Who's Sorry Now? (album)

Who's Sorry Now?
Studio album by Connie Francis
Released April 1958
Recorded October 2, 1957
March 20, 1958
March 31, 1958
April 21, 1958
Genre Pop
Label MGM Records
E-3686
Producer Harry A. Myerson
Connie Francis chronology

- Who's Sorry Now? (1958) The Exciting Connie Francis (1959)
Singles from Who's Sorry Now?
  1. "Who's Sorry Now?"
    Released: November 1957
  2. "Heartaches"
    Released: June 1958

Who's Sorry Now? is the first studio album recorded by U. S. Entertainer Connie Francis.

After her first nine solo singles had failed to chart and her duet single with Marvin Rainwater, The Majesty Of Love, b/w You, my Darlin' you had only been a minor hit, peaking at # 99, the managers at MGM Records had decided not to renew her contract after the last scheduled single release.

During what was supposed to be her last recording session for MGM Records in October 1957, Francis recorded a cover version of the song Who's Sorry Now?. Francis' father, George Franconero, sr., had wanted his daughter for quite some time to record this song with a contemporary arrangement, over which both had been discussing heatedly since Francis had refused to fulfill the demand, considering the song as old fashioned and corny. But Franconero, sr. persisted and Francis finally gave in.[1]

As Franconero, sr. had predicted, Who's Sorry Now?, released as MGM Records Single K 12588, became a huge hit, after which MGM Records renewed the contract with their now successful singer. The recording sessions for an album including the breakthrough hit began in March 1958 and were completed in April 1958.[2]

The album's formula is clearly inspired by the arrangement of its title song: Standards from the time between the 1910s and 1940s presented in a contemporary arrangement, although recordings such as My Melancholy Baby or How Deep Is The Ocean feature grand orchestra arrangements to give the album some diversity in music styles.

When the album was released in May 1958, it failed to chart. The album was re-packaged with a new cover design and re-released in March 1962.[3]


Track listing

Side A

# Title Songwriter Length
1. "Who's Sorry Now" Ted Snyder, Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby 2.16
2. "I'm Nobody's Baby" Benny Davis, Milton Ager, Lester Santly 2.21
3. "It's the Talk of the Town" Jerry Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes 2.52
4. "I Miss You So" Jimmy Henderson, Sid Robin, Bertha Scott 2.32
5. "I Cried for You" Gus Arnheim, Arthur Freed, Abe Lyman 2.56
6. "Heartaches" Al Hoffman, John Klenner 2.31

Side B

# Title Songwriter Length
1. "I'm Beginning to See the Light Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, Harry James, Don George 2.39
2. "My Melancholy Baby" Ernie Burnett, George A. Norton 3.51
3. "You Always Hurt the One You Love" Doris Fisher, Allan Roberts 2.24
4. "How Deep Is the Ocean" Irving Berlin 2.22
5. "If I Had You" Irving King, Ted Shapiro 2.56
6. "I'll Get By" Fred E. Ahlert, Roy Turk 2.39

Not included songs from the sessions

# Title Songwriter Length Remark
1. "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry" Jeannine Clesi 2.27 released on MGM Records single K 12647 but not included on album
2. "Lock Up Your Heart" Ted Gary, Anthony September 2.30 Take 5, referred to as "slow version" in the session notes,
unreleased until 1993[4]
3. "Lock Up Your Heart" Ted Gary, Anthony September 2.33 Take 11, referred to as "fast version" in the session notes,
released on MGM Records single K 12647 but not included on album[5]
4. "You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love)" Larry Fotine, Fred Meadows, William Faber 2.21 released on MGM Records single K 12588 but not included on album

References

  1. Connie Francis: Who's sorry now, St. Martin's Press, London 1984
  2. William Ruhlmann: Connie Francis 1955 – 1959, supplement to 5 CD Boxed Set White Sox, Pink Lipstick… and Stupid Cupid, Bear Family Records BCD 16 616 EI, Hambergen (Germany) 1993
  3. Connie Francis: Souvenirs, Booklet of 4-CD-Box, Polydor 1996, Cat.-No. 314 533 382-2
  4. William Ruhlmann: Connie Francis 1955 – 1959, supplement to 5 CD Boxed Set White Sox, Pink Lipstick… and Stupid Cupid, Bear Family Records BCD 16 616 EI, Hambergen (Germany) 1993
  5. as above