Bette Davis Eyes
Encyclopedia
"Bette Davis Eyes" is a song
written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon
and made popular by American singer-songwriter
Kim Carnes
.
. DeShannon recorded the song that same year on her album New Arrangement. But it was not until 1981, when Kim Carnes recorded her version of the song, that it became a commercial success.
The Carnes version spent nine non-consecutive weeks on top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
(interrupted for one week by the "Stars on 45 Medley
") and was Billboard
's number one single of 1981. The single also peaked at No. 26 on the dance charts. The song won the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year
and Record of the Year
. The song was also a number one hit in 31 countries, including Germany
, Australia
, Switzerland
, Italy
, Norway
, Japan
, and Brazil
, but it achieved more moderate success in the United Kingdom
, where it peaked at No. 10. The music video was directed by Russell Mulcahy
.
According to producer Val Garay
, the original demo of the tune that was brought to him sounded like "a Leon Russell
track, with this beer-barrel polka piano part." Keyboardist Bill Cuomo came up with the signature synth riff, using the then-new Sequential Circuits
Prophet-5 synthesizer, which now defines Carnes' version. The song was recorded completely live in the studio on the first take.
Bette Davis
admitted to being a fan of the song and approached Carnes and the songwriters to thank them for making her "a part of modern times."
The song was ranked at No. 12 on Billboard
's list of the top 100 songs in the first 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at No. 2 on the biggest hits of the 80s.http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-20.shtml
.
colloquialism
meaning that one could unease someone with little effort, and the arranger from Carnes's version was unfamiliar with the term.
12" Single
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon
Jackie DeShannon
Jackie DeShannon is an American singer-songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards. She was one of the first female singer-songwriters of the rock 'n' roll period.- Life and early career :...
and made popular by American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner noted for her distinctive raspy vocal style. Some people have called her "The Female Rod Stewart" due to her raspy voice....
.
History
The song was written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannonJackie DeShannon
Jackie DeShannon is an American singer-songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards. She was one of the first female singer-songwriters of the rock 'n' roll period.- Life and early career :...
. DeShannon recorded the song that same year on her album New Arrangement. But it was not until 1981, when Kim Carnes recorded her version of the song, that it became a commercial success.
The Carnes version spent nine non-consecutive weeks on top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(interrupted for one week by the "Stars on 45 Medley
Stars on 45 Medley
"Stars on 45" was a song issued in 1981 by the studio group Stars on 45. In some countries including UK, Ireland and New Zealand the band was credited as 'Starsound' and the medley itself was named "Stars on 45"...
") and was Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's number one single of 1981. The single also peaked at No. 26 on the dance charts. The song won the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
and Record of the Year
Record Of The Year
Record of the Year may refer to:*Grammy Award for Record of the Year*The Record of the Year, a British award based on public polling...
. The song was also a number one hit in 31 countries, including Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, but it achieved more moderate success in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where it peaked at No. 10. The music video was directed by Russell Mulcahy
Russell Mulcahy
Russell Mulcahy is an Australian film director. His work is easily recognized by his use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights.- Music videos :...
.
According to producer Val Garay
Val Garay
Val Garay is a record producer and engineer who has worked with Kim Carnes, The Motels, Marty Balin, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Armatrading, Dolly Parton, Pablo Cruise, James Taylor, Queensrÿche, Cock Robin, Dramarama, EZO, Ringo Starr, Linda Ronstadt, Sarah Brightman, Nicolette Larson, and Reel Big Fish,...
, the original demo of the tune that was brought to him sounded like "a Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
track, with this beer-barrel polka piano part." Keyboardist Bill Cuomo came up with the signature synth riff, using the then-new Sequential Circuits
Sequential Circuits
Sequential Circuits Inc. was a California-based synthesizer company that was founded in the early 1970s by Dave Smith and sold to Yamaha Corporation in 1987. The company, throughout its lifespan, pioneered many groundbreaking technologies and design principles that are often taken for granted in...
Prophet-5 synthesizer, which now defines Carnes' version. The song was recorded completely live in the studio on the first take.
Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
admitted to being a fan of the song and approached Carnes and the songwriters to thank them for making her "a part of modern times."
The song was ranked at No. 12 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's list of the top 100 songs in the first 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at No. 2 on the biggest hits of the 80s.http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-20.shtml
Music video
The video opens in a dance hall with a black-draped leaning figure. The drape opens to reveal Kim Carnes wearing sunglasses as she sings the first verse. In the first chorus, she performs with a band; halfway dancers enter the hall. In the second verse, the dancers make slapping and floor-pounding dance motions. They disappear and reappear in the second chorus. The song finishes with the dancers making dance motions while approaching Carnes; the band is already gone when the video ends with the black-draped leaning figure. A shadowed silhouette of Bette Davis smoking a cigarette appears throughout the video. The video was directed by Australian film director Russell MulcahyRussell Mulcahy
Russell Mulcahy is an Australian film director. His work is easily recognized by his use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights.- Music videos :...
.
Lyrics
There is much confusion over whether the lyrics are "she knows just what it takes to make a crow blush" or "... pro blush." Jackie DeShannon sings "crow" in her version, and Kim Carnes recorded it as "pro" from a mistranscription of the lyrics. This error has proliferated through numerous cover versions. The phrase "could make a crow blush" is an early 20th century Midwestern United StatesMidwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
colloquialism
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
meaning that one could unease someone with little effort, and the arranger from Carnes's version was unfamiliar with the term.
Appearances in other media
- Voice of AmericaVoice of AmericaVoice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
used the song as background when announcing the death of Bette DavisBette DavisRuth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
on October 6, 1989, as did other radio and TV stations around the world that day. - The song is referenced in "Glory of the 80sGlory of the 80s"Glory of the 80s" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It is the fourth track on Amos' 1999 album To Venus and Back. The song reached #46 on the UK singles chart, having the lowest debut since her 1994 single God when both parts of the single were recalled early for a misprint in...
" by Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
. - The song was played in Take Me Home Tonight, directed by Michael DowseMichael DowseMichael Dowse is a Canadian film director.Born and raised in London, Ontario, he was trained as a film editor. His first full-length movie, FUBAR was shot on a digital camera with a tiny budget, but was selected by the Sundance Film Festival and screened on the prestigious midnight slot, which had...
.
Track listings
7" Single- Bette Davis Eyes 3:45
- Miss You Tonite 5:11
12" Single
- Bette Davis Eyes 3:45
- Miss You Tonite 5:11
Chart positions
| Chart (1981/2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
15 |
| UK Singles Chart | 10 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 17 |
| French Singles Chart | 1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Brazilian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 14 |
| Australia Singles Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 2 |
Cover versions
- Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered this song in 1982 on their album Chipmunk RockChipmunk RockChipmunk Rock is a children's album by Alvin and the Chipmunks featuring covers of various rock hits, mostly from the late 70s and early 80s, plus one original tune...
. - The East German band SillySilly (band)Silly is a German rock band. Founded in East Germany in the year 1978, Silly was one of the country's most popular music acts, and was well known for its charismatic lead singer Tamara Danz. Her death in 1996 ended the band's recording career for 14 years...
(then still known as Familie Silly) made a note-for-note cover of the song in 1982, released as a single with three other cover hits by East German stars. Performance of covers of Western pop hits was a contractual requirement for East German recording artists, to avoid having to pay the performance royalties for the original versions. As such, it is the only song ever released by Silly in English. - Italo discoItalo discoItalo disco encompasses much of the dance music output in Europe during the 1980s. It is one of the world's first forms of mostly electronic dance music and evolved during the late 1970s and early 1980s in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and other parts of Europe...
act China Town covered the song in 1983. - Actress Gwyneth PaltrowGwyneth PaltrowGwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
performed the song in the movie DuetsDuetsAn original motion picture soundtrack CD was released on September 12, 2000 by Hollywood Records. The CD contained twelve tracks including the original music composed for the film by David Newman....
(2000), and her single release was a hit in some parts of the world. - Handsome Devil covered the song in 2004, featured on their second CD Knock Yourself Out.
- American indie band Sexton BlakeSexton blake (band)Sexton Blake is a band based in Portland, Oregon. They are signed to the independent record label Expunged Records. Fronted by singer-guitarist Josh Hodges, other instruments include keyboard, drums, and bass. They were featured on the album to: Elliott, from: Portland, a tribute album to...
covered the song for their 2007 album Plays the Hits. - Australian singer Paul DempseyPaul DempseyPaul Dempsey is the lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of Australian rock group Something for Kate. Paul was a founding member of the band, and in August 2009 released his first solo album, Everything Is True whilst continuing his work with Something for Kate...
covered this song on his 2009 solo single Ramona Was a Waitress. - Actress Leighton MeesterLeighton MeesterLeighton Marissa Meester is an American actress and singer. Meester first garnered attention for playing Blair Waldorf in the CW television series Gossip Girl...
(of Gossip GirlGossip GirlGossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
fame) recorded a cover of the song which was leaked via Perez HiltonPerez HiltonMario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
. - Canadian R&B/Soul singer, Mac Graham, released a cover version in 2011 (from his solo album, Midnight).
- American singer/songwriter Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
covered this song in 2011 on her Speak Now World Tour.
Live cover performances
- FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
singer Sylvie VartanSylvie VartanSylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
performed the song during her Live in Las Vegas Concert in 1982 (it is included in her Integrale Live box set) and during her 2004 show at the Palais des Congrès (also included in her "Live au Palais des Congrès 2004" album and DVD). - A live recording by Brad RobertsBrad RobertsBradley Kenneth "Brad" Roberts is the lead singer and guitarist for the Canadian folk-rock band Crash Test Dummies. He sings in the bass-baritone range.-Career:...
of the Crash Test DummiesCrash Test DummiesThe Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
was included on his first solo CD, 2001's Crash Test DudeCrash Test DudeCrash Test Dude: Brad Roberts Live Singing Your Favorite Hits is a live album performed by Crash Test Dummies lead singer Brad Roberts during his solo acoustic tour following the Give Yourself a Hand tour...
. - Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
performed the song at one of her concerts at Phoenix, Arizona in 2005. - German IdolDeutschland sucht den SuperstarDeutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and...
contestant and later winner of the second season Elli ErlElli ErlElli Erl is a German musician, who came to fame as the winner of the second season of the television show Deutschland sucht den SuperStar, the German version of Pop Idol....
performed the song on the Top 4 round on February 14, 2004. - Australian IdolAustralian IdolAustralian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
contestant Brooke Addamo performed the song on the Top 11, 80's themed night on the 2008 season of the show. - American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
contestant Jesse Langseth performed the song on the Top 36 round on February 25, 2009, and although she was not voted through by the public, she was granted a second chance by the judges with a wild-card. - Brandon FlowersBrandon FlowersBrandon Richard Flowers is an American musician, best known as the frontman of the Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. He has also released a solo album titled Flamingo.-Early life:...
of The Killers has been performing the song during his Flamingo tour including one of his concerts at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel & Casino, as well as a performance at the Electric FactoryElectric FactoryThe Electric Factory is a concert venue in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe original "Electric Factory" venue was a converted tire warehouse at 22nd and Arch Streets, which opened in 1968. The first performers, on February 2, 1968, were the Chambers Brothers...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. - Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
covered the song while on her 2011 Speak Now Tour in Los Angeles, California, as part of a tribute to musicians from LA (Kim Carnes).
Sampling
- ScottishScottish peopleThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
electronicaElectronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
artist MyloMyloMyles MacInnes , better known by the stage name Mylo, is a Scottish electronic musician and record producer.-Career:...
sampledSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
this song for his 2005 single "In My ArmsIn My Arms (Mylo song)"In My Arms" is a dance track recorded by Mylo. The song appears on the album entitled Destroy Rock & Roll and was released as a UK single in 2005. It contains samples from "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes, and "Waiting for a Star to Fall" by Boy Meets Girl.-Trivia:The video was shot in Los...
". - SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
singer SeptemberSeptember (singer)Petra Linnea Paula Marklund who is better known as September is a Swedish singer and songwriter.-Early life and career:...
sampled the track for a song called "Midnight Heartache" on her 2005 album In Orbit. - Play-N-SkillzPlay-N-SkillzPlay-N-Skillz are an American hip-hop electronic music record production duo from Irving, Texas, consisting of brothers Juan "Play" Salinas and Oscar "Skillz" Salinas, who are also rappers...
sampled the tune of the original song for hip hopHip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artist AkonAkonAliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
's 2009 song "Angel Eyez".
Parodies
- The song was parodied by Bruce "Babyman" BaumBruce BaumBruce Baum is an American comedian. His live act consists of prop comedy as well as more traditional stand-up material. One of his best-known stand-up routines is his diaper-wearing Babyman character...
in 1981, as "Marty FeldmanMarty FeldmanMartin Alan "Marty" Feldman was an English comedy writer, comedian and actor who starred in a series of British television comedy shows, including At Last the 1948 Show, and Marty, which won two BAFTA awards and was the first Saturn Award winner for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Young...
's Eyes". - The title was also parodied by Half Man Half BiscuitHalf Man Half BiscuitHalf Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
in their song "Dickie Davies' Eyes" (where Dickie DaviesDickie DaviesRichard "Dickie" Davies is a British television presenter, best known for presenting World of Sport from 1968 until 1985....
was the presenter of the British sports programme World of SportWorld of Sport (UK TV series)World of Sport was a British television sport anthology programme which ran on ITV between 2 January 1965 to 28 September 1985 in response to competition from BBC's Grandstand...
). Shirley Stockewell recorded a parody called "Lizzy Taylor Thighs." - Eddie MurphyEddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
's character Buckwheat on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
parodied the song in a commercial parody named "Buh-Weet Sings". He sang the lyrics so incoherently that question marks appeared on the screen instead of the song's title. - A Norwegian parody was made in 1981 called "Ivar Medaas Øyne" (Ivar Medaas Eyes) by Prima VeraPrima Vera (band)Prima Vera was a Norwegian comedy group existing from 1976 to 1984. For the most part, their music was humorous songs, often Norwegian versions of well-known international hits with totally unrelated, funny or sarcastic lyrics. The group ended in 1984 when one of the members, Jahn Teigen, left the...
. The parody made fun of the folk singer Ivar Medaas' eyes. The song spawned controversy and Ivar MedaasIvar MedaasIvar Medaas was a Norwegian folksinger and fiddle player. He is best known for his 1963 song Dar Kjem Dampen written by Ragnvald Hammer....
ended up suing Prima Vera. - Various parodies that were played on the Doctor Demento Show included: "Jimmy DuranteJimmy DuranteJames Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
Nose", "Col. Sanders Thighs", and "Lou FerrignoLou FerrignoLouis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...
Thighs". - Dire StraitsDire StraitsDire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
made a joking reference to the song on the track "Industrial DiseaseIndustrial Disease (song)"Industrial Disease" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits and written by Mark Knopfler. It appeared on their 1982 album Love over Gold....
" from the album Love Over GoldLove over GoldLove Over Gold is the fourth album by British rock band Dire Straits.- History :Due to its lengthy atmospheric instrumental passages, the album has been cited as the band's attempt at progressive rock....
("I don't know how you came to get the Bette Davis knees / But worst of all young man, you've got Industrial Disease.")