Bossa Rio on CD

[Mike]

While I was shopping around in Yokohama yesterday, I stopped at Tower Records and came across a real gem of a CD by “Bossa Rio”. The CD booklet notes are in Japanese, so I don’t know who’s who in the group, but I suspect the female vocalist is Gracinha Leporace. They do a nice job of performing all the songs, I was particularly pleased with “ Up, Up And Away “ and “Old Devil Moon “. The CD is a Japanese pressing, and I didn’t see it listed in Amazon.com as an import, so I don’t know if it’s available in the USA. The following info applies to the CD.

Group: Bossa Rio
Album Title: Bossa Rio

CD (A&M POCM-1883): originally released in 1969

1. Por Causa De Voce Menina
2. Do You Know The Way To San Jose
3. Wave
4. Day By Day
5. Boa Palavra
6. Up, Up And Away
7. Nana
8. Old Devil Moon
9. Veleiro
10. Gentle Rain
11. Cancao Do Sal

 

[Rudy]

A few of us got this one from Dusty Groove. I don't know all the personnel, but I know that pianist Manfredo Fest was also a member.

You have all the good stuff over there. There were a few A&M/CTi albums reissued in Japan as well. One notable CD we've liked here is Tamba 4's "Samba Blim". Chris Montez had three of his CDs out over there and Claudine Longet had a handful as well.

Figures, though...my top "want" isn't even an A&M recording. (Looking for the Japan SACD version of Santana's "Caravanserai"...usually sells for over $50 here. )

 

[Dave]

While I was shopping around in Yokohama yesterday, I stopped at Tower Records and came across a real gem of a CD by “Bossa Rio”. The CD booklet notes are in Japanese, so I don’t know who’s who in the group, but I suspect the female vocalist is Gracinha Leporace. They do a nice job of performing all the songs, I was particularly pleased with “ Up, Up And Away “ and “Old Devil Moon “. The CD is a Japanese pressing, and I didn’t see it listed in Amazon.com as an import, so I don’t know if it’s available in the USA. The following info applies to the CD.

Group: Bossa Rio
Album Title: Bossa Rio

CD (A&M POCM-1883): originally released in 1969

I haven't seen this on LP for years. 'On CD' was how I got this album and I was suprised to learn that it had a different back cover than the LP did.

"Por Causa De Voce Menina" (A/K/A, to me, as "Saiupa, Saiupa, Saiupa") is my favorite track and the only one that I like. But some of the others (even "Wave", which was done by Brasil '66 and even "Up, Up And Away" and "Old Devil Moon") are good.

A good "second-runner" to Sergio Mendes who produced/discovered this Brasilian group.

Dave

 

[Mike]

I continue to shake my head and wonder why a lot of A&M recorings are reissued here. Other than myself, I don't know who in Japan is buying them. I also picked up Rita Coolidge's A&M "Rita Coolidge" and "Greatest Hits" yesterday. And, a few days ago I picked up "A&M Songs of Burt Bacharach" another Japanese pressing that has Pete Jolly doing "What the world needs now is love" and We Five doing "Walk on by". If I see your Santana Cd, I'll let you know.

 

[RichardWarner]

I was in Japan in 1987 and bought a ton of stuff on CD including Samba Blim, Smackwater Jack, When it was Done, Beyond and Summertime (which had not yet been released here.) The one I didn't buy and have been looking for since is Nat Adderly's "You, Baby."

 

[Rudy]

. If I see your Santana Cd, I'll let you know.

The CD proliferates like dandelions around here. But the SACD is Japan only for now. I'm still looking around some online retailers to see what I can find. I may wait though--there's a chance it could come out over here.

 

[Mr Bill]

You know, I've been here in Japan for a couple months and have hit every HMV I can find (still can't find a Tower) and have found nothing except the B66 reissues and Neil Larsen's High Gear among the A&M items I'd like to find. Plenty of Carpenters, Sting, and Cece Peniston, though (she really needs to change the first two syllables of her last name).

Of course, I could order them from amazon.jp or hmv.jp, but that kind of takes the thrill out of the "hunt" if you know what I mean.

Any navigational help from you few guys in Yokosuka and Yokohama would be appreciated (I'm out near Ebina and Hon-Atsugi). Heck, lunch is on me!

--Mr Bill
thinking an international A&M get together would be quite the thing

 

[Mike]

If you can make it to Yokohama Train Station, Tower Records is just outside the west exit on the 6th or 7th floor of a kitty corner building (great big Tower Records sign on the side of the building) -- they take up the entire floor. They have a pretty much everything. HMV is also near by, with an equally impressive selection. The prices are often better in the shop than on the web. If you get lost, just say HMV doko desuka, someone will guide you to the front door. Good luck!

 

[Mr Bill]

Okay, I've been to the Yokohama HMV (where I found the B66 CDs). I'll have to find the Tower, though... Were you here when The Wave record shop was in Roppongi? Now that was an awesome store!

One thing I do is print out pictures of the items I want (with the Kanji Obi strip when possible) to show to the store employees. It at least helps them get me to the right section...

--Mr Bill
realizing this is my 1900th post

 

[JMK]

A good "second-runner" to Sergio Mendes who produced/discovered this Brasilian group.

Dave

It's a little bit of a misnomer to say Sergio "discovered" this group. He actually hand-assembled leading Brasilian players/singers, several of whom had stellar careers in their own right (e.g., male vocalist Pery Ribeiro, who was one of the first "heartthrobs" of the Bossa Nova movement and continued to chart on his own for years in Brasil). Yes, Manfredo Fest plays organ and piano on the first two Bossa Rios, with Joao Donato coming onboard for the final, live-in-Japan session. Bossa Rio was, of course, the name of Sergio's instrumental sextet from the early 60s, before he came to the US. He reincarnated the name when he formed the new group as an opening act for Brasil '66. I still remember hearing "Old Devil Moon" on the radio one day when I was a kid and thinking "Wow, someone is really imitating Sergio!", at which point the DJ came on to back-announce and said (I kid you not--almost like he was answering me), "Now you Sergio Mendes fans don't get upset that this group sounds a lot like Brasil '66. It's produced by Sergio Mendes."

 

[RichardWarner]

I remember him introducing them to America one June night on ABC's late night "Joey Bishop Show." You couldn't really understand what Sergio was saying...his accent was so think...but Joey made a go of it before Sergio tossed it to the group. I believe they sang "Saiupa."

 

[JMK]

It's interesting to note that Sergio chose a Jorge Ben song as the Side 1 Track 1 debut of this group, much as with "Mas Que Nada" for B66. I don't think that's a coincidence.

 

[Aqua do Brasil]

While I was shopping around in Yokohama yesterday, I stopped at Tower Records and came across a real gem of a CD by “Bossa Rio”. The CD booklet notes are in Japanese, so I don’t know who’s who in the group, but I suspect the female vocalist is Gracinha Leporace. They do a nice job of performing all the songs, I was particularly pleased with “ Up, Up And Away “ and “Old Devil Moon “. The CD is a Japanese pressing, and I didn’t see it listed in Amazon.com as an import, so I don’t know if it’s available in the USA. The following info applies to the CD.

Group: Bossa Rio
Album Title: Bossa Rio

CD (A&M POCM-1883): originally released in 1969

1. Por Causa De Voce Menina
2. Do You Know The Way To San Jose
3. Wave
4. Day By Day
5. Boa Palavra
6. Up, Up And Away
7. Nana
8. Old Devil Moon
9. Veleiro
10. Gentle Rain
11. Cancao Do Sal

Dear Forum Members,

I was fortunate to obtain this CD in London, in december 1998 at Tower records in London, England.

In march 1999 mr. Octavio Bailly send me a fax with the complete liner note info in English( the Japanese text is still mystery for me)

Produced by Sergio Mendes for Serrich productions.
Recorded at A&M studios , La Brea Avenue.
Recorded by: Larry Levine
vocals; Gracinha Leporace and Pery Ribeiro who also played some flute.
Drums: Ronald Mesquita (Rony)
Piano: Osmar Milito
Organ: The must missed late Manfredo Fest
Bass; Octavio Bailly,
who was the bass player in Sergio’s instrumental Bossa Rio sextet and a short time bass player in Brasil 77 during the Vintage 74 period.

Mr. Octavio Bailly was also the bass player at the first live performance in 1962 with A.C. Jobim of the song The Girl from Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro.

Additional musicians on the Bossa Rio album are Oscar Castro Neves on guitar and the much missed late Rubens Bassini on percussion.

Tom Wilkes was art director

All the best,
Aqua do Brasil[/b]

 

[Harry]

Yep, I got this through Dusty Groove when it was first announced. Isn't the Blue Thumb followup also out somewhere? Seems to me I remember hearing about that, but haven't gotten it. I tend to prefer the Blue Thiumb album (ALEGRIA!) to the A&M, though both are pretty good.

Harry
...catching up on posts, online...

 

[Aqua do Brasil]

Yep, I got this through Dusty Groove when it was first announced. Isn't the Blue Thumb followup also out somewhere? Seems to me I remember hearing about that, but haven't gotten it. I tend to prefer the Blue Thiumb album (ALEGRIA!) to the A&M, though both are pretty good.

Harry
...catching up on posts, online...

Dear Harry,

I’m not aware if there exists an CD release of the Bossa Rio’s Alegria album.
I’t would be great!
Perhaps, Universal Music group will release it sometimes in the future.
When Tommy LiPuma was appointed president of GRP some years ago and GRP was later incorporated a the Verve record group, LiPuma anounced to reactivate the Blue Thumb label and some of her highlight releases.
LiPuma reactived the label with its co-founder Bob Kraznov. Both men were at the helm of Elektra records, (Kraznov was Chairman and LiPuma vice-president of A&R) in the late ’80s and the beginning of the ’90s. Under their leadership Sergio Mendes realesed his Grammy Award winnnig BRASILEIRO CD.

Interesting note:
One fine Blue Thumb release in 1971 is A BAD DONATO by Brazilian pianist Bossa Nova great João Donato, produced by Victor Feldman with amongst others, Oscar Castro Neves, a very young Paulinho Da Costa the legendary Jazz trumpet greats; the brothers Pete and Conte Condoli.
A killer version of THE FROG is listed on this album, unfortunately only available on LP.

The Donato /Blue Thumb connection was apparently based on Donato’s membership as pianist on the Blue Thumb Alegria album.


All the best,
Aqua do Brasil

 

[JMK]

Tracks from Alegria and the Donato Blue Thumbs *are* available on CD on the multi-disc All Day Thumb Sucker, which was released several years ago upon Blue Thumb's rebirth (which I think failed--maybe Aqua knows more). I'm not sure if it's still in print. There's a great photo of Bossa Rio walking up a hill in their little matching suits with scarves in the accompanying booklet.