🎵 AotW Classics BOSSA RIO (SP-4191)

What is your favorite track?

  • SAIUPA (Por Causa De Voce Menina)

    Votes: 6 42.9%
  • DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • WAVE

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • DAY BY DAY

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • TODAY, TOMORROW (Boa Palavra)

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • UP, UP AND AWAY

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • NANA

    Votes: 1 7.1%
  • OLD DEVIL MOON

    Votes: 2 14.3%
  • VELEIRO (Sailboat)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • GENTLE RAIN

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • CANCAO do SAL (Sultry Song)

    Votes: 3 21.4%

  • Total voters
    14

Harry

Charter A&M Corner Member
Staff member
Site Admin
Bossa Rio
BOSSA RIO
A&M SP-4191

sp4191.jpg


Also released on CD in Japan as POCM-1883 and on Cherry Red/Rev-Ola in the UK as CRREV277

Tracks:

Side One:
1. SAIUPA (Por Causa De Voce Menina) (Jorge Ben) 2:08
2. DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE (Bacharach-David) 2:43
3. WAVE (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 3:07
4. DAY BY DAY (S.Cahn-A.Stordahl-P.Weston) 2:35
5. TODAY, TOMORROW (Boa Palavra) (Caetano Veloso-Norman Gimbel) 2:47
6. UP, UP, AND AWAY (Jim Webb) 3:08

Side Two:
1. NANA (Moacir Santos-Mario Telles) 2:00
2. OLD DEVIL MOON (E.Y.Harburg-Burton Lane) 3:15
3. VELEIRO (Sailboat) (Edu Lobo-Torquato Neto) 3:10
4. GENTLE RAIN (Luiz Bonfa) 4:53
5. CANCAO do SAL (Sultry Song) (Milton Nascimento) 4:53

This album also available on stereo tapes / BOSSA RIO / SP 4191

Credits:
BOSSA RIO acknowledges the use of the LOWREY ORGAN / Producer: SERGIO MENDES / A SERRICH PRODUCTION / Recording Engineer: LARRY LEVINE / Recorded at A&M Recording Studios / Art Direction: TOM WILKES / Photography: JIM McCRARY / This recording employs the HAECO-CSG System and may be played either monaurally or stereophonically. Write for a free full color A&M Record Catalogue / A&M Records, 1416 North La Brea, Hollywood, California 90028

(uncredited on the LP)
BOSSA RIO is:
Vocals: Gracinha Leporace and Pery Ribeiro
Flute: Pery Ribeiro
Drums: Ronald Mesquita
Piano: Osmar Milito
Organ: Manfredo Fest
Bass: Octavio Bailly,

Additional musicians:

Guitar: Oscar Castro Neves
Percussion: Rubens Bassini

 
This is a mixed one for me. The cover versions of pop songs sound a bit trite to me, like Brasil '66 Vol. 2. But the Brazilian tracks are indispensible. I tend to play only "Saiupa," "Boa Palavra," "Veleiro" and "Cancao do Sal" on this album, and they make me wish they'd done more of the same. Their follow-up Blue Thumb album also has some highlights--they do a unique arrangement of "Spinning Wheel" in 7/4 time, reminding me more of Mendes's more inventive arrangements on the Brasil '66 albums (such as "Norwegian Wood"). Plus, they cover "Zazueira" on that record.

Interesting that the English translation for "Cancao do Sal" is wrong--I believe it is "Salt Song" (aka salt workers song, related to salt mining), as I've seen this song listed elsewhere (including on Milton Nascimento's own album, Courage).

Too bad we did not see more of this group...

P.S. HAECO-CSG must die. :uhhuh:
 
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It would be nice to know what happened to Manfredo Fest's planned solo album, SP 4193. I've got a promo copy of a single, "Misturada"/"O Ovo (the Egg)" on A&M. His instrumental albums for other labels are quite interesting too.
JB
 
Fest had some excellent albums on the dmp Records label. I felt that his debut album there, Braziliana, was the best of the bunch. I believe he also recorded for Concord after leaving dmp. I've used Braziliana as a demo disc when auditioning audio components.
 
I remember hearing a couple of songs from the album on the radio and putting it at the top of the list to buy the next tie I was at a record store. The sound was so close to Brasil '66 that I just naturally went for it. Finding out that the album was not only on A&M, but produced by Sergio Mendes made it all the more appealing.

Today, given the fact that Gracinha Leporace has graced so many of Sergio's albums, it really *is* like another Sergio Mendes album.

Though the cover songs grabbed be early on, today I'd list "Saiupa" as my favorite.

Harry
..."Down With HAECO-CSG!", online...
 
Sergio told me A&M pulled the plug on the Fest album, he didn't say why.

There are a ton of gorgeous Fest releases from Brasil, I highly recommend all of them.
 
The one I really want is Brazilian Dorian Dream. A few of the songs on that album he would re-record on this dmp Records releases, including the title track, "Facing East" and "Jungle Cat."

You'd think with all the attention A&M's Brazilian music has gotten in recent years, that they would have issued the Fest album. Thing is, how many (except ardent A&M or Fest fans) even know it exists in the vaults?
 
How this group never made the same impact as Sergio is a mystery... I thought the 2nd album on Blue Thumb was equally good, although A&M was clearly not in support of it other than it being recorded at their studios...

But this LP has its quaint offerings in its cover versions of pop songs such as the wayward "Do You Know The Way To San Jose?", "Up, Up And Away", "Old Devil Moon", "Day By Day" and I, too, am a fan of the many versions of "Cancao de Sal (Saltworker's Song)"...

My nomination of a favorite goes to "Saiupa (Por Causa De Voce Menina)", the only song I had liked at first, but I have grown more appreciative of this group & their works more 'n' more over the years...

Somehow I can picture a promo copy of this w/ white LP label & the gold "HAECO CSG" sticker on it; I'm fairly open to the "mastering concept" as I've had A&M's with it, of varying quality... Although it's hard, in my opinion to really see the grooves where a next song starts & the previous one ends--that's really the one fault I find...

-- Dave
 
The one I really want is Brazilian Dorian Dream. A few of the songs on that album he would re-record on this dmp Records releases, including the title track, "Facing East" and "Jungle Cat."

You'd think with all the attention A&M's Brazilian music has gotten in recent years, that they would have issued the Fest album. Thing is, how many (except ardent A&M or Fest fans) even know it exists in the vaults?

There's actually no album, just the two sides that were released as a 45, at least that was my understanding.
 
This is one album that I've thought about getting for some time, but kept putting it off and forgetting about it. From the clips I've heard on YouTube, I like their sound. It's different from SM & B'66 and has its own verve to it. I'll have to make a point of getting this for Christmas.
 
How I love this album (and the followups which were not A&M). I appreciate the latin inflected covers of American pop tunes too. It was all part of the package.

For more excellent late 60s / early 70s soft vocal bossa of this ilk (in addition to this and Brasil 66 and Tamba 4 of course), check out:

Triste Janero
The Carnival
Conjunto Sambacana
Quarteto Forma

... and many more! I'm blanking out on other artists at the moment (I'm at work away from my collection) but I picked up a lot of this stuff while in Tokyo this past summer and I'd be happy to share a more comprehensive list by PM.
 
I've wanted to find that album by The Carnival (essentially, a few members of the original Brasil '66 line-up, post-Sergio). Luckily there are some sealed copies on vinyl still out there.

One thing bothering me in recent years is that the English translation of the last song should be something like "The salt worker's song", not "sultry song" which is totally wrong. I have seen this track done by others with a more correct translation, and roughly translated, the lyrics speak of working in the salt mines.
 
NANA (Moacir Santos-Mario Telles) 2:00
I didn't make the connection until now.

I was listening to the Moacir Santos album Coisas, and after about two minutes of "Coisa No. 5" I started to recognize the melody. Sure enough, in the credits, he is listed as the composer of "Nana" on this album. Mario Telles would have done the vocals--the Coisas (roughly translated as "things") are all instrumentals.

Of course, "Ratatouille" on Herb's Coney Island is a remake of "Coisa No. 1" (although Herb's rendition draws a lot more from the Baden Powell interpretation than Cantos' original).

upload_2018-12-4_23-11-31.png
 
Moacir's tunes seemed to get alternate titles more than a lot of his compatriots. Check out "Maracatu" and "April Child":



 
Qobuz also has the first Bossa Rio album. Nothing on Alegria though.
 
Bossa Rio
BOSSA RIO
A&M SP-4191


sp4191.jpg


Also released on CD in Japan as POCM-1883 and on Cherry Red/Rev-Ola in the UK as CRREV277

Tracks:

Side One:
1. SAIUPA (Por Causa De Voce Menina) (Jorge Ben) 2:08
2. DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE (Bacharach-David) 2:43
3. WAVE (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 3:07
4. DAY BY DAY (S.Cahn-A.Stordahl-P.Weston) 2:35
5. TODAY, TOMORROW (Boa Palavra) (Caetano Veloso-Norman Gimbel) 2:47
6. UP, UP, AND AWAY (Jim Webb) 3:08

Side Two:
1. NANA (Moacir Santos-Mario Telles) 2:00
2. OLD DEVIL MOON (E.Y.Harburg-Burton Lane) 3:15
3. VELEIRO (Sailboat) (Edu Lobo-Torquato Neto) 3:10
4. GENTLE RAIN (Luiz Bonfa) 4:53
5. CANCAO do SAL (Sultry Song) (Milton Nascimento) 4:53


This album also available on stereo tapes / BOSSA RIO / SP 4191

Credits:
BOSSA RIO acknowledges the use of the LOWREY ORGAN / Producer: SERGIO MENDES / A SERRICH PRODUCTION / Recording Engineer: LARRY LEVINE / Recorded at A&M Recording Studios / Art Direction: TOM WILKES / Photography: JIM McCRARY / This recording employs the HAECO-CSG System and may be played either monaurally or stereophonically. Write for a free full color A&M Record Catalogue / A&M Records, 1416 North La Brea, Hollywood, California 90028

(uncredited on the LP)
BOSSA RIO is:
Vocals: Gracinha Leporace and Pery Ribeiro
Flute: Pery Ribeiro
Drums: Ronald Mesquita
Piano: Osmar Milito
Organ: Manfredo Fest
Bass: Octavio Bailly,

Additional musicians:
Guitar: Oscar Castro Neves
Percussion: Rubens Bassini

Can someone distinguish the members that are on the cover?
 
Three of them for sure--Gracinha, of course, being the easiest to spot. To her left (brown pants) is Pery Ribeiro. And with the sunglasses, Manfredo Fest.
 
Three of them for sure--Gracinha, of course, being the easiest to spot. To her left (brown pants) is Pery Ribeiro. And with the sunglasses, Manfredo Fest.

Thanks. I know Octavio is on Pery’s left, and Ronald is to Gracinha’s right. That leaves the Osmar at the other end!
 
This was like figuring out a logic puzzle. 😁 I know Manfredo Fest is blind, and I've seen other photos of him in later years, so that was the easiest.
 
Actually, the guy on the left, putting his hand on Manfredo Fest's shoulder is NOT Osmar Milito. But I can't identify him.
A well-known composer and arranger in Brazil as well an accomplished pianist, Osmar recorded several albums, and I am sure he does not appear on the LP pictures.
He is the brother of famous drummer and producer Helcio Milito who was a member of legendary Tamba trio
BTW you should notice that on the three Bossa Rio LPs, Manfredo Fest played with three pianists: Joao Donato (Live in Japan), Osmar Milito and Dwight Dickerson, both uncredited, though Dickerson appears on the front cover and inside gatefold photos.
 
I did a quick image search for Osmar Milito and I agree--none of the images look close to the musician on the far left.

It's not surprising that there might be a personnel change comparing the cover photo to the credits--even the first Brasil '66 album had that issue.

I wish Claudio Slon were still around--he could probably have identified the musicians for us. (He visited us in the early 2000s.)
 
I did a quick image search for Osmar Milito and I agree--none of the images look close to the musician on the far left.

It's not surprising that there might be a personnel change comparing the cover photo to the credits--even the first Brasil '66 album had that issue.

I wish Claudio Slon were still around--he could probably have identified the musicians for us. (He visited us in the early 2000s.)
It looks like Charlie Chiarenza! 😛
 
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