Vote for your favorite Sergio Mendes cover! (Early A&M)

[Mike Blakesley]

OK, we haven't done an album-cover poll yet, so I decided to start one.

Vote for your favorite among the "first A&M era" Mendes covers. And of course, tell your reasons for your choice!

We can do other series of covers, like the "2nd A&M era" and the "non-A&M era" in a future poll. This poll will run for 30 days (ending Dec. 15).

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Vote for your favorite among the "first A&M era" Mendes covers. And of course, tell your reasons for your choice!

I voted for Fool On The Hill. simply because I'm a guy, and when you open the gatefold to the cover, well - you know...


Capt. Bacardi
...wondering why the CD version wasn't exactly the same, online...

 

[Harry]

I'm gonna have to go with Fool On The Hill too, and not just from a 'guy's' standpoint. That gatefold was certainly innovative and unlike others of its time period, and the photo of the largely unsmiling group sitting in what seems at first to be a desert is somehow haunting. (Sergio himself seems to have a bit of a Mona-Lisa kind of smile going on.) The sunset or sunrise coloration in the sky, depending on whether we're looking east or west, adds an element of intrigue to the artwork. If asked, without looking, what color was predominant on Fool On The Hill, I'd reply, "A light blue," because of the 'sky' theme. Yet if you really look at it, it's mostly tans and oranges than saturate the image on the cover. I too am saddened that the new reissue didn't restore the original SPX-4160 gatefold cover, but rather used the more common SP-3108 jacket cover.

My second choice would probably be the Herb Alpert Presents album, just for the coolness of the group standing in the midst of what looks like a Brazilian rainforest, peering through the thick brush. It just said "Brazil!" to anyone who spotted the cover while leafing through the record racks.

Harry
...who just noticed that there's no printing on the spine of SPX-4160, online...

 

[Rudy]

I had to go with Herb Alpert Presents. Having grown up with this on LP, I'd always liked that "rainforest" look and I knew that "Mas Que Nada" was my first and favorite track. I'd always been partial to Look Around and Crystal Illusions because they were so colorful. The alluring Fool was a good cover, but isn't a favorite. (I prefer the beach photos inside.) Worst cover is Pais Tropical, IMHO...it has a cheap, gaudy look to it.

This does bring to mind a question: does anyone think an album cover influences what you "feel" about the music on the album? Or to put it another way, does a mediocre album seem to sound better if it's in a more attractive sleeve? Or does an album cover make you pull out and listen to one album over another?

-= N =-

 

[JMK]

Here's another vote for Fool on the Hill, though for me, all of the covers have something special to recommend them. The cool tropical motif of the first two albums (has anyone noticed that it's Bibi Vogel on the original picture sleeve 45 of "Mas Que Nada," BTW?). I also like the "logo" for Equinox (which they kind of botched by reusing it for the first Brasil '77 tour with Bonnie Bowden--the "77" did NOT match the rest of the lettering!). The summery party feel of "Look Around" is perfect for that album. Then of course there's the psychedelia of "Crystal Illusions," again a great counterpart to the title track. I've always had a soft spot for that great painting on "Ye Me Le," if only because it's so idiosyncratic--what other major artist of that time would have done something so unusual? You kind of had to "look" to even see it was a Sergio Mendes album. "Stillness" is a little less memorable (though the back cover photo is haunting), and the simple effective painting on "Primal Roots" is great, too. I personally like the "Pais Tropical" cover, if only because Karen is so gorgeous on it. But it's an obvious attempt to recreate the first Brasil '66 album in order to launch the new group. Finally, that Avedon inspired photo on "Greatest Hits" is a classic--perfect glamor from a great group! Whew!

 

[Rudy]

I didn't think Ye-Me-Le was all that unusual, just because a lot of jazz album covers featured either photographs or artwork on the cover. I'm a latecomer to this album--I'd only seen it once, back in the early 80's, but never bought it because the vinyl was a bit ratty. Took me until 1997 to find not one, but two copies of it. (I bought the imported DG pressing.)

I've always been partial to those Albizu paintings on all the Verve Stan Getz bossa albums. I've wanted to find a complete set of all of those album covers just for framing. And their simplicity--a colorful painting surrounded by a solid black or white area--obvoiusly influenced a certain other label's gatefold album jackets. (Not having any of the albums near me right now, I can't check to see if Sam Antupit had anything to do with those Verve covers.)

-= N =-

 

[jimac51]

Acy Lehman receives a design credit on "Getz/Gilberto #2'. I don't see his name listed on Vol 1 or "Jazz Samba" but I suspect he was around for those albums,too. While going through some of my Getz Verve gatefolds,I noticed that Pete Turner did the close up shot of Stan and his mouthpiece used on the 1961 cover. In general,I think you have to give Creed Taylor credit as the continual thread holding all of this together. His goal was to present a package to the customer to justify the extra buck he was charging(most of those Verve gatefolds were a dollar higher than regular records of their day). BTW,it would have been really cool if Verve had a cover art book printed during their 50th anniversary in 1994. Books featuring BlueNote,Prestige and Fantasy have added to their mystique and Verve heldtheir own in quality. With the current regime,books are the last thing on their mind.

 

[Rudy]

Mac: so true about the current "management". LP covers are a lost art. An album cover says a lot about what's inside, and back then, it was a whole different world. Granted, one purpose of a cover was to attract buyers, but today's covers feel more like they come out of the marketing department instead of the art department.

Verve does need a good album-cover book...plus, some of those famous album cover photographers (like Pete Turner and Jim McCrary) would do well to publish their music-related images in a book as well.

-= N =-

 

[JMK]

Granted, one purpose of a cover was to attract buyers, but -= N =-

That was the point I was trying to make about Ye Me Le--it was not a great decision from a marketing standpoint and I think it showed Sergio's courage as an artist. It's true that a lot of jazz acts had painted (and even abstract, in fact, usually abstract) covers, but for an ostensibly "top 40" pop oriented act like Brasil '66 to put a painting of a black (maybe slave) child on its cover wasn't what was expected in those days--pop acts put themselves on the cover. Personally, though I love that cover, I think it's one of the reasons that album failed to sell very well--people just didn't know it was a Sergio Mendes record.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I gave this a day's thought before actually voting. I like all of these covers, except FOURSIDER which looks cheap. I had to go with STILLNESS because it calls out that this is a different kind of B'66 record...in fact I think they should have changed to B'77 with this album, rather than waiting for PAIS. I also like the photography on STILLNESS, both on the outside and the inside. Nice transition from Lani on the outside to Gracinha on the inside, too. You can tell that the Sergio (and possibly Gracinha) photo is from a different photo session than the rest...wonder if there's a story behind that?

I like the FOOL cover probably second-best, not only for the naked lady (which I'm still not sure is "for real" ...open the cover, hold it up and take a look...there just aren't enough curves there) but for just the overall look of it. It has that quasi-mysterious B'66 look which was on all their album covers, except maybe LOOK AROUND.

Of all of these, if I had to pick a least-favorite (besides FOURSIDER), I'd probably have to go with CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS. I like the concept, but the design is kind of goofy and a bit gloomy and probably turned-off some consumers.

As for PAIS TROPICAL, I remember being sorely disapppointed when I tore off the plastic and lifted up that flap to reveal...nothing! I was thinking there'd be some liner notes, or photos, or something under there!

 

[Mr Bill]

I went with Primal Roots because I like it and it matches the "feel" of the album. Plus I tend to go for the underdog anyway, figuring this male dominated forum would give the "hill" (as in Fool on the...) cover the edge anyway.

--Mr Bill

 

[jimac51]

The painting on "Ye-Me-Le" was indeed unexpected from Sergio but I suspect it had little to do with declining sales. This album would have been filed with other Mendes albums and ,though it has the stark black background,the name of the group is very obvious to see. Something different inside-maybe an authentic Brazilian album?-you would think till you flipped the album cover over-another Beatle cover and the usual mix of Brazilian and American songs.(Personally,I liked the album from day one,especially "Look Who's Mine".) Possible answers to decling sales would be the overall decline in MOR music in general while post Woodstock acts and the singer/songwriter phenom took centerstage in pop music. Hey,Jerry Moss saw this,hence acts like Joe Cocker coming into the fold. As for the girl in the painting,rather than a slave,I suspect she comes from wealth,possibly royalty. She is decked out in finery that only the upper class would own. The technigue used seems to be collage-like of pickng pieces of fabric out of a bag and pasting them on the canvas. The two dimension look and the misproportion size of the painting(is this a big little girl or a squashed grown woman?)is intentional. As for the"Foursider" series: seperately they do not have that million dollar look,but together,they look interesting. The definite color coding for each act,the silhouette of the act was OK-interesting that the color coding included glossy sleeve covers made specifically for that indiviual album but no liner notes or gatefold -a dollar saving technique since these were originally carried a$5.98 list price for the double disc setnot a bad deal for 1973. Mac

 

[JMK]

This album would have been filed with other Mendes albums and ,though it has the stark black background,the name of the group is very obvious to see. Mac

The day in December 1969 that I bought this album (it was a brand spanking new release), it was out in the "Featured Albums" rack, not with the Sergio Mendez (sic--all the stores in Seattle had "Mendez" on the little plastic dividers in those days) albums. I remember to this day I actually walked by it once or twice before noticing it was the new Brasil '66 album (now I was only a kid, so maybe the adults did better at paying attention).

 

[Cotton66]

I seem to like Look Around. I like that it's a very period sorta picture, very kitschy, bright and colorful.

 

[TulitaPepsi]

I chose YE-ME-LE for two reasons: The bold Afro-Brazilian cover art (Much punchier than the similar 'Brasiliero' cover of some years later) and the title, which I think also threw a lot of people off ("Whatsa a YeeMeeLee? And how do you pronounce it?"). I do think both factors may have hurt the overall sales of the album. I love the group photo on the back too- everybody looks happy and quite stoned

A great 'lost oppertrunity' was CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS. With a groovy title like that, you'd think the A&M art department could come up with a fantastic psychedelic fantasy ...But the cheesy lucite cube thingies (you can't even see everone clearly) reminds me of a Rubics Cube Puzzle.

I like the photos for FOOL (both inside and out). Karen and especally Lani look particularly fetching on them - Karen in her chic shades and 'gaucho' hat, and barefoot 'flower child' Lani.

And LOOK AROUND now looks like a scene out of "Austin Powers III : Bossa Is Forever"

 

[Brasil_66_Fan]

Had to be Equinox for the following reasons:
1. The coolest logo/title style (as JMK mentioned), one that I'll use for the B'66 shirt I wanna get made in one of those mall kiosks, using HAP, Equinox & Look Around covers along with my photos. And I don't think I'd want to be wearing the full FOTH gatefold cover on a t-shirt (would YOU, Capt. B, you 'D.O.M.'?).
2. The intriguing overhead shot of the group with their solemn, serious expressions, standing on a 2-D representation of the rainforest.
3. The outfits they're wearing, from the guys' coordinated sport coats and pink shirts (which I catch hell from my boss for wearing!) to the 'sexy-sixties' dresses and shoes the girls have on.
4. The album title itself, which exhibits the most originality (Equinox - when "Night and Day" are in perfect balance), and not just named after a track on the LP. Plus, to me this LP symbolizes the group's Equinox, the point at which they were in perfect balance musically.

BTW, how about a poll of Sergio's best keyboarding? And if anyone's got the guts (I don't!), Sergio's best VOCAL tracks??

 

[Mike Blakesley]

There are quite a few mentions of his vocal abilities on various threads around here....I have a feeling "Iemenja" would win.

As for his keyboarding, I think that might be an impossible poll to vote in!

 

[Rudy]

As for his keyboarding, I think that might be an impossible poll to vote in!

Having said that, I would vote for the original "Mas Que Nada." Is there not a more recognizable piano riff in any of his work? The keyboard work is almost frantic on that one--I'd compare it favorably to Manfredo Fest or even Luiz Eca. Fest's take on "Brazilian Dorian Dream" that I have on his Braziliana CD (dmp Records) is mind boggling. The left hand alone would be difficult to play...especially with everything going on with the right hand. This CD, BTW, is very Mendes-like, albeit a bit jazzier.

-= N =-

 

[Aqua do Brasil]

Dear Mendes fans,

As a graphic designer I liked the Fool on ther hill cover the best.
Ahead of its time and really in perfectly in balance as from an typgraphic and photographic point of view.

All the best ,
Aqua do Brasil

 

[Rudy]

Ahead of its time and really in perfectly in balance as from an typgraphic and photographic point of view.

Oh, it's a point, alright!

-= N =-

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Oh, it's a point, alright!

Hmm, it must've been cold that day...


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Rudy]

The sight of snow-capped mountain peaks...

-= N =-
( * ) ( * ) (with some silly punctuation)

 

[Captain Bacardi]

The sight of snow-capped mountain peaks...

-= N =-
( * ) ( * ) (with some silly punctuation)

I found something that could prove useful...

Capt. Bacardi
...watching another thread take a left turn online...

 

[Rudy]

How the heck could you answer the phone at this place and keep a straight face??

-= N =-
...pointing the way...

 

[Captain Bacardi]

How the heck could you answer the phone at this place and keep a straight face??

I'm sure you could advertise by (ahem) word of mouth...


Capt. Bacardi