Where the Boys Are: Connie Francis in Hollywood

WHERE THE BOYS ARE is a collection of songs from Connie Francis' movies. Eleven of the 24 tracks are previously unreleased.
Producers: George Feltenstein, Bradley Flanagan.
Includes liner notes by Connie Francis and Joseph Lanza.
Tracks 1-20 are stereo. Tracks 21-24 are mono.
Personnel: Connie Francis (vocals).
Liner Note Author: Joseph Lanza.
Recording information: 07/12/1960-07/14/1965.
Arrangers: Claus Ogerman; Fred Karger; Leo Arnaud; Joe Mazzu; Joe Sherman; Leroy Holmes; Pete Rugolo; Skip Martin .
Francis' early- and mid-'60s films may have their staunch band of supporters, but few would go as far as to hail them as enduring art. That same judgment and then some goes for the music she sang on their soundtracks. Much of it is collected on this 24-song CD, which has tunes from Where the Boys Are, Follow the Boys, Looking for Boys, and When the Boys Meet the Girls, as well as some unreleased material, even tacking on a few piano demos for the Looking for Love film. The themes to "Where the Boys Are" and "Follow the Boys" were big hits, but the rest of the songs here are mostly filler, with the same innocuous, occasionally vapid qualities of the films themselves. There's a bit of rock & roll here and there (sung none too convincingly), but much of it is typically sentimental musical comedy/drama fare. For that reason, it will appeal much more to pop vocal and soundtrack fans than rock ones, though it's certainly well packaged, complete with 24-page liner notes. ~ Richie Unterberger