Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Kim Carnes

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: 

Kim Carnes

In my own, personal, big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to Those of the Heart. These are the singers, songwriters and muses who have spent a lifetime capturing various aspects of the human condition. Frequently, due to the whims of the music industry, their lives were not always their own... but they persevered... ultimately remaining true to their roles as seers of the heart. 

One such soul?

Kim Carnes

With a smoky-hued, brittle voice unlike any other, she became part of our collective cultural psyche via the radio and MTV. 

And if you were in need of a duet partner? Who better?

She was also a talented songwriter, gifting other artists with songs which helped make them both relevant and iconic. 

A consummate professional, she remained, at all times, true to her own vision of herself, her art and her music.

Fashions come and go. The public has a fickle heart. But time cannot diminish true talent.

For a time, she blazed an amazing trail and to this day, remains a one of a kind artist. 

The gospel according to her?

Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The topic? Bette Davis Eyes

"George Tobin had played me a Jackie DeShannon demo that was completely different, It was all major chords, not minor, but the lyric killed me. Just the title: a song called Bette Davis Eyes? I’m interested! I kept saying to George, ‘I want to do that song!’ All of a sudden, it disappeared and he kept changing the subject."

"Donna Weiss, who wrote all the lyrics, called me and said, ‘Is it true that George Tobin played you Bette Davis Eyes and that you really loved it? I said, ‘Yes! Oh my gosh, I’d forgotten about it.’ She said, ‘Well, the reason why George never brought it up again is because he came to me and said that he could get you to do this song if we gave him half the publishing. Jackie and I wouldn’t do it.' Thankfully, it didn’t happen.”

"We worked (on it) for about three or four days. Because I like to record live, we would go in and rehearse before going on the road to get all the arrangements right and then go into the studio. It took a few days to figure out what we were going to do with it."

"I knew I was passionate for the song but we had to change it. After several days, we finally came up with the right arrangement, the chords, and when I recorded it, everybody knew; the band, myself, Val Garay, who produced the album. We all went, ‘This is it.’ Then we went in the next day and got it on the second take."

"We knew when we cut it that we had a winner. Beyond a doubt, we all really knew it. By the time it came out, so many people were convinced, but then there was talk at the record company of something else being the first single. I don’t think I’ve ever fought so hard for anything. Fortunately, it all worked out."

"When it happened, it happened really quickly. I mean, we didn’t wait to see if it was gonna be a big record. It was really fast, everywhere. Life got really crazy and really good. For the first time, (instead of) being an opening act for (other) people, I could headline and people coming to see us. And that was really fun. That changed touring, that changed the shows."

One thing that surprised me when I came to Europe to promote that song and that album. I was really surprised at the reaction I got in Europe, Everybody knew it and I would walk down the street and everybody would say hello and knew... And that was the biggest surprise. I had no idea, how big it was."

More Love - Kim Carnes

Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

Crazy In The Night (Barking At Airplanes) - Kim Carnes

And one last parting shot...

"The friendship that occurred because of that song between me and Bette Davis, that is maybe the best thing that came out of this record. 'Cause it’s so special. She was so great. She was so incredibly gracious. You know the first communication, she wrote a note saying 'Thank you for finally giving me credibility with my grandson.' Which was so bizarre. She was Bette Davis." 

"She would call me if I did I did a TV-show and she saw it, just called up and said: 'Hey Kim, this is Miss Davis and I just saw your TV-show and I loved it, I thought it was wonderful.' I’d get off the phone and just scream."

"It was huge. She was very generous with me. She loved the disc. When I went to take it to her house, she wanted to frame it to put it on the wall. When I was having a platinum album, single, whatever I would take it to her house and she would get out the hammer and nails and put it on the wall herself."  

"We spent hours and hours together in which she talked about her beginnings in the movies. And she was so gracious to me. It was incredible. We had a great friendship until she died. She was just a wonderful lady. And when I first walked into her apartment, the first thing I saw was a pillow, embroidered, that said: 'No guts, no glory.' How perfect. It’s Bette Davis, you know."