Leave a Light On

"Leave a Light On" is a pop song written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, produced by Nowels for Belinda Carlisle's third solo album Runaway Horses (1989).

The single narrowly missed the top ten in the US peaking at No.11. It fared much better elsewhere reaching the top 5 in many countries including the UK where it peaked at No.4.

Overview

Released as the album's first single at the end of 1989 - as a CD single, 7" single and a 12" single - "Leave a Light On" became a Top Ten hit in Australia, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Netherlands and the UK. In the U.S. "Leave a Light On" peaked at #11 affording Carlisle her final U.S. Top 20 hit: Carlisle's followup U.S. single release "Summer Rain" would mark her final U.S. Top 40 appearance reaching #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Leave a Light On" features George Harrison on slide guitar; Carlisle recalls: "Rick [Nowels] said we should get someone cool and with a distinctive style to play the lead guitar part. I thought for a moment and said 'What about George Harrison?' I had met George briefly a few years earlier in San Remo Italy and Morgan [Mason, Carlisle's husband] through his work on Sex Lies and Videotape" - a film Mason had produced for Harrison's HandMade Films - "knew someone who was close to [Harrison] and able to get word to him. George responded right away, saying he'd love to help out."^[1]

The single can be heard in a 1991 episode of the TV sitcom Out of This World entitled "I Want My Evie TV".

There are four versions of the song: The album version, and the 7" Edit of the song, this versions were mixed by Shelly Yakus and Steve McMillan. The other two are the Extended Mix and the edit of this mix, called the Kamikazee mix, the later included on Carlisle's "Vision of You" CD single, Jason Corsaro made these two mixes.

Music video

The music video was directed by Peter Care.^[2]

B-side

The US 7" B-side is "Shades Of Michael Angelo" (LP Version) 5:52

Track listing

CD single

"Leave a Light On"
"Shades of Michaelangelo"
"Leave a Light On" (extended mix)

7" single

"Leave a Light On" — 4:15
"Shades of Michaelangelo" — 5:46

12" maxi

"Leave a Light On" (extended mix) — 8:05
"Leave a Light On" (7" version) — 4:15
"Shades of Michaelangelo" — 5:46

Charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[3]	5
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[4]	4
Canadian Top Singles (RPM)^[5]	6
Finland (Pomus)^[6]	25
Germany (Official German Charts)^[7]	15
Ireland (IRMA)^[8]	4
Italy (FIMI)^[9]	4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[10]	7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[11]	22
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[12]	8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[13]	8
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[14]	4
US Billboard Hot 100^[15]	11
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[16]	8

Year-end charts

End of year chart (1989)	Position
Dutch Singles Chart^[17]	96
UK Singles Chart^[18]	50

Sales and certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[19]	Silver	200,000^{^}
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^{^}shipments figures based on certification alone

Personnel

Produced by Rick Nowels
Vocals by Belinda Carlisle
Slide guitar by George Harrison
Guitar by Rick Nowels and X.Y. Jones
Keyboards by Charles Judge

Twelve string guitar by Ben Schultz
Bass by John Pierce
drums by Rudy Richman
Background vocals by Ellen Shipley, Maria Vidal, Donna DeLory and Bekka Bramlett

Cover versions

Grant & Forsyth (nl) recorded "Leave a Light On" as part of a medley on their 1990 album Country Love Songs.

A eurotrance cover version of the song by Dream Factory featuring Jessica Palmer was released in 2007.

A Hi-NRG version of "Leave a Light On" was recorded in 2013 by Nicki French.

In 2013, retro synthpop producer/remixer Yisraelee produced a cover version of the track.^[20]

In 2016, South African 4 piece band 4Werke (4Warm) released a cover version on their self-titled album. ^[21]

References

↑ Carlisle, Belinda (2010). Lips Unsealed: a memoir. NYC: Three Rivers Press (Random House). p. 153. ISBN 978-0-307-46350-0.
↑ Video on YouTube
↑ "Australian-charts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
↑ "Austriancharts.at – Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
↑ "Top Singles - Volume 47, No. 11, January 13, 1990". RPM. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
↑ http://wiki.pomus.net/wiki/Singlet_1989-11_marraskuu
↑ "Musicline.de – Carlisle,Belinda Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
↑ "Irish Singles Chart – Search for song". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
↑ "Italiancharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – I Get Weak". Top Digital Download.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
↑ "Charts.org.nz – Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On". Top 40 Singles.
↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On". Singles Top 100.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On". Swiss Singles Chart.
↑ "Archive Chart: 1989-10-26" UK Singles Chart.
↑ "Belinda Carlisle – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Belinda Carlisle.
↑ "Belinda Carlisle – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Belinda Carlisle.
↑ "1989 Dutch Singles Chart" (in Dutch). Retrieved 2012-08-19.
↑ "End Of Year Chart - Top 50 Singles of 1989". http://www.mostynhouseschool.com. Retrieved 2012-08-19. External link in |work= (help)
↑ "British single certifications – Belinda Carlisle – Leave A Light On". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Leave A Light On in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
↑ Soundcloud: Yisraelee - Leave a Light On (Retrographic Instrumental)
↑ https://www.google.com.au/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=4werke+4Warm&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLSz9U3KC4wM8koU-LVT9c3NEzOLcgoj0_J1hLPTrbSzy0tzkzWTywqySwusUrMSSrNLX7EGMQt8PLHPWEpz0lrTl5jdObCpVJIg4vNNa8ks6RSSI6LTwrJLg0GKR4uJD4PANh8hiWLAAAA

Belinda Carlisle

Studio albums	Belinda Heaven on Earth Runaway Horses Live Your Life Be Free Real A Woman and a Man Voila

Compilations	The Best of Belinda, Volume 1 A Place on Earth: The Greatest Hits The Collection

Singles	"Mad About You" "I Feel the Magic" "Band of Gold" "Since You've Gone" "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" "I Get Weak" "Circle in the Sand" "I Feel Free" "World Without You" "Love Never Dies" "Leave a Light On" "La Luna" "Summer Rain" "Runaway Horses" "Vision of You" "(We Want) the Same Thing" "Live Your Life Be Free" "Do You Feel Like I Feel?" "Half the World" "Little Black Book" "Big Scary Animal" "Lay Down Your Arms" "In Too Deep" "Always Breaking My Heart" "Love in the Key of C" "California" "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" "All God's Children" "Sun" "Goodbye Just Go"

Related articles	Discography The Go-Go's The Go-Go's discography Rick Nowels Ellen Shipley

Book:Belinda Carlisle

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