Song:Bette Davis Eyes
Album:The Best Of Kim Carnes
It might surprise music fans to know that Kim Carnes was around the Los Angeles music scene for 15 years before she became on overnight sensation with the 1981 chart topper Bette Davis Eyes. She was born July 20, 1945 in Los Angeles. She joined The New Christy Minstrels in 1966 and then left with husband and songwriting partner Dave Ellingson to form Kim & Dave. She also appeared in the 1967 film C'Mon, Live A Little. Kim signed her first publishing deal with producer Jimmy Bowen in 1969. Others working there at the time included Don Henley, Glen Frey and JD Souther. She sang Nobody Knows on the soundtrack of the 1971 film Vanishing Point and her song Sing Out For Jesus also appeared in the film recorded by Big Mama Thornton. She released her debut album Rest On Me in 1972. It led to a contract with A & M Records. She recorded two unsuccessful albums and was dropped. Her 1978 duet with Gene Cotton You're A Part Of Me broke the top forty. But Kim's big break came when Kenny Rogers recorded Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer with her and it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. She had been pals with Rogers since the New Christy Minstrels days. Then she earned her first top ten pop hit with More Love in 1980. Bette Davis Eyes topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks and the album Mistaken Identity was certified Platinum. It earned Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year Grammys. Bette Davis Eyes was written by Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss and Jackie recorded it in 1974. Producer Val Garay and keyboard player Bill Cuomo came up with the hook that sold the song. Even Bette Davis approved and she became friends with Kim Carnes. Some of her other singles charted mostly on the Adult Contemporary chart. But by 1986, Capitol dropped her. You can get all her hits on this budget comp. After one album for MCA, Kim and her husband moved to Nashville and continue to write songs for others. She sure caught lightning in a bottle that one time. Here's the video for Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes.
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