"You're a Part of Me" (solo version) peaked Adult Contemporary #34 (1976) on Billboard charts. It was the very first Kim Carnes hit. Although this album hasn't been released on CD, eight of the album's eleven songs can be found on the European CD "Master Series".
After releasing her debut album Rest on Me through Amos Records in 1971, Carnes signed to A&M Records in early 1975.[2] She described Kim Carnes as a "much more even" record than her debut, owing to her increased experience with writing and recording demos.[3] "You're a Part of Me" was released as the lead single, having originally been recorded by Susan Jacks in 1974. Carnes' version reached number 32 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in February 1976.[4] Two years later, a re-recording of the song in duet with Gene Cotton reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[5] and number 6 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[4]
Critical reception[]
In a positive review, Cash Box commended the "soul" in Carnes' voice, stating that "an aura of feel and sensitivity between singer and song predominates throughout".[6] In a review of the single, Billboard likened "You're a Part of Me" to the music of Olivia Newton-John, describing it as a "pretty ballad".[7]
