“Bette Davis Eyes” was originally recorded in a 1920s jazz style by Jackie DeShannon on her 1975 album New Arrangement. DeShannon wrote the song with the songwriter Donna Weiss. According to DeShannon, she got the idea after watching the 1942 Bette Davis movie Now Voyager. It was Donna Weiss who submitted the demo to Carnes, who along with her band and producer Val Garay, came up with the hit arrangement for the song.
This was a huge hit in the US, where it was #1 for nine weeks in the summer of 1981. It spent more weeks at the top spot than any other song that year.
Actress Bette Davis was 73 when Carnes’s version became a hit. She wrote letters to Carnes, Weiss, and DeShannon to thank them for making her “a part of modern times” and said that her grandson now looked up to her. After their Grammy wins, Davis sent them roses and happily accepted the gift of gold and platinum records from Carnes, hanging them on her wall.
Carnes has an unusually raspy voice. Some listeners who weren’t familiar with her thought it was Rod Stewart singing this song.
The video was directed by Russell Mulcahy, who made many of the early MTV favorites. His videos were very artistic and filled with unexpected scenes. The costumed crowd smacking the floor and each other in time to the drum machine was a typical Mulcahy touch. The video was huge on MTV and gave the song a big boost.
“Bette Davis Eyes” – Single by Kim Carnes from the album Mistaken Identity
Released March 10, 1981
Songwriters Donna Weiss, Jackie DeShannon
Producer Val Garay.
Charted No.1 US; No.10 UK; No.1 Australia; No.1 Canada; No.1 France; No.1 Italy; No.1 West Germany.
