My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own


"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" is a song written by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller which was a #1 hit for Connie Francis in 1960.

1960 hit

Francis recorded "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" at Radio Recorders studio in Hollywood over three different sessions on July 9, 25, and 31, 1960 with Jesse Kaye and Arnold Maxin acting as producers; Gus Levene arranged the orchestration and conducted. Jack Keller brought one of the LA tapes back to New York for a Sax & Guitar overdub at Olmstead Studios. Artie Kaplan and Al Gorgoni were brought in for the sax and guitar overdub.
Several takes from these sessions are still extant. The original MGM K 12923 single utilized Take 49 but two weeks into release this was replaced by Take 37 at the behest of Francis and the song's writers.
"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" became Francis' second consecutive A-side to top the Billboard Hot 100 reaching #1 on the chart dated 26 September 1960 and holding there the following week. The single also marked Francis' final appearance of the R&B charts at #11.
In the UK "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" reached #3.
On 18 October 1960, Francis recorded a German-language version of "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own", which remained unreleased until 1988.

Chart performance

All-time charts

Remakes

Unlike Francis' precedent #1 "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" did not become a C&W crossover hit for Francis herself but the song was subsequently recorded by several high-profile C&W songstresses beginning with Connie Smith on her 1966 album Downtown Country. In 1971 Smith's version was included on a compilation release which was entitled My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own.
The most successful country version was by Susan Raye in 1972 which hit Billboard's Top 10 Country Singles. Debby Boone made a slightly less successful hit of it in 1979, peaking at #11; Boone subsequently made less successful bids for C&W chart success with remakes of the Connie Francis hits "Breakin' in a Brand New Broken Heart" and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".
"My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" was recorded by Reba McEntire early in her career; that version was first released on the 1994 compilation Oklahoma Girl. "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" was also one of several Pop classic hits covered by Sandy Posey on One Fine Day a 2005 CD release which marked Posey's return to her countrypolitan roots on which Francis' "Who's Sorry Now?" and "My Happiness" were also remade.