AOTW: Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77 IN CONCERT (A&M SP

[LPJim]

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77
IN CONCERT
would have been SP-4378 in the US, but never released

This is a U.K. release, #AMLS 64378*, from 1973, recorded live at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

Tracks: Intro-Viramundo/ Going Out of My Head/ Girl from Ipanema/ Medley - Jogo De Roda, Canta De Ubirantran, After Sunrise/
Fool on the Hill/ Chelsea Morning/ Sometimes in Winter/ Mais Que Nada/ The Look of Love.

Sergio Mendes, keyboards/ Sebastiao Neto, fender bass/ Claudio Slon, drums/ Rubens Bassini, timbales & percussion/ Laudir Soares, congas/ Oscar Neves, guitars/ Geri Stevens & Gracinha Leporace, vocals.

For more information on this album and a comprehensive discography of Mendes imports and reissues, visit:

www.bjbear71.com/Mendes/sergio3.html

*also listed as SP 4387


JB

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

So is this a sort of contract-fulfilling album (wasn't it his last A&M release)? It obviously must have come right after "Primal Roots" and "Stillness", since there's so many tunes from those records. I have this LP - it's a fun listen; it's always fascinating to hear a band live at different stages of their career. The more obscure tunes are probably songs Sergio especially enjoyed doing, since they weren't necessarily picked as 'crowd-pleasers'...

JTCW

 

[Mike Blakesley]

What's interesting is that it doesn't include tunes from PAIS TROPICAL, which came in between STILLNESS and PRIMAL. (I guess that album was considered somewhat a flop so maybe that's the reason.) I wonder if anyone has a complete set list from the concert?

A very good live album. The energy level on the stage is incredible. The middle section of the "medley" gets a little tiring after multiple listens but other than that, it's a great record and worth seeking out.

 

[Harry]

The above cover is one of several that appeared over the years for this title, and is the one that I have. It was also, I believe, released on a budget label (MFP?).

I'd never noticed that the PAIS TROPICAL album was 'snubbed' on this. Perhaps it's those tracks that were eliminated from the full concert for this release.

Harry
...who enjoys this album a lot, online...

 

[Brasil_Nut]

We used to see each new incarnation of his band every year. That said, anyone who might have seen the PAIS tour with (Karen and Gracinha on vocals) has a pretty good idea of what the rest of the concert contained. He hadn't released anything through Bell Records yet, so these concerts concentrated on earlier A&M releases, of course.

Some other songs (likely) covered might have been:

Ye-Me-Le
For What It's Worth
Like A Lover/O Cantador
Pais Tropical

From what I recall, these were pretty much what he was playing at the time

I also remember Geri singing "Gone Forever" when we saw them at the San Jose Center For Performing Arts in early '73.

Jon

 

[Mr Bill]

Moved to appropriate forum and split with SP4387 (LIVE AT EXPO 70)

--Mr Bill

 

[JMK]

I'm very curious to know which cover came first--I have several (at least 3, I'd have to go check to see if there are others). This was the great "mystery album" that I had pre-ordered from a Phonolog only to see it disappear. Thanks to Steve Sidoruk many years later for convincing me I wasn't completely crazy (well, at least with regard to remembering this album, LOL). Even though it doesn't feature Lani & Karen, I think I prefer this one to Expo 70--it's much more polished and it's fun to hear a live orchestra with them.

 

[Harry]

I've only ever seen the orange-cover version. The album remains as perhaps the last of the old albums never to make it to an official CD, not counting the odd compilations in the '70s like NIGHT AND DAY and the Japanese release with "The Magic Wheel" on it.

My suspicion is that the orange one preceded the MFP issue, since A&M usually licensed stuff out to the budget labels after they'd had their run with it.

Harry

 

[JMK]

Yes, there's no doubt about it--the MFP was a re-release, although it was the first one that I was able to procure (from the UK). I think (I could very well be wrong) that the orange dancers is the original UK release, and my green copy (with Sergio on the cover) is the German release.

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Moved to appropriate forum and split with SP4387 (LIVE AT EXPO 70)

--Mr Bill

According to the BOF, 4387 was listed as Live At The Greek Carnival, but so was 4378. So much for research...


Capt. Bacardi

 

[JMK]

I think the US SP number for "Greek" was 4387. I had it imprinted on my mind forever because it had disappeared from the Phonolog right after I pre-ordered it. And thanks for putting that Greek Carnival in there--that's what it had said in the Phonolog, I was always positive, but several people since then told me I must have been mistaken, that it was the Greek Theater.

 

[Chris Martin]

The covert art (dancing figures) must have been A&M stock-in-trade. I saw a dark green version on an A&M album called "Makin Whoopee!" (artist unknown).
Imagine, though, my horror, when, recognising the cover art, I realised I hadn't stumbled across a hidden Mendes gem!

 

[JMK]

You know I had a mini-brainstorm the other night after Capt. Bacardi confirmed what I had long been saying--that the original US title of this was going to be "Live at the Greek Carnival." Which really doesn't make sense, considering it's the Greek Theater. Well, you know how I bet the album was originally going to look?

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77
Live at the Greek
Carnival

In other words, "Live at the Greek" was going to be a little subtitle, since everyone calls the Greek Theater "the Greek", and "Carnival" was going to be the actual album title.

Yes, a fairly pointless observation, but that's what I'm mostly good for.

 

[Harry]

Nice to know you're out there thinking, Jeff.

Now if we could figure out whether the other A&M live album should be officially called LIVE AT EXPO '70 or LIVE AT THE EXPO '70, we'd be doing something!

Harry

 

[JMK]

Nice to know you're out there thinking, Jeff.

Now if we could figure out whether the other A&M live album should be officially called LIVE AT EXPO '70 or LIVE AT THE EXPO '70, we'd be doing something!

Harry

Yeah, isn't it great we're solving the really pressing problems of Mankind right here at the Corner.

 

[Harry]

Enquiring minds want to know...

Harry