MARCH 1999

by Jerry Osborne

September 1991

Welcome to PART TWO of the interview that appeared in the September, 1991 edition of DISCoveries Magazine.


Disc: Why were there so many Connie Francis albums? Connie: I had a special contract that allowed me to record as much as I wanted, and there wasn't any recoupment session cost or anything like that. So whatever I really wanted to do album-wise, I did. Of course, I did feel that some of them weren't promoted properly. Actually, now that I think about it none were promoted properly. The only way that they ever got attention was if I did a track from the album on the Perry Como Show or one of the Ed Sullivan shows. Especially the Sullivan show because I appeared on that show more than any other. That was the way to introduce something of mine that wasn't on a single. It would become famous overnight, and people would be able to buy it because it was on an album. Disc: Then millions heard it all at once. Connie: Millions and millions of people. And you can't do that today because there's no outlet like that anymore. Disc: *Wasn't that how "Mama" from your "Italian Favorites" LP received so much attention?* Connie: That's absolutely true. In fact, that was one of those five albums that I cut in about 10 days in London around 1960. I believe there was a demarcation line in music, which was circa early-1956, with the exception of a few like Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", were still being made for the adults. By 1956, the music belonged to the kids. The 45 was king and they were being bought by the kids, mostly teenage girls. Of course this was mainly due to Elvis. But the kids made the stars. Then, most everything from the early '50s became old hat. Disc: However, those standards were among the first songs you ever sang. Connie: Yes, because I've been singing since the age of three. I'd been singing on television for four consecutive years without missing a week on a kiddie show before there was any rock and roll. At 11-years-old I was doing songs like St. Louis Woman, with my bobbie socks and my accordion, on the Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. You know, "St. Louis woman, with her diamond rings" and that sort of stuff. I remember when I was nine, I was doing four shows a day at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City on a kiddie show. Once there, my father said "here, sing this song, it's a good song." I said, "what is it?" He said, "it's a Spanish song, you sing it and play it!" My father has this sort of quaint, elusive charm, like a taskmaster. "It's "Siboney"," he said, "and here's the record, just write down what you hear, don't write down what you see on the music." And that's the way I began to sing foreign language songs, other than Italian which I had always sung. Disc: Since when?
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I've loved Connie for about 51 years now. I try to get my hands on as much of her music as possible. If you'd like to see what I've amassed over the years; and, by the way still collecting; check out the other pages in the Directory. If nothing else, they are informative and entertaining!

If you missed PART 1 or want to move on, simply click on any link below to go there.

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Go to:

Part 01	Part 09
Part 03	Part 10
Part 04	Part 11
Part 05	Part 12
Part 06	Part 13
Part 07	Part 14
Part 08	Part 15

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