“Bette Davis Eyes” was written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974 inspired by the image and persona of Hollywood star Bette Davis. Weiss drew inspiration from Davis's performance in the 1942 film Now, Voyager, particularly its memorable scene in which Paul Henreid lights two cigarettes for her. Jackie DeShannon recorded the original version for her 1975 album New Arrangement, but it sounded very different from the sleek, synth-driven interpretation that Kim Carnes would later make famous.
Carnes recorded her version on December 20, 1980, for her 1981 album Mistaken Identity. Initially unconvinced by the song, she was won over when keyboardist Bill Cuomo created its instantly recognisable Prophet-5 synthesizer riff. Producer Val Garay then recorded the band completely live, with no overdubs, he recalled that the version used on the album was the first of approximately three takes. Released in March 1981, “Bette Davis Eyes” spent nine non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, became Billboard's biggest US single of the year and reached No. 10 in the UK.
At the 1982 Grammy Awards, Kim Carnes won Record of the Year for the recording, while Weiss and DeShannon won Song of the Year for the composition. Bette Davis herself loved the song: she wrote letters to Carnes and the songwriters thanking them for making her “a part of modern times,” and later sent them roses after their Grammy wins.
"You Can Do Magic" was written and produced by British songwriter Russ Ballard(formerly of Argent), who also penned hits for Rainbow, Ace Frehley, and Frida. By then America had become a duo (Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell) following Dan Peek's departure, and the band hadn't enjoyed a major hit since 1976.
Ballard wrote the song specifically for them, played nearly all of the instruments (except the drums), and even came up with the catchy "do do"chorus with Beckley and Bunnell's signature vocal harmonies in mind. The song became America's biggest hit of the 1980s, peaking at #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and marking the band's commercial comeback.
As the fall season is upon us, don't forget to grab a Thin Lizzy hoodie, hat, jacket, or mug to keep you warm. Head over to https://t.co/OhInQWif2G to grab yours.
"Love is the Drug", from Roxy Music's 1975 album Siren, was released on 29 September of that year. This performance from the UK television show Supersonic has become the de facto music video of the song.
#roxymusic#musicvideo#loveisthedrug
a song depicting a love affair between Bryan Ferry and a female robot, the band at their experimental Art-Rock best
Roxy Music - Ladytron (Live 1972) ▶️
David Bowie and Bryan Ferry deep in conversation at the London Design Museum, 14th September 1998. Photographs by Alan Davidson #DavidBowie#BryanFerry 📸
"Looking back at the photographs
Those summer days spent outside corner cafés
Oh, I could write you paragraphs
About my old Parisienne days"
Listen now to the newly released 1978 demo of “Parisienne Walkways”. Taken from The Story Of My Life: https://t.co/9e3jfCivFk