The ongoing interview byJerry Osborne
from DISCoveries Magazine September 1991
Hope you enjoy this Part 14 of Connie's Interview
Connie:
(Asked if she liked the recording "Where The Boys Are")
- Yes and No. The producer said that every top
writer in Hollywood, including James Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn,
and all of them were writing title music suggestions
for the film Where The Boys Are,
though it was not known yet what the title song would be
like. But I told MGM that if I was going to
record the song, I wanted it to be written by Neil Sedaka
and Howie Greenfield because they had already written
several million-sellers for me.
I told them Neil
and Howie were from Brooklyn, not Hollywood. Even
though Neil had already had a few hits, they still didn't
know him well on the west coast, but they were always the
last to know what was going on in pop music anyway. I
mean, Tin Pan Alley was in New York. So I called Neil
and Howie and said very excitedly, "Look, in one week
they're going to decide on the title song for my first
movie. You got to write it right away." Howie
asked what the title of the film was. When I told him
Where The Boys Are he replied, "It's
impossible, Connie, we can't write a song titled Where
The Boys Are. That's the silliest title
for a song I ever heard. We can't write a song around
that kind of sentence fragment. Maybe "Where Are The
Boys". But not Where The Boys Are."
I said, "Just write the song and get it on a plane to me
right away."
DISC: Wasn't the film based on a book of the same title?
Connie: Yes, it was a Top 10 book. So we were stuck with that title as far as trying to come up with a song. Anyway, they threw a song together and gave it to a stewardess to carry on the plane to me in Hollywood. As soon as I received their song, a bunch of us met at MGM and they presented tons of different songs titled
Where The Boys
Are. When I opened the package from Neil and
Howie, I found they had written two completely different
versions. One of them I loved--it was so
great. The other one I didn't like at all.
When MGM heard them they said, "You're right,
Connie. These Brooklyn boys have written a hit
song." But the one they liked was the one I
didn't. So I called Neil and Howie right away and
said, "I've got good news and I've got bad news.
The good news is that you guys have got the title song
from my first motion picture. The bad news is that
it's not going to be the great version.
DISC: What happened to the version you loved?
Connie: Nothing ever happened with it.
Disc: How did the versions differ?
Connie: I thought the first version said a lot more in the lyrics. It was a totally different song, lyrically and musically.
DISC: Wouldn't it have been interesting to have released that version of the song?
Connie: No because that would have split the air play.
DISC: Not in 1961, but later--perhaps on an LP as an alternate take. I'm sure the fans would love to hear it, especially after reading about it here.
Connie: Oh you mean like RCA has done with digging up alternate Presley tracks. That would be fine, except I never recorded the first version.
DISC: On the next single you returned to the Nashville sound. That was Breakin' In A Brand New Broken Heart.
I told them Neil
and Howie were from Brooklyn, not Hollywood. Even
though Neil had already had a few hits, they still didn't
know him well on the west coast, but they were always the
last to know what was going on in pop music anyway. I
mean, Tin Pan Alley was in New York. So I called Neil
and Howie and said very excitedly, "Look, in one week
they're going to decide on the title song for my first
movie. You got to write it right away." Howie
asked what the title of the film was. When I told him
Where The Boys Are he replied, "It's
impossible, Connie, we can't write a song titled Where
The Boys Are. That's the silliest title
for a song I ever heard. We can't write a song around
that kind of sentence fragment. Maybe "Where Are The
Boys". But not Where The Boys Are."
I said, "Just write the song and get it on a plane to me
right away."DISC: Wasn't the film based on a book of the same title?
Connie: Yes, it was a Top 10 book. So we were stuck with that title as far as trying to come up with a song. Anyway, they threw a song together and gave it to a stewardess to carry on the plane to me in Hollywood. As soon as I received their song, a bunch of us met at MGM and they presented tons of different songs titled
Where The Boys
Are. When I opened the package from Neil and
Howie, I found they had written two completely different
versions. One of them I loved--it was so
great. The other one I didn't like at all.
When MGM heard them they said, "You're right,
Connie. These Brooklyn boys have written a hit
song." But the one they liked was the one I
didn't. So I called Neil and Howie right away and
said, "I've got good news and I've got bad news.
The good news is that you guys have got the title song
from my first motion picture. The bad news is that
it's not going to be the great version.DISC: What happened to the version you loved?
Connie: Nothing ever happened with it.
Disc: How did the versions differ?
Connie: I thought the first version said a lot more in the lyrics. It was a totally different song, lyrically and musically.
DISC: Wouldn't it have been interesting to have released that version of the song?
Connie: No because that would have split the air play.
DISC: Not in 1961, but later--perhaps on an LP as an alternate take. I'm sure the fans would love to hear it, especially after reading about it here.
Connie: Oh you mean like RCA has done with digging up alternate Presley tracks. That would be fine, except I never recorded the first version.
DISC: On the next single you returned to the Nashville sound. That was Breakin' In A Brand New Broken Heart.
In PART 15,
Connie talks about that next single, so
watch for another update!
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