Belinda Carlisle - Mad About You (1986)

“Mad About You” is a song written by Paula Jean Brown, James Whelan and Mitchel Young Evans, produced by Michael ...

“Mad About You” is a song written by Paula Jean Brown, James Whelan and Mitchel Young Evans, produced by Michael Lloyd, for Belinda Carlisle’s debut solo album Belinda. It was released as the album’s first single, in 1986, as a CD single (one of the first ever marketed), 7″ single and a 12″ single. It was her first hit after leaving the Go-Go’s, peaking at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (where it was present for twenty-one weeks) and at number one on the Canadian Singles Chart.

Just over three weeks before the single was released, Carlisle married Morgan Mason, who appears with Belinda in the video for “Mad About You”. The guitar solo on the song was performed by Andy Taylor (of Duran Duran), who also appears in the video.

Paula Jean Brown (who took Jane Wiedlin’s spot in the band just before it broke up) co-wrote the song with Jim Whelan, and Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey sang back-up vocals. “Mad About You” was one of a few songs being considered for the fourth (unrecorded) Go-Go’s album. The Go-Go’s split, and “Mad About You” and two other songs co-written by Paula Jean Brown ended up on Belinda.

The music video was directed by Leslie Libman, and features Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, and Carlisle’s husband Morgan Mason. During one scene she dances to a vinyl LP of Yma Sumac’s Mambo!. The outdoor scenes are largely set in or near Palisades Park in Santa Monica, California.