Bette Davis Eyes

Last updated

"Bette Davis Eyes"
Kim Carnes BDE.jpg
Single by Kim Carnes
from the album Mistaken Identity
B-side "Miss You Tonite"
ReleasedMarch 10, 1981
Genre
Length3:48
Label EMI America
Songwriter(s) Donna Weiss  · Jackie DeShannon
Producer(s) Val Garay
Kim Carnes singles chronology
"Cry Like a Baby"
(1980)		"Bette Davis Eyes"
(1981)		"Draw of the Cards"
(1981)
Music video
"Bette Davis Eyes" on YouTube

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [62] Gold100,000 [62]
Canada (Music Canada) [63] Platinum100,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [64] Gold45,000‡
France (SNEP) [65] Platinum1,000,000*
Germany (BVMI) [66] Gold300,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [67]
sales since 2009 		Platinum100,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [68] Platinum60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [69]
2004 release 		Platinum600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [70] Gold1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

Gwyneth Paltrow version

American actress Gwyneth Paltrow covered "Bette Davis Eyes" for the soundtrack for the 2000 road trip film Duets . [71] This version was released as a single in Australia on March 26, 2001, [72] debuting and peaking at No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart on April 8, 2001. [73] It spent nine weeks in the top 10, [73] and came in at No. 35 on Australia's year-end chart for 2001. It earned a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipping more than 70,000 units. [74]

Taylor Swift live performance

American singer Taylor Swift included a live performance cover of "Bette Davis Eyes" on her 2011 Speak Now World Tour – Live album. [75]

Kim Carnes' version of the song has appeared in various films and TV series [76] including 200 Cigarettes (1999), Cold Case S1E6 (2003), That's My Boy (2012) The Final Girls (2015), American Horror Story S5E5 (2015), Riverdale S2E18 (2018), The After Party (2018), Anaïs in Love (2021), The Tourist S1E1 (2022), Angelyne S1E3 (2022) and MaXXXine (2024)

The song was parodied in the October 10, 1981 episode of Saturday Night Live in the sketch "Buh-Weet Sings", when Buckwheat (Eddie Murphy) sings the song so incomprehensibly that the subtitles read "?????". [77]

See also

Note

  1. ↑ The demo can be heard in a TAXI TV interview with Garay, at 21:50. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie DeShannon</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1941)

Jackie DeShannon is an American singer-songwriter and radio broadcaster with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards, as both singer and composer. She was one of the first female singer-songwriters of the rock and roll period. She is best known as the singer of "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and "Put a Little Love in Your Heart", and as the writer of "When You Walk in the Room" and "Bette Davis Eyes", which became hits for The Searchers and Kim Carnes, respectively.

Val Garay is an American recording engineer and record producer who has worked with Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Kim Carnes, The Motels, Neil Diamond and others. Garay also co-founded Los Angeles recording studio Record One.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Carnes</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1945)

Kim Carnes is an American singer and songwriter born and raised in Los Angeles. A veteran writer of many of her own hits, as well as those for numerous other artists, she began her career in 1966 as a member of folk group The New Christy Minstrels, before embarking on a solo career as a songwriter and performer in the early 1970s, playing in local clubs. She also worked for several years as a session background singer with the famed Waters Sisters, Maxine Waters Willard and Julia Waters Tillman, who were later featured in the acclaimed 2013 documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom). In 1971, after she signed her first publishing deal with Jimmy Bowen, Carnes released her debut album Rest on Me. Released in 1975, Carnes' self-titled second album primarily contained self-penned songs, including her first charting single "You're a Part of Me," which reached No. 35 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. In the following year, Carnes released Sailin', produced by the legendary Jerry Wexler, 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.

<i>Mistaken Identity</i> (Kim Carnes album) 1981 studio album by Kim Carnes

Mistaken Identity is the sixth studio album by American singer Kim Carnes, released in April 1981 by EMI America Records. The album spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, and was subsequently certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Boy Meets Girl is an American pop-music duo consisting of keyboardist and vocalist George Merrill and singer Shannon Rubicam. They are perhaps best known for their hit song "Waiting for a Star to Fall" from 1988 and for writing two of Whitney Houston's number one hits: "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endless Love (song)</span> 1981 single by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross

"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and singer/actress Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with R&B-pop singer Mariah Carey, and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time.

"Don't Know Much" is a song written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow. Mann was the first to record the song in 1980, gaining a minor chart hit in the US. The song was made famous when it was covered as a duet by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville in 1989. Their version was a worldwide success, topping the Irish Singles Chart and reaching the top 10 in several territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)</span> 1981 single by Daryl Hall & John Oates

"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" is a song by American duo Hall & Oates. Written by Daryl Hall, John Oates and Sara Allen, the song was released as the second single from their tenth studio album, Private Eyes (1981). The song became the fourth number one hit single of their career on the Billboard Hot 100. It features Charles DeChant on saxophone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Being with You (song)</span> 1981 Single by Smokey Robinson

"Being with You" is a 1981 song recorded by American singer Smokey Robinson. The song spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart from March to early May 1981 and reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, behind "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes, his highest charting solo hit on the Billboard pop charts. It also reached number one in the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Voyeur</i> (Kim Carnes album) 1982 studio album by Kim Carnes

Voyeur is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes, released on September 8, 1982, by EMI America Records. Carnes began writing material for Voyeur while touring her previous album Mistaken Identity (1981).

<i>Café Racers</i> 1983 studio album by Kim Carnes

Café Racers is the eighth studio album by American singer Kim Carnes, released in October 1983 by EMI.

<i>Light House</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Kim Carnes

Light House is the tenth studio album by Kim Carnes, released in 1986 through EMI. The album reunited Carnes with Val Garay, who produced her albums Mistaken Identity and Voyeur in the early 80s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)</span> 1985 single by Kim Carnes

"Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes and the lead single from her ninth studio album, Barking at Airplanes (1985). Written by Carnes, and co-produced with Bill Cuomo, the track was inspired by her eldest son's struggles with nightmares and fear of the dark as a child. It was released as a single in April 1985 by EMI America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voyeur (Kim Carnes song)</span> 1982 single by Kim Carnes

"Voyeur" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes from her seventh studio album of the same name (1982). Written by Carnes, her husband Dave Ellingson, and Duane Hitchings, the song is an uptempo synth-pop track. It is the first track from the album, and its lead single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Draw of the Cards</span> 1981 single by Kim Carnes

"Draw of the Cards" is a 1981 single, the second released from Kim Carnes's Platinum-plus Mistaken Identity album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Love (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles song)</span>

"More Love" is a 1967 hit single recorded by the American soul group The Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. The single, included on the group's 1967 album Make It Happen, later reissued in 1970 as The Tears of a Clown. Kim Carnes's 1980 cover of the song reached the Top 10 of Billboard's Adult Contemporary and Hot 100 charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Sherrie</span> 1984 single by Steve Perry

"Oh Sherrie" is the debut solo single by American singer Steve Perry. Written by Perry, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf and Bill Cuomo, the song was recorded and released on Perry's first solo album Street Talk in 1984, which he released while still a member of Journey. The song is often regarded as an "honorary" Journey song, being credited to the band on several hit compilation albums and in other media, largely due to its resemblance to the band's trademark sound, as well as their performances of the song on the Raised on Radio Tour, which proved to be Perry's live swansong with the band. The track is composed in the key of F major with a time signature of 4
4, following a tempo of 120 beats per minute.

<i>Billboard Top Hits: 1981</i> 1992 compilation album by Various artists

Billboard Top Hits: 1981 is a compilation album released by Rhino Records in 1992, featuring 10 hit recordings from 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Carnes discography</span>

American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes has released 13 studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, and 48 singles. She signed with Amos Records in 1971 and released her debut album Rest on Me in the same year. Her self-titled second album was released in the following year. Kim Carnes yielded one single, "You're a Part of Me", which became Carnes' first charting title. The song reached No. 32 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. None of Carnes's albums charted until the release of her fifth studio album Romance Dance (1980). The album peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard 200, No. 77 on the Canadian Albums Chart and No. 89 on the Australian Albums Chart. Romance Dance produced two hit singles; the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles cover "More Love", which made the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 10, and "Cry Like a Baby", which peaked right outside of the top 40, at No. 44.

Donna Terry Weiss is an American singer and songwriter. She won a Grammy Award in 1982 for co-writing "Bette Davis Eyes" (1974) with Jackie DeShannon.

References

  1. 1 2 Greenwald, Matthew. "Bette Davis Eyes – Song Review". AllMusic . Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  2. ↑ Useted, Tom (February 18, 2010). "Jackie DeShannon: Jackie DeShannon, Me About You / To Be Free, New Arrangement". PopMatters . Retrieved May 3, 2014. It's hard to approach this album without focusing on the presence of "Bette Davis Eyes", which, issued forth from the tortured larynx of Kim Carnes, became one of the defining new-wave records.
  3. ↑ "80s classics that should be remade". Virgin Media. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015.
  4. ↑ Doyle, Tom (March 2005). "Mylo". Sound on Sound . Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ Breihan, Tom (May 6, 2020). "The Number Ones: Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes". Stereogum . Retrieved July 19, 2023. The new version of 'Bette Davis Eyes' is state-of-the-art '80s synth-rock.
  6. 1 2 "The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs (20-11)". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 13, 2008.
  7. ↑ "80sonVEVO GAMV Takeover Week 9 w/ FEATURED VIDEO Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes"". March 20, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Top 100 Hits for 1981". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Kim Carnes – Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0337." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Top 100 Singles of 1981". RPM . Vol. 35, no. 22. December 26, 1981. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Bronson, Fred (1992). Billboard Book of Number One Hits (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Billboard Publications, Inc. p.  543. ISBN   0-8230-8298-9.
  14. ↑ Cad, Saint (October 14, 2012). "10 More Famous Songs with Unknown Originals". Listverse. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  15. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Jackie DeShannon – New Arrangement". AllMusic. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Legendary Producer Val Garay". Ustream. November 27, 2012. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  18. 1 2 Jackson, Blair. "Classic Tracks: Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes"". Mix . Archived from the original on July 13, 2014.
  19. ↑ Bubbeo, Daniel (October 29, 2001). The Women of Warner Brothers: The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies, with Filmographies for Each. McFarland. ISBN   9780786411375.
  20. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. March 28, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  21. ↑ Viglione, Joe. "Mistaken Identity - Kim Carnes". AllMusic. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  22. ↑ "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard . October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  23. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (November 23, 2023). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  24. ↑ Bette Davis Eyes (US 7-inch Single liner notes). Kim Carnes. EMI. 1981. 006-86 359.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ↑ Bette Davis Eyes (US 12-inch Maxi Single liner notes). Kim Carnes. EMI. 1986. 052-86 359.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ↑ "Australia No. 1 hits -- 1980's". World Charts. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 0354." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Danish Chart Archive". UkMix. November 25, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  30. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Kim Carnes". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 43. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 80's". InfoDisc (in French). Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  32. 1 2 "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bette Davis Eyes". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  33. ↑ "I singoli più venduti del 1981". Hit Parade Italia (in Italian). Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 24, 1981" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". VG-lista. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  38. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (C)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  39. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  40. ↑ "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  42. ↑ "Kim Carnes Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  43. ↑ "Kim Carnes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  44. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 30, 1981". Cash Box . Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
  45. ↑ "Kim Carnes Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  46. ↑ "Record World Singles" (PDF). Record World . June 6, 1981. p. 29. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  47. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  48. ↑ "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes 2002" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  49. ↑ "Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". Tracklisten. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  50. ↑ "Tedenska lestvica" (in Slovenian). SloTop50. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  51. ↑ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. January 4, 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022– via Imgur.
  52. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  53. ↑ "Jahreshitparade 1981" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  54. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1981" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  55. ↑ "TOP – 1981". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  56. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1981". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  57. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1981". Rock.co.za. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  58. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1981" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  59. ↑ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1981". Cash Box . Archived from the original on September 18, 2012.
  60. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1981" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  61. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  62. 1 2 "A forca de Kim Carnes". Jornal do Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). September 16, 1981. p. 6. Retrieved January 7, 2022– via National Library of Brazil.
  63. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". Music Canada.
  64. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  65. ↑ "French single certifications – Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved November 9, 2021.Select KIM CARNES and click OK. 
  66. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Kim Carnes; 'Bette Davis Eyes')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  67. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana.
  68. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  69. ↑ "British single certifications – Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  70. ↑ "American single certifications – Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes". Recording Industry Association of America.
  71. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Original Soundtrack – Duets [Original Soundtrack]". AllMusic . Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  72. ↑ "New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 26th March 2001" (PDF). ARIA. March 26, 2001. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2002. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  73. 1 2 "Australian-charts.com – Gwyneth Paltrow – Bette Davis Eyes". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  74. ↑ "2001 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  75. ↑ Keefe, Jonathan (November 28, 2011). "Review: Taylor Swift, Speak Now World Tour Live". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  76. ↑ Kim Carnes' credits on IMDb. Accessed 2024-06-30.
  77. ↑ Lifton, Dave (October 12, 2019). "When Eddie Murphy Premiered Buckwheat on 'Saturday Night Live'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.