Stillness

Maybe you could include the Stillness tunes that were on the "Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77 In Concert" LP -- that album was never released in the US so they're relative rarities. The tunes are "Viramundo," "Chelsea Morning," and "Sometimes in Winter." They are all pretty different from the studio versions so they'd make great additions.

Yes that is the idea.
Would like to thank everone that has helped me over the past week, keep any ideas and info coming!
 
Are the multi-track masters 8-track (1-inch) or 16-track (2-inch) tapes? -- assuming that they can be located, at all!

By the early '70s, 2" 16-track was taking over 1" as the multi-track reel-to-reel tape format for recording most music.

My guess is that the next album, Pais was done on 16-track 2" tape.
The record industry hasn't embraced any multi-track distribution format for the consumer market, alas. (There are multi-channel formats like 5.1, and 7.1 surround.)
 
I'm extremely excited by this. Like Mike, STILLNESS is my favorite Brasil '66 album. I can listen to it all the way through - Unlike most of other B'66 Sergio's lead vocal cuts, "Sometimes In Winter" is beautiful, and Lani's vocals are especially tender and haunting.

The (superior IMHO) 45 version of "For What It's Worth" is always worth a re-post:
 
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almost like Sergio went "all Topanga Canyon" suddenly!); however, that shakeup makes it fascinating.

... or is that, more "Laurel Canyon." (You probably know better than me.) Most of those folk-rock singer-songwriters were in Laurel Canyon in the early '70s, right? (I'll do some googling now. : )

Lani had mentioned having liked some folk (or, she called it "Folk-Rock") music in the mid-1960s. She wasn't just into Jazz.
In a way, the folk elements (acoustic 12-string guitar) on this last album that she did with Sergio segues (serves as a nice bridge into) into the choice of songs that she did on her first solo albums.
 
Here is a question for whomever... Why was "Stillness" and "Righteous Life" a different band? The album credits other people as the backup. . .
 
Another point: "Righteous Life" and "Lost in Paradise" have that boxy-sounding, infamous CSG processing (like the 45 they're on). The album may not be marked identifying it...but the playback difference certainly sticks out from the rest!
 
^On the LP and CD, the sound is all properly in phase. No CSG.
 
You may beg to differ - but I maintain my stance.

There is an easy test for CSG. Use any OOPS method of your choice - it could be through software - a karaoke setting on a computer - crossing wires on your stereo system - pulling headphones out of the jack partway - there are many methods of accomplishing Out Of Phase Stereo. The purpose of it is to eliminate the center channel of a recording through the act of phasing it out - by inverting the sound of one channel and beating it against the other, you'll effectively eliminate the center channel information, typically a singer or lead instrumentalist.

The CSG system was invented to TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY circumvent that eventuality. Record companies DID NOT WANT their records to played on the myriad of radio stations out there, only to have some of them eliminate their artists by having crossed wires in their engineering chain. It happened. I worked in radio then and saw it firsthand.

Playing the tracks from STILNESS using an OOPS setup, you'll hear the center channel vocalists eliminated in all tracks (well, "Celebration Of The Sunrise" has the two female vocalists sort of divided in the stereo, so they won't cancel out).

Now, do the same with Sergio's FOOL ON THE HILL or YE-ME-LE, and you'll not hear the same result. The vocalists - already turned slightly out of phase by the CSG remain strong since they do not cancel out.

45's were mastered under completely different methods. Many used CSG so that radio stations would not screw the sound up. There are many Carpenters 45s that used CSG well into the 70s, but their albums did not. I mentioned FOOL ON THE HILL. I've heard that Sergio himself is disappointed that his great album was subjected to that crappy CSG processing, yet I've learned that one track for sure managed to escape it - on a 45. In an odd reversal, A&M issued a stereo 45 of the "Fool On The Hill" single that does NOT include the CSG processing. Most of the singles of this track are on mono 45s, but they made a few in stereo for FM stations, and this one escaped the CSG processor.

If you're hearing a "boxy" sound on any track on STILLNESS, I would suggest that it's from something other than CSG.
 
By the way, "Righteous Life" is a good test with OOPS. The first main verse has a solo singer, probably Lani, in the center channel, and she's largely eliminated with OOPS turned on. In the second section, she's joined by Karen Philipp, who's placed slightly right in the stereo mix, so with OOPS turned on, Lani is eliminated and you can hear Karen mostly by herself.
 
Here is a question for whomever... Why was "Stillness" and "Righteous Life" a different band? The album credits other people as the backup. . .

My guess is, with "Righteous Life" they were aiming for a "hit single" the same way it happened with Carpenters -- by bringing in the Wrecking Crew musicians (who had also played on Carpenters big breakthrough, "Close To You") and going for a more polished pop sound. Unfortunately, chart success didn't happen. Imagine how different Sergio's followup albums could have been if the tactic had worked!

With "Stillness," they just brought in a guest musician (Tom Scott) to play the bass flute - that happened a lot, in fact Scott was even more of a presence on the next album, Pais Tropical.
 
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Paula Stone insisted to me (online, I think on MySpace, believe it or not) it was Sergio and the "regular" band on Righteous Life, she said she was at the recording session. Claudio Slon insisted to me (via a bunch of emails) the Wrecking Crew was hired to play that date for the reasons Mike mentions above. Alternative facts, ladies and germs.
 
Maybe they recorded the song with the regular band, and then re-recorded it with the Wrecking Crew, and Sergio liked the second version better.

Lots of possibilities.

Anyway, since this topic has resurfaced, back to the original premise -- is there any progress on the Stillness reissue project?
 
Maybe they recorded the song with the regular band, and then re-recorded it with the Wrecking Crew, and Sergio liked the second version better.

Lots of possibilities.

Anyway, since this topic has resurfaced, back to the original premise -- is there any progress on the Stillness reissue project?

Sorry but Universal have said no to us doing the special edition...as another company has bought the licence to put out all Sergio CDs, as far as I know there will be no special editions like we wanted to do just remasters which will still be good to have.
 
Its a pity as I had been in touch with Karen and she had some good info on the making of the album ( did you know it was Karen that brought "For What its Worth" to Sergio and said he should record it and as we know she sang vocals on the track) we were also going to get comments from Lani and Sergio for the booklet.
 
Well that's a shame - I hope you will keep this project on the "back burner" so to speak -- maybe that agreement will expire and you'll get another shot at it, or attitudes at Universal might change or ...? I have no idea how all of that works, but still hope something happens at some point in the future. Thanks for your efforts and information!
 
It's my favorite B'66 album and it does veer away from their signature sound quite a bit in some places, but there are a few tracks that are still standouts if you prefer the "old" B'66 style - like "Viramundo," "Chelsea Morning," "Celebration of the Sunrise" and "Cancao Do Nosso Amor" in particular.
 
Are they planning on doing that live album too?
Hi Harry,

No the live Japan album is looking good, all the tracks have been mastered in the studio and sound great! The only thing holding us up is I want to get Sergio on board but no one knows who his Manager or agent is, I have tried an email I got for Gracinha but I have had no reply perhaps its not in use? Sergio has a number of booking agents all over the world but I need his Manager/Agent so if anyone can find out they will get full credits on the CD also a couple of comp copies!
 
"For What It's Worth" has always been my favorite song. It is interesting that Karen suggested it to Sergio. I was looking forward to reading the "liner notes" in your re-issue of Stillness. I think that this album is probably one of the most discussed albums of SM&B66's in the forum.
 
"For What It's Worth" has always been my favorite song. It is interesting that Karen suggested it to Sergio. I was looking forward to reading the "liner notes" in your re-issue of Stillness. I think that this album is probably one of the most discussed albums of SM&B66's in the forum.
Yes its a stunning album, very different to other Sergio did, pity we could not get the special edition out we wanted to have some live tracks in there as a bonus also rare photos from around that time.
 
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