Yesterday
“Bette Davis Eyes” became a mega hit for Kim Carnes back in 1981. It was all over the radio and on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for nine non-consecutive weeks. Billboard labeled it as the biggest hit of the year. Carnes, like her contemporary Bonnie Tyler, was a female vocalist with a distinctive and raspy voice. The record was a #1 hit in 21 other countries and it was #2 in Canada for 12 consecutive weeks. “Bette Davis Eyes” won the Grammy Awards for Song and Record of the Year. Historically, Billboard ranked it as #12 on their list of the Top 100 songs in the first 50 years of tracking the Hot 100. The tune was written and composed by Jackie DeShannon (a star in her own right) and Donna Weiss in 1974. DeShannon had recorded it as sort of a jazzy vaudevillian tune, and it wasn’t a hit.
Carnes is an accomplished songwriter, having written a number of tunes recorded by superstar Kenny Rogers and several other name country artists. She had other vocal releases, the most notable being “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer,” a duet with Kenny Rogers. However, Carnes was never able to match the success of “Bette Davis Eyes.” She was 36 years of age, on the upper end of the scale for your typical up and coming pop star, when this one went big. Last I heard, Carnes was living in Nashville. This “Found Performance” has been doctored a bit to improve the quality of this 40-year-old recording. (The video is at ad free Vimeo, so click on the play button 2x- first to go to Vimeo and the second time to start the video.)
Today
Only a few years ago, Carnes was (and may still be) out performing. In this video below — from a casino resort in Niagara Falls, Canada — Carnes was singing her signature song at age 70. (And there is yet another video online of her performing “Bette” at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.) I think it is interesting to compare the two performances — Yesterday and Today. (It’s at Vimeo, so click the start button 2x.)
