Interview: 'Divided Hearts' and 'Light House' (1986)

When you think of memorable voices, our next guest has one that is certainly unique. It's been compared to everything from gravel to a nightingale to Rod Stewart. She's remembered best for 'Bette Davis Eyes', her super hit single of five years ago. Welcome Kim Carnes, who is just out with her tenth album in how many years?

Ten years.

Ten in ten years. Are you unusually prolific by recording standards?

I don't know how unusual it is, I guess it's my own standards. I have a real thing about releasing an album in the spring, April in particular.

Why?

Every time it's been released in April, an album has worked really well for me.

What's the worst month you've ever released an album?

September. More albums released than... I mean, everyone's...

Oh everyone? That doesn't just apply to Kim Carnes?

When I released in September, suddenly there were so many albums on the market. I think a lot of people look in preparation for Christmas and release a couple of months ahead of time. For me, spring has always been good luck.

I found an old clip, I bet you've lived this down. You'll remember this - "Whether Ms. Carnes sustains her success post-'Bette Davis Eyes' remains to be seen. Chances are she won't, but glorious one-shots are another pop tradition." That was five years ago, four or five albums ago. Have you proved them wrong?

Yeah, I think so. When I read things like this, at the time they're written I think that people also tend to forget the hits that came before 'Bette Davis'. I'll remind them of 'Dreamer' and 'More Love', 'It Hurts So Bad', and they'll say "Oh, that's right, there were some other ones".

There does seem to be just a hit between the lines of wishful thinking in copy like that, isn't there?

Well, that's the danger with some critics. The cynical attitude creeps in, which is a shame. You can't read things like that.

Well, you didn't, I graciously brought it up. What a jerk I am!

I did have it read to me five years ago.

You can always count on friends. Let's look at what's new in 1986. This is a video for the new album, the song is called 'Divided Hearts'.




The album is called Light House, I don't think I mentioned that. All those people under the bridge, did you have to pay everybody?

About 250 people. No, not everybody. Some of them, a bunch, but a lot of friends, a lot of pals came down. We had such a great afternoon.

Hundreds of friends?

Some were friends, some were extras. A mixture.

And some just dropped in?

Yeah, it was great though. It was shot in downtown L.A. under the Santa Fe bridge. We had a party all afternoon. It was really, as videos go, great.

It was more fun than shooting the glamorous café scene that preceded it?

Yeah, it was for me. I prefer the shots that are real spontaneous, and I love locations as opposed to a soundstage most of the time. Plus, by the time we got to the café scene it was about six in the morning, so the afternoon was better.

If Kim Carnes is on schedule, I guess we should expect to see you about twelve months from now.