BIM-BOM THE CLASSIC FIRST BOSSA NOVA SONG

[lj]

The link below has an excellent article explaining how the creation of "Bim-Bom" by Joao Gilberto was the start of the Bossa Nova musical revolution, which has aptly been called a sound of relaxed simplicity. For me, this is the quintessential Bossa Nova song and my personal favorite. The recordings of "Bim-Bom" by Joao Gilberto and arranged by Jobim, and by Brasil 66 from the Equinox album are tops with me.

A World Without Bossa Nova? - Connect Brazil

A World Without Bossa Nova? It almost happened due to a simple twist of fate for a down-on-his-luck musician from Bahia. Here's the story.

www.connectbrazil.com

 

[rockdoctor]

I would say that this is a very nice song as it has the simplicity of a one lyric but the musical portion is very tight and very well done by Brasil'66.
It has been on a couple of compilations and went very well with the Equinox selections.

 

[lj]

Take Jobim's unobtrusive and subtle orchestration plus Gilberto's vocal and guitar equals Wow--what a way to begin the Bossa Nova movement!

 

[lj]

What makes the Brasil 66 version of "Bim-Bom" so special is its exceptional vocal arrangement. The first layer has Bob, Jose and Sergio singing the basic "Bim-Bom" words and melody. Simultaneously. there is the second layer which has Lani Hall's distinctive vocal harmony, as she sings "da da da" The two vocal layers blend seamlessly and magnificently.'

In the summer of 1967 I got the "Equinox" album as a birthday gift. At that time the album track that got the most airplay on AM radio easy listening stations was "Night and Day." However, when i first heard "Bim-Bom" it blew me away, and became my instant favorite and remains so 56 years later.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I've always thought "Bim-Bom" is one of the few Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 tunes that really has a dated sound. I think it's caused mostly by the background "da-da-da-da" vocals. That lends a real '60s vibe that most of B'66's other songs don't have.