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On The Dancefloor With Connie Francis














On The Dancefloor With Connie Francis. Connie Francis: Bear Family Records 


Record label: Bear Family Records, Catalogue number:BCD17663 

Compilation Producer & Concept: Nico Feuerbach 

Tape & Disc Research: Nico Feuerbach 

Mastering & Disc Transfer: Marlon Klein at Exil Musik Studio Gmbh. 

Liner Notes: Bill Dahi 

Photos and Illustrations: Bear Family Archive, Retrograph Showtime Music Archive, Toronto. 

Artwork: Sven T.Uhrmann/Retrograph. 


Reviewed by: Terry Mead 05/11/2024. 

Our 'Dancefloor' CD series would be incomplete without a contribution from perhaps the most successful American singer of her time. 32 carefully selected rockers, fast songs, every single one will get you on the dance floor. 

Including Stupid Cupid, Lipstick On Your Collar, Vacation, Tweedle Dee, Mr. Twister and many more. Detailed information about Connie and the individual songs written by  Bill Dahi in the illustrated and extensive booklet as well as carefully remastered recordings round off an extremely entertaining package. 

One of the reasons Connie Francis was America’s hands-down hottest female vocalist during the late ‘50s and early ‘60s was her extreme versatility. She could do it all and then some, squeezing every ounce of emotion out of an old Tin Pan Alley tearjerker, credibly singing in several different languages, and belting red-hot rock and roll that enlivened many a dance floor.  

This collection concentrates solely on the latter - 32 prime examples of Connie’s beguiling way with up-tempo material that was aimed right at her worldwide teenage demographic.  

 

Album Review: Naturally, her best-known rockers are on board - Stupid Cupid (provided Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, with Neil on piano), Lipstick On Your Collar with its jaw-dropping George Barnes guitar ride, the boisterous 1962 Top Ten hit Vacation and more but plenty of lesser-known tracks are on offer too, so let’s have a look at some of those. The first track “If My Pillow Could Talk” released 1963 with its catchy title was only a minor hit for Connie and had a ragtime feel about it, another Greenfield-Sedaka composition “Baby Roo” released on the single “Where The Boys Are” in 1961 suits Connie down to a tee with its typical early 60s sound. “ The Tiger and The Mouse” a story with moral sung in a bouncy way by Connie in a lively context. Jazzy it up with “Ol’ Man Mose” adding a touch of gospel thrown in followed by “Torero” sung in Italian by Connie with a cha cha beat. “Send For My Baby” has more of a bluesy beat with a neat guitar break, “Eighteen” is a clap along number and “Someone Else’s Boy” the flipside to the chart hit “Breakin In A Brand New Broken Heart” is one of those distinctive sounding tunes from Connie that we so love. A cover of Al Jolson’s “Swanee” done at super pace enlightens us next , whilst the earlier recording “Fallin” only made the top thirty despite being an upbeat rock n roll tune in a similar vein to the big hit “Stupid Cupid”. 

“Ain’t That Better Baby” from 1962, is a lively number sung with an energetic sound and awesome sax to accompany. “Hollywood” not the place but a person who has everything and tries to impress everyone as Connie tells us in this track.” Gonna Get That Man” has the Ray Charles feel about it with backing singers and classy musical accompaniment. ”Malaguena” a song by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona is sung in Spanish by Connie who for the record is fluent in just like she is Italian. The title is a flamenco dance style from Malaga in Southeast Spain. Track 20 is an infectious cover of Lavern Bakers “Tweedle Dee” produced at up-tempo pace. ”Telephone Lover” a somewhat sexy subtle voice intro from Connie leading into a fine jiving number. “Come On Jerry (Timber)” is a lesser known folk style song with traits of the working gangs singing along. 

Moving onto track 27 “Mr Twister” co-written by future soul star Don Covay a rousing  number with elements of the Duane Eddy sound. ”Johnny Darlin” follows a King Curtis composition, with some cool organ playing in the background and Connies vocals keeping with the 60s sound. “He’s Just A Scientist” from like many of these tracks the album Rocksides (1957-64) is a quirky little tune about a dude as the title says. Next up we have “I Won’t Be Home To You” a raunchy mid-beat rocker, this gives way to “The Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers On) “ a more jazzy number with orchestral overtones. So we come to the last track appropriately called  “Goody Goodbye” another like the previous one on the jazz side with some excellent brass section vibration. 

So, let’s Summarise this album covers the many talents of Connie Francis and not just her big hitters or her rockers but some traditional masterpieces of contrasting comparisons  So, join Connie on the dancefloor by purchasing the album and listening to the tracks you won’t be sorry. 

 

Track List 

1.If My Pillow Could Talk  

2.Stupid Cupid  

3.Baby Roo  

4.The Tiger And The Mouse  

5.Ol' Man Mose  

6.Torero  

7.Looking For Love  

8.Send For My Baby  

9.Lipstick On Your Collar 

10. Eighteen  

11.Someone Else's Boy  

12.Swanee  

13.Vacation  

14.My Real Happiness 

15. Plenty Good Lovin' 

16.Fallin'  

17.Ain't That Better Baby?  

18.Hollywood 

19. Gonna Git That Man  

20.Many Tears Ago  

21.Malaguena  

22.Tweedle Dee  

23.Telephone Lover  

24.Everybody's Somebody's Fool  

25.Robot Man  

26.Come On, Jerry (Timber) 

27. Mr. Twister  

28.Johnny Darlin'  

29.He's Just A Scientist  

30.I Won't Be Home To You  

31.The Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers On)  

32.Goody Goodbye 

Bio: (From the Bear Family book - 1000 pinpricks by Bernd Matheja - BFB10025) 

Born on 12 December 1937 as Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey. 

Connie Francis was discovered at the age of eleven during a talent show, six years later she received a contract from MGM. Their first single ('Freddy') was released in 1955, which, like some others, initially went unnoticed. 

It wasn't until 1958 that 'Who's Sorry Now' (built in 1923) became her first chart hit in the USA, followed by 54 more until 1969. In England the most successful singer of the 50s and 60s brought 24 tracks to the hit lists (1958 - 66), of her 35 German-language original singles, 23 placed between 1960 and 1970. 

No other interpreter in the world used the time span after the heyday of rock'n'roll and the beginning of the beat era so cleverly. When Connie Francis' golden years were over, she stood up for UNICEF and went to Vietnam as a singing troop adviser. 

Since 1960 she has also appeared in various US films, such as "Where The Boys Are' ('These Include Two', 1960), "Follow The Boys' ('Mein Schiff fährt zu dir', 1962), "Looking For Love' ('Ich wär' so gern verliebt', 1963) and 'When Boy Meets Girl' ('Boy of My Dreams', 1965). 

In 1974, after a performance at the Westbury Theatre outside New York, she was attacked and raped - a crime from which she did not recover psychologically for many years. She made guest appearances again in the early 80s, but towards the end of the decade her unstable health again took its toll. After language problems during a show in London's Palladium, there were similar signs during a TV conversation on American television. 

In 1991 Connie Francis collapsed during a concert in New Jersey. In 1992, several Francis titles in Germany experienced a 

renaissance: The Medleys "Jive Connie' and '(10, Connie, Go' shot to the top of the hit lists. 

In 1993 she recorded the duets'Que Sera' and'So nah' in Munich with Peter Kraus for Sony's Herzklang label - in England a song from a TV series became a surprise hit:'Lipstick On Your Collar' from 1959. 

From the Bear Family book - 1000 pinpricks by Bernd Matheja - BFB10025 - 

Don’t forget to check out our new website with reviews, links to vendors and much more  at https://www.slapthatbass.online/album-reviews 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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