Kim Carnes
Bette Davis Eyes

Entered Top 20: 16 May 1981
Chart peak: 10
Catalogue: EMI America EA 121

Biography

Bette Davis Eyes was number one in almost every chart-compiling country in the world and was far and away the biggest international hit of 1981. Written by Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss, the song first appeared on DeShannon's 1975 album New Arrangement, where it created barely a ripple of interest. It was not until Weiss suggested the song to Kim Carnes five years later that Bette Davis Eyes finally took off. Heavily reworked by arranger Bill Cuomo, the track was recorded over two weeks in December and January 1980-1. Carnes, who had been recording for the best part of a decade, had previous US top ten hits with Don't Fall In Love With A Stranger (in duet with Kenny Rogers) and a cover of the Miracles' 1967 hit More Love, but Bette Davis Eyes was easily her biggest hit and won her a Grammy for best single of the year, along the way spending an amazing nine weeks at number one in the USA and also taking ultimate chart honours in more than 20 countries from Argentina to Finland. Its "mere" number 10 placing in the UK does not reflect how huge a success Bette Davis Eyes was internationally. Taken from the album Mistaken Identity.

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