Today, I thought of a bit of an update, of sorts, to my earlier post about Madonna not being invited to do “We Are the World”
Knowledge Waits is a feature where I just share some bit of pop culture history that interests me that doesn’t quite fit into the other features.
Yesterday, I wrote about why Madonna was not invited to participate in “We Are the World.”
As I noted, it definitely WAS a notable snub, as Madonna had had the number one song in the country, “Like a Virgin,” for a month at the time that the recording session for “We Are the World” took place, but it wasn’t AS big of a snub as had it occurred even a few months later, when Madonna added another number one hit, “Crazy for You,” and her album sales and videos kept getting bigger and bigger (1986 was even BIGGER for Madonna than 1985, which was bigger than 1984). Still, it WAS a snub, no doubt about it. If you were putting together a group of the biggest names in pop and rock in January 1985, you SHOULD have found room for Madonna. It was definitely a snub.
One thing, though, that I didn’t realize at the time I posted my last bit is that one of the artists who WAS included, Kim Carnes, who was definitely on the lower end of the fame spectrum of the artists who got solos (Carnes had one of the biggest hits of the 1980s a few years earlier at the time with “Bette Davis Eyes,” and was a well-respected singer, so her inclusion wasn’t some headscratcher, but when you’re not including Madonna, it raises the eyebrow a LITTLE bit).
Well, guess who was Kim Carnes’ manager? Yep, Ken Kragen, the guy who put together the talent for “We Are the World.”
So…yeah, I figured that that was at least worth noting.
EDITED TO ADD on 2/2/24: In the new documentary, The Greatest Night In Pop, they even specifically point out that the first artists signed on for the project (after the songwriters – Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones) were artists represented by Kragen, with Carnes specifically referenced. Funny.
If anyone has an interesting pop culture bit that you’d like me to write about, drop me a line at brian@popculturereferences.com!
Respect KIM CARNES’ career! She is an amazing singer-songwriter, two times Grammy Winner, American and Tokyo Songwriter winner!
She penned songs to Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Andy Williams, Anne Murray, Kenny Rogers (“Gideon” album), Big Mamma Thornton and so on.
Kim Carnes had hits charted on Billboard between 1984-1985:
“ Two months earlier, Kim Carnes made chart history with her latest singles. For the week ending 19 January 1985, she became the first artist to lodge three hits on the Hot 100 as a solo artist (“Invitation to Dance”), duet partner (“Make No Mistake, He’s Mine”), and member of a trio (“What About Me”), simultaneously. Less than two weeks later, Carnes would also join a historic moment in pop music as a featured soloist in USA for Africa’s “We Are the World” (1985).”
And “Bette Davis Eyes” peaked #2 as Song of the 80’s (#1 was “Physical” By Olivia Newton-John).
Kim has 25 hits as performer on Billboard charts (1976-1992). She worked with Randy Meisner, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and many others.
As songwriter, Kim had two #1 Country Hits (“Make No Mistake, She’s mine” by Kenny Rogers duet with Ronnie Milsap and “The Heart Won’t Lie” (Reba McEntire duet with Vince Gill).
So respect Kim Carnes’ career!
What a horrible post, it shows absolute ignorance. The artists who participated in “We are the world” were chosen for their extensive career and acting talent, among others, Madonna at that time because of the controversy that existed around her, not because of her sales.
In the case of Kim Carnes, she was and is one of the greatest composers in the USA, and at that time she already had several Grammys and important participations alongside names such as Frank Sinatra, Barba Streisand, Kenny Rogers and Rita Cooldige among many others.
Learn a little more about music before writing nonsense like this.
Just found this site and as a person that loves pop culture I really enjoy what I have read thus far. So to whoever is responsible for this treasure trove of knowledge I say “Thank you and keep up the great work” with that said.. I honestly find WATW to be one of the most overrated, forced, cringeworthy not to mention phony displays I’ve ever seen/heard. The song is something you’d imagine being written by an elementary school student and that’s honestly not be fair to the student because they’d probably do better. It sounds and feels so hurriedly slapped together and disjointed not even Tina Turner, Steve Perry, and or Bette Midler could do anything to help it. The video is even more horrendous and hard to sit through. So personally I think they did Madonna a favor when they didn’t ask her to join because … we’ll just look at the careers of 95% of the ones that participated and where they are now and I think it’s clear Madonna ended up on not just another level as the majority of them but in a whole different stratosphere. Just sayin.
Kim Carnes was a huge 1980s star. Of course she was included.
The women who were snubbed were Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, Donna Summer, and Cher.
Was she bigger than Madonna? Or Linda Ronstadt? Or Cher? Or Stevie Nicks?
Hence the question then becomes WHY her OVER those others, and, well, we know the answer why.
With the new documentary (check it out on Netflix), we find that indeed Ken Kragen is the reason that Madonna was not invited. Check your egos, Leonardo & others! Shake my head…
Kim Karnes is a footnote to the music industry. She was somewhat talented, but not inordinately so, and most people under age 40 have no idea who she is now. So yeah, it’s kind of funny that she would have been included in such an event.
I find the argument that she deserved a singing solo because she’s one of the greatest composers… weird.
todos os lugares dizem q Kim é uma nota de roda pé na indústria musical… será pq? se vc acha isso tbm…tenho certeza q ela não acha isso se Janis Joplin tivesse aqui duvido se ela não faria um dueto com carnes …cantores tem q ter voz e letra isso sem dúvida sobra nela…
e mais uma questão acho q Madonna tá nem aí pra isso . consagrada ela já é
CYNDI LAUPER HAD THE BEST AND MOST DISTINQUISHED SOLO PART IN THE ENTIRE GROUP. SHE, HANDS DOWN, MADE THAT SONG!
Why do we endlessly debate who and who didn’t deserve to be there? Kim had one of most identifiable voices of the 80s and she deserves her place. Not to the detriment of anyone else. Check out her catalogue and then sit down.
Because that’s what the organizers were doing. They, themselves, were making it about who “deserved” to be there.