RE: KIM CARNES\/DON’T CALL IT LOVE<\/p>\n
Hey, Bob. Thank you so much for your very kind words about “Don’t Call It Love.” You’ve given an old songwriter a big lift and I’m grateful.<\/p>\n
Tom Snow<\/p>\n
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Original Tom Snow version of “Don’t Call It Love”<\/p>\n
YouTube: https:\/\/bit.ly\/3YMY6oz<\/p>\n
Hyperbolium<\/p>\n
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Hi Bob,<\/p>\n
You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know me personally, but after reading your Feb.15th letter I feel like you do. I was heavily involved in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mistaken Identity\u00e2\u20ac\u009d being the arranger on “Bette Davis Eyes”, “Mistaken Identity” and writing the music for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Draw Of The Cards.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
I wanted to give you a quick back story regarding \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Call It Love\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. EMI wanted that for the first single, but Kim was adamant about it being too commercial despite being the obvious choice. She felt it wan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t unique to her, instead wanting something that was more of a game changer and more in the direction she was seeking.<\/p>\n
Jim Mazza, Gary Gersh, Don Grierson all complained that BDEyes was not suitable for a radio single: No chorus, no guitar solo, synth based etc., etc.. Kim went to EMI daily to plead her case and finally got EMI president Jim Mazza to acquiesce. Of course, the rest is history along with the execs applauding \u00e2\u20ac\u0153their decision\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to release “Bette Davis Eyes” as the first single.<\/p>\n
I was fortunate in having a long time relationship with Kim (still hang with her and husband Dave today) in that she was always open to hear new ideas. I never thought she would like the music, but I played her the song that would become Draw Of The Cards and she along with Val Garay (producer) loved it. The result was a waltz that rocked. By the way, the laughing at the end is Kim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s husband Dave.<\/p>\n
You are so right about memorable music. The home computer\/studio opened the floodgates and the gate of talent required was removed. These days I rarely work in the studio unless I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m making music of merit (indie films) and also not expecting anything to become of it. I realize I am battling 2 fronts: Ageism and Public numbness. However that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop me from getting together to work with old friends like Dann Rogers who I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve known for decades and putting out some quality pieces of work. We just put out a song (Let Go and Be Still) and if anyone listens, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a bonus. Really can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ask for anything more. The pleasure of creating is always there.<\/p>\n
Best regards,
\nBill Cuomo<\/p>\n
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Should have been the 2nd single off that album as you’re right it was a hit song and he gave me a demo of it when I was buying his Yahama C5 piano. But she insisted it be “Draw Of The Cards” which I co-wrote with her and it was written about Josh Leo getting cancer and I said it was all in the draw of the cards and so the song was written. \u00c2\u00a0Interesting insight Bob and yes Jerry’s solo was killer. He called it playing “Elephants” where he would play a tenor and alto sax together at the same time.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Val Garay<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t begin to tell you how happy I was to read your post about the song, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Call It Love\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n I spent most of my career as a song plugger and truth be told, you are only as good as the songs you pitch.<\/p>\n I was at Arista Music in 1984 when we acquired Dean Pitchford\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s catalogue and I was put in charge of going through it and finding songs to pitch.<\/p>\n At my initial meeting with Dean, I told him how much I loved \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Call It Love\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Knowing it had been cut a few times before I asked him what his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Christmas wish\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was for it. He said immediately, Dolly Parton.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Challenge accepted.<\/p>\n I booked a trip to Nashville and played it in person for David Malloy, who was producing the next Dolly Parton album. He put it on hold immediately and was in the studio within weeks cutting the record.<\/p>\n In 1985, it was released as a single and reached number 3 on the Billboard country charts and awarded the grand prize for Song of The Year at BMI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As a song plugger, one of my prouder moments.<\/p>\n Thanks for bringing attention to the song and the song writers!<\/p>\n Kindly<\/p>\n Judy Stakee<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n I was a\u00c2\u00a0baby rock critic when Dolly had the hit… and it has that full stop heading into the chorus, which just grabbed you.<\/p>\n It took a few listeners to realize it WAS the song from MISTAKEN IDENTITY, which everyone I knew obsessed with after Kim Carnes opened for — I believe — James Taylor at Blossom. She was so cool, in her oversized tuxedo jacket, that smoky, salty voice just sandpapered down to raw emotion.<\/p>\n The cleaner synth track of Carnes’ track seemed poppier, but her vocal was delivered through (we thought) a lot of life.<\/p>\n Dolly’s version, once I figured out it was the same song,\u00c2\u00a0 was silkier, her voice a bit more rooted in the vibrato and the the full-on pledge. It was less fraught, more sweet.<\/p>\n Each woman, though, had iconic tone — and were able to be all-in and then some without sounding like a cliche, over-emoting or having that amyl nitrate\/coked up enthusiasm. and if you really wanna hear Carnes’ at her finest, a ballad called “Still Hold On.” WHOOOOOOwooooooooooWH!<\/p>\n Holly Gleason\\ ____________________________________<\/p>\n I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m pretty sure my little brother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s finger[prints are Jimmy Wachtel<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n “Don’t Call it Love”<\/p>\n Yes, written by Tom Snow.<\/p>\n He wrote lots of great songs.<\/p>\n Had a few solo albums.<\/p>\n His first band was called ‘Country”<\/p>\n There was a song on there called “Sylvie”<\/p>\n Lowell George plays slide guitar on it.<\/p>\n Ta-da!<\/p>\n Marty Bender<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n You forgot to mention that Kim Carnes didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t write Bette Davis Eyes either.<\/p>\n Original version here:<\/p>\n
\nAND you;re right about the sax solo, too.<\/p>\n
\nNashville, TN<\/p>\n
\nall over Kim\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s album, most definitely Bette Davis Eyes.
\nFYI.<\/p>\n