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''Corazón de poeta'' (; Spanish for "Heart of a poet") is the fourth studio album by English-born Spanish singer Jeanette, released in June 1981 on
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ar ...
. The album was almost entirely written and produced by composer
Manuel Alejandro Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez (born 21 February 1932), better known as Manuel Alejandro, is a Spanish composer of Latin love songs, which are better known as ''ballads''. He has written, composed, and arranged songs for the likes of Luis Migu ...
, who had written " Soy rebelde", Jeanette's 1971 breakthrough as a canción melódica singer. After releasing an
LP record The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of   rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...
in France and an unsuccessful foray into disco in Germany, ''Corazón de poeta'' was Jeanette's return to the Spanish market, as well as to the soft,
sentimental ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. ...
s she had been known for. ''Corazón de poeta'' intended to reinvent Jeanette's childlike image into a more mature one, reflected in its erotic tone and its promotional campaign. Three singles were released from the album: the title track, "Frente a frente" and "El muchacho de los ojos tristes", with the former two becoming
hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album s ...
and aiding Jeanette's resurgent popularity in the Spanish market. The singer's best-selling studio album to date, ''Corazón de poeta'' was a commercial success upon release, performing well in Spain—where it received a double
Gold certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
—as well as Latin America—where virtually every song from the record found success. It remains Jeanette's most acclaimed album, and is considered by the singer herself as her best work. Various tracks from ''Corazón de poeta'' are among Jeanette's most famous songs, and several of them have been covered by other artists.


Background and production

Jeanette had previously worked with ''Corazon de poeta''s composer
Manuel Alejandro Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez (born 21 February 1932), better known as Manuel Alejandro, is a Spanish composer of Latin love songs, which are better known as ''ballads''. He has written, composed, and arranged songs for the likes of Luis Migu ...
in her solo debut single " Soy rebelde", released in 1971 on Hispavox. The orchestral song was a departure from the
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk music, folk and rock music, rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the American fo ...
-influenced style of her previous group
Pic-Nic Pic-Nic was a Spanish teenage folk-pop and sunshine pop band formed in Barcelona in the mid-to-late 1960s, composed of lead singer Jeanette, guitarists Toti Soler and Al Cárdenas, drummer Jordi Barangé and bassist Isidoro "Doro" de Montaber ...
, and established Jeanette as an internationally renowned melodic singer. After the European success of her
hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...
" Porque te vas"—popularized by its inclusion in the 1976 film ''
Cría cuervos ''Cría Cuervos'' (''Raise ravens'') is a 1976 Spanish drama film directed by Carlos Saura. The film is an allegorical drama about an eight-year-old girl dealing with loss. Highly acclaimed, it received the Special Jury Prize Award at the 1976 Can ...
''—Jeanette found herself working mostly abroad. Moving away from her career in Spain, the subsequent years she recorded an
LP record The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of   rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...
in France with
André Popp André Charles Jean Popp (19 February 1924 – 10 May 2014) was a French composer, arranger and screenwriter. Biography Popp was born into a family of German-Dutch background, in Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée. He started his career as a church org ...
, as well as various singles for Germany and the Netherlands. The latter attempted to reinvent Jeanette as a disco singer, something she disliked and later criticized. In a 1981 interview on talk show ''Retrato en vivo'', Jeanette stated: "They wanted to change my image, what I really am. Because the people here in Spain know me as a singer of melodic, soft songs... ..And I really did not like it very much, and left it. Jeanette then decided to refocus on the Spanish career she had put on rest, signing a new contract with
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ar ...
. She stated: "my illusion was to record an album with Manuel Alejandro, which would ultimately mean returning to my roots, to do what I have always done." He took a year and a half to compose the songs, which he later played in his piano to Jeanette. She recalled: "I liked them all. But with him you can not say much because he sends you out. He tells me: 'You're going to sing this because I say so'." ''Corazón de poeta'' was recorded in early 1981 at Sonoland Studios,
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), an ...
. According to Jeanette, the sessions took a month and featured sixty
session musicians Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
in the studio, "without sophisticated machines or anything". Regarding his experience working with Jeanette, Alejandro recalled in 1999: "She had the tiniest voice I've ever heard in my life. They had to record the vocals twice on two tracks. But it was incredible."


Composition

''Corazón de poeta'' was Jeanette's return to the soft and melodic
sentimental ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. ...
-led style she had been famous for during the 1970s. In a 1981 interview with ''
Heraldo de Aragón ''Heraldo de Aragón'' is a Spanish language regional daily newspaper published in Saragossa, Spain. The paper has been in circulation since 1895. History and profile ''Heraldo de Aragón'' was first published on 20 September 1895. The owner is ...
'', Jeanette explained: "... it can be said that
n the album N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...
there is a bit of everything, although what predominates are the soft songs, which is my usual style and where I am most comfortable." Unlike her previous works, however, the album presented a more
erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, ...
tone and less naive lyrics, that corresponded to a more mature woman. The organizers of Festival Europa Sur stated in 2014 that with tracks like "Corazón de poeta" and "Frente a frente", Jeanette "demonstrated that a canción melódica song can be approached from a pop optic". Alejandro wrote all the songs with Jeanette's voice in mind and even included a
paso doble Pasodoble (Spanish: ''double step'') is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This military march gave rise r ...
—"Viva el pasodoble"—because he felt it would be "funny" to combine her characteristic English accent and thin voice with the
Spanish folk music Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...
genre. The singer initially refused to record it but eventually agreed at Alejandro's insistence. However, she mentioned it in 2012 as "one of her songs that she has come to hate" alongside "Voy a tener un niño"; and refuses to perform it live, stating that she "does not feel comfortable" doing so. The lyrics of "Frente a frente" have been referred to as "a slow story of disagreement". Jeanette described it in 1981 as "very current", as it "touches on a burning issue that is divorce." "El muchacho de los ojos tristes" has been likened to French
chanson A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic ...
due to its instrumentation and melody.


Release and promotion

''Corazón de poeta'' was released in June 1981 on RCA Victor as a cassette and LP record. In addition to Spain, RCA Victor was responsible for the album's release in Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia, Mexico, Ecuador, and the United States. In France, ''Corazón de poeta'' was issued on
Barclay Records Barclay is a French record company and label founded by Eddie Barclay in 1953. Eddie Barclay was a bandleader, pianist, producer, and nightclub owner. With his wife, Nicole, who was the vocalist in his band, he started Barclay. The catalogue in ...
. In 1988, RCA
reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Reco ...
d the album in the United States as a CD. The tracks "Corazón de poeta" and "Frente a frente"—with "Comiénzame a vivir" and "Cuando estoy con él" as their respective
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
s—were "almost simultaneously" released as
7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separat ...
s in 1981. Both songs were also recorded in English—"Frente a frente" as "Sorrow" and "Corazón de poeta" as "A Heart So Warm and So Tender"—and released as a single that year. "El muchacho de los ojos tristes"—backed by "Toda la noche oliendo a tí"—was released as the album's third and final single in 1982. Jeanette promoted the album extensively throughout Spain, making appearances across radio, television and newspapers. In August 1981, she appeared as a "guest of honor" on TV show ''Retrato en vivo'', where she performed "Toda la noche oliendo a tí", "Acabaré llorando" and "Frente a frente". In her interviews, the singer emphasized her wish to be seen as a more mature woman and leave behind the childlike image people had of her. In 2016, she recalled:
I remember that time because I find it very funny. When I started to record the album ''Corazón de poeta'', production told me that it was time to become a woman and leave the childish side that everyone knew. I laughed so much when they said my voice was sexy 'laughs'' In the cover photo I appear with flying hair, bare shoulders... They made me a woman!
In July 1998, BMG released the albums ''Corazón de poeta'' and ''Ojos en el sol'' together as one compilation. Record label Rama Lama Music released in 2003 a
remastered Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used. Mastering A ...
compilation of the three albums Jeanette recorded for RCA Victor. The songs from ''Corazón de poeta'' have appeared in several
greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
s by Jeanette, such as ''Grandes éxitos'' (1987), ''Sus más lindas canciones'' (1988), ''Sigo rebelde'' (1996), and ''20 éxitos originales'' (2005).


Reception

''Corazón de poeta'' was a commercial success in Spain and
Ibero-America Ibero-America ( es, Iberoamérica, pt, Ibero-América) or Iberian America is a region in the Americas comprising countries or territories where Spanish or Portuguese are predominant languages (usually former territories of Portugal or Spai ...
n countries such as Argentina and Chile (where it became number one on the album charts), Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. In Spain, the album spent a week at the top of the album charts. On 19 October 1981, Promusicae awarded ''Corazón de poeta'' the
Gold certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
at nightclub Long Play, in recognition of having sold 100,000 copies. The album was later certified double Gold in Spain in early 1982. ''
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
'' reported in July 1982 that the album had sold around 200,000 copies. ''Corazón de poeta'' continued to sell for several years, eventually becoming Jeanette's best selling album in Spain and South America. According to Lafonoteca, "it harvested millionaire sales around the world, triumphing across the line in several
Hispanic America The region known as Hispanic America (in Spanish called ''Hispanoamérica'' or ''América Hispana'') and historically as Spanish America (''América Española'') is the portion of the Americas comprising the Spanish-speaking countries of North, ...
n countries." Although the title track was intended to be the album's main single, it was "totally obscured" by "Frente a frente", which "sold quite more" and was able to "collect the dividends that its matrix LP was producing in the lbummarket". According to Lafonoteca's Julián Molero, it "obtained a surely unexpected success at the beginning of its publication and became one of the most representative titles of Jeanette's career." In early 1982, ''ABC'' stated that "the song "Corazón de poeta" ad returnedJeanette to the forefront of musical news in Ibero-America", with both the title track and "Frente a frente" appearing on Spain's singles chart. "El muchacho de los ojos tristes", the album's final single, failed to perform as well as the previous singles, as by that time its tracks were already well-known. Instead, it "fulfilled the objective of keeping in limelight the name of the singer on hold for the news that would occur the following year." ''Corazón de poeta'' remains Jeanette's "most revered work". Critic Julián Molero felt that the album was "impeccable in its production and interpretation" and that "in its style it is among the best of those years." He further wrote: "If you allow me one last reflection of personal nature, I must say that this is not the kind of music I like, but it is evident that it is a very, very well done album. One of those records that you can not put a formal 'but', where nothing is unnecessary or a free whim. It is not surprising that it has been republished since the date of its publication."


Legacy

Over time, songs like "Corazón de poeta", "Frente a frente" and "El muchacho de los ojos tristes" have come to be considered
classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a '' ...
s, and gained
cult status A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
. During an interview for
home video Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming m ...
series ''Las canciones de tu vida'' in 2008, host
José María Íñigo José María Íñigo Gómez (4 June 1942 – 5 May 2018) was a Spanish journalist, radio and television presenter, and stage and screen actor. Biography Career Born in Bilbao, Íñigo began his professional career in his hometown as he was hi ...
asked Jeanette what ''Corazón de poeta'' meant in her discography, to which she replied: "That was the best LP I ever recorded in my life. Look at the curiosity that the tracks of the record were number one in many countries of South America. It's not like today that they make you a CD and there are two or three songs that are worth, and the rest is more or less. Here were twelve wonderful tracks." Julián Molero described it as "her most famous album whose songs thirty years later continue to sound in the musical thread of the big surfaces and some stations specialized in retromusic that serve as background to any work activity." The songs from ''Corazon de poeta'' have been extensively
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of ...
by other artists.
Rocío Jurado María del Rocío Mohedano Jurado (, 18 September 1944 – 1 June 2006), better known as Rocío Jurado, was a Spanish singer and actress. She was born in Chipiona (Cádiz) and nicknamed "La más grande" ("The Greatest"). In 2000 in New York Ci ...
famously covered "Viva el pasodoble", which became her most known song and led many people to believe she was its original singer. Spanish singer-songwriter
Enrique Bunbury Enrique Ortiz de Landázuri Izarduy (born 11 August 1967), best known as Enrique Bunbury, is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He has been described as "by far the most international star of Spanish rock." He was propelled to fame as lead singer ...
is an andmirer of "Frente a frente", and included a cover version of the song, featuring Miren Iza, in his album ''
Las Consecuencias ''Las Consecuencias'' ("The Consequences") is an album by former Heroes Del Silencio front-man and lead vocalist, Enrique Bunbury Enrique Ortiz de Landázuri Izarduy (born 11 August 1967), best known as Enrique Bunbury, is a Spanish singer a ...
''. It was released as the album's lead single in January 2010, and its music video featured a
cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
by Jeanette. Mariana Montenegro of Chilean band Dënver covered "Corazón de poeta" in 2013. Por Qué Jeanette, a Spanish
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...
tribute band focusing on the singer, have released several reinterpretations of songs off ''Corazón de poeta'', including the title track, "Cuando estoy con él", "Toda la noche oliendo a tí", "Acabaré llorando", "Un día es un día", "Comiénzame a vivir" and "Frente a frente". In October 2015, Peruvian label Plastilina Records released the
double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...
''Contemplaciones. Homenaje iberoamericano a Jeanette'', in which several artists from Spain and
Ibero-America Ibero-America ( es, Iberoamérica, pt, Ibero-América) or Iberian America is a region in the Americas comprising countries or territories where Spanish or Portuguese are predominant languages (usually former territories of Portugal or Spai ...
paid homage to the singer. It includes cover versions of "Si te vas, te vas" by Chico Unicornio, "Corazón de poeta" by Carmen Sandiego, "El muchacho de los ojos tristes" by Niza, "Cuando estoy con él" by Sexores and "Frente a frente" by Los Waldners. In 2016, Jeanette re-recorded "Toda la noche oliendo a tí" alongside fellow ballad singer Juan Bau, which was released as a single on Regalia Records. The song "Frente a frente" has been sampled in several hip-hop tracks, including
Noreaga Victor James Santiago Jr. (born September 6, 1977), better known by his stage names Noreaga and later N.O.R.E., is an American rapper. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop du ...
's "Gangsta's Watch", Cookin' Soul's remix of "Threat" by Jay-Z, Cartel de Santa's "El dolor del micro",
Facção Central Facção Central was a Brazilian gangsta rap group formed in the city of São Paulo in 1989. The rap group garnered significant attention due to the powerful content of their lyrics, which ultimately led to the arrest of its members following the ...
's "A malandragem toma conta (Releitura)", and The Louk's "Ritmos & Letras".
Chicano rap Chicano rap is a subgenre of hip hop that embodies aspects of Southwest Mexican American or Chicano culture. It is typically performed by rappers and musicians of Mexican descent. History Early years The first widely recognized Chicano rap arti ...
per Conejo sampled "Corazón de poeta" in "Coins Like Judas", a song off his 2014 album ''Favela Tres''.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits adapted from ''Corazón de poeta''s liner notes. * Jeanette – primary artist, vocals *
Manuel Alejandro Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez (born 21 February 1932), better known as Manuel Alejandro, is a Spanish composer of Latin love songs, which are better known as ''ballads''. He has written, composed, and arranged songs for the likes of Luis Migu ...
 – producer, arranger,
orchestration Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", or ...
*José Antonio Alvarez Alija –
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, assistant producer *Maurizio Gaudenzi – assistant engineer *David Beigbeder – conductor, assistant producer *Antonio Lax – design *Francisco Ontañón – photography *José María Castellví – photography


Charts


Certifications


See also

*
1981 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981. Specific locations *1981 in British music * 1981 in Norwegian music Specific genres *1981 in country music * 1981 in heavy metal music * 1981 in hip hop music *1981 in ...
*
1982 in music This is a list of notable events in music from 1982, a year in which Madonna made her debut and Michael Jackson released ''Thriller'', which holds the title for the world's best selling album. Specific locations *1982 in British music * 1982 i ...
*
Latin ballad Latin ballad ( es, balada romántica) is a sentimental ballad derived from bolero that originated in the early 1960s in Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the ...
*
List of number-one albums in Argentina The Argentina Top 10 is a record chart published weekly by CAPIF (Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas), a nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non- ...


Notes


References


External links

* * statistics, tagging and previews at Last.fm * at
Rate Your Music Rate Your Music (often abbreviated to RYM) is an online collaborative database of music releases and films. Users can catalog items from their personal collection, review them, and assign ratings in a five-star rating system. The site also feat ...
{{Authority control 1981 albums 1980s ballads RCA Records albums Songs written by Manuel Alejandro Jeanette (singer) albums