PORTUGUÊS
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3. The First Contacts in Showbusiness
In 1971, she made her debut recording with her husband (as Kim & Dave) singing the title song to the movie, "Vanishing Point": "Nobody Knows".
In 1965 Kim did act in TV as Joan on the episode "Patty Meets the Great Outdoors" from the TV Series "The Patty Duke Show".
In 1966 Kim did act on her first movie "C'Mon,
Let's Live A Little" as Melinda. That film, released in 1967, features the singers Bobby Vee and Jackie DeShannon (whom would co-write
"Bette Davis Eyes" with Donna Weiss years later).
Thereafter, Kim made her first record in 1967 in a duet with Bob Linkletter,
Art's son, called "Mystic Winds of Nowhere". "Needless to day, it went nowhere,"
Carnes said.
In 1966, Kim Carnes joined The New Christy Minstrels, although she didn't like Folk music. Endless lonely days on the road made her long to be back home. Although she left and rejoined the group three times in the first year, she made a friend in Kenny Rogers, who was one of the vocalists at that time; and she became even friendlier with another Minstrel, Dave Ellingson, whom she eventually married.
Kim had
little regard for the music of the New Christy Minstrels, but she thought a
stint in the group might be a useful stepping stone. In a 1981 interview, Kim recalled her early days with the group: "An agent friend of mine told me they
needed a replacement for (one of) the girls in the group (Ann White), and
suggested I try for the job. He said it would be good experience for me because
I'd never been on the road. I didn't like folk music, and I especially didn't
like the New Chisty Minstrels. I always thought it was ridiculous - the idea of
young kids starding up there singing songs about slavery and what it was like.
But I got the job, and the next morning I was on a plane to Lake Tahoe to join
the group." Her time with the group not become one of her most treasured
memories. "First of all, the girl (Ann White) I replaced was a soprano, and I'm
not a soprano. And then, I was real lonely. The only other girl (Kiyoko Ito) in the group was japonese and barely spoke English. She didn't stay very long
anyway. She couldn't take it. There was no regard for the performers at all.
People stayed with the group until they were so exhausted they had to quit, I
think."
In early August, the group was in New York to record two songs for consideration for
their next single. A light, pop rock song with Patridge Family feel called
"Dream of Summer" and a new show tune called "Beautiful, Beautiful World"
from "The
Apple Three", a musical which had opened recently on Broadway. The song were
lightweight fun, but the group's vocal blen paled in comparison with prior years
(and Kiyoko's thick japanese accent was rather evident). Once again, there had
been no time allowed for rehearsals. Nonetheless, "Beautiful, Beautiful World"
was release as a single. As it turned out, this was the last session for
Bob
Buchanan and the one and only session for both Kim and Kiyoko.
Bob was the first
to leave, just a few weeks later. He was replaced by a singer by the name Dave
Ellingson. This was actually the second time Dave had been offered a spot in the
group. In the fall of 1961, he had been the earliest recruits invited by Randy
Sparks to join a new group that he described as "a combination of the Norman
Luboff Choir and the Kingston Trio." Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts
they had to bow out just before the recording of the Grammy-winning debut album.
Now, Dave was finally going to be a New Christy Minstrel, but he had missed a
wild ride in the intervening years.
Kim and Kiyoto left shortly after Dave's arrival. Both hated the grueling schedule and the
loneliness on the road. Michael McGinnis remembers: "(As for Kim,) my sense is
that she really never liked very much about it all. She did, however, find her
husband there." Kim and Dave Ellingson did not have an opportunity to spend much
time together during her first stint with the group - she left at almost the
same time he joined. However - perhaps, at Dave's coaxing - she rejoined the
group in the spring of 1967, and that's when their relationship bloomed. Looking
back, Kim may not have many positive (professional) memories of the New Christy
Minstrels, but she acknowledges: "In retrospect, it was a good thing. I joned
the Minstrels. I broke in the hardest way you can. Now, any tour seems easy."
In September,
Kim was replaced by a young singer by the name of Susan Pack. Susan left the
group in February. She was replaced by a singer by the name of Sue Austin, who
in turn was replaced when Kim Carnes agreed to rejoin the group in April.
Kim Carnes remembers: "A day or so before he was leaving the group to join the First
Edition, Kenny and I were having breakfast in Cincinnati, and he said, 'A year
from now, I'm gonna have a hit record.' I said, 'Yeah, sure, me too.' In those
days, everybody in the group was sure that they were going to be big stars ral
soon. But he said, 'No, I'm not kidding. It's all going to work. ' And it did."
Along the way Kim broke off her engagement to a GI stationed in Germany and married with Dave. Los Angeles Times published a little note in June 2, 1967: "Miss Kim Carnes Will Join Brides."
Kim & Dave left The New Christy Minstrels, Carnes made her
performing debut in a little bar called the Frigate in Manhattan Beatch.
This joint was definitely her baptism of fire as performer. "Every night I'd
climb on top of a grand piano into a rowboat that was perched on top of it and
sit on this tiny wooden stool in the boat and sing into a very tinny-sounding
gooseneck mike. I had to do five 45-minute sets a night, and as the audience was
drunker, they would heave pitchers of beer into the boat. When the beer got
ankledeep, I knew it was time for a quick exit. You've got to start somewhere,
right?" - Kim admited to People magazine.
Kim & Dave also sang at the Santa Ynez Inn, in Pacific Palisades for two years.
In 1971 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition recorded "Where Does
Rosie Go" written by Mrs. Carnes. Kenny also introduced Kim
and Dave to producer/publisher Jimmy Bowen, who was producing
Kenny Rogers & the First Edition as well as nurturing the fledgling
talents of Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther.
They signed a US$125/week contract with Jimmy Bowen.
For a time, Kim sang demos for others writers while collaborating on songs with her husband.
Kim also had to moonlight singing demonstration tapes (demo) at US$25 a session for other writers.
Publishers were trying to sell them to big name entertainers. The couple went on the road across the EUA, and performed concerts at a lot of colleges, and opened the shows of David Cassidy, Neil Sekada and Eric Andersen.
In 1971, she made her debut recording with her husband (as Kim & Dave) singing the title song to the movie, "Vanishing Point": "Nobody Knows", (written by Mike Settle). Her cut as a writer, written for the same movie, was sung by maven Big Mama Thorthon: "Sing Out For Jesus".
Kim & Dave also released one 7" vinyl single by Amos Records ("It's
The Love That Keeps It All together" and "Long And Lonely Memories").
Nancy Sinatra covered "It's The Love That Keeps It All Together"
on her "Woman" album.
In November (1971) was released the album "Presenting The Sugar Bears", produced by Jimmy Bowen for General Foods.
Kim Carnes participated of that record, giving her voice to the character Honey Bear.
"You Are The One" peaked #51 at Pop Singles Billboard in 1972.
December (1971). The great day is coming... Kim's first album is released: "Rest On Me".
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Promotional Photo
Kim signed a contract with Universal Artists on 60's.
