Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark's Italian Down Neck or Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey neighbourhood, she is considered the most prolific and popular female rock 'n' roll hit-maker of the early rock era -- the late 1950s to the early 1960s. After an appearance on Startime, Francis was advised to change her name from Franconero to something more easily pronounceable, as well as to quit the accordion and focus on singing.
Francis' first single "Freddy" (1955) met with little success. Her next nine singles were also failures, and she began considering a career in medicine; however, "Who's Sorry Now" (a cover version of a 1923 song) launched her into super-stardom worldwide. Francis recorded the song at what was to have been her final recording session for MGM, as the label was about to drop her since her previous singles had generated little activity. She has said (paraphrased from The Billboard Book of Number One Singles by Fred Bronson) that she recorded it at the suggestion of her father, who convinced her it stood a chance of becoming a hit because it was a song adults already knew and that teenagers would dance to if it were released with a more contemporary arrangement.
The gamble paid off. In April 1958, "Who's Sorry Now" reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart (number four in the USA); in 2000, it was named one of the Songs of the Century. On January 1, 1958, she debuted it on Dick Clark's American Bandstand television show; by mid-year over a million copies were sold. This was followed by many other hits over the next decade, as Connie Francis became one of the most popular vocalists in the world.
Francis specialized in downbeat ballads delivered in her trademark "sobbing" style -- such as "My Happiness," "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry," "Among My Souvenirs," "Together," "Breakin' In a Brand New Broken Heart," and the Italian song "Mama," many of which were remakes of old standards. However, she also had success with a handful of more upbeat, rock-and-roll-oriented compositions, such as "Stupid Cupid," "Lipstick On Your Collar," and "Vacation." Among her other notable performances were "In the Summer of His Years" (a tribute to slain U.S. President John F. Kennedy) and Bert Kaempfert's "Strangers In The Night" (although the latter song is more identified with Frank Sinatra). Both "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" went to No.1 on the Billboard music charts in 1960. In 1962 she had another No.1 hit with "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You."
Francis recorded in nine languages during her career, including English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and even Japanese, and remade many of her hits in foreign languages, including "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and her signature song, "Where the Boys Are." In fact, her biggest hit album in the U.S. was 1960's Italian Favorites, and she followed it with several more albums of Italian songs over the years, as well as collections of Spanish-language and Jewish songs, among others.
"Where The Boys Are," one of many Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield compositions Francis recorded during her career (others included "Stupid Cupid" and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool"), gained wide exposure through its inclusion in the 1960 motion picture with the same title. Francis had a role in the film and sang the title song. During the first half of the 1960s she starred in three additional films -- Follow the Boys (1963) (the title song of which became a No. 17 Billboard single for Francis), Looking for Love (1964) and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965).
In 1960 Francis became the youngest headliner to sing in Las Vegas, where she played 28 days a year for nine years. In 1961 she was successful in starring in her own television special on ABC television sponsored by Brylcreem titled Kicking Sound Around, singing and acting along-side Tab Hunter, Eddie Foy Jr. and Art Carney. She appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on July 1, 1962 with French singing star Johnny Hallyday in a show that was taped at the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub in Paris, France. On July 3, 1963 she played a Command performance before Queen Elizabeth II at the Alhambra Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland. By 1967, she had 35 U.S. Top 40 hits, and three number ones.
Connie Francis has always been a great fan of country music and recorded several albums of country standards during her pop career. In 1969 she had a modest country hit with "The Wedding Cake" and made the country charts again in 1982 with "There's Still a Few Good Love Songs Left in Me." Several country singers found chart success remaking Francis' pop hits for the country market, including Marie Osmond ("Who's Sorry Now" in 1975), Susan Raye ("My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" in 1972), Margo Smith ("Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" in 1978), and Debby Boone.
During the height of the Vietnam War in 1967, Connie Francis performed for U.S. troops.
Francis ended her recording career in 1969. She returned in 1973 with "The Answer," a song written just for her, and soon began performing again. Her son Joey was born in 1974. Tragedies followed soon after. In 1974 she was sexually assaulted in a hotel following a performance in Westbury, New York. Nasal surgery to correct a sensitivity to air conditioning deprived her of her ability to sing professionally for four years. Her brother was murdered in 1981.
Francis' autobiography, Who's Sorry Now? was published in 1984. Francis was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental disease which includes severe depressions and manic highs. She uses the drug Lithium to balance out the emotional highs and lows caused by the disease. Connie Francis resumed her career in 1989 after discovering the drug and has continued singing and recording since then. Francis still holds a world-wide appeal shown through continued music sales and sold-out appearances.
Her latest CD The American Tour contains performances from recent shows. In late December 2004, Francis headlined in Las Vegas for the first time since 1989.
In March of 2007, Francis performed to a sold-out crowd -- composed of gay urbanites and conservative suburbanites -- in San Francisco. The "little diva" belted out versions of her "woebegone ballads . . . in full force," according to the San Franciso Chronicle's music critic.
Connie's fan club: www.conniefrancis.com
Granada
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mi cantar se vuelve gitano
Cuando es para ti
Mi cantar hecho de fantasia
Mi cantar, flor de melancolia
Que you te vengo a dar
Granada,
En tardes de toros
Mujer que conserva el embrujo
De los ojos moros
De sueño rebelde y gitana
Cubierta de flores
Y beso tu boca de grana
Jugosa manzana
Que me habla de amores
Granada manola
Cantada en coplas preciosas
No tengo otra cosa que darte
Que un ramo de rosas
De rosas de suave fragancia
Que le dieran marco
A la virgen morena
Granada
Tu tierra está llena de lindas mujeres
De sangre y de sol
"Granada" is a romantic song by Connie Francis that describes the beauty and allure of the city of Granada in Spain. The song begins with the singer expressing her deep love for the city, referring to it as a "land of dreams" that inspires her to sing like a gypsy. She then goes on to describe her singing as a fanciful and melancholy flower that she is offering to Granada.
The second stanza of the song mentions the dark history of Granada, specifically the violent bullfights that have taken place there in the past. Despite this, the singer still finds the city enchanting and refers to its women as being both rebellious and drenched in the spirit of the Moorish invaders who once occupied the city. She concludes the stanza by stating that kissing a woman's mouth in Granada is like biting into a juicy apple that speaks of nothing but love.
The final stanza of the song pays homage to the traditional music of Granada, which is often sung in the form of "coplas preciosas," or precious verses. The singer concludes by offering a bouquet of fragrant roses to the city and its dark-skinned Virgin Mary. Overall, "Granada" is a beautifully romantic song that celebrates the unique spirit and allure of the city of Granada.
Line by Line Meaning
Granada, tierra soñada por mi
Granada, the land I dream of
Mi cantar se vuelve gitano
My singing turns gypsy
Cuando es para ti
When it is for you
Mi cantar hecho de fantasia
My singing made of fantasy
Mi cantar, flor de melancolia
My singing, a flower of melancholy
Que you te vengo a dar
That I come to give you
Granada, tierra ensangrentada
Granada, land stained with blood
En tardes de toros
In bullfight afternoons
Mujer que conserva el embrujo
Woman who preserves the charm
De los ojos moros
Of the Moorish eyes
De sueño rebelde y gitana
Of rebellious and gypsy dreams
Cubierta de flores
Covered in flowers
Y beso tu boca de grana
And I kiss your pomegranate-colored lips
Jugosa manzana
Juicy apple
Que me habla de amores
That speaks to me of love
Granada manola
Manola Granada
Cantada en coplas preciosas
Sung in precious folk songs
No tengo otra cosa que darte
I have nothing else to give you
Que un ramo de rosas
Than a bouquet of roses
De rosas de suave fragancia
Of roses with a soft fragrance
Que le dieran marco
That give it a frame
A la virgen morena
To the dark-skinned virgin
Granada
Granada
Tu tierra está llena de lindas mujeres
Your land is full of beautiful women
De sangre y de sol
Of blood and sun
Contributed by William P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Edson Mutti
Uma de minhas cantoras preferidas nos anos 60. Afinada, voz macia, uma intérprete, não apenas cantora.
ngl tv
Canción compuesta por un mexicano (Agustín Lara) que no conocía Granada. Una de sus composiciones más conocidas, Connie Francis canta una de las mejores versiones de esta canción seguida por el trio italiano Il Volo.
Saludos a todos.
ngl tv
Joaquim Da Silva E você e brasileiro. Muito prazer sempre conhecer pessoas do Brasil. 🙂
ngl tv
Joaquim Da Silva Meu português não muito bem, pero agora stou asistendo programação de SBC tv o programa de Silvio Santos... As Pegadinhas 😂😂😂
ngl tv
Joaquim Da Silva Sou mexicano, escuto a radio brasileira (Band News Rádio). Pra mim e muito fácil aprender a falar outras línguas cuando escuto que as falam. Pensó que portugués e muito bonito a sua pronúncia, pouquinho diferente ao espanhol o seu idioma irmão.
Bertiethesmurf1946
One of the great voices. She is also a master interpreter.
Roger Turner
she sure is..that knife cut ending is super, no female singer of today could come close. The whole album was recorded in the EMI, ABBEY RD, LONDON in July 1960
Zagal Felix
Uma perfeita intérprete para o talento de Agostinho Lara -- o Compositor.
manoel martins
Mais um clássico da música mexicana...
Eterno
02 Outubro 2020
BRASIL
MARIO CANSECO
@manuel martins That's definitely not Mexican music. That's Music from Spain now The writer of this song is a Great Mexican composer Agustin Lara.