Circle in the Sand

"Circle in the Sand" is a song by American singer Belinda Carlisle for her second studio album Heaven on Earth (1987). It was written by Rick Nowels, who also produced it, and Ellen Shipley. "Circle in the Sand" was the third single released from Heaven on Earth on May 1988 and became Carlisle's third consecutive top-10 hit in the United Kingdom and United States, reaching No. 4 and No. 7, respectively. It also charted at No. 5 in Canada, ending the year as the country's 69th-most-successful hit.

"Circle in the Sand"
Single by Belinda Carlisle
from the album Heaven on Earth
B-side"We Can Change"
ReleasedApril 1988 (US)
StudioOcean Way (Hollywood)
GenrePop
Length
  • 4:26 (album version)
  • 3:40 (single version)
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Nowels
Belinda Carlisle singles chronology
"I Get Weak"
(1988)		 "Circle in the Sand"
(1988)		 "I Feel Free"
(1988)

Background and writing

"Circle in the Sand" was written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, who wrote many of Carlisle's hit singles in the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, including her signature song "Heaven Is a Place on Earth". The first known appearance of the song in progress is from the Lost Heaven Demos bootleg which features a solid drum beat, lead keyboard line and simple bass with no guitars present, and completed lyrics. The melody borrows from Mike + The Mechanics' "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)", specifically the "can you hear me calling" section. The final album version of the song features a unique lead keyboard theme provided by Thomas Dolby, combined with a thumping bassline and accentuated with swirling and shimmering guitar, including some played in reverse during the bridge. The combined effect has been compared to songs by the Shangri-Las, such as their "Remember (Walking in the Sand)".[1]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Peter Care[2] in Half Moon Bay, California and features Carlisle singing with various beach scenes in the background. The video mirrors the lyrical content with "cold wind", "tide moves in", and "waves crash" throughout. It makes effective use of video editing tricks by displaying different images of Carlisle and the surf on large sheets of paper hanging on a clothes line, with waves crashing in the background. The combined effect gives the semblance of a video-based collage.

The music video uses the single edit version of the song and was released by MCA Records in March 1988. Universal Records later posted the video for free viewing on YouTube in March 2007.

Track listing and formats
UK 7-inch single (VS 1074)
  1. "Circle in the Sand" — 3:40
  2. "Circle in the Sand (Seaside Mood Groove Mix)" — 3:51
UK 12-inch single (VST 1074)
  1. "Circle in the Sand (Beach Party Mix)" — 7:50
  2. "Circle in the Sand" (edit) — 3:20
  3. "Circle in the Sand (Seaside Mood Groove Mix)" — 3:51
UK CD single (VSCD 1074)
  1. "Circle in the Sand" (7" version) — 3:40
  2. "Circle in the Sand (Seaside Mood Groove Mix)" — 3:51
  3. "Circle in the Sand (Sandblast Multi-mix)" (Including "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak") — 5:18
  4. "Circle in the Sand (Beach Party Mix)" — 7:07

The remixes were made by William Orbit.

Credits and personnel

Charts

References
  1. AllMusicGuide review by Alex Henderson
  2. Circle in the Sand MVDbase entry
  3. "Belinda Carlisle – Circle in the Sand" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  4. "Belinda Carlisle – Circle in the Sand" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8696." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  6. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8729." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  7. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 24. June 11, 1988. p. 22. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  8. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Circle in the Sand". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  9. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Belinda Carlisle" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  10. "Belinda Carlisle – Circle in the Sand" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. "Belinda Carlisle – Circle in the Sand". Top 40 Singles.
  12. "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts C". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  13. "Belinda Carlisle: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  14. "Belinda Carlisle Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  15. "Belinda Carlisle Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  16. "Offiziellecharts.de – Belinda Carlisle – Circle in the Sand". GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  17. "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064.
  18. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
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