At first I thought it ran out of steam early – 90 seconds in, she’d made her point, why did she have to reprise it in high-kicking swing-vamp style? I was completely wrong of course – the last 45 seconds of “Who’s Sorry Now?” are vital because that’s when Connie really, coldly, rubs her ex’s misery in his face. As in – not only are you unhappy, not only did I tell you you’d be unhappy, not only am I happy that you’re unhappy, but I’m going to say so all over again while the band plays STRIPPER MUSIC.
The first bit is pretty great too – I love the country arrangement and Connie’s measured unsympathy, and the “just like a friend” line drowns me in crocodile tears, but the end is where it really gets going. The guitarist in particular seems to be having a gloating good time – maybe he’s her new beau?
(Link: The Connie Francis Fan Club)
Score: 7
[Logged in users can award their own score]
Light entertainment watch: Not many UK TV appearances to show for such a long career – the second and third survive;
THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Billy Fury, Rockin’ Berries, The Who, Connie Francis (1965)
VAL PARNELL’S SPECTACULAR: The Connie Francis Show (1960)
WOGAN: with Maureen Lipman, Gypsy Kings, Connie Francis, Jacob Krichefski (1989)
Critic watch: This song appears in the following “best-of” lists:
1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die, and 10,001 You Must Download (2010)
Bruce Pollock (USA) – The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000 (2005)
RIAA and NEA (USA) – 365 Songs of the Century (2001) 302
I keep being befuddled by the name of that first one. “10,001 Songs You Must Download, But You Don’t Have To Listen To These Ones, It’s Just Nice Having Them There Or Something”.
And how annoyed would you be not to be on that list? To have written a song so famous that you know everyone must have heard of it, but not to be in the top 11,002 songs of all time?
#3: It’s an RIAA honeytrap.
6/10 would be my score for Connie.