Follow the Boys

"Follow the Boys" is a 1963 romantic ballad written to serve as the theme song for the 1963 comedy film of the same name: the song was introduced in the film by its top billed star: Connie Francis, for whom "Follow the Boys" was a Top 20 hit single. Composition and recording Stylistically reminiscent of the hit theme song from Connie Francis' prior film Where the Boys Are, which song had been a Neil Sedaka/ Howard Greenfield co-write, "Follow the Boys" was in fact written by Benny Davis and Murray Mencher (using the pseudonym Ted Murry), veteran songwriters who had been signed to Francis' own music publishing firm Francon Music since 1961, notably writing Francis' 1962 #1 "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You". Francis made the first recording of "Follow the Boys" in a 30 June 1962 session in Europe during the preproduction of its parent film which would shortly begin shooting on the Riviera, Francis overdubbing her vocals on an instrumental track prepped at Abbey Road Studios in London under the auspices of producer Norman Newell and conductor Geoff Love: this version would play under the film's opening and closing credits. However, on 27 September 1962 Francis recorded a second version for the song's single release in a New York City recording session conducted by LeRoy Holmes, a veteran of the classic MGM musicals: although by 1963 Holmes had left MGM for United Artists film division he returned to MGM to work again with Francis whose 1958 hit "Stupid Cupid" he'd conducted. The Follow the Boys soundtrack album - which comprised the five songs Francis sung in the film plus five new songs (four of them Davis/Mencher co-writes) judged to have a European flavor - featured a third version of the title song, as in a 10 January 1963 Francis had overdubbed a new vocal on the single version's instrumental track. Release and impact "Follow the Boys" had its single release the third week of 23 February 1963 parallel with the song's parent film's first screenings, Francis having premiered the song on the 19 February 1963 broadcast of The Jack Benny Program (taped 4 January 1963). Ranked in local hit parades across the US typically peaking in the Top 20, "Follow the Boys" would achieve Top Ten status in Dallas and Philadelphia along with some smaller markets. Nationally "Follow the Boys" peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1963 where it would be Francis' final showing in the Top 20.