "What Does It Take?".

[edit] 1991–1992: Live Your Life Be Free

In 1991, Carlisle released her fourth solo album, Live Your Life Be Free. The album marked somewhat of a return to 1960s-influenced music for Carlisle and included songs mainly written and produced by Rick Nowels but also two songs co-written by Carlisle. The single "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" was accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek video, inspired by the B-movie Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. The title track, "Live Your Life Be Free", released as first single outside the US, was a Top 20 hit single in many countries reaching number 12 in the UK and #13 in Australia. Subsequent releases "Half the World" and "Little Black Book" (co-written by Marcella Detroit of the Shakespears Sister under her real name Marcy Levy) were also hits outside the US, and although Live Your Life Be Free as an album flopped in the US, it was a success in Europe (Top 10 in the UK and Gold certification). To date, "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" is Carlisle's final single to enter in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #73.

[edit] 1992: The Best of Belinda, Volume 1

Still active in Europe and Australia with a record contract at Virgin Records, her 1992 greatest hits album The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 reached #1, and was certified double platinum in the UK and platinum in Australia. This first greatest hits album included all the hits taken from the Heaven on Earth, Runaway Horses, and Live Your Life Be Free albums. It neglected the ballad "Love Never Dies", and the three I.R.S. singles from her first album Belinda, as this only received a limited UK release and produced no hit singles there. Also, no movie-soundtrack songs appear on the collection. The US version of the album was named Her Greatest Hits and also included songs from the first album Belinda.

[edit] 1993–1994: Real

Carlisle's fifth solo album, Real, was released in 1993 on the Virgin label in the US and in Europe. Produced without Nowels, the disc was a departure from Carlisle's polished pop music formula. Even the album's cover photograph featured her with little or no make-up. Carlisle co-produced and co-wrote much of the disc, collaborating heavily with friend and ex-Go-Go Charlotte Caffey. The album was Carlisle's fifth consecutive to reach the UK Top 10 peaking at number #9. Real peaked also at number #23 in Sweden. Its first single, "Big Scary Animal", peaked at #12 in the UK. The second single from Real was "Lay Down Your Arms", which made the Top 30 in the UK. Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals co-wrote the single "Here Comes My Baby".

At this time, Carlisle also recorded "One by One", on the soundtrack for the 1993 movie The Harvest and sang on The Lemonheads' Come On Feel The Lemonheads album on the track "I'll Do It Anyway".

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Carlisle and her family moved to Europe. The Go-Gos reunited again later that year to support the retrospective double-CD Return to the Valley of The Go-Go's, their second collection, which featured three new songs, including the single "The Whole World Lost Its Head". However, the band broke up again, soon after the promotional tour. Carlisle has since lived in France and England.

[edit] 1996–1997: A Woman and a Man

Carlisle returned to the recording studio, and resumed working again with Rick Nowels. In 1996 she released in the UK and Australia her sixth solo album, A Woman and a Man, on the Chrysalis Records label. This album, consisting of mostly relaxed adult pop, revitalized her solo career in Europe, and included several hits. The leadoff single, "In Too Deep", returned Carlisle to the UK Top 10, for the first time in six years, reaching #6. "Always Breaking My Heart", written and produced by Roxette's Per Gessle, also made the UK Top 10, peaking at #8. The album spawned two more smaller hits in UK: "Love in the Key of C", and "California", which featured arrangement and back-up vocals by Brian Wilson. The album reached #12 in the UK, and was certified gold. As a result of A Woman and A Man's UK success, the album was released in the US during the summer of 1997 on the small Ark21 label. Despite the recent successful comeback in Europe, and the promotional appearances Carlisle made on American television and radio, the album did not enjoy similar success in North America selling only 17,000 copies.

In 1996, Carlisle recorded "I Wouldn't Be Here (If I Didn't Love You)" for the Two If by Sea official movie soundtrack. In 1997, she recorded "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" from Walt Disney Animation Studios's Hercules as part of that movie's standard distribution in Europe, and was released as a single exclusively in France and Germany. Neither of these tracks has been released on compilation albums.

[edit] 1999–2000: A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits

In 1999, Carlisle released a greatest hits album in the UK, a double-disc on the Virgin label, collectively entitled A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits. Carlisle recorded three new tracks for the album's first disc, properly called The Greatest Hits, including the single "All God's Children", and the songs "A Prayer for Everyone" and "Feels Like I've Known You Forever". The second disc of the album entitled A Place on Earth, contained previously released remixes of some of her hits, plus a couple of B-sides which were previously unreleased. Some of the remixes were by William Orbit, who also worked with Madonna on her 1998 Ray of Light album. A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits was certified Gold in the UK and went on to sell an excess of one million copies worldwide.

[edit] 2001: Go-Go's Reunion

In 2001, the Go-Go's reunited again and released an album of new material, God Bless The Go-Go's. Green Day's lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong co-wrote the only released single "Unforgiven". God Bless The Go-Go's received mixed reviews from critics. Rolling Stone wrote "Every bit as Go-Go's, that is, as their non-hits and less remarkable material. While the Go-Go's sound is intact, there is not a "We Got the Beat" or a "Head Over Heels" to be found. It is feasible that in this age of pop rebirth, the Go-Go's decided it was now or never". Allmusic wrote "The album doesn't attempt to update the band's sound with hip-hop moves or electronic frippery, for which God should bless 'em, indeed. The girls' hold on the current pop world remains so strong that Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong co-writes a song ("Unforgiven") in impeccable Go-Go's drag".

The album sold fewer copies than the previous Go-Go's studio albums but still managed to chart in the US Billboard 200, peaking at number #57.

Around the time of the Go-Go's definitive reunion tour, Carlisle appeared nude for the cover feature and a full pictorial of the August 2001 edition of Playboy.^[6]

[edit] 2007: Voila

In 2007, the singer released her seventh album Voila, which was her first full-length, solo studio album in more than ten years. The album was produced by John Reynolds and included Brian Eno on the keyboard. Consisting of a mix of French pop tunes and chanson standards, including covers of Françoise Hardy and Édith Piaf classics. Voila was released via Rykodisc in the UK on February 5, and in the US the following day, February 6, 2007. Carlisle was originally approached to make another pop rock album, but she declined immediately, in favor of recording this collection of songs, the style of which, she'd "absolutely fallen in love with",^{[citation needed]} since moving to France in the early 1990s.

2008–2010[link]

She recently toured as part of the Regeneration tour in the US, and the Here and Now tour in the UK and Ireland in 2008 and summer of 2009. The line up included Carlisle, as well as other acts such as The Human League, Bananarama, Boy George, Howard Jones, Paul Young, Naked Eyes, ABC, T'Pau, and Cutting Crew.

She took over the role of Velma Von Tussle in London's West End production of Hairspray on October 28, 2009 at the Shaftesbury Theatre.^[7] She remained with the show till late January 2010 and was replaced by Siobhan McCarthy.

Carlisle announced a Go-Go's farewell tour planned for July 2010, which was then cancelled due to a leg injury suffered by guitarist Jane Wiedlin.^[8]

Belinda Carlisle performed at Manchester Pride on August 27, 2010. This being her second appearance at this event, with the first being in 2007.

In October 2010, tickets went on sale for a concert tour of Germany in January 2011.

2011-2012[link]

Carlisle played dates around Australia, commencing on February 4, 2011 in Melbourne. She appeared as part of the "Here and Now, 10th Anniversary Tour" at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on the 7th of April 2011. Carlisle also toured the US with The Go-Go's, including playing to a packed house at the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in August 2011. On October 10, 2011, Carlisle performed at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines together with The Human League and Howard Jones. In February 2012

Television appearances[link]

Outside of appearances on tour with The Go-Go's, Carlisle continued her string of TV appearances.

In 2004, Carlisle was the first star to be voted off the UK reality TV show Hell's Kitchen.^[9]

In 2005, Belinda appeared on both UK and USA versions of Hit Me Baby One More Time in which participants had to perform their biggest hit as well as a contemporary cover. Belinda sang Heaven is a place on Earth and Coldplay's The Scientist. She lost out in her show to Shakin' Stevens who went on to win the final.

In 2006, she appeared on the Simon Cowell-produced Celebrity Duets, a Fox network reality competition, pairing celebrities not famous for singing (like Lucy Lawless and Cheech Marin) with actual singers like Carlisle, Michael Bolton, Jon Secada, Taylor Dayne and Macy Gray. Carlisle sang "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak" with Lea Thompson on the September 7 episode.

In 2008 she appeared as a judge on the MTV reality show Rock the Cradle, a competition reality show featuring aspiring musicians who were also the children of famous musicians.

In 2009 Carlisle was on the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars, paired with Jonathan Roberts. She was the first star to be eliminated from the competition, on March 17.^[10]

In 2011 Carlisle performed on "Good Morning America", Friday June 3 in an appearance for the show's "Summer Concert Series", in New York City's Central Park.

Personal life[link]

In 1986, Carlisle married Morgan Mason, film producer and former Special Assistant to the President of the United States, as well as the son of British actor James Mason. Mason made appearances in Carlisle's videos "Mad About You" and "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". They have a son, James Duke Mason, born on April 27, 1992.

She has been reported as being "deeply into Buddhism" and chants Nam Myoho Renge Kyo daily.^[11] In an interview, printed on March 7, 2007, the singer stated that: "I was wondering about happiness and started reading a lot of books by the Dalai Lama, and slowly embraced Buddhism" (published by Newindpress, India). She told the Sydney Morning Herald: "I don't smoke any more, I don't drink any more and I don't do drugs any more. I am very much into my Buddhism. I found turning 40 a real passage in time for me."

In January 2009, it was announced that Carlisle was appointed the new spokesperson for NutriSystem.^[12]

Discography[link]