Who was the better singer in their prime?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 25 | August 22, 2018 2:13 AM |
A sad story. My much older first cousin was in the US Naval Reserve and routinely - once a month or so- flew a route out of Argentia Naval Station in Newfoundland. He was a cocky, arrogant guy but basically a decent person when he wasn't acting as a generally entitled asshole. He shared two stories during those years that are etched into my memory.
Connie Francis came to entertain the troops in Newfoundland multiple times, as he told it, and always had a very limited playlist. Unfortunately, for sport the guys would goad her by endlessly calling out requests for songs they knew she couldn't sing. Assholes.
There was also an overall underlying general public perception that Connie wasn't all that, and was mostly vacant over-hype. If I recall correctly, people knew that whoever got her gigs and eventual high profile success was pedalling an extremely limited talent. Apparently my cousin and pals unfortunately put the screws to her in those (USO? Or not?) shows.
Off topic, but the other gossip my cousin shared from his Argentia days was when a pilot came back with a UFO sighting story. The guy was dead serious, very shaken, and totally sane, according to my cousin. He was taken in for debriefing and after that meeting denied he had ever had any UFO experience whatsoever. My cousin was not ordinarily a believer in such things but he had deep respect for that particular individual, and since then has considered that the guy truly saw something real, whatever it was.
I saw reference to that pilot on a video, which I suspect is in the I Know What I Saw documentary, so when I find it I'll post the citation. It was surprising to see it featured on film as confirmation of my cousin's odd story.
I know it's off topic but it has Connie Francis Newfoundland-adjacency.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | September 19, 2017 5:05 AM |
What years are you referring to, R1? Connie's voice only became limited in her later years (1980's).
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | September 19, 2017 1:16 PM |
And I thought poor Connie was the crazy one.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | September 19, 2017 1:30 PM |
R2 I said her playlist was very limited. When she performed for the military guys at Argentia she was not willing to improvise with songs for which she didn't have an arrangement and hadn't rehearsed. As much as she had a successful career she wasn't universally considered to have a really great voice like Streisand's.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | September 19, 2017 8:11 PM |
Yes, but who's sorry now, R1? Who???
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | September 19, 2017 8:29 PM |
So yor much older first cousin saw a UFO? And you believe that shit? Well, everybody's somebody's fool....
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | September 19, 2017 8:30 PM |
Connie's father, a world class asshole, managed her, pressured her, abused her and generally ran every single aspect of her life., telling her what to eat when to sleep what to wear, everything. She wouldn't fart without his permission, so how would you expect her to improvise or sing anything that wasn't part of her playlist or her program? She could never be spontaneous. It was all beaten out of her. What a sad, tragic, young woman, and you know, the very idea of comparing her to Streisand speaks volumes. Barbra Streisand is one of the world's greatest ever. So Connie was pretty damned good to be in the same conversation with her.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | September 19, 2017 8:33 PM |
Well, Ms. I-want-control-over-everything Streisand isn't about to sing a song she hasn't rehearsed, had arrangements written and played to her satisfaction, etc. as well. Francis had a great voice though.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | September 19, 2017 8:35 PM |
R6 did you actually read what I wrote? I said my cousin knew another Naval Reserve pilot who claimed he saw a UFO. My cousin knew the guy was a person of character, so he believed the guy had seen SOMETHING. UFO = Unidentified Flying Object. That can apply to top secret craft that governments are developing. Your reading comprehension could use some work.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | September 19, 2017 8:40 PM |
Streisand never sang "I'll Leave The Door Ajar for You at Hojo's" so it is difficult to compare them.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | September 19, 2017 8:40 PM |
R7 I'm not sure if you're speaking in general or addressing some of your comments to what I posted. Yes, I agree, Connie was controlled and over-hyped by a horrible father. I noted that it was unfortunate that my cousin and his pals harassed her the way they did. I wasn't criticising Connie, btw, I was recounting what my cousin told about her performances and playlist in Newfoundland.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | September 19, 2017 8:49 PM |
Only on Datalounge do people even remember Francis, much less wonder if she's better than Streisand.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | September 19, 2017 8:54 PM |
They were briefly in competition, from 1962-64. But one was a rising star, the other fading. Interestingly, they're only 3 years apart in age.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | September 19, 2017 9:05 PM |
Connie was a great singer, Neither Connie or Babs would sing unrehearsed songs as they wanted perfection. Connie was th emost versatile and her great recordings were not her hits. Born Free, Brother Can You Spare A Dime. Impossible Fream, and I Will Wait For You are a few of them. Connie was an entertainer. Babs was not.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | August 21, 2018 3:25 AM |
Give it up. You post, then talk to yourself every other reply. No real people give a shit.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | August 21, 2018 3:26 AM |
R7,her father was just a tradition Italian Papa. Dumb dumb Connie followed.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | August 21, 2018 3:28 AM |
Connie in the great Italian tradition knew how to invoke emotion and theatrics into her songs. And for that I love her!
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 17 | August 21, 2018 3:35 AM |
I literally spit out my drink when I read the title of this thread! HILARIOUS!
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | August 21, 2018 3:39 AM |
Connie Francis was the first big female star of the pop/rock era. She should have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame long ago.
Her voice was like a beautiful musical instrument back in the day. And being Italian she could express emotion through her voice so effortlessly which enhanced the song.
A gorgeous voice and an all time great singer.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | August 21, 2018 3:48 AM |
Connie Francis is 79 now. The most famous female singer of the late 1950's/early 1960's.
Will always be revered as a great, iconic singer. One of the best.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 20 | August 21, 2018 3:52 AM |
I'd much rather listen to Connie. She doesn't oversing like Barbra, who I find unlistenable.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | August 21, 2018 3:55 AM |
Such travesties Connie lived through. Parental abuse, miscarriages, rape, kidnapping
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 22 | August 21, 2018 5:18 AM |
Both are great. Both have achieved incomparable success. Connie has a magnificent voice as does Babs, but Connie recorded many top 40 hits, but her great recordings are on her LPs. You cannot judge her by her hits,. They were commercial. Beverly Sills once said that she had to choose between using her voice a great deal and making money or saving her voice and not making money. She chose the former.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | August 21, 2018 11:27 PM |
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing is just one of her great live performances. She blends in perfectly with the orchestra.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | August 22, 2018 2:06 AM |
Not so just remembered on DL. She has many Facebook pages and she gave sold out concerts into the 200s0s.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | August 22, 2018 2:13 AM |
