Search - Connie Francis :: Gold

Breaks No New Ground

Stuffed Animal | Kansas City, Missouri United States | 07/20/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"The definitive collection of Connie Francis's hit singles on the MGM label was CONNIE FRANCIS SOUVENIRS, which I, Bill Levenson and Connie's assistant Pat Niglio produced in 1996. After that release hit the market, I expressed my desire for a series of reissues of Connie's best-selling albums as well as compilations that focused on her jazz and country recordings. Niglio was interested in an Italian collection (which was later released to great acclaim), and I recall that Levenson spoke of compiling some of Connie's vast German catalogue for stateside release. What the hell happened? Why are we now seeing a budget knockoff of SOUVENIRS? Connie's fans are not looking for another singles collection. We are not looking for the umpteenth reissue of her first Italian album. Yet, that's what we get over and over. Enough already! Universal Music has a wealth of excellent Connie Francis material in its vaults that it fails to exploit, including unreleased sides (like an entirely different version of the AWARD-WINNING MOTION PICTURE HITS album than was originally issued here). She deserves better, much better, in honor of her 50th anniversary as a recording artist."

No. 1 Pop Singer of the Pre-Beatles Era

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 07/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This two-disc anthology gathers virtually every hit Connie Francis recorded for MGM during her heyday from the late-fifties through the mid-sixties. From 1958 through 1969, Francis charted more than fifty singles, including thirty-five in the Top 40, three No. 1's, and eight million-sellers, making her one of the most successful artists in pop music history. [Among female singers, only Aretha Franklin and Madonna have had more hits.]



This collection begins with her breakthrough 1958 hit "Who's Sorry Now" (her first nine singles dating back to 1955 failed to chart) and takes the listener through to her final chart single, "The Wedding Cake," which peaked at No. 91 in 1969.



This first forty songs understandably focus on her hit years (1958-1964), and represent every one of her Top 40 songs (with the lone exception of the 1961 single "No One," which peaked at No. 34). Francis would record contemporary songs like "Stupid Cupid" and "Where the Boys Are" (both written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield), and also record old standards like the million-sellers "Where the Boys Are" and "Together" (previously big hits from 1923 and 1928 respectively). The final ten tracks from 1965 through 1969 do not so much represent a decline in the quality of her material, but rather the impact the British Invasion had on the American music scene.



If you're looking for a solid collection of hits from the reigning queen of pop music in the pre-Beatles era, this is it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

Good value "Gold"

Colin Duff | Sydney, Australia | 09/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This double CD is a good overall sampling of Connie's huge output for MGM Records. All of the hits (with the exception of the Australian/UK hit "Robot Man") are included. Sound quality is very good...although a few songs sound a little "thinner" than they should ("Everybody's Somebody's Fool" suffers from too little bottom end).



Not as exhaustive as the complete singles set released several years back...but still highly recommended.



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