Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart
1961 single by Connie Francis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" is a popular song written by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller.[1]
| "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Connie Francis | ||||
| B-side | "Someone Else's Boy" | |||
| Released | April 1961 | |||
| Recorded | October 18, 1960 | |||
| Genre | Country pop | |||
| Length | 2:35 | |||
| Label | MGM Records | |||
| Songwriters | Howard Greenfield, Jack Keller | |||
| Connie Francis singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
It was recorded by Connie Francis in an October 18, 1960, New York City session conducted and arranged by Stan Applebaum; the same session produced "Where the Boys Are". Like Francis' previous Greenfield/Keller-penned hit "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" exemplified the country pop sound and while unlike "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" was not a C&W crossover for Francis herself.[2]
Chart performance
"Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" was released as the follow-up single in April 1961, reaching the Top 10 in May with a Billboard Hot 100 peak of number 7 (number 5 on the Cash Box Pop 100).[3]
Although "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" was Francis' seventh consecutive A-side to reach the Top 10 - and her eleventh Top 10 overall - the single did mark a dip in her popularity as, while Francis' previous eight singles had had both A- and B-sides chart, the single's B-side "Someone Else's Boy" was overlooked in the U.S. despite becoming an international success for Francis via her recording versions in eight languages.[4]
In the UK, "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" reached number 12 in June 1961.[5] In Canada it was number 14 for two weeks in May 1961.[6] Elsewhere, the track reached the Top 10 in Australia (number 8) and New Zealand (number 2), that July. In September 1961, it reached number 7 in the Netherlands, with a Top 10 ranking in India in December. Also in 1961, Francis' rendering in Italian as "La Valle Senzo Eco" ("The valley without echo") was a Top 10 hit in Italy, reaching No. 6 there.[7] It was her 3rd best charting Italian release.
Cover versions
- The song entered C&W canon via a cover by the Wilburn Brothers on their 1962 album City Limits, as "Breaking in a Brand New Broken Heart"
- In 1978, Margo Smith remade the song for her Don't Break the Heart That Loves You LP, whose title cut, a remake of Francis' 1961 number one hit, had been a number one C&W hit.[8]
- "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" was a number 25 C&W single in 1979 for Debby Boone.[9] Her precedent single had also been a remake of a Connie Francis hit, specifically "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" (number 11 C&W); both tracks were featured on the Debby Boone album. In 1980, Boone attempted a third Connie Francis hit remake with her version of "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" which would fall short of the C&W Top 40 at number 48.
- A German rendering of the song: "Das kommt davon...", was recorded in 1961 by Gitte.[10]
- Elda Viler (sl) recorded the Slovenian rendering "Dolina Brez Odmeva" in 1964 and also recorded "La Valle Senzo Eco" in 1965.[11]
- A version in soumi: "Äsken särkyi sydämeni", was cut by Marjatta Leppänen(fi) for release in Finland.[12]