Gold [Original recording remastered]

Connie Francis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 14, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B0009NZ3YG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,530 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #69 in Music > Pop > Euro Pop > Italian Pop

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No. 1 Pop Singer of the Pre-Beatles Era, July 7, 2005

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gold (Audio CD)

This two-disc anthology gathers virtually every hit Connie Francis recorded for MGM during her heyday from the late-fifties through the mid-sixties. From 1958 through 1969, Francis charted more than fifty singles, including thirty-five in the Top 40, three No. 1's, and eight million-sellers, making her one of the most successful artists in pop music history. [Among female singers, only Aretha Franklin and Madonna have had more hits.]

This collection begins with her breakthrough 1958 hit "Who's Sorry Now" (her first nine singles dating back to 1955 failed to chart) and takes the listener through to her final chart single, "The Wedding Cake," which peaked at No. 91 in 1969.

This first forty songs understandably focus on her hit years (1958-1964), and represent every one of her Top 40 songs (with the lone exception of the 1961 single "No One," which peaked at No. 34). Francis would record contemporary songs like "Stupid Cupid" and "Where the Boys Are" (both written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield), and also record old standards like the million-sellers "Where the Boys Are" and "Together" (previously big hits from 1923 and 1928 respectively). The final ten tracks from 1965 through 1969 do not so much represent a decline in the quality of her material, but rather the impact the British Invasion had on the American music scene.

If you're looking for a solid collection of hits from the reigning queen of pop music in the pre-Beatles era, this is it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good value "Gold", September 6, 2005

By 

Colin Duff (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gold (Audio CD)

This double CD is a good overall sampling of Connie's huge output for MGM Records. All of the hits (with the exception of the Australian/UK hit "Robot Man") are included. Sound quality is very good...although a few songs sound a little "thinner" than they should ("Everybody's Somebody's Fool" suffers from too little bottom end).

Not as exhaustive as the complete singles set released several years back...but still highly recommended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars CONNIE IS THE BEST, June 27, 2006

By 

Terry D. Robertson "Terry D. Robertson" (Asheville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gold (Audio CD)

Sure SOUVENIRS is the ultimate singles collection. And I did not appreciate Universal using this as a vehicle for a tribute to Connie's 50th year as a recording artist. Japan did 5 wonderful tributes, but then a musical prophet is never appreciated in their home land. This is a very successful recording and gives you all the hits but the last 10 songs on disc two give you the real Connie Francis. All the power and glory of her musical instrument is there particularly on songs like "Born Free" and "Zingara". That's worth the price alone. This is in print, "Souvenirs" is not and hard to find and expensive. So folks, you will have to settle for this. My only other gripe is that several songs of this newly remastered collection are in mono and readily available in stereo on other collections. Universal could have taken a little more time and care considering the occasion. It's nicely priced, so go for it. I'd rather see 10 Connie Francis recycled hits packages in print and as successful as this one--than see nothing at all.