Pick Your #1 Favorite Sergio Mendes A&M Album!

[Cortnee]

Sergio had fired Hansen, Soares, Matthews, and Palma because they secretly recorded The Carnival with Bones Howe behind Sergio's back. Yet, Sergio was willing to work with Howe on The Love Music project in 73. Go figure.

 

[JOv2]

Cortnee,

Sounds like an interesting story. What was "The Carnival" and why would/did their participation on another recording project jeopardize their "employment"?

-James

 

[Harry]

The Carnival was a group that recorded one album with World Pacific Records. Their album, produced by Bones Howe has been released abroad on CD. Avaialble at amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002LHQGS/amcorne-20

Harry
...who has the old original vinyl, online...

 

[Dave]

I've got The Carnival, (in group name and album title) as well...

Mostly Bones Howe's stable of session musicians and a good two-man/two-woman group of vocalists, applying a bit more depth than Sergio and Co. were able to do at times...

A "Brasilian 5th Dimension", so to speak...! :goofygrin:

Dave

...enjoying the ONLY ONE song on it I really like..."Laida, Laidia"...!!

 

[JOv2]

~~ Harry, Dave ~~ Is it good? Do you recommend the record?
-James

 

[Cortnee]

Fool On The Hill is my second favorite Sergio Mendes release! The "experimental fa rs? Funny how that's where the late Rubens Bassini started his career, as I have him playing with Eumir Deodato a few years later.


Dave

...s tating #1 and #2, online...

DAVE! The late Rubens Bassini had a successful carrer before Sergio. True, Rubens did play with Deodato a few years after FOTH, but he had alsop played with Deodato before FOTH.Rubens was a well known musician among his musical peers in Brazil.Basically, Sergio opened the door for Rubens when it came to his career as a session percussionist here in the states. Sames goes for Paulinho DaCosta, Chico Batera, Laudir DeOliveira, Claudio Slon, and Dom Um Romao.

 

[Dave]

DAVE! The late Rubens Bassini had a successful carrer before Sergio. True, Rubens did play with Deodato a few years after FOTH, but he had also played with Deodato before FOTH. Rubens was a well known musician among his musical peers in Brazil. Basically, Sergio opened the door for Rubens when it came to his career as a session percussionist here in the states. Sames goes for Paulinho DaCosta, Chico Batera, Laudir DeOliveira, Claudio Slon, and Dom Um Romao.

Well, thanks, Courtnee! I never knew that... But, what did Deodato do with Rubens Bassini, before Bassini played on Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66's Fool On The Hill? Did he make records back then, too? I have Deodato's first LP made in '72... I think there was an old Antonio Carlos Jobim album sporting a pic of him on the back cover, along with the rest of the musicians on it... Maybe Rubens was among them, too...

Dave

 

[Cortnee]

Deodato recorded a few albums one of them being Deodato Plays Marcos Valle:Summer Samba which was recorded in 65 or 66. I actually consider Rubens to be Deodato's percussionist because he did more work with Deodato than Sergio.I didn't mean to sound feisty, but u made it sound like Sergio had discovered Rubens Bassini. Sergio did NOT discover Rubens, but it's only fair to say that Sergio did open up doors for Rubens. In my opinion, the Brasil 66-Brasil 77 stints helped Rubens to become a prominent session artist. Just turn on the radio, and you'll hear Rubens playing percussion on many pop/rock/folk/disco/ soul/jazz/Latin hits. U were talking about an old Tom Jobim lp with a photo of Deodato and other musicians. U might be right, one of them could be Rubens. U can see a picture of Rubens with Yoko Ono on THe ArtistsDirect website. This particular picture is from 1982. It's a favorite of mine. Yoko looks tired and Rubens is all smiles.

 

[Dave]

Just turn on the radio, and you'll hear Rubens playing percussion on many pop/rock/folk/disco/soul/jazz/Latin hits!

Er, Yes, THAT I know!! As well as working behind the likes of Yoko Ono, Roberta Flack and Herbie Mann, among others!

Thanks!


Dave

 

[Dave]

I've got The Carnival, (in group name and album title) as well...

Mostly Bones Howe's stable of session musicians and a good two-man/two-woman group of vocalists, applying a bit more depth than Sergio and Co. were able to do at times...

A "Brasilian 5th Dimension", so to speak...!

Dave

~~ Harry, Dave ~~ Is it good? Do you recommend the record?
-James

Yes, James...I think The Carnival's one and only record is well worth what it may cost to get a hold of, whether you do find it at your local record store or have to order it online...

Too bad these guys weren't "regular album-makers", like Sergio Mendes! The Brasilian interpretations of material like "Son Of A Preacher Man", "Sweets For My Sweet", "Walk On By" and "A Famous Myth (One Bright Night)" (a song from MIDNIGHT COWBOY) are very uncommon and pleasant to hear... There was a "Reach Out For Me", a Bacharach-David composition, orginally recorded by Walter Wanderley that The Carnival does good, too...

Dave

 

[JMK]

Sergio had fired Hansen, Soares, Matthews, and Palma because they secretly recorded The Carnival with Bones Howe behind Sergio's back. Yet, Sergio was willing to work with Howe on The Love Music project in 73. Go figure.

I don't know where you got this information, but it's incorrect. Janis and the other B'66 members didn't record The Carnival until quite a while after the original B'66 broke up. In fact, Janis' first post-B'66 gig was as part of the Ford Motor Company's in-house vocal group "The Going Thing," for whom she recorded two LPs in 1968. The Carnival didn't record until 1969.

There were ongoing disagreements in B'66 that caused the breakup (some of which are amply documented in lawsuits which are part of the public record). And remember (as I think we discussed here before) Bones is listed as engineer (?) for Mas Que Nada on at least the Greatest Hits album, so he had a previous relationship with Sergio far prior to Love Music.

 

[JMK]

P.S. There's an "extended" CD of The Carnival due out any day now, with bonus material from their second, unreleased album, including their second chart hit (after "Laia Ladaia"), "Where There's a Heartache," from Butch Cassidy. By that time World Pacific had folded into United Artists, so that second 45 is on the UA label.

 

[Harry]

From the amazon link I posted above, the track listing for the new expanded THE CARNIVAL album is:

1. Canto De Carnival
2. Laia Ladaia
3. Sweets For My Sweet
4. Take Me For A Little While
5. Turn, Turn, Turn
6. Hope
7. Walk On By
8. One Bright Night
9. Son Of A Preacherman
10. Reach Out For Me
11. Love So Fine
12. Word
13. Where There's A Heartache (There Must Be A Heart) (Bonus Track)
14. Truth About It (Bonus Track)
15. Son Of a Preacherman (Mono) (Bonus Track)



Release date is listed as November 9, 2004 on the Rev-Ola [Cherry Red] label.

Harry
...with some details, online...

 

[seashorepiano]

Response edited by me.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

A good question, why did he re-organize the group? He had just had a massive single from LOOK AROUND ("The Look of Love").

Maybe the sales of the LP were not as strong as previous albums, and he decided to shake things up a bit.

The only thing constant about Mendes was change, though. Although the first two albums are quite similar, every record after that brought some kind of substantial change to the band or the sound, or both, while staying within the Brasil '66 framework. (Even EQUINOX added Pisano's guitar, so he really changed something with every single record. Not even Herb Alpert can claim that!)

 

[ILikeHiss]

Look Around is first on my list just edging Equinox by a slim margin.

 

[Ed Bishop]

They're all exceptional, but I picked the first because that's the one, to this day, I probably play most often. But any of the first batch also get plenty of TT time, so it's kind of close. Can't go wrong!

 

[Brasil_Nut]

The only thing constant about Mendes was change, though. Although the first two albums are quite similar, every record after that brought some kind of substantial change to the band or the sound, or both, while staying within the Brasil '66 framework.

Mike, your statement describes my admiration for Sergio to a tee!! I mean, there aren't many artists who take well to change; especially to the degree for which Sergio is known.

That said, I feel that HAP, Equinox and Look Around fit within a specific category. Whereas Fool On The Hill and Crystal Illusions sound like an extension of one another, Ye-Me-Le and Stillness stand on their own.

Each album different, yet woven within the framework of the "Brasil '66" sound...amazing!!

Jon

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

Hello, all - I'm new to writing posts, but I grew up listening to Sergio and have been very entertained reading all of your posts. I voted for "Fool On The Hill", although basically all of the first five albums especially are great examples in different ways of what made the Brasil '66 sound so much fun. For kicks, I recently dug out all the music I had of Sergio's on LP (just about everything he's put out) and have been listening to it lately; it made me realize the stuff that hasn't aged or become dated is, basically, the music on those fist five albums....

 

[Harry]

Welome aboard, Bill (A&Mguy...). Isn't it amazing how great those albums sound today, almost 40 years later?

Many of us still have our LPs and have upgraded to the Japanese releases on CD in recent years. Verve in the US has released three of them here in the States, EQUINOX, LOOK AROUND, and the recent FOOL ON THE HILL. Do yourself a favor and seek these out while they're around. You'll enjoy them for years to come.

Again welcome to the A&M Corner, and don't be shy. We LOVE having new people to inject life into our discussions.

Harry
...welcoming another newbie, online...

 

[Stevenj]

[ The only clinker for me is the trite cover of "The Look of Love"--this is supposed to be a seduction song, not pop fluff. Dusty Springfield nails it, IMHO.

I agree, nobody tops Dusty on this tune, Diana Krall comes close, and I likes the Bangles version in Austin Powers, just as a curiosity.

 

[Stevenj]

because the mixture of composers. A little Valle, Milton and Lobo. But all in all, my favorite tunes are the non pop ones, like Roda, Batucada, The Frog, Dois Dias, Violo, Festa, Upa, etc.
Steven

 

[nightcat]

As much as I love Eqiunox, I had to vote for Fool On The Hill as my favorite. The first four songs on Equinox are outstanding, but Fool On The Hill is a more complete package. The selection of Brasilian tunes on Fool is what makes the lp. Feste, Casa Forte, Canto Triste, Upa Neguinho and Lapinha are a terrific 2 thru 6. This lp takes more risks with a number of songs that aren't that commercial. Yet, the 2 pop songs are well done and add some balance. The song Fool On the Hill is one the best tunes Brasil 66 ever did, and in my opinion, its by far their best cover of a pop song.

My vote brings Fool On The Hill into a tie for second place in the voting, but I'm not unhappy to see Equinox leading the pack.

I'm also a bit surprised to see the first album only has 3 votes.

 

[toeknee4bz]

None of the above. I vote for the self-titled 1983 album SERGIO MENDES (A&M SP 4937)

Tony

 

[rickster]

Fool on the Hill because it contains the most Edu Lobo tunes, and he is an overlooked GENIUS songwriter -------