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Kim Carnes

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Kim Carnes
Carnes performing in 1981
Carnes performing in 1981
Background information
Born(1945-07-20)July 20, 1945(age 78)
Los Angeles,California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active1962–present
Labels
Websitekimcarnes.com

Kim Carnes(/kɑːrnz/;born July 20, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter born and raised inLos Angeles.She began her career as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing for other artists while performing in local clubs and working as a session background singer with the famedWater Sisters(featured in the documentary20 Feet from Stardom). After she signed her first publishing deal withJimmy Bowen,she released her debut albumRest on Mein 1971. Carnes'self-titled second albumprimarily contained self-penned songs, including her first charting single "You're a Part of Me", which reached No. 35 on theBillboardAdult Contemporarychart in 1975. In the following year, Carnes releasedSailin',which featured "Love Comes from Unexpected Places". The song won the American Song Festival and the award for Best Composition at the Tokyo Song Festival in 1976.

In her breakthrough year, 1980, Carnes was commissioned byKenny Rogersto co-write with her husband the songs for his concept albumGideon(1980), and their duet "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer"hit No. 4 on theBillboardHot 100,and earned the duo aGrammy Awardnomination. Later that year, her cover ofSmokey Robinson's "More Love",from her fifth albumRomance Dance(1980), hit No. 10. The following year, Carnes releasedMistaken Identity,which featured the worldwide hit, "Bette Davis Eyes".It became the best-selling single of the year in the United States, spending nine weeks at No. 1 on theBillboard Hot 100,goingGold,and won the Grammy Award forRecord of the YearandSong of the Year.Mistaken Identityreached No. 1 on theBillboard200,was certifiedPlatinum,and was nominated for theGrammy Award for Album of the Year.

Carnes also had success with the singles "Draw of the Cards"(No. 28),"Does It Make You Remember"(No. 36),"Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)"(No. 15),"Make No Mistake, He's Mine"(No. 51), withBarbra Streisand,"What About Me?"(No. 15), with Kenny Rogers andJames Ingram,"I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is", from theFlashdancesoundtrack,and the Grammy Award nominated singles "Voyeur"(No. 29) and"Invisible Hands"(No. 40). Her other successes as a songwriter include co-writing the No. 1 duet"The Heart Won't Lie"withDonna Weiss(who had co-written "Bette Davis Eyes" withJackie DeShannon); it was recorded byVince GillandReba McEntire,and released on McEntire's 1993 albumIt's Your Call.

Her distinctive, raspy vocal style has drawn comparisons toRod Stewart.[4][5]Her most recent studio album isChasin' Wild Trains(2004). As of 2017, Carnes was residing inNashvilleand continues to write music.

Early life[edit]

Kim Carnes was born on July 20, 1945, in Los Angeles.[3][6][7]Her father, James Raymond Carnes,[8]was an attorney and her mother was a hospital administrator.[9]Kim Carnes knew she would be a singer and songwriter from the age of three, despite the fact that she was not born into a musical family. "My mother didn't get my career, and my father, who was an attorney, didn't think singing and writing was even a job."[9]As a four-year-old, Carnes "married" her next-door neighbor musicianDavid Lindley.She grew up inPasadena, Californiaand graduated fromSan Marino High Schoolin 1963.

Career[edit]

1962–1974: Early career and first studio album[edit]

Kim Carnes was a songwriter and performer from an early age. She signed her first publishing deal in 1962 with producerJimmy Bowen.[citation needed]During this period, she shared demo-recording time with Bowen's other writers, includingDon Henley,Glenn Frey,andJ. D. Souther.Carnes also sang "Nobody Knows", written byMike Settle,which was featured in the end credits of the 1971 filmVanishing Point.[10]The film also featured Carnes' first cut as a songwriter, "Sing Out for Jesus", which was recorded byWillie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton.[11]

Also in 1971, she andMike Settleagain worked with Bowen to create thebubblegum popstudio groupThe Sugar Bears.The albumPresenting the Sugar Bearsand three singles were released with the song "You Are the One", reaching No. 83 on theBillboardcharts.[12]

In the early 1970s, Carnes and husband Dave Ellingson co-wrote several songs withDavid Cassidywho was then at the peak of his career as an international idol. Carnes toured the world with Cassidy as an opening act with her husband. Cassidy's albumsRock Me Baby,Dreams are Nuthin' More than Wishes,andCassidy Live!include several songs penned by Carnes along with Ellingson and Cassidy. Carnes also provided backing vocals for these albums.

After signing withAmos Records,her first solo albumRest on Mewas released in 1971. It was produced byJimmy Bowen.

1975–1979: Early chart successes[edit]

In 1975, Carnes released her self-titled second album, which contained her first charted hit, "You're A Part Of Me", which reached No. 32 on the US Adult Contemporary charts.[3]Carnes re-recorded this track withGene Cottonthree years later. The majority of tracks on this second album were written by Carnes and Ellingson.

Her third albumSailin'was produced byJerry Wexlerand released in 1976. One track, "Love Comes from Unexpected Places", won Grand Prize at the 1976 American Song Festival. The song also earned the award for Best Composition at the Tokyo Song Festival. It gained additional notice after it was recorded byBarbra Streisandon her 1977 albumSuperman.Streisand also recorded Carnes's "Stay Away" on her 1978 albumSongbird.In spite of Streisand's endorsement of her material, Carnes's own Top 40 breakthrough did not occur until 1978 whenGene Cottonrecruited her to record a duet version of "You're a Part of Me", which reached No. 36 on theBillboardHot 100.

In 1979, she recorded a single using the pseudonymConnie con Carnetitled "She Dances with Meat", written by herself and Dave Ellingson.[13][14]

1980–1981: Collaboration with Kenny Rogers and "Bette Davis Eyes"[edit]

In 1980, her duet withKenny Rogers"Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer"became a major hit on the Pop (No. 4), Country (No. 3) and Adult Contemporary (No. 2) charts.[3]The song was culled from Rogers'concept albumGideon,written entirely by Carnes and her husband Dave Ellingson. Later that year, her cover version of theSmokey Robinson & The Miraclessong "More Love"became her first solo top 10 hit (number 10 in the pop charts and number six in the Adult Contemporary charts).[3]Robinson was, indeed, so impressed with Carnes's recording and success with the song that he later wrote and composed "Being with You"for her. However Robinson's then producerGeorge Tobininsisted instead that he record and release the song himself. "The record that went number one for me is a demo for Kim," Robinson toldThe Huffington Post.[15]In 1981, Carnes provided backing vocals onDionne Warwick'sNo Night So Longalbum.[16]

In 1981, Carnes recorded theJackie DeShannonandDonna Weisssong "Bette Davis Eyes",originally written and composed in 1974. As the first single released from the albumMistaken Identity,it spent nine weeks at number one on the U.S. singles charts and became a worldwide hit. The song's success propelled the album to number one on theBillboard200for four weeks. The single became the biggest hit of the entire year for 1981,[3]and is second only toOlivia Newton-John's "Physical"as the biggest hit of the 1980s in the U.S., according toBillboard.The song earned both theRecord of the YearandSong of the Yearawards at the1982 Grammy Awards.Carnes was nominated for Best Pop Female, andMistaken Identityalso earned a nomination for Album of the Year. Two follow-up singles were released from the album, the title track and "Draw of the Cards",which also charted in the UK and Australia.

Carnes and her band rehearsed "Bette Davis Eyes" in the studio for three days to take the melody and overall sound of the record to a darker, more haunting place. Keyboard player Bill Cuomo came up with the signature instrumental lick and together with the band and producerVal Garaycreated a completely new arrangement of the song, recorded the next day with no overdubs.[17]

Bette Davisadmitted to being a fan of the song and approached Carnes and the songwriters to thank them. Davis wrote to Carnes after the song was released, saying she loved the song. "It was a thrill to become a part of the rock generation," she said in her memoirThis 'N That.Davis' grandson Ashley told the screen legend she had "finally made it". Carnes and Davis struck up a special friendship, with the singer visiting her at her home several times before Davis' death in 1989. In what she considers a career highlight,[17]Carnes performed the song live for Davis at a tribute to the legendary actress held just before her death. More recently, the song was used in a 2008ClairolNice 'n Easy TV commercial in the United Kingdom, and the ad featuring the song expanded into South Africa and other territories around the world. In 2008, the song was featured in the opening scene of the documentary filmValentino: The Last Emperorand continues to be licensed for film and TV use. In November 2015, the song was the set piece for the back-story ofLiz Taylorin the TV anthologyAmerican Horror Story: Hotel.[18]

Also on 19 December 1981, Kim Carnes performed withRod StewartandTina Turnerat theL. A. ForuminInglewood, California.Dick Clarkhosted a television special version of the concert.[citation needed]

1982–1985:Voyeurand further releases[edit]

Carnes' later hits included two more singles that just missed the pop top 10: "Crazy in the Night"(fromBarking at Airplanes) and "What About Me?" withKenny RogersandJames Ingram.Kim also reached the Adult Contemporary Top 10 four times after "Bette Davis Eyes" –with "I Pretend" (No. 9), "What About Me?" (No. 1), "Make No Mistake, He's Mine"withBarbra Streisand(No. 8) (co-produced by Carnes with Bill Cuomo) and "Crazy in Love" (No. 10). On January 19, 1985, Carnes had the distinction of being on theBillboardHot 100 with three singles simultaneously, "What About Me", "Make No Mistake, He's Mine", and "Invitation to Dance" from the soundtrack to the filmThat's Dancing!It meant she was on the chart as a solo artist in addition to being part of a duo and a trio.

Carnes was nominated for additionalGrammy Awards–including Best Rock Vocal Performance Female forVoyeur,in 1983 and Best Rock Vocal Performance Female for "Invisible Hands" in 1984. In 1983, Carne's song "I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is" was included on theFlashdancesoundtrack which received a Grammy for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture. Carnes was also one of the singers invited to perform onUSA for Africa's 1985 famine relief fundraising single "We Are the World"and can be seen in the music video and heard singing the last line of the song's bridge withHuey LewisandCyndi Lauper( "While we stand together as one" ). In 1987, she sang the song "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" in a duet withJeffrey Osbornefor the soundtrack to the movieSpaceballs.In the same year, Carnes recorded "The Heart Must Have a Home" for the American filmSummer Heat.[19]

1988–1993: Return to Nashville and Japanese releases[edit]

Carnes reunited with producerJimmy Bowenfor her eleventh albumView from the House,released in July 1988. It peaked at no. 36 on theBillboardTop Country Albums chart. Featuring session musicians includingVince GillandLyle Lovett,the album was described as a return to the country and folk influences of her early albums.[20]"Crazy in Love"was released as the album's lead single, peaking at no. 13 onBillboard'sAdult Contemporarychart.

In the early 1990s, Carnes released a series of tracks exclusively in Japan, including "Shiny Day" for a compilation album titledRe-Import,and "Hold Me" for a tribute album to the Japanese singerSeiko Matsuda.Carnes' twelfth studio albumCheckin' Out the Ghostswas released exclusively in Japan in March 1991. Carnes recorded a cover ofthe Everly Brothers' song "Love Hurts"for the soundtrack to the Japanese filmPrivate Lessons II.

Later in 1991, Carnes recorded the single "Hooked on the Memory of You" as a duet withNeil Diamondfor his albumLovescape.[21]A second track titled "Hard Times for Lovers" was released as a bonus track.[22]In 1992, Diamond released a compilation album titledThe Greatest Hits: 1966–1992which featured a third duet with Carnes, a cover of "Heartbreak Hotel".[23]

In 1993, Carnes releasedGypsy Honeymoon: The Best of Kim Carnes.The title track peaked at No. 65 in Germany.[24]

In 1997, Carnes co-wrote "Just One Little Kiss" with Greg Barnhill forLila McCann's debut albumLila.

1994–present: Further songwriting success andChasin' Wild Trains[edit]

In 1994, Carnes permanently moved from Los Angeles to Nashville. Throughout the 90s, she continued to write songs for other artists. "The Heart Won't Lie"became a US Country no. 1 hit forReba McEntireandVince Gill,and was nominated for Single of the Year at theTNNMusic City NewsCountry Awardsin 1994.

In 1997, Carnes recorded a cover of "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"fora tribute album to Jim Croce.Numerous country artists recorded Carnes' songs in the late 90s and early 2000s, includingSmokie's version of "When the Walls Come Down" forWild Horses – The Nashville Album(1998),[25]Tim McGraw's version of "You Don't Love Me Anymore" forA Place in the Sun(1999), andCollin Raye's version of "Gypsy Honeymoon" forCan't Back Down(2001). Carnes provided backing vocals on the latter two recordings.[26][27]

Carnes in 2008

In June 2004, Carnes released her thirteenth and latest studio album,Chasin' Wild Trains,featuring songs co-written withAngelo Petraglia,Matraca Berg,Kim Richey,Al Anderson,Jeffrey Steele,Marc Jordan,Anders Osborne,andChuck Prophet.The album was noted for itsAmericanaandalt-countryinfluences; it was compared to the musical styles ofStevie Nicks,Lucinda WilliamsandMelissa Etheridge.[28]In the same year, Carnes provided backing vocals for two tracks onTim McGraw's albumLive Like You Were Dying.[29]

Throughout the 2000s Carnes continued to write and record songs for movie soundtracks, including "Ring of Fire"withJeff BridgesforThe Contender(2000),[30]"The Silver Cord" forLoggerheads(2005),[31]and "It's a Mighty Hand" forChances: The Women of Magdalene(2006).

In 2007, Carnes recorded "It's Clear Sky Again Today" for a tribute album to the Japanese singer-songwriterNoriyuki Makihara,[32]and a cover ofthe Rolling Stones' song "Tumbling Dice"withJill Johnsonfor her albumMusic Row.[33]Subsequent songwriting credits include "Enough" forDana Cooperon his albumThe Conjurer(2010), "Live to Tell" forAlyssa Reid's albumThe Game(2011), and three tracks for the Australian country duoO'Shea.

In October 2012, American label Culture Factory reissued Carnes'Mistaken Identity,VoyeurandCafe Racersalbums.Light HouseandBarking at Airplanesfollowed in August 2013. In 2013, Carnes featured in an episode of theLMNseriesThe Haunting of....

In 2015, Carnes recorded "Under My Thumb"byThe Rolling Stonesfor80s Re:Covered,aconceptual compilation albumfeaturing 1980s-influenced covers of songs from the 1970s. In the following year, Carnes featured on the track "To Be with You Again" fromFrankie Miller's duets album,Double Take.[citation needed]

In 2021, Carnes performed at the Rheneypalooza Jam, an online concert and auction to raise funds forSt. Jude Children's Research HospitalinMemphis.[34]

Artistry[edit]

Musical and vocal style[edit]

Carnes' voice has been described as "distinctively raspy" and "throaty", leading to comparisons to the voices ofRod StewartandBonnie Tyler.[35]In 1993, Keith Tuber ofOrange Coastmagazine referred to Carnes as "The Queen of Rasp 'n' Roll" in one of his articles.[36]

Personal life[edit]

Carnes resides inNashvillewith husband Dave Ellingson (1967–present).[37]They have two sons, Collin and Ry.

Ry, who is named after musicianRy Cooder,accompanies her vocally on the song "Rough Edges" from her albumBarking at Airplanes.Collin is featured on this album at the beginning of the song "Crazy in the Night".[38]Collin co-wrote, with his mother, the songs "Divided Hearts", "Gypsy Honeymoon", "Don't Cry Now", and "River of Memories".

Awards[edit]

Grammy Awards[edit]

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually byThe Recording Academyof the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry. Often considered the highest music honour, the awards were established in 1958.[39]Carnes has won two awards, from eight nominations.

Grammy Awards
Year Work Award Result Ref
1981 "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer"(withKenny Rogers) Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus Nominated [40]
1982 Mistaken Identity Album of the Year Nominated [40]
"Bette Davis Eyes" Record of the Year Won
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female Nominated
1983 Voyeur Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female Nominated [40]
1984 Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture Album of the Year Nominated [40]
Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special Won
"Invisible Hands" Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female Nominated

Other awards[edit]

Award Year Recipient(s) Category Result Ref.
Academy of Country Music Awards 1981 "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" Top Vocal Duet Nominated [44]
TNNMusic City NewsCountry Awards 1994 "The Heart Won't Lie" Single of the Year Nominated [45]

Discography[edit]

Main article:Kim Carnes discography

References[edit]

  1. ^"Picks and Pans Review: View from the House".People.Vol. 30, no. 9. August 29, 1988.RetrievedSeptember 16,2017.
  2. ^Johnstone, Andrew (February 6, 2015)."A General Guide to Soft Rock".Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 26,2017..Rip It Up.
  3. ^abcdefgHuey, Steve."Kim Carnes – Artist Biography".AllMusic.RetrievedSeptember 16,2017.
  4. ^Rockwell, John (July 26, 1981)."Kim Carnes Lifts 'Bette Davis' To The Top".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 18,2012.
  5. ^Holden, Stephen (August 26, 1981)."Kim Carnes Sings At Savoy".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 30,2017.
  6. ^"Carnes, Kim".Encyclopedia.com.Archivedfrom the original on October 20, 2022.
  7. ^Sexton, Paul (July 20, 2022)."Overnight Sensation In Ten Years: The Rise Of Kim Carnes".Yahoo!.Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2022.
  8. ^Russo, Kim; Carnes, Kim (November 2013). "Kim Carnes".The Haunting of...Lifetime Movie Network.
  9. ^abStarrs, Chris (November 5, 2009)."Kim Carnes has friends in high places".Online Athens. Archived fromthe originalon January 5, 2018.RetrievedJuly 20,2014.
  10. ^"Vanishing Point [Original Soundtrack]".AllMusic.All Media Network.RetrievedSeptember 7,2014.
  11. ^"Big Mama Thornton – Sing Out for Jesus".AllMusic.All Media Network.RetrievedSeptember 7,2014.
  12. ^"Presenting The Sugar Bears at BadCatRecords".Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 11,2015.
  13. ^Kim Carnes (as Connie con Carne) – She Dances With MeatonYouTube.Retrieved March 16, 2013
  14. ^She Dances With Meat LyricsArchivedApril 11, 2013, atarchive.today,Lyrics 007.Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  15. ^Ragogna, Mike (August 26, 2014)."Friends, Rain Plans, Love Songs & Lullabies: Conversations with Smokey Robinson, Israel Nash & Darryl Tookes".The Huffington Post.RetrievedSeptember 16,2014.
  16. ^"No Night So Long" CD booklet, personnel section. Retrieved February 18, 2013
  17. ^abBetts, Stephen L., AOL Music; Kim Carnes interview, Feb. 2010
  18. ^Calia, Michael (November 5, 2015)."'American Horror Story: Hotel' Recap: Episode 5, 'Room Service'".Blogs.wsj.com.RetrievedOctober 15,2019.
  19. ^Summer Heaton IMDb. Retrieved March 16, 2013
  20. ^Huey, Steve."View from the House – Kim Carnes".AllMusic.RetrievedJuly 11,2022.
  21. ^Loftus, Johnny."Lovescape – Neil Diamond".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on February 26, 2022.RetrievedAugust 5,2022.
  22. ^"Hooked on the Memory of You"(sleeve). Neil Diamond duet with Kim Carnes.Sony Music.1991. 657811 2.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ^Ruhlmann, William."The Greatest Hits (1966-1992) – Neil Diamond".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2022.RetrievedMay 26,2022.
  24. ^"Kim Carnes – Gypsy Honeymoon"(in German).GfK Entertainment charts.RetrievedJuly 11,2022.
  25. ^Wild Horses – The Nashville Album(sleeve). United Kingdom: Ritz Records. 1998. RZ-CD0091.
  26. ^A Place in the Sun(sleeve). United States:Curb Records.1999. D2-77942.
  27. ^Can't Back Down(sleeve). United States:Epic Records.2001. EK85794.
  28. ^Schuilenburg, Jelle (September 9, 2005)."Kim Carnes – Chasin' Wild Trains"(in Dutch). Kinda Muzik.Archivedfrom the original on February 15, 2022.RetrievedOctober 13,2022.
  29. ^Live Like You Were Dying(sleeve). United States:Curb Records.2004. D2-78858.
  30. ^Schmitt, Brad (July 21, 2000)."Jeff's connected to Michael, who knows Kim, who."The Tennessean.Nashville, Tennessee. p. 3.RetrievedOctober 13,2022– viaNewspapers.com.(subscription required)
  31. ^Longsdorf, Amy (October 13, 2005)."Slowly but Surely".The Morning Call.Allentown, Pennsylvania.p. 51.RetrievedOctober 13,2022– viaNewspapers.com.(subscription required)
  32. ^Songs from L.A.(sleeve). Japan:Avex Rush.2007. AVCF-26085/B.
  33. ^Music Row(sleeve). Sweden:Lionheart International.2007. LHICD0054.
  34. ^Gieseke, Winston (April 16, 2021)."A party with a purpose: The Warburton goes virtual for St. Jude".eu.desertsun.com.Archivedfrom the original on October 13, 2022.RetrievedOctober 13,2022.
  35. ^Promis, Jose F."Bonnie Tyler – Free Spirit Album Review".Allmusic.Retrieved19 December2014.
  36. ^The Queen of Rasp 'n' Roll.Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  37. ^Carnes, Kim (November 22, 2017)."David Cassidy: Kim Carnes Recalls Wild Times With Teen Idol".Rolling Stone.RetrievedJanuary 2,2017.
  38. ^CD booklet ofBarking at Airplanes,personnel section. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  39. ^O'Neill, Thomas (1999).The Grammys: The Ultimate Unofficial Guide to Music's Highest Honor.Perigee Trade.
  40. ^abcd"Kim Carnes".Grammy.com.June 4, 2019.RetrievedOctober 15,2019.
  41. ^"1981 Grammy Award Winners".Grammy.com.Retrieved15 January2022.
  42. ^"David Foster".Grammy.com.June 4, 2019.RetrievedOctober 15,2019.
  43. ^"1985 Grammy Award Winners".Grammy.com.Retrieved15 January2022.
  44. ^"Rogers heads country nominees".The News & Observer.Raleigh, North Carolina. March 20, 1981. p. 22.RetrievedAugust 29,2022– viaNewspapers.com.(subscription required)
  45. ^Roland, Tom (January 18, 1994)."'Music City News' names song finalists ".The Tennessean.Nashville, Tennessee. p. 26.RetrievedAugust 29,2022– viaNewspapers.com.(subscription required)

External links[edit]

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