Romance Dance

Last updated
Romance Dance
Kim Carnes - Romance Dance.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 2, 1980
Studio
  • Studio Sound Recorders (North Hollywood, California)
Genre Pop
Length34:00
Label EMI America [1]
Producer
Kim Carnes chronology
St. Vincent's Court
(1979)
Romance Dance
(1980)
Mistaken Identity
(1981)
Singles from Romance Dance
  1. "More Love"
    Released: May 1980
  2. "Cry Like a Baby"
    Released: 1980

Romance Dance is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes. It was released on June 2, 1980, by EMI America. It became Carnes' first charting album, peaking at no. 57 on the Billboard 200. Nine tracks were produced by George Tobin in association with Mike Piccirillo, and one track was produced by Daniel Moore, who worked with Carnes on her previous album, St. Vincent's Court .

Contents

The album features hit singles "More Love" and "Cry Like a Baby", which reached no. 10 and no. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Background

The album was produced by George Tobin in association with Mike Piccirillo. Carnes had originally intended to record "Bette Davis Eyes" for Romance Dance. [2] Ahead of the album's release, Carnes stated that Romance Dance would be more upbeat than her previous albums, with less of a country influence. [3]

Release and promotion

Romance Dance was released on June 2, 1980, by EMI America. Promotion began with Carnes embarking on a tour of American radio stations before joining James Taylor as the support act for a North American concert tour in August 1980. [4] In a review of their concert at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Billboard noted Carnes' "mesmirizing sandpaper vocals" and described her as an "unforgettable performer". [5]

Carnes made a cameo appearance on episode 24 of the fourth season of Sha Na Na to perform "More Love". [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]

Writing for The StarPhoenix , Don Perkins commended the album and compared Carnes' vocals to Maggie Bell and Melissa Manchester. [9] In the Los Angeles Times , Robert Hilburn described Romance Dance as "one of the best mainstream pop albums" since Carole Bayer Sager's 1977 self-titled debut album. [10]

Track listing

  1. "Swept Me Off My Feet (The Part of the Fool)" (Kim Carnes) – 3:21
  2. "Cry Like a Baby" (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) – 3:05
  3. "Will You Remember Me" (Carnes) – 4:42
  4. "Tear Me Apart" (Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman) – 3:31 (Originally performed by Suzi Quatro in 1976.)
  5. "Changin'" (Carnes, Dave Ellingson) – 3:54
  6. "More Love" (William Robinson) – 3:38
  7. "In the Chill of the Night" (Carnes, Ellingson) – 4:22
  8. "Where Is Your Heart" (Carnes, Ellingson) – 3:45
  9. "And Still Be Loving You" (Carnes, Ellingson) – 3:42

Personnel

Production

Charts

Chart (1980)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [11] 89
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [12] 77
US Billboard 200 [13] 57

Related Research Articles

<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. 32 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.

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References

  1. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 198.
  2. Beviglia, Jim (November 15, 2018). Playing Back the 80s: A Decade of Unstoppable Hits. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   9781538116401 via Google Books.
  3. Grein, Paul (May 24, 1980). "Kim Carnes Nears Goal Via Hit Duet" (PDF). Billboard. p. 30. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  4. "Heavy Exploitation for Carnes Album" (PDF). Billboard. June 7, 1980. p. 66. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  5. Kirby, Kip (August 23, 1980). "James Taylor, Kim Carnes – Municipal Auditorium, Nashville" (PDF). Billboard. p. 32. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  6. Sha Na Na. Season 4. Episode 24.
  7. "Romance Dance - Kim Carnes | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" via www.allmusic.com.
  8. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 111.
  9. Perkins, Don (August 16, 1980). "Kim Carnes, Romance Dance, EMI – Voyeur". The StarPhoenix . Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada: Postmedia Network. p. 75. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  10. Hilburn, Robert (July 20, 1980). "Disc Derby: Los Angeles Talent Comes Out on Top". Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. p. 360. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  11. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 256. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  12. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0242b". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  13. "Kim Carnes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2020.