Kim Carnes (born July 20, 1945) is a two-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter. Born in Los Angeles, California, Carnes now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where she continues to write music. She began her career as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing for other artists while performing in local clubs and working as a session background singer with the famed Waters sisters (featured in the documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom). After she signed her first publishing deal with Jimmy Bowen, she released her debut album Rest on Me in 1972.
As a solo artist, Carnes saw some success with her singles "More Love," "Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)," "Make No Mistake (He's Mine)," with Barbra Streisand, and "I'll Be Here Where the Heart Is." Her most successful single was "Bette Davis Eyes," released in 1981. The song won two Grammy Awards; Song of the Year and Record of the Year, and became the best-selling single of the year in the United States.
Carnes' self-titled debut album primarily contained self-penned songs, including her first charting single "You're a Part of Me", which reached number thirty-five on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1975. In the following year, Carnes released Sailin', which featured "Love Comes from Unexpected Places". The song won the American Song Festival and the award for Best Composition at the Tokyo Song Festival in 1976. Other successes as a songwriter include co-writing the number one duet "The Heart Won't Lie" with Donna Weiss, recorded by Vince Gill and Reba McEntire, and co-writing the songs for Kenny Rogers' concept album Gideon (1980).
Kim Carnes is the second studio album by Kim Carnes, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music).
"You're a Part of Me" (solo version) peaked Adult Contemporary #32 (1976) on Billboard charts. It was the very first Kim Carnes hit. Although this album hasn't been released on CD, eight of the album's eleven songs can be found on the European CD "Master Series".
Chasin' Wild Trains is the thirteenth studio album by Kim Carnes, released in 2004. It was Carnes' first full-length album since 1991's "Checkin' Out the Ghosts" and her first to be released both in the U.S. and internationally since 1988's "View from the House". Chasin' Wild Trains was originally released by the Sparky Dawg Music label in the U.S. and later re-issued internationally by Dutch label Corazong with two bonus tracks. The album did not chart, however.
The album received overall positive reviews. Joe Viglione of Allmusic wrote: "The woman that has somehow straddled the country and rock worlds better than most sounds like a female version of The Eagles going acoustic —- and that's a compliment."
Two singles have been released by Carnes from the album.
One Beat At A Time
Just To See You Smile
A familiar story
A sad affair of the heart
We spend all this time
Trying to find
The glow in the dark
Gentle changes
The eyes still look the same
A familiar heartbeat
I go weak
When you walk in
I'm hangin' on by a thread
Too many voices in my ear
Too many memories locked in here
I'm hangin' on by a thread
Too many voices in my ear
We hurt each other
And wonder why
We lie broken in two
I was dreamin'
You were here with me
And through a open window
We could look through
Straight to the sea
I'm hangin' on by a thread
Too many voices in my ear
Too many memories locked in here
I'm hangin' on by a thread
Too many voices in my ear
We hurt each other
And wonder why
We lie broken in two
And if I lose you now