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
Too Many Rules
Connie Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At 10 past 2
My floks turned blue
Their tempers flew
I got to be in bed
At quarter to 10
There go those rules again
*Too many rules
Too many rules
Folks are just fools
Making too many rules
I pray the stars above
I haven't lost your love
Coz there are too many rules
When you call me on the telephone
It's not my own
They've made it known
So you must call me only now and then
There go those rules again
*Repeat
The lyrics of Connie Francis's song Too Many Rules conveys a sense of frustration and rebellion towards the many rules and restrictions imposed upon the singer by her parents. The first stanza speaks of the singer coming home at a late hour, which results in her parents getting angry and scolding her for not adhering to the curfew. The stanza ends with the line "There go those rules again" which highlights the singer's annoyance towards the routine and regimented life she is forced to lead.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the line "Too many rules" multiple times, serves as a protest against the imposition of rules in general. The lyrics suggest that the singer believes that there are too many restrictions and regulations, and that they make fools of people who live their lives by following them blindly. The singer then calls out to her lover, expressing her fear of losing their love due to the many constraints imposed upon her.
The second stanza refers to the limitations on her phone usage, which is not her own and her parents' dictate the frequency of calls she receives. This stanza further drives home the theme of too many rules, and the song ends with the same chorus as before, emphasizing the singer's frustrations with the rules governing her life.
Line by Line Meaning
I got home last night
I arrived at my house last night
At 10 past 2
It was two minutes after ten past midnight
My floks turned blue
My parents became very upset
Their tempers flew
They got angry
I got to be in bed
I was required to be in my bed
At quarter to 10
At 9:45pm
There go those rules again
The same old rules are being imposed on me again
Too many rules
There are way too many rules that I am expected to follow
Folks are just fools
People who create and enforce so many rules are foolish and annoying
Making too many rules
Putting too many restrictions on someone's life
I pray the stars above
I am hoping for divine intervention
I haven't lost your love
I hope that your love for me is still intact
Coz there are too many rules
Because of the excessive number of rules that I am expected to follow
When you call me on the telephone
If you decide to call me on the phone
It's not my own
I don't own the phone
They've made it known
My parents have informed me
So you must call me only now and then
You are only allowed to call me occasionally
Contributed by Leo C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RICARDO BATALLAS
AMO A CONNIE FRANCIS, LA AMO, LA AMO, LA AMO, ES LO MÁXIMO, GRACIAS A MI PAPÁ QUE NACÍ ESCUCHANDO A CONNIE FRANCIS LA MEJOR CANTANTE, LA VOZ MÁS DULCE! GRACIAS NcholympicTV!!!!
Johan Titaley
reminding me when i was very young..nice voice of connie
Dianne Richardson
Love this cool catchy song by Connie Francis.
David Walsh
This was a b side I loved it all those years ago still love it today. What s lovely talented lady Connie was
muhammad ghiffari
after "follow the boys" right
feroniasoleil
Oh my goodness...this must have been such a "rebellious" song back then :)
stephen ford
I remember jiving to this song at record hops in the 80s and 90s.Still sounds great
connie francis
Hi dear🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Thanks for your love and support that has brought me this far, it has been a hard time for me going through this but your love and support keeps me going and standing strong in this difficult times. I do read your heartwarming comments and I truly appreciate all you’ve done for me throughout the years.
It’s a season of love😍❤️❤️ for me and so I decided to put a smile on the faces of my fans by going through my YouTube channel am checking out on my fans, so I can get to communicate with my fans better through discussion of depth and humor listening to o and criticism of my career.💞💞🙏💖💕.....
Johanne Roberge
Très bon morceaux de Connie Francis
Natalia Montalvo
the most sweet voice of the world