It's a Different World (Connie Francis song)

"It's a Different World"
Single by Connie Francis
B-side	"Empty Chapel"
Released	May 1966 (1966-05)
Genre	A-Side — Pop, Rock n roll B-Side — Country
Length	2:18
Label	MGM K13505
Songwriter	Jimmie Crane
Producer	Tom Wilson
Connie Francis singles chronology
"Love Is Me, Love Is You" (1966) "It's a Different World" (1966) "A Letter from a Soldier (Dear Mama)" (1966)
Alternative cover
German single release cover, MGM Records

"It's a Different World" is a song written and composed by Jimmy Crane and most notably performed by Connie Francis, who released it as a single in the middle of 1966 under MGM Records.

Connie Francis version

Release and reception

"It's a Different World" was released as a seven-inch single in May 1966 by MGM Records. ^[1] It was backed by a country-styled weeper song, ^[2] "Empty Chapel" on the B-side, ^[1] which was later included in her To Each His Own compilation album, released in 1993, mainly in South Africa. Both tracks were arranged and conducted by Benny Golson and produced by Tom Wilson. ^[1] The single was advertised as a "bright" single with a "new direction". ^[3]

Record World gave the single four stars and in its short review of it stated that "Connie has gone into the echo chamber for this big ork rocker," and called it "A click". ^[4]

Cashbox reviewed the single in early May and said that "Connie Francis can have one of her biggest smashes in quite a while with this top-notch MGM original dubbed 'It’s A Different World.'" The magazine added "The tune is a rhythmic, pulsating romantic handclapper about a lucky gal who's on cloud nine now that she's found Mr. Right." ^[2]

Chart performance

"It's a Different World" debuted at No. 34 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100, dropping out the next week. ^[5] The single reached No. 42 on the Cashbox Looking Ahead, ^[6] and peaked at No. 43 on the Record World Looking Ahead singles chart. ^[7] Outside of America the single didn't sell well, unlike "Love is Me, Love is You" the single didn't chart in Canada and Australia. ^[8]

Track listing

7" vinyl single ^{[1] [2]}

• "It's a Different World" - 2:18
• "Empty Chapel" – 3:14

References

1. Francis, Connie (May 1966). ""It's a Different World"/"Empty Chapel" (7" vinyl single)". MGM Records . 13505.
2. Cashbox magazine, May 7, 1966. Record Reviews, The Cashbox Pick of the Week
3. Billboard magazine, May 14, 1966. Page 14, MGM Records advertisement.
4. "Record World Singles Reviews, Four Stars" (PDF). Record World . Vol. 20, no. 987. May 7, 1966. p. 6. Retrieved December 25, 2025– via worldradiohistory.com.
5. Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling under the hot 100, 1959-1981. Menomonee Falls, Wis: Record Research. p. 63. ISBN   978-0-8982-0047-8.
6. Downey, Pat; Albert, George; Hoffman, Frank (1994). Cash Box Pop Singles Charts, 1950–1993. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. pp. 129–130. ISBN   1563083167.
7. Whitburn, Joel (2012). Hit Records 1954–1982. Record Research. ISBN   978-0-89820-200-7.
8. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-44439-5.