O Mar É Meu Chão/The Sea Is My Soil

Rudy

¡Que siga la fiesta!
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So far, 11 versions of the tune "O Mar É Meu Chão/The Sea is my Soil" make for an interesting comparison. Here is a playlist of those I found. If there are any others, I can add them.

 
This is the first vocal version that I have heard. I have Sergio Mendes' version on Favorite Things lp and Herb Alpert's Warm lp and cd. I really like this vocal version over Mendes' instrumental but not as much as an instrumental by Alpert. Mendes should have recorded this with Lani Hall.
 
Was thinking about this the other night. Imagine Lani Hall's vocals with the Herb Alpert arrangement together. Herb's trumpeting would have to be toned down so as to not overtake Lani but I bet it would sound mighty good!!
 
Was thinking about this the other night. Imagine Lani Hall's vocals with the Herb Alpert arrangement together. Herb's trumpeting would have to be toned down so as to not overtake Lani but I bet it would sound mighty good!!
Now there is a Good idea right there
 
I haven't had time to listen to them all yet but so far, none I've heard have been better than Herb's version, for my money. As with a lot of these things, his was the first I heard but in this case I really think it's still the best version. I love the choir and the orchestration, which I don't usually like big orchestrations on Herb's records but this is an exception. This is one of the very few songs in my collection when as soon as it's over, I have the immediate desire to play it again.

My favorite bits are (of course) when the band first kicks it up to high gear, and in the second chorus, the part where Herb lets take the orchestra take over for a bit, and then when he comes back in... the unadulterated joy and beauty in that little sequence just gets me every time.

I've always wondered about the details of the recording of this song, but since it wasn't one of Herb's big hits we'll probably never know all the background.

I would give a second place award to the Astrud Gilberto version.
 
I've been curious as to the thought processes involved in:

- never placing "The Sea Is My Soil" on any of the many compilations over the years. OK, it wasn't a hit record.

- finally putting it on HERB ALPERT IS..., and it being the only track from WARM on that set.
 
No knock against the girls or Tamba Trio, but I don't really care for female vocal choruses so I haven't warmed to the Quarteto Em Cy version.

So far, the Dori Caymmi and later Sergio versions are the ones I prefer. Brazilian songs are best done by Brazilians, IMHO.
 
I haven't had time to listen to them all yet but so far, none I've heard have been better than Herb's version, for my money. As with a lot of these things, his was the first I heard but in this case I really think it's still the best version. I love the choir and the orchestration, which I don't usually like big orchestrations on Herb's records but this is an exception. This is one of the very few songs in my collection when as soon as it's over, I have the immediate desire to play it again.

My favorite bits are (of course) when the band first kicks it up to high gear, and in the second chorus, the part where Herb lets take the orchestra take over for a bit, and then when he comes back in... the unadulterated joy and beauty in that little sequence just gets me every time.

I've always wondered about the details of the recording of this song, but since it wasn't one of Herb's big hits we'll probably never know all the background.

I would give a second place award to the Astrud Gilberto version.
Mike, nearly every time that I play this CD in my car, I always back it up to hear this a second or even a third time.
 
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