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On the Never On Sunday movie theme album, the opening part that Connie sings translates: "No matter how long I look and I search I will never find a place that makes me as crazy as the port of Piraos." In Greek, phoenetically: "Oso keeyiampsaxo then vrisko allo lay manee, trellee na me he kanee, oso to piraos." Connie sang the chorus as well as some bars of the verses in Greek.
A lady from Piraos, a suberb of Athens, remembers them filming the movie. It's stuck in her childhood memory. She said of Connie singing in Greek, although there is an American accent, is pronounced perfectly; totally understandable.
The 1960 Greek film featured Melina Mercouri who delighted the movie audiences of the world with her inimitable performance of a carefree fille de joie in this film. An American tourist named Homer tries to "reform" her, but his attempt to play Pygmalion has its setbacks. Connie sang the wonderful Greek musical score at the 1961 Oscar awards but did not sing the vocals in the movie.
Lessons Learned from Connie Francis and How They Shaped My Own Singing Career
I'll never forget the day I first heard and saw Connie Francis.
The year was 1973 and I was a shy 12-year-old boy living in Mobile, Alabama, where my father was stationed in the U.S. Coast Guard. One Saturday evening, after getting permission to stay up late, I started flipping through the channels of our newly installed cable TV service. That's when I happened upon an American Bandstand reunion show -- one of those specials Dick Clark produces periodically that feature great old clips from the show and interviews with several of the stars and the people who used to dance on his program. I was enthralled with the old black-and-white images of the performers and their incredible sounds.
Not long after I started watching, Clark announced Connie Francis and a montage of kinescope images began spilling forth, opening with "Who's Sorry Now?" and including other great performances such as "Lipstick on Your Collar," "Stupid Cupid" and many others. Following the clips, he said Connie was in the studio that evening and announced that she would sing. She then performed, "Where the Boys Are." And, as I've told many friends, the rest is history.
Since that wonderful day I've become a fan, a collector, an admirer -- and a singer in my own right. And through it all Connie became my biggest musical influence. But more about that later.
Getting "Hooked" and Cutting Through the Clutter From that first "Dick Clark Moment," I was hooked on her voice! But remember, 1973 was not a peak time for Connie's kind of music. It was decidedly out of style, especially among my age group. I was a young kid whose listening tastes were limited to pop radio of that era, featuring groups like Three Dog Night and Grand Funk Railroad and soloists like James Taylor and Donnie & Marie. I didn't know anything else. Music from the '50s and '60s was totally alien to me. Therefore, the sound of Connie's beautiful voice and the style of her performances "cut through the clutter" and made a tremendous first-time impression. She was unlike anything I had ever seen or heard. In that few moments I became a fan for life. (And, to paraphrase Barbara Mandrell, "I was Connie when Connie wasn't cool.")
The Quest Begins The next morning I asked my father if he remembered Connie Francis. He said, "Yes, son. She was really good." "WAS?" I asked. "You mean, she doesn't sing anymore?" "I don't know, son. I haven't heard about her in years. But she really was good."
Disappointed, I nonetheless began my quest for Connie Francis records -- a hobby that continues to this day. My first purchase was an M-G-M re-issue of the single, "Who's Sorry Now?" backed with "You Were Only Fooling." Quite literally, it was the only single I could find by her in Mobile, Alabama. It cost me $1.50 -- about one-fourth of my weekly allowance and I walked a couple of miles round trip to buy it. And it was worth every cent. I played and played that 45 rpm cut until it became worn and scratched. I even took it around my neighborhood to play for all of my junior high friends -- who thought I was nuts!
I continued searching for many years, rarely finding anything, but snatching up whatever I did manage to spot. I also ordered special compilations off of late-night television. I used to get very frustrated at the lack of available recordings and, since I was so young, it was difficult to conduct the kind of searches necessary to seriously track down Connie Francis recordings. (I've since learned that many fans endured this sort of frustration because so many of her terrific albums and singles were out of print for years -- something that is being remedied through the Internet and other sources.)
Connie's singing became my secret passion -- something I shared with only my family and closest friends. You can imagine how my teenage peers reacted when I talked about Connie Francis as my favorite singer. None of them knew who she was and, because she was a star before we were born, they regarded her as "square." (Some even had the nerve to confuse her with Connie Stevens!)
As the years went on, I continued collecting records whenever possible and tuning in to see Connie on rare TV appearances. In 1981 I commandeered a TV in my college dormitory to watch her comeback interview on ABC-TV's "20/20." I read newspaper accounts of her comeback concert at Westbury Music Fair. I bought her autobiography in 1984 and used the discography in the back to rate my own growing collection of vinyl discs. I phoned in requests for Connie's songs to oldies radio programs. Connie's career was even the focus of my final project in a radio production class in college.
Finally, with my introduction to the world of cyberspace in 1997, I found the Connie Francis Fan Club and, later, the excellent website.
But perhaps the biggest effect Connie has had on me is in the shaping of my own singing career.
A Singer's Singer: How Connie Influenced My Own Career
I have been a professional "jazz crooner" and cabaret performer in San Antonio, Texas, for nearly eight years. I've performed in many Texas cities in everything from burger joints to jazz festivals. I've even produced two albums. And while I count many famous singers as "favorites" or as influences on my musical career, including such greats as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Tony Bennett, it's Connie Francis who tops the list.
Given the style of music I sing, this surprises many people, especially journalists who interview me. They expect the names of jazz greats to roll off my tongue. But Connie Francis? I chalk this up to their inability to see Connie beyond her pop hits like "Stupid Cupid." In their minds, she is forever linked to beach movies, boys and poodle skirts. Almost without exception, these folks are stunned to learn of Connie's vast musical library and her true stature as a revered international entertainer.
So, as you can guess, the reasons for Connie's influence on me are as clear as day -- and I'm delighted to share them whenever I can.
First and foremost: I admire her natural sound and sheer artistry. Growing up, I loved to sing -- albeit, most of my vocal performances were in the shower or swallowed up within a Catholic school choir! Connie's records were enjoyable to listen to and very easy to learn from. I can't tell you how many thousands of hours I've spent singing along to her albums and singles, learning lyrics to some of the best songs ever written, perfecting melodies, and studying phrasing, instrumental arrangements and other fine points of each performance. I used her recordings as a kind of study course in how to do it RIGHT!
Second: her repertoire. Connie embraces any and all kinds of music. In other words, she never has been a musical snob. She is equally adept at romantic ballads as she is at upbeat rock 'n' roll tunes. She can belt a show tune then turn right around and croon a sentimental lullaby. She also sings to other nationalities in their own languages. So, not only does she have one of the purest voices in the business, she can stylize and adapt it to just about any kind of material. And, in my opinion, nowhere does she adapt it best as when she's singing jazz and pop standards by Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Hoagy Charmichael and the other legends of this century. Just listen such albums as "A New Kind of Connie," "The Exciting Connie Francis," "Songs to a Swinging Band," "On Guard with Connie Francis" or "The Swinging Connie Francis," and you'll know what I mean!
I have tried to emulate this approach to performing. While I don't pretend to be equally adept at some of the other styles she does, her brilliant treatment of jazz, big band and classic pop tunes has helped me learn and develop my own approach to these songs -- the songs that have become my trademark and "bread and butter," so to speak.
Third: Connie always sings for her audience -- NOT for other musicians. Believe me, as a "front man" and singer of jazz standards, I've had my share of struggles with highly accomplished musicians -- as well as those who THINK they're highly accomplished. If I ever had a chance to talk with Connie, I'm sure she'd agree: jazz musicians can be among the most delightful to work with, yet they're also among the toughest. What I view as an audience-pleaser, they often view as "square." If a number doesn't have 10 instrumental solos before returning to the vocal root of the piece, it's just not "cool." If I choose "Mack the Knife" over "Night in Tunisia," they groan.
One of the lessons I learned from studying Connie's career is that to gain a fan base and get ahead in show business, you must appeal to the average person and NEVER get too esoteric. I've also learned that you must trust your "gut," stick to your guns and stand up to musical experts who think they know better than you do how to please a crowd. I have followed this course of action throughout my short career and it has paid off over and over again!
Fourth: Connie is honest. By this, I mean she conveys honest feelings in her singing. She truly ENJOYS what she does and derives pleasure from making her audiences happy -- and it shows. Both her live performances and her recordings have always reflected this. As I've pursued my own career, I've had the good fortune of being reviewed by critics and audiences in the same fashion: I love what I do and my audiences respond in kind.
So, What's The Point?
Good question! I guess my point in writing this short "memoir" is to put my feelings about Connie's talent in perspective and to share them with others. Yes, I am a fan in many ways, but not in the strictest sense of the word. Millions love her and have collected her music. Thousands belong to her fan club and travel to wherever she performs. But I wonder how many have made a musical "course of study" out of her career in order to launch one of their own? Since this is exactly what I have done, I feel a certain kinship with Connie Francis -- almost a musical bond. And while I've never met her, it is my belief that this sense of a musical connection is just another testament to her ability to reach out to others. Her music, in other words, stands by itself. In my case, her music reached out and grabbed me across two generations and two different worlds -- and it has never let go.
In 25 years I've grown from a 12-year-old boy with a crush on Connie Francis to a 36-year-old singer with stars in his eyes and hopes for his own big future. Yet, even if that big future never comes, the fact that Connie's music has touched me, influenced me and helped me develop my own musical style will remain with me and my audiences always -- wherever I perform.
Yes, I was "Connie when Connie wasn't cool." It's almost like a badge of honor -- and I wouldn't change it for the world!
Did you know that Agnetha Faltskog, of the Swedish rock group ABBA, idolized Connie Francis and loved her style of music? Agnetha said in her book she imitated Connie, in songs such as 'Who's Sorry Now?' and 'My Happiness', in front of the dressing mirror in her room. She'd listen for hours on end, etching the words, music and timbre in her mind.
Agnetha Faltskog's webpage is at http://cfassp46.harvard.edu:8000/AGNETHA.html. Her biography webpage is at http http://cfassp46.harvard.edu:8000/BIOGRAPHY/BIO.html
Connie has always been ultra-popular in Brasil and in the early sixties Connie was given award after award from the Brazilian press and public as "Most Programmed Female Vocalist" and "Most Popular Artist in Brasil". Some of her No. 1 hits were Mama, Al Di La, Torero and others. She recorded in Portuguese some of her earlier hits Someone else's boy, Too Many Rules and La Paloma and then later on her special visit for the Bicentennial of Rio de Janeiro, did parts of her act in Portuguese (Quando ao nascer do sol-Cuando calienta el sol) and recorded later songs Deixa Isso Pra 'La' and Garota de Ipanema in Portuguese making her a household name in the country. Her face graced magazine covers of Manchete and Radio Revista do Brasil.
Till today Connie remains ultra popular and the public is always curious about what her latest activities are. Marilena Miller, chief of Voice Of America, recently phoned Mike Church and asked for an interview which he asked us to inquire about. We phoned Marilena and she telephoned Connie and interviewed us both in Portuguese. We spoke about Connie's fantastic stint at Foxwoods and how she was asked back this year for another five shows and talked about Trumps Castle LP, her various Portuguese recordings which also include Vamos Amar Esta Noite ("Let's Make It Love Tonight") and Ainda Tenho Cancoes De Amor Sem Fim ("There's still a few good love songs left in me") and Bossa Nova Medley which Marilena hopes to play as well as the above mentioned songs on future broadcasts.
Marilena was also impressed with Connie's jazz stylings and spoke at length about The Swinging Connie Francis and how this project came to be playing Maybe throughout the interview primarily with Alex.
Connie ended it all with a cute Obrigada and gave the Brazilian public a big kiss.
At Mount Airy, Connie did voice overs for Voice Of America in Portuguese thanking the Brazilian public for their loyal support and sending them her love and affection.
Connie is loved the world over!
Every Sunday from 7 to 11, my friends and I go dancing to DJ Ray, who is also a loyal fan of Connie's. Ray plays many of her songs including Connie's answer to Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around The Old Oak Tree, which is a great lindy to dance to.
One special Sunday, Ray played God Bless America by Connie Francis and the room went silent. Many of the people have never heard her sing that song. Everyone stood still, hand on their heart. All you could hear was Connie, singing from her heart in the way she does when she sings that song.
The bottom line is that Connie, live or on a recording, is a legend. Her recording of God Bless America is a collector's item. I was part of another memory and this was a classic moment Thanks to DJ Ray for always playing so many of Connie's songs that are so great to dance to. And for allowing Connie to honor all our veterans.
I truly wish Connie could have been there to see it all herself. Connie, your the best.
Editors Note: God Bless America was written in 1938 by Irving Berlin and first performed by Kate Smith. Connie recorded it in 1959 (MGM single K12841) and it topped the charts at #36. God Bless America is also on More Greatest Hits album (MGM SE3942), On Guard CD (1997, Jazz Band label, Cat # EBCD 2133-2), and the Souvenirs CD set (1996).
From the moment the song 'Who's Sorry Now' was first introduced and constantly being played on the radio, I became an instant fan of Connie Francis. I was 12 years old, and most of my friends were Elvis fans, so I'm sure that I could relate to her because of her femininity and because there weren't any other young female vocalists. My family was always supportive of anything I wanted to do, so when Connie was set to perform in Seattle with Nat King Cole, it was my grandmother who arranged for the tickets. I can only remember that Connie sang one or two songs, and of course one of them was 'Who's Sorry Now'. I remember that we had excellent seats in the middle of the theater, and close to the front. I'm sure that I was mesmerized by this wonderful event.
It was soon after that I wrote to Connie via MGM records and requested to start a fan club for her. I did receive a nice letter from her, with a photo. It was shortly after that I received my Chapter 8 Fan Club Charter from MGM. I immediately advertised for members in all the fan club magazines. Back then, there was a section in the back of these magazines that listed all the fan clubs for various stars. I must have had to list the fan club membership fee of $0.25 because I would receive pennies and nickels in the mail taped inside letters from new members. It's no excuse, but remember I was only 12, so I can't vouch for the degree of my professional response to these members. I did have a newsletter that I would send back, plus a photo of Connie. My father used to remind me that he paid for the postage. Unfortunately, I have no memorabilia from those days. I had kept a scrapbook of every magazine article I could find about Connie, plus autographed photos, my fan club charter, and some letters from her and also from someone named Joyce (possible secretary?). Anyway, it was all lost during one of my many moving experiences. Unfortunately, I disbanded the fan club after one or two years as my interests changed, and I became more involved in my high school activities.
I also lost interest due to an unfortunate experience. Knowing that I wanted to meet Connie in person, Dad arranged for us to travel to Las Vegas to catch her at the Sahara. I remember that I wrote ahead to Connie to request a meeting, and received a nice letter from Joyce saying that it was arranged. So, mom and dad drove me from Bremerton (Seattle) to Las Vegas, and arranged to stay at the Sahara. We attended her show, and informed the right people that I was there. I remember waiting for hours outside the showroom, but Connie didn't show up. I was very disappointed, and as a result couldn't continue with my fan club. But worse, I quit listening to her music. Now that I'm older, I do understand that anything could've gone wrong, and there was probably a good reason why the meeting didn't happen, as planned.
It was in 1984, after the release of her autobiography in which she writes that she has never turned down a request from a fan, that I wrote to her and told her my story. She sent me a wonderful letter, and apologized for what happened, as she didn't know. I was very impressed by her taking the time to write back. In retrospect I've often wondered what I would have said if I had met her. I was so shy in those years that I probably would've clamed up.
So, now it's soon to be 1998, and there is a major resurgence of her music with the re-release of her albums on CD, more concert dates, news articles, etc., and I have been listening again to the wonderful voice, and I know why I was so impressed by her and her music back in 1958.
The sound of the lovely singer, enchanting, enthralling;
It is there. She knows, she must wonder too;
Shadows. Softly radiant, not seen, gently felt,
Promises.
Unheard, unspoken, in shadows unseen.
But not unseeable.
First, so long ago. A look, a touch;
It was there. I felt it there. I knew it then.
So light a touch, so silent a sound, almost a
Hope.
A dream with substance, sentiment with form.
Melodies murmured.
"...affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient,"
For "Ye who believe in..." such things, unseeable, but
gently felt; she sings. She sings for me,
unknowingly.
My spirit soars on wafting strains of beauteous sound as
The lovely lady sings, in tones sublime. My spirit mounts
The strands of interwoven time.
Another place, another time, a different touch,
The song of the lovely singer, not yet sung, but
Known, not here; there, where beauty is born, given form,
Lovingly.
For me. For you, for all who hope with affection that
Endures and is patient. Promises, almost heard; hope,
Almost seen; unknowingly, of these she sings.
Sing lovely lady, sing to me in forms
Resplendent with softly whispered promises, not heard; but
Felt, by heart; touched, by spirit; seen, by
Hope.
Of a better place, the music speaks, where hope rises;
Gladness, the promises blooming unshrouds. The place, in
Wondering doubt, in faltering hope, awaited.
Where Cassiopeia and Lyra and Pleiades, and other of the
Great choir, whose borrowed light and names from the stars reclaiming,
Join in the song of the lovely lady, who in the naming
Became,
Connie Francis. Peace, joy, lovely light so freely given,
Return with the over laden river of wishes for happiness.
Now, in time tedious, and then, in time forgotten.
Sing on, dear lady, sing on.
When it comes to birthday surprises, President Clinton showed Saturday night that he can keep a secret - perhaps better than most people in Washington. After attending a gala dinner sponsored by the National Italian-American Foundation with his wife, Hillary, at one Washington hotel, aides said the president was able to hold his tongue until his motorcade had pulled into the parking lot of another hotel nearby.
Inside the second hotel, about 100 friends and daughter Chelsea - home for the weekend from her freshman studies at Stanford University - waited to surprise the first lady on the eve of her 50th birthday.
Party-goers enjoyed cocktails, dinner and dancing, capped off by a giant mocha cake covered with white icing. The fancy dessert was the second of the evening for Hillary Clinton, who was presented with a smaller cake at the earlier event - a tribute honoring accomplished Italian Americans, including former baseball great Yogi Berra, actor Al Pacino, Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and Leon Panetta, Clinton's former chief of staff.
Entertainer Connie Francis sang "Happy Birthday" to the first lady at that event.
The surprise party was put together by Washington socialite Buffy Cafritz and Ann Jordan, wife of Vernon Jordan, Clinton's unofficial adviser and golfing buddy. Chelsea Clinton had crept into the White House early Saturday morning on her first trip home since leaving for college last month.
Note: According to a radio interview with Hillary Clinton, "...It was a thrill of a lifetime have Connie Francis perform Happy Birthday."
editors note: She's performed for Kings, Queens, Prince, and Princesses, Presidents and now a First Lady. Go Connie - Go!
You are The Wind Beneath My Wings,
and My Buddy you will always be.
My Happiness too it's true you see.
There Will Never Be Another You.
To sing, Am I Blue.
You Ought To Be In Pictures and
Follow The Boys, oh Those Were The Days.
Looking For Love we know it was Only Make
Believe and was Just A Garden In The Rain.
Then it was I'm Me Again.
So I am with you Come Rain Or Come Shine.
And you are here Where You Belong
And ending with, If I Never Sing Another Song.
Good Luck, Good Health, God Bless You
keep singing the Old Time Rock And Roll
You'll always be at the top of my poll.
So can I say, My Thanks To You and,
Thanks A Lot For Everything.
Among all the different styles of music performed by Connie, it is her rock and roll hits that made her a star. In fact, she paved the way for many other female vocalists in rock music. However, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, located in Cleveland, mentions nothing of Connie. The Hall has a webpage that has a forum for people to post messages regarding new candidates. The following is my submission to the Hall of Fame forum:
Some reasons I think that she should be inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame:
1. She had numerous chart toppers.
2. She was the first major solo rock-n-roll female vocalist, and the only major female vocalist in the early years of rock-n-roll.
3. She helped the careers of some of R&R's innovative songwriters.
4. She won every major U.S. award.
5. Her songs were distributed throughout the world.
6. She kept MGM records from going bankrupt.
7. Her music is still a "cash cow" for Polygram.
8. Sales from her millions of records made many people in the music business rich.
9. Most websites of early rock-n-roll mention Connie Francis.
Some reasons I think her induction into the Hall of Fame could be foiled:
1. She branched into other kinds of music such as big band, country, ethnic, jazz, and other styles of music not associated with rock music.
2. She was sweet and proper, not rebellous and sloppy.
Hall of Fame forum webpage is at http://forums.rockhall.com/forums/get/inductees.html.