''Corazón de poeta'' (; Spanish for "Heart of a poet") is the fourth studio album by English-born Spanish singer

Jeanette Jeanette, Jeannette or Jeanetta may refer to: * Jeanette (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) Places * Jeannette, Ontario, Canada * Jeannette Runciman Island, Ontario, Canada * Jeanne ...

, released in June 1981 by

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

. 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 "Soy rebelde" (English: "I am a rebel") is a Spanish pop ballad written by Manuel Alejandro and Ana Magdalena. It was released by British-born singer Jeanette in 1971, and was her debut solo single. It has been re-recorded by Jeanette in English, ...

", Jeanette's 1971 breakthrough as a

canción melódica Canción melódica (; Spanish for "melodic song"), also known as canción ligera ("light song") is a genre of Spanish-language popular music typically defined by sentimental ballads with light, orchestral arrangements. It grew out of traditional f ...

singer. After releasing an

LP record The LP (from long playing or long play) is an Analog recording, analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of revolutions per minute, rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use ...

in France and an unsuccessful foray into

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

in Germany, ''Corazón de poeta'' was Jeanette's return to fame, 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. Balla ...

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 Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

were released from the album: the title track, "Frente a frente" and "El muchacho de los ojos tristes", with the former two becoming major hits and aiding Jeanette's resurgent popularity and success. Jeanette's best-selling album to date, ''Corazón de poeta'' was met with instant commercial success upon its 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 Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

—where virtually every track on the album was met with success and popularity. It remains Jeanette's most acclaimed release, and is considered by Jeanette herself as her best work. Various tracks from ''Corazón de poeta'' are among Jeanette's most famous popular songs, and several of them have been covered by various other artists.

Background and production

Jeanette had previously worked with ''Corazon de poeta''s composer

in her solo debut single "

", released in 1971 on Hispavox. The orchestral song was a departure from the

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...

-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 (Spanish singer), Jeanette, guitarists Toti Soler and Al Cárdenas, drummer Jordi Barangé and bassist ...

, 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 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 "¿Porque te vas?" (; Spanish for "Why are you leaving?") is a song by English-born Spanish singer Jeanette, written by José Luis Perales and produced by Rafael Trabucchelli for record label Hispavox in 1974. Background and recording Jeanette ma ...

"—popularized by its inclusion in the 1976 film ''

Cría cuervos ''Cría cuervos'' ("Raise Ravens", also written ''Cría cuervos…'') is a 1976 Spanish psychological drama film written and directed by Carlos Saura and produced by Elías Querejeta. The film is an allegorical drama about an eight-year-old gir ...

''—Jeanette found herself working mostly abroad. Moving away from her career in Spain, the subsequent years she recorded an

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 ...

, as well as various

for Germany and the Netherlands. The latter attempted to reinvent Jeanette as a

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

. 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 List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. According to Jeanette, the sessions took a month and featured sixty

session musicians A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a record ...

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

-led style she had been famous for during the 1970s. In a 1981 interview with ''

Heraldo de Aragón ''Heraldo de Aragón'' is a regional daily newspaper published in Zaragoza, 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 Heraldo de Aragó ...

'', Jeanette explained: "... it can be said that

n the album N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of 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, sculp ...

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

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 language, 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 often wa ...

—"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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

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 (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...

due to its instrumentation and melody.

Release and promotion

''Corazón de poeta'' was released in June 1981 on RCA Victor as a

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette (format) (or ''cassette tape''), a format that contains magnetic tape for audio, video, and data storage and playback * Compact Cassette, a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ...

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 Universal Music Group record label, originally owned by Eddie Barclay in 1953. Barclay previously established Riviera-LM Records in 1951. Eddie was a bandleader, pianist, producer and nightclub owner. With his wife and voc ...

. 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 record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

s—were "almost simultaneously" released as

7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...

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 Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album art ...
I appear with flying hair, bare shoulders... They made me a woman!

In July 1998,

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations Music publishing companies * Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 ** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that was pur ...

released the albums ''Corazón de poeta'' and ''Ojos en el sol'' together as one

compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products, such as video game co ...

. Record label Rama Lama Music released in 2003 a

remastered A remaster is a change in the sound or image quality of previously created forms of media, whether Mastering (audio), audiophonic, Cinematography, cinematic, or Videography, videographic. The resulting product is said to be remastered. The term ...

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 (, ) or Iberian America is generally considered to be the region in the Americas comprising countries or territories where Spanish or Portuguese are predominant languages (usually former colony, territories of Spain or Portugal). Sp ...

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

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. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

'' 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 Lafonoteca is an online music database and guide service website for Spanish popular music. Content As a database, Lafonoteca covers a multitude of styles and genres, from pop, rock and hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) ...

, "it harvested millionaire sales around the world, triumphing across the line in several

Hispanic America Hispanic America ( or ), historically known as Spanish America () or Castile (historical region), Castilian America (), is the Spanish-speaking countries and territories of the Americas. In all of these countries, Spanish language, Spanish is th ...

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 returned Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of interest to consumers. It is typically used ...

Jeanette 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 Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...

s, and gained

cult status A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, book ...

. During an interview for

home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, 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 and Blu-ray. ...

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 Background may refer to: Performing arts and stagecraft * Background actor * Background artist * Background light * Background music * Background story * Background vocals * ''Background'' (play), a 1950 play by Warren Chetham-Strode Record ...

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 1943 – 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''. It was released as the album's lead single in January 2010, and its music video featured a

cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...

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 music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

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 ...

''Contemplaciones. Homenaje iberoamericano a Jeanette'', in which several artists from Spain and

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 Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

tracks, including

Noreaga Victor James Santiago Jr. (born September 6, 1977), better known by his stage names N.O.R.E. (an acronym for Nigga On the Run Eating) and Noreaga, is an American rapper, singer and podcaster. Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of th ...

's "Gangsta's Watch",

Cookin' Soul Cookin' Soul is a Spanish producer- DJ duo known separately as Big Size and Zock (aka ZOG). Producing work since around 2005, the two have developed a strong presence in the mixtape circuit in the US, according to ''El País''. Biography David ...

's remix of "Threat" by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

Cartel de Santa Cartel de Santa is a Mexican hip hop group from Santa Catarina, Nuevo León, Mexico, founded by Hector Montaño and Ronaldo Sifuentes. The band started playing in 1996 as part of the Avanzada Regia musical movement and Artilleria Pesada. Current ...

's "El dolor del micro",

Facção Central Facção Central was a Brazilian hip-hop group formed in 1989 in São Paulo. Known for its aggressive style and lyrics addressing themes such as police and social violence, drug trafficking, and criticism of the system, the group became one of th ...

'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 the Mexican American or Chicano culture. History Early years The first recognized Chicano rap album was the 1990 debut album '' Hispanic Causing Panic'' by Kid Frost; the album's le ...

per Conejo sampled "Corazón de poeta" in "Coins Like Judas", a song off his 2014 album ''Favela Tres''.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. *

– vocals, primary artist

Production

– 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", orch ...

*José Antonio Alvarez Alija –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

, assistant producer *Maurizio Gaudenzi – assistant engineer *David Beigbeder – conductor, assistant producer

Cover design

*Antonio Lax – design *Francisco Ontañón – photography *José María Castellví – photography

Charts

Certifications

Notes

References

External links

* * statistics, tagging and previews at

Last.fm Last.fm is a music website founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. Utilizing a music recommender system known as "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm creates a detailed profile of each user's musical preferences by recording the details of the tracks they ...

* at

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{{Authority control 1981 albums 1980s ballads RCA Records albums Songs written by Manuel Alejandro Jeanette (singer) albums