"Leave a Light On" is a pop song written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, produced by Nowels for Belinda Carlisle's third solo albumRunaway Horses. The single narrowly missed the top ten in the US peaking at number 11. It fared much better elsewhere, reaching the top five in several countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
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, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Leave a Light On" peaked at number 11, affording Carlisle her final US top-twenty hit. "Leave a Light On" features George Harrison on slide guitar; Carlisle recalls: "Rick 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 through his work on Sex Lies and Videotape" - a film Mason had produced for Harrison's HandMade Films - "knew someone who was close to and able to get word to him. George responded right away, saying he'd love to help out." 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.
recorded "Leave a Light On" as part of a medley on their 1990 album Country Love Songs. A eurotrancecover 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. In 2016, South African 4 piece band 4Werke released a cover version on their self-titled album.
