A&M Cover Versions 1965-70: "Watch What Happens"

Which cover version is your favourite?

  • Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66

    Votes: 6 50.0%
  • Wes Montgomery

    Votes: 3 25.0%
  • Chris Montez

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • Tamba 4

    Votes: 1 8.3%

  • Total voters
    12

JOv2

Well-Known Member
Vote for your favourite cover version and tell us a bit about why you made your selection. (The selections are listed in release order. To hear the TAMBA 4 version, please select the "Watch What Happens" link below Montez.)







Watch What Happens
 
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Oh this one's a Toughy to me it was a tie between Brasil 66 and Wes Montgomery but I chose Sergio's version it was the first version of this great song I heard and strangely enough I heard it first on Thanksgiving weekend 1984 on an Easy listening station riding in a car with my family enroute to Tacoma Washington where my sister was living at the time and a week after a collectors shop where I was buying my A&M vinyl had a pristine copy of the Equinox Album waiting for me to buy ( as it was on a lengthy want list which they encourage us customers to submit to them) it was a great store but sadly went out of business in 1986 but oh what sweet memories
 
Of course it's the Brasil '66 version. Coincidentally, the movie from which it was written for by Michel Legrand, "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" was just shown on TCM channel and I tuned in just at the right time to catch it...
 
I remember back in the early 90s, before there was much in the way of Brasil '66 on CD, the Program Director of the radio station asking me if I'd ever seen a stereo copy of EQUINOX. Apparently all of the copies in the station library were mono. All I had was my own private copy. He was looking for a stereo copy of "Constant Rain (Chove Chuva)". I don't recall hearing "Watch What Happens" on the radio back in the 60s, but it surfaced as a playable track in the later 90s and beyond.
 
I'll choose Brasil 66. Here's their video of this splendid song. Simply great vocals and a top-notch arrangement. There are no weak songs on "Equinox"--one great song seamlessly leads into the next.

 
Wes' version is tops (who can resist that breezy sunshine pop arrangement, and, of course, Wes' impeccable taste as a soloist); however, my favourite is Tamba 4 owing to the gorgeous subtle bossa and gentle flute lead.
 
Wes' version is tops (who can resist that breezy sunshine pop arrangement, and, of course, Wes' impeccable taste as a soloist); however, my favourite is Tamba 4 owing to the gorgeous subtle bossa and gentle flute lead.
Those were a tough call for me also. I like both of their takes on the tune, for completely different reasons. Pretty sure Luiz Eca did the string arrangements on that record.

What bothers me about the Equinox album is that the vocals are too similar throughout--it's all the unison-in-octaves (does that make sense?) many times when there is a group vocal. Works for a few songs, but it's a little too overdone. And to be honest, this song really never did much for me anyways, no matter who performs it. I definitely do not like the ending of the Brasil 66 version--even as a kid I thought it was somewhat odd. "Chove Chuva" though...probably one of my top Brasil 66 tracks of all time. And "Arrastão" (aka "For Me") is one of my favorites by Edu Lobo, and their version here is a winner, as is "Bim Bom." Especially since it uses vocal harmonies.
 
Hey Rudy--what do you think about Elis Regina explosive and dramatic version of "Arrastao" which you referenced above? This performance put her on the road to super stardom. The performance was from Brazil's first pop music festival back in 1965. Elis always sang her heart out.

 
"For Me" was the first Brasil '66 song to really land with me. I'd heard the previous singles on the radio, but they kinda went by me. For some reason, at age 11, this was the song. With a handful of earlier exceptions, 11 seemed to be the age where music kicked in for me.

Thank you for posting Edu's original. It's a treat!
 
That album is really strong, end to end, even more remarkable for it being his first album. The songwriting is on point, and having the Tamba Trio (who were already well established by that point) backing him up with instruments and occasional vocal harmonies makes it that much better. (I have a feeling Luiz Eça did the occasional string arrangements--they sound like his style.) In addition to "Arrastão", it also features "Boranda," "Reza" and "Chegança" which were a remarkable run for an early album. "Zambi" is one of my favorites, just Edu and his guitar, with lyrics written by Brazilian lyricist/poet Vinicius de Moraes. Not that I understand a word of it. 😁
 
"For Me" was the first Brasil '66 song to really land with me. I'd heard the previous singles on the radio, but they kinda went by me. For some reason, at age 11, this was the song.
Same here -- except I was 22. I had the first LP since 5th grade -- but I was not able to fully understand and appreciate the music at that time. I finally connected with the debute LP when I was in high school, but it wasn't until college that I started to actively search for the remaining LPs -- most of which were OOP. Equinox was the first OOP LP I found and For Me, with it's soaring vocals, impeccable tension and release, perfectly placed organ chirp and the unique vocal fade, became an immediate B66 must-have (and remains so to this day).

(True story: Not long after I acquired the LP, I prepared a 90min '60s rock/pop-rock comp cassette for a friend...and in the middle of it I snuck in For Me...I just couldn't resist.
 
That album is really strong, end to end, even more remarkable for it being his first album. The songwriting is on point, and having the Tamba Trio (who were already well established by that point) backing him up with instruments and occasional vocal harmonies makes it that much better.
Agreed! I think I have all of his LPs that were issued through to 1970 -- everyone is a gem to me.
 
I want to chime in on "For Me" Michael mentioned that it really Landed for him and I would say that and the whole Equinox Lp Landed with me as I was slowly collecting my Brasil 66 Albums their debut was Awesome and Equinox in my opinion was a huge step forward all the songs blended and fit together very well and being 17 at the time when certain kinds of music Grabbed me then I was on it
 
I think EQUINOX was my third Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 album. The first track I ever heard was "Like A Lover" on FAMILY PORTRAIT, and it made me backtrack to the HERB ALPERT PRESENTS... album and LOOK AROUND at the same time. EQUINOX wasn't far behind though, and "For Me" is indeed a special track. Years later I noticed that in the mono mix of "For Me", the vocals fade out sooner than they do on the stereo.
 
My first ( in fact, one of the first two albums I bought at the same time) was LOOK AROUND (the other was FRANCIS ALBERT SINATRA AND ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM). I was 11. That spurred me toward new stuff as it came out...and I was doing this with my allowance and birthday/Christmas money, so it wasn't like I could buy more than maybe six or eight albums in a year at that point.

By the time I could think about going back to older releases, EQUINOX was out of print. I don't think I owned a copy until the CD release in the 90s.
 
I think the magic in For Me is the Herb Alpert inspired “polka” rhythm with John Pisano’s signature 12 string rhythm guitar. Then it goes to the half time bossa beat. Perfect!
 
I think the magic in For Me is the Herb Alpert inspired “polka” rhythm with John Pisano’s signature 12 string rhythm guitar. Then it goes to the half time bossa beat. Perfect!
Lobo's original above does the same, although they only take the tempo down towards the end of the tune (at 1:35), where Sergio's arrangement kicks the tempo back up and down again. Sergio's addition was to add a drum rhythm to the guitar and bass, and at a slightly slower tempo. And that organ. 😁

That change in tempos, either version, really makes that song. 👍
 
Agreed! I think I have all of his LPs that were issued through to 1970 -- everyone is a gem to me.
The only one I don't care for so much is Edu & Bethania, but he's had quite a few good albums. Painfully overlooked as a recording artist, in my opinion. Aside from his uneven A&M album, no US label ever really took an interest in him, yet the quality of his songwriting and more-than-capable guitar and vocals was on par with anyone else from that era.
 
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