Where the Boys Are (1960)

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By: Connie Francis (born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, December 12, 1938 in Newark, New Jersey.) 

Connie Francis is the prototype for the female pop singer of today, and still challenges Madonna as the biggest-selling female recording artist of all time.

"Where the Boys Are" was one of many Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield compositions Francis recorded during her career (others included "Stupid Cupid" and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".) It gained wide exposure in the 1960 motion picture Where the Boys Are. Francis had a role in the film and sang the title song in the film.

"Where the Boys Are" was recorded by Connie Francis on October 18, 1960 in a New York City recording session with Stan Applebaum arranging and conducting.

Francis recorded this, along with many other of her songs, in as many as nine languages. This includes English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, and even Japanese.

Chart position: #4 (US), #5 (UK).

The Top Ten Songs: March 20, 1961 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Surrender" (Elvis Presley)
2. "Pony Time" (Chubby Checker)
3. "Don't Worry (Like All the Other Times)" (Marty Robbins)
4. "Where the Boys Are" (Connie Francis)
5. "Dedicated to the One I Love" (Shirelles)
6. "Apache" (Jorgen Ingmann)
7. "Wheels" (String-A-Longs)
8. "Ebony Eyes" (Everly Brothers)
9. "Walk Right Back" (Everly Brothers)
10. "Baby Sittin' Boogie" (Buzz Clifford)

Written by: Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) and lyricist Howard Greenfield (born March 15, 1936, died March 4, 1986.)

Sedaka and Greenfield also wrote "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen", "Is This the Way to Amarillo" (which was a #1 hit for Tony Christie when reissued in 2005), "Stupid Cupid", "Breaking Up is Hard to Do", "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "Love Will Keep Us Together", "Calender Girl", etc. 

In 1952, sixteen year old Greenfield and 13 year old Sedaka, both lived in the same apartment building in Brooklyn.  However, they didn't know of each other until Greenfield's mother had a chance meeting with the young Sedaka, suggesting to the young pianist that "You should meet my son; he writes great lyrics."  The rest is history.

Sedaka and Greenfield wrote two potential title songs for the film, but producer Joe Pasternak passed over the song Francis and the songwriting duo preferred in favor of a lush '50s style movie theme.



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