Feature: EMI America's First Artist Continues to Grow (1985)

For many, Kim Carnes' career was a meteoric explosion called 'Bette Davis Eyes', her 1981 worldwide hit. Few observers realize what a long, steady climb this pinnacle represented. Fewer still realize that her two follow-up LPs, Voyeur and Cafe Racers were two of the best-selling albums in her career, not including Mistaken Identity from which 'Bette Davis Eyes' came. Artists fortunate enough to achieve the level of Carnes' success, are also the unfortunate ones for whom nothing less than a #1 hit is ever good enough in the eyes of the critics. Referring to the notion that she has never regained the level of success of 'Bette Davis Eyes', Carnes responded, "I think it's viewed that way from people on the outside more than it is by myself and my band. I mean, we just do what we do, understanding that it was a huge record, exceptionally big. With every album I do, I seem to read constant comparisons (to Mistaken Identity). I don't like that and I don't think it's fair. Every record is different. All I can do is make the best product I possibly can."

Kim Carnes began her career, as so many others have, in the Los Angeles song treadmill. Mike Settle, of The First Edition, introduced her to publisher Jimmy Bowen, who signed her to a songwriting deal. Bowen also released her first record on his own Bell Records label, entitled Rest On Me. This allowed Carnes the luxury of avoiding the five-set-a-night club grind. She could now concentrate on her songwriting. "At the same time I was signed to Bowen, I would share my demo time with Glenn Frey and John David Souther. This was pre-Eagles. We wrote songs together... and just hung out,” recollected Carnes. Innumerable album cuts and B-sides later, it was apparent that here was a prodigious talent. “All during this time I was doing demos for writers who didn't sing,” added Carnes. These were in addition to her own demos which were circulating around town. This helped perfect her singing style.

The collected demos from this period fell into the hands of David Anderly at A&M, who felt Carnes should be doing her own material. He signed her to a recording deal with culminated in the LPs Kim Carnes and Sailin'.

From here came the move to EMI America, which really gave her career the extra boost needed for superstardom. Jim Mazza came to Carnes and explained that he was going to head up the new label and wanted her to be the first aristocrat's. She signed with EMI America for recording and A&M for publishing. Her first record for the new label was St. Vincent's Court, followed by Romance Dance. which contained her first real chart success, 'More Love'. After this came Mistaken Identity, Voyeur, and then Cafe Racers. Her latest album, Barking At Airplanes thus becomes her ninth career LP.

The new LP features the band Carnes has used over the last several years. The band includes Waddy Wachtel, Bill Cuomo, Craig Kampf, Craig Hall, Jerry Peterson and Eric Scott. The album also features guest performances by Ry Coodmer, Martha Davis and James Ingram.

Asked if this LP would signal any changes in direction, Carnes responded, "It's different only because every single album is different. Everybody changes every year, and I love that aspect of it. You can never make a carbon copy of the last album." Carnes approaches every record as a chance to capture what is going on with her at the moment. The records are done as a band. In rehearsals, the material is chosen, the arrangements are decided upon and the final shape of the record unfolds in a natural way. Carnes disdains gimmickry and avoids like the plague anything that smacks of trendiness. Her records are always collections of honest, up-to-the-minute reflections on the state of Kim Carnes. This new album is no different. It breathes with those inviting qualities of honesty and confidence.

"This album, as I listen to it, is very much be and the band. It reflects the way that we all feel about each other and work together more than any album I've ever done; because we did it all ourselves. There was nobody outside that circle to pull it any other way," she remarked.

"There's a song on the album called 'Rough Edges'. I spend my life fighting for and trying to preserve rough edges, whether it be in photographs, songs, albums... mistakes, or what someone would consider mistakes, are some of the most wonderful little moments," confides Carnes. Compromising herself musically is one thing Kim Carnes will never do. The rough edges are too important, too intrinsic to her understanding of herself and her music. She does not aspire to slick perfection. Carnes craves the rough edges.

Stephen Padgett, Cash Box, May 25, 1985. Page 13 and 45.