"Promise of a Fisherman"

[Mike Blakesley]

I had to make a short road-trip tonight and was blasting some Sergio Mendes.

I got to thinking: What instruments are we hearing in the intro to "Promise of a Fisherman"? Some kind of keyboard, probably, but is that a penny-whistle in there too? I never really thought about this before and now I'm curious.

 

[Dave]

It's probably that organ played by Claire Fischer... Just at a real high-pitch... I'm really guessing, too--but the way he's credited with playing Organ on that track, there must be some sort of "gimmick..."

Fischer has a number of other Keyboard Credits, guesting on albums by folk singer, Carolyn Hester (once married to folk singer, Richard Fariña, who afterwards was married to Joan Baez's sister, Mimi Baez, before his death...) and the late-Hugo Montenegro... I think he also made a few piano/organ records, with Columbia Records, on his own...


Dave

 

[Mike Blakesley]

There's no way it could be an organ. The whistling notes "flow" from from one to the next. It almost has to be a wind instrument of some sort. Or, could be some kind of synthesizer, but in 1972? Not all that likely. Especially when the rest of the album is so organic.

 

[seashorepiano]

Plenty of organs permitted for sustain and pitch bending of sound, including whistles and the like. Take a look at organs like Farfisa, Wurlitzer and some Hammond models, but especially Hammonds, since Sergio used them at one time or another on previous recordings.

It's perfectly possible that synthesizers could be used around that time. The Moog was the rage in 1972, what with the development of smaller, more economic models. Synths have ring modulators that allow for sustaining a particular note, while letting the performer have the ability of wavering the pitch. I've listened to the opening part of "Promise of a Fisherman" and feel pretty sure that it's produced electronically. I can't think of an acoustic wind instrument that can possibly come close to achieving such effects.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I will have to plead ignorance on the keyboard thing. I was thinking the Moog came into popular use a bit later. Just seems unlikely that a synth would be used there, since the rest of the album is pretty much devoid of anything electronic (guitar and bass excepted).

 

[Harry]

I always assumed it was either a Moog or an unusual setting on the organ.

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Well whatever it is, it's one of my favorite Sergio intros. I still remember the first time I heard it. I was going "What the hell?" and "This is cool!" at the same time.

 

[JMK]

It's most definitely an organ, with (probably) a Diapason stop that highlights overtones a 6th above the principal (kind of like what Ravel recreated with his orchestration of "Bolero"). And Clare Fischer of course goes way back with Sergio--he was one of the orchestrators of "The Great Arrival." If you haven't heard it, run to your nearest internet emporium (is that possible? and get Clare's magnificent release "Thesaurus," which was finally CD-ized a few years ago. It's absolutely fantastic.

 

[Dave]

I can easily hear a "bell" on this track... I'm sure some attempt was made to create a sound with "wind instruments"; Tom Scott played a flute on the almost side-long "Circle Game", on Side 2...

To some an album like this would be "indulgence", while to Sergio it was the art of experimentation... Santana did a remake of this song with the organ in prominence as well... Doing a "music-search" on the Muse computer at a record store led me to the song's only availability on Sergio's Foursider 2-CD set, but I may have seen Dorial Cayummi's version somewhere, too--wonder what the original must be like...?


Dave

 

[JMK]

Dorival Caymmi recorded the song several times, and 2 very interesting versions can be heard on the absolutely top-notch boxed set of his which came out a few years go. The first version is a bonus track on the 2-fer that includes 1954's Cancoes Praieiras, though believe it or not "Promessa" is a 1939 recording featuring Laurindo de Almeida!! The sound on this is quite bad, but it's a fascinating relic. The second version is from 1959's "Caymmi e Seu Violao" (which was licensed for US release in the mid-60s after the Bossa Nova hit). Both versions are quite stripped down compared to Sergio's, and they both feature the verses of the song, which Sergio's does not. The 1959 version features some great arpeggiated guitar work which shows where Dori, Dorival's son, got his technique.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I never liked the Santana version. It's basically an excuse for a jam. The melody is there but the spirit of the song is lost. (Too bad, because most of the rest of that album (BORBOLETTA) is really good.

 

[seashorepiano]

After some thought, and slight change of opinion from what I said above, I respectfully disagree that an organ is used to play the introduction. (I recently gave this particular song a new listen- hence why I changed my mind in this case.) Principals on organs do not make the sound heard at the opening of this song- they have a firmer, pure tone. And I frankly have no idea where you're getting the idea that a diapason flute comes into this, JMK. I have never in my life heard any principal or diapason--jazz or church organ--remotely sound like that.

 

[JMK]

Seashore, I probably wasn't clear before: it's the "bell" sound that I think is organ generated, not the penny-whistle sound. I thought that was what people were referring to. Aside from the traditional Carillon bell stops (which may be what Fischer used on this tune), there are indeed Bell Diapason stops (I grew up in SLC where the Mormon Tabernacle pipe organ *used* to have one that was amazing--for some reason it was deactivated many years ago), and many organs I have played at church gigs through the years (including my current gig on an old 60s model Rogers), have great Bell Diapason stops that sound very much like the opening of "Promessa."

 

[Mike Blakesley]

it's the "bell" sound that I think is organ generated, not the penny-whistle sound

Ah, now we're all on the same page. I have no doubt that the bells are organ (or some kind of keyboard). It's the whistle sound I'm most curious about.

 

[seashorepiano]

Sorry, I'm still out on the use of organ. I have some pretty strong feelings that it's a synth making the bells, not a "Bell diapason."

 

[Dave]

Quite funny how Sanatana's Borboletta album really introduced me to Brasilian percussionist, Airto Moriera and "wordless" vocalist, Flora Purim, as well as led me to the remake "Promise Of A Fisherman" having these kinds of "connections"...

If a synth imitated a "whistle" or perhaps a "bell", then as of the first-few bars it was quickly ditched--Remember this album is about ROOTS!!!


Dave

 

[seashorepiano]

I got my first introduction to Airto through Chick Corea, then through Airto's own album for CTi--long since forgotten--called Free.

 

[JMK]

Sorry, I'm still out on the use of organ. I have some pretty strong feelings that it's a synth making the bells, not a "Bell diapason."

Well on this one I have to respectfully disagree with you. It's a very standard Organ bell sound to my ears. Plus, synths were in their baby phase then. In fact, I was in a band at that time with the only synth available for public consumption--it was a patchcord build-it-yourself model and it had three (count 'em) sounds--a sine wave, a square wave and a sawtooth--certainly nothing complex enough to reproduce a bell tone. Now that whistle sound--that's got my interest piqued.

 

[Dave]

The sine-wave, square-wave and sawtooth-wave were what I learned about in Electronics school, on an Oscilloscope, for testing electronic equipment... Hard to believe that there was an inspiration in creating musical instruments derived from it, or that it was part of the Electronic Musical Instrument Development... neeye:

The only Airto album I ever really owned was Fingers, as it sported catchy tunes, that were justifiably catchy when I listened to it, as well... I had a couple of Flora's albums, as well: 500-Miles High, That's What She Said, and Stories To Tell, though not-necessarily in that order... I listened to one she made, Nothing Will Be As It Was Yesterday, which sported a remake of Jeff Beck's "Freeway Jam", and it didn't exactly win me over...


Dave

 

[JMK]

Dave, I can still remember the little icons next to the patchcord inputs for the different wave forms--a wavy line for sine (though I've also seen just straight lines for sine wave icons), a jagged "v" for sawtooth, and right angle "L"'s joined together for square waves. And yet, strangely, I can't remember my own kids' names some days.

 

[JMK]

Re: Flora & Airto. I highly recommend Airto's "Identity" and "I'm Fine, How Are You?" albums, both of which are out on CD. Flora's "Nothing Will Be As It Was" was from her WB period, when they (unwisely, IMHO) were trying to market her as more of a pop crossover artist. Her Orrin Keepnews-produced sides are much better (again, IMHO).

 

[seashorepiano]

All this talk of inputs reminds me of the build-it-yourself nature of some Farfisa combo models. They could all come apart; detaching pedals, detaching keyboard, detaching volume controls. Makes me wonder how well they stuck together after being pulled apart so often. Then again, Farifsa was a cheap manufacturer. Plastic plastic plastic.

 

[Dave]

Whatever Musical Recording Venues could take their time tinkering with instruments and making modifications with controls, pedals, strings, keys, parts, etc. sure "had to" given the cheap quality and tendencies to break-down... The Farfisa organ and synthesizers which, back then, could fill a room were such products...

Yes, on Warner Bros. Flora easily became such a target for the Pop/Jazz/even EZ Listening market, after being under the much better guidance and suppotr she got on Fantasy Records...


Dave

 

[A&Mguyfromwayback]

To tie both these topics together......as a keyboard player, both synth and organ, that is undoubtedly an organ - much too organic of a sound for the synths of the early 70's. And Flora's last two albums for Narada are a real return to classic form for her, especially the most recent one, "Speak No Evil".......

 

[Dave]

I heard this Bell/Whistle/High-Pitched (Organ?)-like sound today! It was on Carl Carlton's "Everlasting Love", played on the radio in a re-recorded version; ...quite unlike the version I have on my LP...

Was there REALLY anything wrong with the original that this instrument had to be added as a Solo, let alone the song having to be re-done??

Again, this Organ Dipasion sound gets added at a pause near the end (Just before the radio station cuts it off for the News & Weather at the top-of-the-hour...) creating a "crescendo"...


Dave

...Wondering where this "new" version exists?--probably on those Myriad Multi-Artist Compialtions... ie. Didn't It Blow Your Mind...?, etc.