Michael Jackson’s surprising gesture to pop star behind scenes of We Are The World

Kim Carnes, the singer behind Bette Davis’ Eyes, the 1980s hitmaker, opens up about the King of Pop’s behavior while recording the charity single We Are the World, which raised millions for humanitarian aid.

We Are the World, the fastest-selling US pop single ever, was recorded in a Los Angeles studio after 40 years by a supergroup of America’s biggest stars.

Inspired by Band Aid’s festive release Do They Know It’s Christmas? in the UK in December 1984, musician and activist Harry Belafonte formed USA for Africa.

Additionally, the quadruple-platinum single, produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian and directed by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, raised more than $80 million for aid to people in Africa and the US.

Alongside legends like Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon was Kim Carnes, who is best-known for her 1981 single Bette Davis’ Eyes – which topped the US Billboard hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks and was No. 1 in 21 countries.

Michael Jackson, 79, is standing next to him and remembers holding his hand as he sits next to him. He only finished writing We Are the World the night before the recording.

She claims that Michael Jackson and I had some amazing conversations. He was so shy and kind and, of course, an amazing artist. ”

She says their conversations were “nothing deep,” adding: “Just ‘love your work’, bla bla bla. Nothing earth-shattering. He was, however, very shy and generous. I remember thinking ‘He’s so kind. ’”

In contrast, Cyndi Lauper, who she sang with, went for it full throttle. “I just thought, she’s doing her own spin on the part she was singing, her own take on it, and that’s to be admired,” says Kim.

Topping the charts around the world when it was released on March 7, 1985, Kim remembers Bob Geldof popping in during recording, which took place between Jan 21 and 29, to speak to them all, saying: “We said hello and talked a little.”

However, her primary memory of recording is that the single is a genuine collaboration, a great leveller, and no one is trying to steal your attention or trying to outshine anyone else.

She says of the experience: “I felt very fortunate. It was incredible. I didn’t see any egos. Nobody was an a**hole. Simply put, everyone was encouraging and content to be there. I loved every second.

I was thrilled to be in Bob Dylan’s room because I’ve never met him before and I’m a huge fan. We Are the World’s sheet music and lyrics were set up for everyone by Quincy Jones, and they all signed each other’s during a recording break. I still have to get mine framed! ”

A Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, Kim has had a stellar career as a duo who has collaborated with Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and Kenny Rogers. She also wrote songs for her husband David Ellingson.

Still working and hoping to produce a 14th studio album, 21 years after her last one Chasin’ Wild Trains, speaking from her home in Nashville – where she moved to from LA in 1994 – her CV reads like a Who’s Who of rock music.

She shared demo recordings with upcoming The Eagles, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey for the first time in a publishing deal. And in the early 1970s she and Ellingson – who she’s been married to for 58 years – co-wrote songs with, and opened on stage for David Cassidy, who was then a global teen idol.

For three years, we were with David. We went all over the world with him,” she says. We soon became very close friends with him. He was so incredibly famous that he couldn’t go out anywhere, so I’m glad our house was a safe haven for him, as he needed it.

He claimed that he didn’t want to be a teenager idol and that his singing was not in tune with any music. He liked Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, CSNY – and that was frustrating for him. He was a great man and adored the laughs. ”

She is glad she didn’t get to see Cassidy descend into alcoholism. “We didn’t hang out with David once his life took that turn,” she says. We don’t remember him much, but we do. ”

Her own single Bette Davis’ Eyes and her album Mistaken Identity followed, earning them both chart toppers the following year. Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer, Kenny Rogers’ composition, Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer in 1980, was a hit with her.

And this resulted in an extraordinary friendship with then-73-year-old notoriously spiky movie star Bette Davis, who was enthralled by the song and its singer. She said, “She was really happy with that record, and it gave her credibility with her grandson, which was funny because she was such a well-known actress.

“We struck up the most wonderful friendship. I’d go to her house. She hung herself after receiving a ladder, hammer, and nails from a platinum album that I had. She called me after finishing a TV show and said, “Hello Kim, this is Miss Bette Davis, I just saw your performance and thought you were fantastic. ’

“Little things like that were memorable and mind-boggling. Because she fought for her rights and opposed the studios, I believe she had that (prickly) reputation. But she couldn’t have been nicer to me. And because of my own conflicts with record labels, I could relate. We also shared many interests. ”

Dubbed ‘The Queen Of Rasp’n’Roll’ because of her gravelly voice, non-smoker Kim does not relish comparisons to Rod Steward – who she duetted with in 1981 – or Bonnie Tyler.

While she has met and likes them both, she says: “I don’t like comparisons. ”

She claims that her parents, both attorneys and hospital administrators, were unsupportive and didn’t understand the music industry. “Even after great success, my mum couldn’t accept it. ” she says. “If she came to a show with a friend, she’d say to them ‘That’s not my daughter up there’.

“But, after she died I was going through her things and found a notebook in which she’d written, ‘I don’t know why I couldn’t ever tell Kim I was proud of her success. ’ I was sad for my mom and a bit for myself. ”

Her sons Collin and Ry, who also work with her, have inspired her to pursue their dreams, and she even became an idol with them. She laughs: “Once, one of my sons had a Halloween party and all of a sudden Leonard Cohen walked into our kitchen. It blew our minds. His daughter was at school with our older son, and he came over to check on her because we all had idolized him, it turns out.

He sat down and we chatted for a while, though. One of my life’s highlights was that moment! ”

Since then, she has moved from LA to Nashville, but says she is “in mourning” for the city, following the catastrophic wild fires. She says: “My heart… The Palisades, our forever home, gone. Many of my best friends have moved out of their homes, while others have changed hotels.

I “fellow with all those who have tragically lost their lives in this tragedy,” of course. A gem, the Pacific Palisades. Everyone is in shock. The community is resilient, but this is too much. My hometown will never be the same. Thank goodness there is safety for all of our friends. “

Returning to the recording of We Are The World, Kim – who calls the UK “a magical place” and describes Adele and Ed Sheeran as “amazing artists” – regrets not performing at the Live Aid concert six months later. “I wasn’t there and I wish I had been. I was not invited and I have no idea why.”

Source: Mirror