Bette Davis Eyes

“Bette Davis Eyes”
Single by Kim Carnes from the album Mistaken Identity
B-side	"Miss You Tonight"
Released	April 9, 1981
Format	7"
Genre	Pop
Length	3:49
Label	EMI America
Writer(s)	Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon
Producer	Val Garay
Kim Carnes singles chronology
"Cry Like a Baby" (1980) "Bette Davis Eyes" (1981) "Draw of the Cards" (1981)

"Bette Davis Eyes" is the name of a popular song, best known for being performed by Kim Carnes.

The song was written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon. DeShannon recorded the song that same year on her album New Arrangement. But it was not until 1981, when Carnes recorded her version of the song, that it became a success.

It spent nine non-consecutive weeks on top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (interrupted for one week by the "Stars on 45 Medley"), and over eight million copies of the album on which the song appeared, Mistaken Identity, were sold. The single went on to become the highest seller of the year and won the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The song was also a number one hit in 31 countries, including Germany, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Japan and Brazil, but achieved more moderate success in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number ten. The music video was directed by Russell Mulcahy.

According to producer Val Garay, the original demo of the tune that was brought to him sounded like "a Leon Russell track, with this beer-barrel polka piano part." Keyboardist Bill Cuomo came up with the signature synth riff which now defines Carnes' version. The song was recorded completely live in the studio on the first take.^[1]

Bette Davis admitted to being a fan of the song and approached Carnes and the songwriters to thank them for making her "a part of modern times."

The song ranks at #12 on Billboard's All Time Top 100.[1]

Contents 1 Cover versions 2 Live cover performances 3 Appearances in other media, etc. 4 Parodies 5 References

Cover versions

• The Chipmunks covered this song in 1982 on their album Chipmunk Rock.
• A dance version by European singer Sonia Davis was released in 1992.
• Actress Gwyneth Paltrow performed the song in the movie Duets (2000), and her single release was a hit in some parts of the world.
• A dance pop cover of the song by singer Marcy Caldwell was released in 2001.
• Handsome Devil covered the song in 2004, featured on their second CD Knock Yourself Out.
• The Denton, TX band Space Cadet remade the song for their 2005 debut album Debutante.
• American indie band Sexton Blake covered the song for their 2007 album Plays the Hits.
• Actress Leighton Meester has recorded a cover of the song which was leaked via Perez Hilton.

Live cover performances

• A live recording by Brad Roberts of the Crash Test Dummies was included on his first solo CD, 2001's Crash Test Dude.
• French Singer Sylvie Vartan performed the song during her Live in Las Vegas Concert in 1982. It is included in her Integrale Live box set.
• Canadian singer Melanie Dekker has covered the song at various live performances.
• Australian Idol contestant Brooke Addamo performed the song on the Top 11, 80's themed night on the 2008 season of the show. Addamo was shockingly eliminated the following night after receiving positive comments from the judges, including guest judge and mentor Cyndi Lauper.

Appearances in other media, etc.

• The song itself was used in a Pac-Man themed 7 Up ad.
• Voice of America used the song as background when announcing the death of Bette Davis on October 6, 1989 as did other radio and TV stations around the world that day.
• Mylo sampled this song for his 2005 single "In My Arms".
• Swedish singer September sampled the track for a song called "Midnight Heartache" on her 2005 album In Orbit.
• The song was used in an episode of the TV show Cold Case entitled "Love Conquers All".
• The song was used in 2008 to advertise the Clairol - Nice 'n Easy hair products.

Parodies

• The song was parodied by Bruce "Babyman" Baum in 1981, as "Marty Feldman's Eyes".
• The title was also parodied by Half Man Half Biscuit in their song "Dickie Davies' Eyes" (where Dickie Davies was the presenter of the UK sports programme World of Sport). Shirley Stockewell recorded a parody called "Lizzy Taylor Thighs."
• Eddie Murphy's character Buckwheat on Saturday Night Live parodied the song in a commercial parody named "Buh-Weet Sings". He sang the lyrics so incoherently that question marks appeared on the screen instead of the song's title.
• A Norwegian parody was made in 1981 called "Ivar Medaas Øyne" (Ivar Medaas Eyes) by Prima Vera. The parody made fun of the folk singer Ivar Medaas' eyes. The song spawned controversy and Ivar Medaas ended up suing Prima Vera.

References

• The Kim Carnes Website - Bette Davis Eyes
• Guinness Book of British Hit Singles
• Official German Charts "Number 1 Finder"
• Classic Tracks - Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes

Preceded by "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" by Sheena Easton	Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 16, 1981 - June 13, 1981	Succeeded by "Stars on 45 Medley" by Stars on 45
Preceded by "Stars on 45 Medley" by Stars on 45	Billboard Hot 100 number one single June 27, 1981 - July 18, 1981	Succeeded by "The One That You Love" by Air Supply
Preceded by "Call Me" by Blondie	Billboard Hot 100 Number one single of the year 1981	Succeeded by "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John
Preceded by "This Ole House" by Shakin' Stevens	Australian Kent Music Report number-one single June 15, 1981 - July 13, 1981	Succeeded by "Stars on 45 Medley" by Stars on 45
Preceded by "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington, Jr.	ARC Weekly Top 40 number one single (first run) May 16, 1981 - June 13, 1981	Succeeded by "Stars on 45 Medley" by Stars on 45
Preceded by "Stars on 45 Medley" by Stars on 45	ARC Weekly Top 40 number one single (second run) June 27, 1981 - [July 18, 1981	Succeeded by "The One That You Love" by Air Supply

---

No comments have been added.

Your name:
City:
Country:	USA UK India Pakistan UAE Saudi Arabia Germany Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burund Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Rep Chad Chile China Columbia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic DR Congo Denmark Djiboutil Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eq Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Grenadines Guatemala Guinea Bissau Guinea Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Neth Antilles Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Rawanda Romania Russia Sao Tome Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Korea South Africa Spain Sri Lanka St Kitts_Nevis St Lucia Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvala UAE Uganda Ukraine Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Western Samoa Yemen Yugoslavia Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe
Your comments:
Security check * (Please enter the number into adjoining box)