The Exciting Connie Francis
After her breakthrough in early 1958 with her single "Who's Sorry Now?", a rock 'n' roll oriented version of the 1923 standard, and a subsequent album of the same title, Francis chose to take a more adult approach to her second album. For "The Exciting Connie Francis", she chose twelve American standards. Francis clearly marked the album as a concept album by dividing it into two sections with different moods: Side A is filled with songs differing between mid-tempo and up-tempo, while Side B consists solely of ballads.
Connie Smith albums discography
In the early 70s, Smith released a series of albums including "I Never Once Stopped Loving You" (1970), "Just One Time" (1971), "Ain't We Havin' Us a Good Time" (1972), and "If It Ain't Love and Other Great Dallas Frazier Songs". In addition, Smith released her third Gospel album in 1971 entitled "Come Along and Walk with Me". After signing with Columbia Records in 1973, Smith issued her first label release that May entitled "A Lady Named Smith", which peaked at #31 on the "Billboard" Top Country Albums chart. In 1974 she released the albums "That's the Way Love Goes" and "I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before)", the latter of which went to #22 on the "Billboard" country albums chart. Before departing Columbia in 1977, Smith released three more studio releases including 1975's "Connie Smith Sings Hank Williams Gospel" and 1976's "I Don't Wanna Talk It Over Anymore". In 1977 Smith moved to Monument Records where she recorded two albums. Taking a twenty-year break to raise her five children, Smith returned in 1998 with a self-titled album on Warner Bros. Records. In 2003 she collaborated with Barbara Fairchild and Sharon White on the Gospel album "Love Never Fails". In August 2011, Smith released her thirty fourth studio album on the Sugar Hill label entitled "Long Line of Heartaches".