1968 Oscar Performance

[Cortnee]

I understand that Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 performed live "The Look of Love" on the 1968 Oscar Awards Ceremonies.Now my question is even though Janis is the lead vocalist on the record of the song, was it Karen that sung at The Oscars? According to The Carnival cd liner notes, Janis had officially left the group in December of 1967.

 

[Trevor]

I heard that "The Look of Love" was the song to use in the audition for Janis' replacement, and Karen sang it so well that she was hired. But that could all be a rumor...

 

[Brasil_66_Fan]

It was the '67 Oscar Awards actually, televised (live, I believe) on April 10, 1968. Janis did sing lead vocals and I recall that both she and Lani wore formal, full length white gowns while the guys wore tuxedos. Janis's (and maybe Lani's) hair was 'pulled up' instead of their usual, casual style. If she left the group at the end of '67, she may have just done this as a one-shot deal.

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

Was Sergio's version of "Look" released as a single before or after the Oscar telecast? I always wondered why Dusty Springfield sang it in the movie, but Sergio had the bigger hit....

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

40th Awards: April 10, 1968
Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. (postponed from April 8th)
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica
MC - Bob Hope
Producer - Arthur Freed
Music Director & Conductor - Elmer Bernstein
Script - Hal Kanter, I.A.L. Diamond, Mort Lachman
Script for Historical Sequences - Daniel Taradash
ABC - TV Producer - Director - Richard Dunlap

MUSIC (Song)

"The Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book -- Music and Lyrics by Terry Gilkyson
"The Eyes of Love" from Banning -- Music by Quincy Jones; Lyrics by Bob Russell
"The Look of Love" from Casino Royale -- Music by Burt Bacharach; Lyrics by Hal David
*"Talk to the Animals" from Doctor Dolittle -- Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" from Thoroughly Modern Millie -- Music and Lyrics by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

As a total aside, why in the world would the Oscars have been postponed for two days?......Did it have to do with Martin Luther King's assassination a few days earlier?

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

http://theoscarsite.com/ceremonies/cere40.htm indicates that the postponement of two days was due to the funeral of Dr. King.