Jump to content

My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own"
side-B label
One of US re-releases
Single by Connie Francis
from the album More Greatest Hits
B-side"Malagueña"
Released1960
Recorded1960
GenreCountry[1]
Length2:30
LabelMGM
Songwriter(s)Jack Keller
Howard Greenfield
Connie Francis singles chronology
"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" / "Jealous of You (Tango della Gelosia)"
(1960)
"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" / "Malagueña"
(1960)
"Many Tears Ago" / "Senza Mamma e Nnammurata"
(1960)

"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" is a song written by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller which was a No. 1 hit for Connie Francis in 1960.

Connie Francis recording

[edit]

Francis recorded "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" at Radio Recorders studio in Hollywood over three different sessions on July 9, 25, and 31, 1960 with Jesse Kaye and Arnold Maxin acting as producers; Gus Levene arranged the orchestration and conducted. Jack Keller brought one of the LA tapes back to New York for a Sax & Guitar overdub at Olmstead Studios. Artie Kaplan and Al Gorgoni were brought in for the sax and guitar overdub.

Several takes from these sessions are still extant. The original MGM K 12923 single utilized Take 49 (recorded July 31, 1960) but two weeks into release this was replaced by Take 37 (recorded July 25, 1960) at the behest of Francis and the song's writers.

"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" became Francis' second consecutive A-side to top the Billboard Hot 100 reaching No. 1 on the chart dated 26 September 1960 and holding there the following week. The single also marked Francis' final appearance of the R&B charts at No. 11.[2]

In the UK "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" reached No. 3.

Chart performance

[edit]

Weekly charts

[edit]
Chart (1960) Position
Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[3] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[4] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[6] 11

All-time charts

[edit]
Chart (1958-2018) Position
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 383

Mein Herz weiß genau, was es will

[edit]

Francis recorded German versions of her US hits such as Everybody's Somebody's Fool (entitled "Die Liebe ist ein seltsames Spiel").[8] On 18 October 1960, Francis recorded a German-language version of "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" ("Mein Herz weiß genau, was es will" which translates to My heart knows exactly what it wants), with German lyrics by Ralph Maria Siegel. It was recorded at the tail end of the same session which produced Francis' subsequent U.S. hits "Where the Boys Are", "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart".[9]

"Mein Herz weiß genau, was es will", however, remain unreleased until 1988 when it appeared for the first time ever on anthology of Francis' complete German, Dutch and Swedish recordings.[10]

"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" was subsequently provided with an alternate set of German lyrics – also by Ralph Maria Siegel - entitled "So wie es damals war" (which translates to "Just like it was before") and recorded by Siw Malmkvist as well as Trixie Kühn, Gina Dobra, Nana Gualdi, and Charlotte Marian. Neither version did chart.

Cover versions

[edit]

Unlike Francis' preceding No. 1 "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" did not become a C&W crossover hit for Francis herself but the song was subsequently recorded by several high-profile C&W songstresses beginning with Connie Smith on her 1966 album Downtown Country. In 1971 Smith's version was included on a compilation release which was entitled My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own.

The most successful country version was by Susan Raye in 1972 which hit Billboard's Top 10 Country Singles. Debby Boone made a slightly less successful hit of it in 1979, peaking at No. 11; Boone subsequently made less successful bids for C&W chart success with remakes of the Connie Francis hits "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" (No. 25) and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" (No. 48).[11]

"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" was recorded by Reba McEntire early in her career; that version was first released on the 1994 compilation Oklahoma Girl. "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" was also one of several Pop classic hits covered by Sandy Posey on One Fine Day a 2005 CD release which marked Posey's return to her countrypolitan roots on which Francis' "Who's Sorry Now?" and "My Happiness" were also remade.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (March 6, 2018). "The Number Ones: Connie Francis' "My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 7, 2023. A couple of months later, Francis hit #1 again, with another country song, which also happened to be her very next single.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 214.
  3. ^ "CHUM Hit Parade, week of September 19, 1962".
  4. ^ "Connie Francis: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  5. ^ "Connie Francis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. ^ "Connie Francis Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  7. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  8. ^ de:Connie Francis#deutsch
  9. ^ Ron Roberts: Connie Francis 1960–1962, supplement to 5 CD Boxed Set Kissin', Twistin', Goin' Where The Boys Are, Bear Family Records BCD 16 826 AH, Hambergen (Germany) 1996
  10. ^ Richard Weize: Connie Francis, companion book to 8-LP-Boxed Boxed Set Connie Francis in Deutschland, Bear Family Records BFX 15 305, Hambergen/Vollersode (Germany) 1988
  11. ^ "AMG". Retrieved 2 November 2009.