I'm awaiting a similar email from HMV!
Sergio Mendes CD "BOM TEMPO" (GOOD TIME)
- Thread starter Steve Sidoruk
- Start date
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SERGIO MENDES REMIXED
REMIX DISC BOM TEMPO BRASIL SET FOR SIMUTANEOUS RELEASE WITH MENDES’ BOM TEMPO JUNE 1ST VIA CONCORD RECORDS
COMPANION ALBUM FEATURES DANCE MIXES
OF NEW AND CLASSIC MENDES TRACKS FROM PRODUCERS PAUL OAKENFOLD, CUTMORE, MOTO BLANCO, ROGER SANCHEZ, MARIO C. NICOLA CONTE, NERVO, OTHERS
More than forty years after his genre-bending – and ultimately groundbreaking – work with Brasil 66, Brazilian producer/keyboardist/composer/bandleader Sergio Mendes continues to borrow elements of traditional as well as contemporary styles from either side of the Equator and all points on the globe and seamlessly graft them to his deep Latin jazz foundations. “Every time I make a new album,” says Mendes, “it’s a new musical adventure.”
His latest adventure is Bom Tempo, an album that represents the next artistic step on his prolific Concord journey that began with Timeless in 2006, followed by Encanto two years later. Borrowing from the songbooks of great Brazilian composers like Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento and others (plus one offering penned by American pop icon Stevie Wonder), Bom Tempo expands Mendes’ use of color, texture and street-derived energy, highlighting his mastery of authentic Brazilian rhythms and composition. The Portuguese title succinctly captures the spirit of the music within, says Mendes: “This is bom tempo music, good times music.”
But the good times get even better when a crew of cutting edge producers take Mendes’ innovative blueprint a step further. Bom Tempo Brasil is a collection of remixes that push Mendes’ original vision and passion to a new level by laying additional shades of soul, funk, electronica and hip-hop onto the maestro’s already rich palette. Bom Tempo Brasil is scheduled for a simultaneous June 1st release on Concord Records along with Bom Tempo.
There’s plenty of energy from the get-go, as producer Paul Oakenfold puts a thumping groove underneath the Afro-Brazilian beat of the lead-off track, “Maracatu Atomico.” The result is an urgent backbeat that propels Seu Jorge’s spirited vocals to an almost hypnotic level. Oakenfold is back much later in the sequence, adding a layer of sheen to vocalists Nayanna Holley and Carlinhos Brown in their delivery of “Emorio,” a composition that tips its hat to earlier Mendes hits like “Mas Que Nada” and “The Frog.”
Chuckie remixes and re-imagines “Ye-Me-Le,” the title track to Mendes’ 1969 Verve recording. The track positions the vocal work of Gracinha Leporace (Mendes’ wife) and Katie Hampton atop a churning undercurrent that flirts with numerous effervescent crescendos before slipping into an understated fadeout.
Roger Sanchez puts a frenetic spin on “Pais Tropical,” a Jorge Benjor composition that Mendes first borrowed for his 1971 album of the same name. In this outing, Sanchez wraps the rhythm around a virtual chorus of vocalists: Leporace, Hampton, Mendes, Jessica Taylor and Kleber Jorge.
In “Waters of March,” producer Paul Harris injects the Jobim classic with a persistent and intriguing electro-African beat that underscores the mesmerizing work of Afro-Belgian vocalist Zap Mama (aka Marie Daulne).
Marc Jackson Burrows and Lee Dagger – otherwise known as Bimbo Jones – bring a fresh perspective to Stevie Wonder’s “The Real Thing” by positioning Hampton’s lead vocals in a tight arrangement of keyboards, horns and percussion. “When I met the 20-year-old DJ guys Bimbo Jones in London, they were totally into watching YouTube videos of Brasil ’66,” Mendes recalls. “It just goes to show you that Brazilian music has a universal appeal and it is timeless.”
Olivia and Miriam Nervo close the set by taking Mendes’ iconic1966 hit, “Mas Que Nada,” to an otherworldly place with countless layers of pulsating electronic effects, a stunning, adventurous take on a Brazilian classic.
Paradoxical as it might seem, that kind of juxtaposition is what Bom Tempo Brasil is all about. “I wanted to create a collection of songs that are mostly uptempo, fresh and danceable, so that young people can relate to them,” says Mendes of his work on Bom Tempo. “I want to reintroduce great Brazilian melodies in a different way and communicate with a new audience.” Aided by a crew of innovative producers, Bom Tempo Brasil takes a huge step forward in that endeavor.
# # #
Bom Tempo Brasil – Track Listing:
1. Maracatu Atomico – Paul Oakenfold Club Mix
2. Ye-Me-Le – Chuckie Remix
3. You and I – Cutmore Remix
4. Orpheus (Quiet Carnival) – Funk Generation Mix
5. Magalenha – Moto Blanco Remix
6. Pais Tropical – Roger Sanchez Release Yourself Mix
7. Waters of March (Les Eaux de Mars) featuring Zap Mama – Paul Harris Remix
8. Maracatu (Nation of Love) – Mario C. Remix
9. The Real Thing – Bimbo Jones Remix
10. Emorio – Paul Oakenfold Club Mix
11. Só Tinha De Ser Com Você – Nicola Conte Zona Sul Version
12. Mas Que Nada – NERVO Remix
REMIX DISC BOM TEMPO BRASIL SET FOR SIMUTANEOUS RELEASE WITH MENDES’ BOM TEMPO JUNE 1ST VIA CONCORD RECORDS
COMPANION ALBUM FEATURES DANCE MIXES
OF NEW AND CLASSIC MENDES TRACKS FROM PRODUCERS PAUL OAKENFOLD, CUTMORE, MOTO BLANCO, ROGER SANCHEZ, MARIO C. NICOLA CONTE, NERVO, OTHERS
More than forty years after his genre-bending – and ultimately groundbreaking – work with Brasil 66, Brazilian producer/keyboardist/composer/bandleader Sergio Mendes continues to borrow elements of traditional as well as contemporary styles from either side of the Equator and all points on the globe and seamlessly graft them to his deep Latin jazz foundations. “Every time I make a new album,” says Mendes, “it’s a new musical adventure.”
His latest adventure is Bom Tempo, an album that represents the next artistic step on his prolific Concord journey that began with Timeless in 2006, followed by Encanto two years later. Borrowing from the songbooks of great Brazilian composers like Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento and others (plus one offering penned by American pop icon Stevie Wonder), Bom Tempo expands Mendes’ use of color, texture and street-derived energy, highlighting his mastery of authentic Brazilian rhythms and composition. The Portuguese title succinctly captures the spirit of the music within, says Mendes: “This is bom tempo music, good times music.”
But the good times get even better when a crew of cutting edge producers take Mendes’ innovative blueprint a step further. Bom Tempo Brasil is a collection of remixes that push Mendes’ original vision and passion to a new level by laying additional shades of soul, funk, electronica and hip-hop onto the maestro’s already rich palette. Bom Tempo Brasil is scheduled for a simultaneous June 1st release on Concord Records along with Bom Tempo.
There’s plenty of energy from the get-go, as producer Paul Oakenfold puts a thumping groove underneath the Afro-Brazilian beat of the lead-off track, “Maracatu Atomico.” The result is an urgent backbeat that propels Seu Jorge’s spirited vocals to an almost hypnotic level. Oakenfold is back much later in the sequence, adding a layer of sheen to vocalists Nayanna Holley and Carlinhos Brown in their delivery of “Emorio,” a composition that tips its hat to earlier Mendes hits like “Mas Que Nada” and “The Frog.”
Chuckie remixes and re-imagines “Ye-Me-Le,” the title track to Mendes’ 1969 Verve recording. The track positions the vocal work of Gracinha Leporace (Mendes’ wife) and Katie Hampton atop a churning undercurrent that flirts with numerous effervescent crescendos before slipping into an understated fadeout.
Roger Sanchez puts a frenetic spin on “Pais Tropical,” a Jorge Benjor composition that Mendes first borrowed for his 1971 album of the same name. In this outing, Sanchez wraps the rhythm around a virtual chorus of vocalists: Leporace, Hampton, Mendes, Jessica Taylor and Kleber Jorge.
In “Waters of March,” producer Paul Harris injects the Jobim classic with a persistent and intriguing electro-African beat that underscores the mesmerizing work of Afro-Belgian vocalist Zap Mama (aka Marie Daulne).
Marc Jackson Burrows and Lee Dagger – otherwise known as Bimbo Jones – bring a fresh perspective to Stevie Wonder’s “The Real Thing” by positioning Hampton’s lead vocals in a tight arrangement of keyboards, horns and percussion. “When I met the 20-year-old DJ guys Bimbo Jones in London, they were totally into watching YouTube videos of Brasil ’66,” Mendes recalls. “It just goes to show you that Brazilian music has a universal appeal and it is timeless.”
Olivia and Miriam Nervo close the set by taking Mendes’ iconic1966 hit, “Mas Que Nada,” to an otherworldly place with countless layers of pulsating electronic effects, a stunning, adventurous take on a Brazilian classic.
Paradoxical as it might seem, that kind of juxtaposition is what Bom Tempo Brasil is all about. “I wanted to create a collection of songs that are mostly uptempo, fresh and danceable, so that young people can relate to them,” says Mendes of his work on Bom Tempo. “I want to reintroduce great Brazilian melodies in a different way and communicate with a new audience.” Aided by a crew of innovative producers, Bom Tempo Brasil takes a huge step forward in that endeavor.
# # #
Bom Tempo Brasil – Track Listing:
1. Maracatu Atomico – Paul Oakenfold Club Mix
2. Ye-Me-Le – Chuckie Remix
3. You and I – Cutmore Remix
4. Orpheus (Quiet Carnival) – Funk Generation Mix
5. Magalenha – Moto Blanco Remix
6. Pais Tropical – Roger Sanchez Release Yourself Mix
7. Waters of March (Les Eaux de Mars) featuring Zap Mama – Paul Harris Remix
8. Maracatu (Nation of Love) – Mario C. Remix
9. The Real Thing – Bimbo Jones Remix
10. Emorio – Paul Oakenfold Club Mix
11. Só Tinha De Ser Com Você – Nicola Conte Zona Sul Version
12. Mas Que Nada – NERVO Remix
TulitaPepsi
Well-Known Member
Nice! I'll certainly buy it. But I'd be more excited by a "Sergio Re-Whipped" mix album using the original B'66-'77 tracks.
U.S. release date for both the original album and the remix is now June 1.
TulitaPepsi
Well-Known Member
Ye-Me-Le remix.
I've always thought Ye-Me-Le could be a killer dance cut. This isn't it.
outube.com/watch?v=fikrJrx96Os&playnext_from=TL&videos=qjhZh1PdbY4&feature=browsetag
I've always thought Ye-Me-Le could be a killer dance cut. This isn't it.
outube.com/watch?v=fikrJrx96Os&playnext_from=TL&videos=qjhZh1PdbY4&feature=browsetag
A little more techno than I usually like, but still pretty decent.
One thing to keep in mind about dance remixes is, they're not just meant to be listened to, but also to be "mixed" with other tunes by DJs. So if you were in a club you might not hear the whole song; you might hear half a minute or just a segment repeated, etc.
One thing to keep in mind about dance remixes is, they're not just meant to be listened to, but also to be "mixed" with other tunes by DJs. So if you were in a club you might not hear the whole song; you might hear half a minute or just a segment repeated, etc.
Review of BOM TEMPO from All Music Guide. I have broken the article into paragraphs to make it read easier, but other than that it's as published.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sergio Mendes takes (a few more) chances on BOM TEMPO, his third release for Concord since 2006, all the while stepping concertedly toward the urban market in the same way that Brasil 66 shot at the heart of the pop market nearly half a century ago. Mendes produced the set himself and enlisted the talents of both Brazilian and American musicians.
His element of risk comes in the form of using the songs of Brazilian composers almost exclusively -- both classic and modern -- and in some cases, radically re-interpreting them for a decidedly non-Brazilian market.
One such example is in the opening re-creation of of Gilberto Gil's and João Donato's "Emorio," and making it a driving, synthetically funky dancefloor heater. Featuring lead vocals by Nayanna Holley and a rap from Carlinhos Brown (whose presence on the album is pronounced) it employs "elements" (samples) of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Surfboard," and Mendes' own signature recording of "Mas Que Nada." The layers of synths by Mikael Mutti nearly offset the fine Brazilian rhythmic invention. Mendes takes a fine piano solo, but the effect is strange nonetheless.
"Maracatu Atomico" with Seu Jorge on vocals is a little less so, even when the twisting, angular clavinet solo turns the piece toward funky hip-hop.
Holley and Brown re-team on the latter's "You and I." This is simply an urban tune with a couple of carnival rhythms tossed into the dancefloor thump.
The sheen on Jobim's "Só Tinha de Ser Com Você," with vocals by Gracinha Leporace, is disquieting but nonetheless recognizable, and it may resonate with contemporary jazz fans.
Other tunes are (a little) more traditional, such as Moacir Santos' lovely "Maracatu (Nation of Love)" and Jobim's "Caminhos Cruzados," with a beautiful vocal by Leporace and sparse, elegant Rhodes work by Mendes.
The lone cover on the set is of Stevie Wonder's "The Real Thing" with vocals by Katie Hampton. With its cut-time house rhythm, layers of keyboards, and bright horn section, it works, and it should at urban radio as well.
As another experiment in Mendes' catalog, this set may indeed bring listeners initially attracted by contemporary production and hypnotic dance rhythms to the rich melodic and polyrhythmic world of Brazilian music through the back door. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sergio Mendes takes (a few more) chances on BOM TEMPO, his third release for Concord since 2006, all the while stepping concertedly toward the urban market in the same way that Brasil 66 shot at the heart of the pop market nearly half a century ago. Mendes produced the set himself and enlisted the talents of both Brazilian and American musicians.
His element of risk comes in the form of using the songs of Brazilian composers almost exclusively -- both classic and modern -- and in some cases, radically re-interpreting them for a decidedly non-Brazilian market.
One such example is in the opening re-creation of of Gilberto Gil's and João Donato's "Emorio," and making it a driving, synthetically funky dancefloor heater. Featuring lead vocals by Nayanna Holley and a rap from Carlinhos Brown (whose presence on the album is pronounced) it employs "elements" (samples) of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Surfboard," and Mendes' own signature recording of "Mas Que Nada." The layers of synths by Mikael Mutti nearly offset the fine Brazilian rhythmic invention. Mendes takes a fine piano solo, but the effect is strange nonetheless.
"Maracatu Atomico" with Seu Jorge on vocals is a little less so, even when the twisting, angular clavinet solo turns the piece toward funky hip-hop.
Holley and Brown re-team on the latter's "You and I." This is simply an urban tune with a couple of carnival rhythms tossed into the dancefloor thump.
The sheen on Jobim's "Só Tinha de Ser Com Você," with vocals by Gracinha Leporace, is disquieting but nonetheless recognizable, and it may resonate with contemporary jazz fans.
Other tunes are (a little) more traditional, such as Moacir Santos' lovely "Maracatu (Nation of Love)" and Jobim's "Caminhos Cruzados," with a beautiful vocal by Leporace and sparse, elegant Rhodes work by Mendes.
The lone cover on the set is of Stevie Wonder's "The Real Thing" with vocals by Katie Hampton. With its cut-time house rhythm, layers of keyboards, and bright horn section, it works, and it should at urban radio as well.
As another experiment in Mendes' catalog, this set may indeed bring listeners initially attracted by contemporary production and hypnotic dance rhythms to the rich melodic and polyrhythmic world of Brazilian music through the back door. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
And here is the AllMusic review of BOM TEMPO BRASIL, which is the title of the remix collection.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proof positive that both Concord and Sergio Mendes are swinging for the fences on Bom Tempo is this collection of remixes; it was released simultaneously with the album.
The roster of producers includes Paul Oakenfold (whose thumping rework of "Maracatu Atomico" starts things off with a bang), Chuckie, Cutmore, Nicola Conte, Paul Harris, Moto Blanco, Bimbo Jones, and Roger Sanchez, among others. These range all over the place musically and sonically. The tunes were chosen either off the album or were songs Mendes recorded at some point in his career.
Some of the standouts on this 12-track, nearly hourlong set include Conte's "Só Tinha de Ser com Você" with the inimitable Gracinha Leporace on vocals; the Afro-electro remake of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Waters of March" with Zap Mama singing in French; the four-on-the-floor, horns-in-your-face take on Stevie Wonder's "The Real Thing" (the lone cover on Bom Tempo) by the Bimbo Jones duo; a fist-pumping, anthemic "Emorio" by Oakenfold; and the futuristic electro and hip-hop on "Mas Que Nada" by the NERVO sisters.
Where Bom Tempo sought to reach mainstream listeners in droves, this remix set is is aimed straight at club audiences. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proof positive that both Concord and Sergio Mendes are swinging for the fences on Bom Tempo is this collection of remixes; it was released simultaneously with the album.
The roster of producers includes Paul Oakenfold (whose thumping rework of "Maracatu Atomico" starts things off with a bang), Chuckie, Cutmore, Nicola Conte, Paul Harris, Moto Blanco, Bimbo Jones, and Roger Sanchez, among others. These range all over the place musically and sonically. The tunes were chosen either off the album or were songs Mendes recorded at some point in his career.
Some of the standouts on this 12-track, nearly hourlong set include Conte's "Só Tinha de Ser com Você" with the inimitable Gracinha Leporace on vocals; the Afro-electro remake of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Waters of March" with Zap Mama singing in French; the four-on-the-floor, horns-in-your-face take on Stevie Wonder's "The Real Thing" (the lone cover on Bom Tempo) by the Bimbo Jones duo; a fist-pumping, anthemic "Emorio" by Oakenfold; and the futuristic electro and hip-hop on "Mas Que Nada" by the NERVO sisters.
Where Bom Tempo sought to reach mainstream listeners in droves, this remix set is is aimed straight at club audiences. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Or am I missing something (as usual)? 
My guess is one of two things:
1. The writer didn't know the song was written for Sergio, or
2. He just scanned the writer credits and noticed Stevie Wonder was the only non-Brazilian in there, and assumed it was a song Stevie had recorded.
There's also:
3. It really IS a cover -- Sergio is covering himself. (Although I think if the writer realized that, he would have mentioned it.)
1. The writer didn't know the song was written for Sergio, or
2. He just scanned the writer credits and noticed Stevie Wonder was the only non-Brazilian in there, and assumed it was a song Stevie had recorded.
There's also:
3. It really IS a cover -- Sergio is covering himself. (Although I think if the writer realized that, he would have mentioned it.)
Here's another instance of a reviewer with a case of rectal-cranial inversion:
Pop & Hiss
The L.A. Times music blog
« Previous Post | Pop & Hiss Home | Next Post »
Album reviews: Sergio Mendes' 'Bom Tempo' & 'Bom Tempo Brasil'
June 1, 2010 | 5:42 pm
Earlier this year the great Brazilian artist Gilberto Gil toured the United States performing what he referred to at UCLA’s Royce Hall as a “very simple concert”: vocals, cello and two guitars. Gil’s contemporary Sergio Mendes takes the opposite tack on his new album, which features busy interpretations of tunes by Gil, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jorge Ben Jor and other Brazilian songwriters. Where Gil’s tour demonstrated the writerly sophistication and architectural elegance of much of his country’s music, “Bom Tempo” emphasizes its rhythmic dexterity and blithe geniality. As the album’s title makes clear, it’s a party record.
The dance floor has long been Mendes’ place of business; for his last two CDs he solicited input from members of the Black Eyed Peas. Here he cuts back on the all-star collaborations — Seu Jorge, who appeared in “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou,” is probably the brightest light — but keeps the energy high, occasionally juicing the music with strains of other styles: disco (“You and I”), hip-hop (“Maracatu Atomico”), R&B (“The Real Thing,” written by Stevie Wonder). “Ye-Me-Le” even lifts what sounds like a riff from Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.”
The result is consistently lively, yet it’s also somewhat anonymous, without a specific viewpoint underpinning the good-time grooves. That actually works to the benefit of “Bom Tempo Brasil,” a companion disc featuring beat-heavy remixes by such electronic-music mainstays as Paul Oakenfold and Roger Sanchez. Freed from the need to communicate, Mendes’ complicated rhythms accrue a kind of universal clarity.
— Mikael Wood
Sergio Mendes
“Bom Tempo”
(Concord)
Two and a half stars (Out of four)
Sergio Mendes
“Bom Tempo Brasil”
(Concord)
Three stars (Out of four)
Three of us felt compelled to post these comments in response:
What you say "sounds like a riff from Rod Stewart's 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy'" is most likely the riff which Rod Stewart allegedly lifted from Jorge Ben Jor's Brazilian hit "Taj Mahal". If you look up "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" on Wikipedia, you will see that Stewart settled a plagiarism suit regarding the song and agreed to give all his profits from it to charity.
I say "most likely" because I haven't heard the Mendes recording yet, so I don't know exactly what you are referring to, but this is a famous piece of Brazilian music trivia. And when you hear "Taj Mahal" (there are plenty of versions on Youtube) the similarity to Stewart's song is obvious.
Posted by: Paul D. | June 01, 2010 at 08:16 PM
First commenter gets four stars. Paul D. is correct! The "Ye-Me-Le" song credits in the "BOM TEMPO" booklet say: "This track contains a sample of the recording "Taj Mahal" as performed by Jorge Benjor. Courtesy of Universal Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises. Used by permission. All rights reserved." Reviewer gets one star. By the way, this album is much better than the 2 1/2 stars you gave it. Maybe next review you will be better informed.
Posted by: Steve Sidoruk | June 02, 2010 at 03:23 AM
The song in question, Ye-Me-Le, was first recorded by Sergio Mendes in 1969 on an LP which, strangely, and easily googleable, enough, was entitled Ye Me Le, and that disc came out a full 3 years before Jorge Ben's great Taj Mahal. The original doesn't sound that different from the small sample of the new version I heard. Sergio Mendes has often recorded Ben's work through the years, just do a little research: Pais Tropical and Mas Que Nada are two well known examples.
Music writers today are lazy and uninformed, and, if the disc's notes actually cite the song by Jorge Ben, then that makes the mistake even worse. The Rod Stewart plagiarism case is infamous, and should be known to any properly schooled music "expert", no matter how young, especially if they know the Stewart tune well enough to say that someone else lifted a lick from it.
Shame on you, Mr Expert, and shame on your editors for not catching this error, and for hiring you in the first place!!!!
Posted by: Michael Quinn | June 02, 2010 at 11:11 AM
Pop & Hiss
The L.A. Times music blog
« Previous Post | Pop & Hiss Home | Next Post »
Album reviews: Sergio Mendes' 'Bom Tempo' & 'Bom Tempo Brasil'
June 1, 2010 | 5:42 pm
Earlier this year the great Brazilian artist Gilberto Gil toured the United States performing what he referred to at UCLA’s Royce Hall as a “very simple concert”: vocals, cello and two guitars. Gil’s contemporary Sergio Mendes takes the opposite tack on his new album, which features busy interpretations of tunes by Gil, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jorge Ben Jor and other Brazilian songwriters. Where Gil’s tour demonstrated the writerly sophistication and architectural elegance of much of his country’s music, “Bom Tempo” emphasizes its rhythmic dexterity and blithe geniality. As the album’s title makes clear, it’s a party record.
The dance floor has long been Mendes’ place of business; for his last two CDs he solicited input from members of the Black Eyed Peas. Here he cuts back on the all-star collaborations — Seu Jorge, who appeared in “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou,” is probably the brightest light — but keeps the energy high, occasionally juicing the music with strains of other styles: disco (“You and I”), hip-hop (“Maracatu Atomico”), R&B (“The Real Thing,” written by Stevie Wonder). “Ye-Me-Le” even lifts what sounds like a riff from Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.”
The result is consistently lively, yet it’s also somewhat anonymous, without a specific viewpoint underpinning the good-time grooves. That actually works to the benefit of “Bom Tempo Brasil,” a companion disc featuring beat-heavy remixes by such electronic-music mainstays as Paul Oakenfold and Roger Sanchez. Freed from the need to communicate, Mendes’ complicated rhythms accrue a kind of universal clarity.
— Mikael Wood
Sergio Mendes
“Bom Tempo”
(Concord)
Two and a half stars (Out of four)
Sergio Mendes
“Bom Tempo Brasil”
(Concord)
Three stars (Out of four)
Three of us felt compelled to post these comments in response:
What you say "sounds like a riff from Rod Stewart's 'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy'" is most likely the riff which Rod Stewart allegedly lifted from Jorge Ben Jor's Brazilian hit "Taj Mahal". If you look up "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" on Wikipedia, you will see that Stewart settled a plagiarism suit regarding the song and agreed to give all his profits from it to charity.
I say "most likely" because I haven't heard the Mendes recording yet, so I don't know exactly what you are referring to, but this is a famous piece of Brazilian music trivia. And when you hear "Taj Mahal" (there are plenty of versions on Youtube) the similarity to Stewart's song is obvious.
Posted by: Paul D. | June 01, 2010 at 08:16 PM
First commenter gets four stars. Paul D. is correct! The "Ye-Me-Le" song credits in the "BOM TEMPO" booklet say: "This track contains a sample of the recording "Taj Mahal" as performed by Jorge Benjor. Courtesy of Universal Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises. Used by permission. All rights reserved." Reviewer gets one star. By the way, this album is much better than the 2 1/2 stars you gave it. Maybe next review you will be better informed.
Posted by: Steve Sidoruk | June 02, 2010 at 03:23 AM
The song in question, Ye-Me-Le, was first recorded by Sergio Mendes in 1969 on an LP which, strangely, and easily googleable, enough, was entitled Ye Me Le, and that disc came out a full 3 years before Jorge Ben's great Taj Mahal. The original doesn't sound that different from the small sample of the new version I heard. Sergio Mendes has often recorded Ben's work through the years, just do a little research: Pais Tropical and Mas Que Nada are two well known examples.
Music writers today are lazy and uninformed, and, if the disc's notes actually cite the song by Jorge Ben, then that makes the mistake even worse. The Rod Stewart plagiarism case is infamous, and should be known to any properly schooled music "expert", no matter how young, especially if they know the Stewart tune well enough to say that someone else lifted a lick from it.
Shame on you, Mr Expert, and shame on your editors for not catching this error, and for hiring you in the first place!!!!
Posted by: Michael Quinn | June 02, 2010 at 11:11 AM
richard_sloat
Member
I was no listener of Mendes' music at all, all I knew of him was that he's a Brazilian musician who enjoied world-wide popularity, in fact he's far more famous in foreign countries than he is in Brazil. This is the first album ever by him that I decided to give a listen to, it's not bad, some of the songs are a lot of fun with the dance beat arrangements, quite a few of them were familiar to my Brazilian ears, unsurprising being that Mendes is not a song-writter of his own (he's not, is he??), even taking in account that I'm NO Brazilian music expert, a lot of it doesn't ring any of my musical bells at all!! It's just that it seems he picks popular tunes to work on, it's a good thing for Brazilian musicians/song writters to have that international exposure.
So, I have no idea which of these songs he has already recorded before, from reading this thread it seems that most of them in this album he has done. Caxangá is a great song and Milton Nascimento is simply one of the greatest Brazilian male voices ever, I can not think of any Brazilian singer who stands up there with him, his voice is somewhat of a SPIRITUAL thing, I don't know!! However, as much as this recording is nice, it just doesn't come better to my ears than Elis Regina's one (I believe Milton is featured in that one as well, doing backing vocals).
My FAVORITE piece was You and I (I haven't heard the Mas que nada bonus version), it did surprise me that I already knew that song because it's not a Brazilian standard, it was recorded for the first time last year, Carlinhos Brown wrote the song and Ivete Sangalo duets with Maria Bethania in the original version, it took a few seconds for me to recognize it, Mendes' take on it makes it so much of a different tune!!!! Just listen to the original one and hear for yourself, the title is Muito obrigado, axé ("Thank you very much, Axé"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-bEwxtBFBw
Ivete is one of the most popular Brazilian singers of these days and she has quite a voice but you just can not beat Maria Bethania... you CAN'T!! She is maybe the greatest Brazilian female singer ever... and she HAS dueted with Milton Nascimento in her 1986 album, Dezembros ("Decembers"), singing this BEAUTIFUL song, Canções e momentos ("Songs and moments").
And then there's the Portuguese lyrics about religion, African-Brazilian deities and spirituality, it's not a love song at all like Mendes' version is. That's cool!
The same kind of thing happened to me before as I listened to Barbra Streisand's album A love like ours for the first time... when I played the track The island I was like "wait... what? I KNOW this song!" but I was unable to remember how exactly I did! I had to search for it online and spot Ivan Lins name as the writter, then I was like "DUH", it's that The island is a version of his much known song (at least in Brazil) Começar de novo ("To start it over") and again his lyrics have nothing whatsoever to do with an island!!! Searching was not necessary for me to figure out You and I but it was primarily because I do know Ivete Sangalo's repertoire much better than Ivan Lins'.
So, I have no idea which of these songs he has already recorded before, from reading this thread it seems that most of them in this album he has done. Caxangá is a great song and Milton Nascimento is simply one of the greatest Brazilian male voices ever, I can not think of any Brazilian singer who stands up there with him, his voice is somewhat of a SPIRITUAL thing, I don't know!! However, as much as this recording is nice, it just doesn't come better to my ears than Elis Regina's one (I believe Milton is featured in that one as well, doing backing vocals).
My FAVORITE piece was You and I (I haven't heard the Mas que nada bonus version), it did surprise me that I already knew that song because it's not a Brazilian standard, it was recorded for the first time last year, Carlinhos Brown wrote the song and Ivete Sangalo duets with Maria Bethania in the original version, it took a few seconds for me to recognize it, Mendes' take on it makes it so much of a different tune!!!! Just listen to the original one and hear for yourself, the title is Muito obrigado, axé ("Thank you very much, Axé"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-bEwxtBFBw
Ivete is one of the most popular Brazilian singers of these days and she has quite a voice but you just can not beat Maria Bethania... you CAN'T!! She is maybe the greatest Brazilian female singer ever... and she HAS dueted with Milton Nascimento in her 1986 album, Dezembros ("Decembers"), singing this BEAUTIFUL song, Canções e momentos ("Songs and moments").
And then there's the Portuguese lyrics about religion, African-Brazilian deities and spirituality, it's not a love song at all like Mendes' version is. That's cool!
The same kind of thing happened to me before as I listened to Barbra Streisand's album A love like ours for the first time... when I played the track The island I was like "wait... what? I KNOW this song!" but I was unable to remember how exactly I did! I had to search for it online and spot Ivan Lins name as the writter, then I was like "DUH", it's that The island is a version of his much known song (at least in Brazil) Começar de novo ("To start it over") and again his lyrics have nothing whatsoever to do with an island!!! Searching was not necessary for me to figure out You and I but it was primarily because I do know Ivete Sangalo's repertoire much better than Ivan Lins'.
I am always surprised at the number of music experts, writers, etc who spell the title of the Rod Stewart #1 multi-million selling hit incorrectly. It's "Da Ya," not "Do Ya."
A sad fact of life is that these days, the appetite of the media is too voracious to allow the time/effort for in depth fact checking, especially when most people refuse to pay for the content they're consuming.
A sad fact of life is that these days, the appetite of the media is too voracious to allow the time/effort for in depth fact checking, especially when most people refuse to pay for the content they're consuming.
richard_sloat
Member
It IS spelled "DA" in the article above.
I know that, but the first commenter misspelled it, and he comes off as an otherwise pretty smart fella.
richard_sloat
Member
I just came across this video with Milton Nascimento and Elis Regina singing Caxangá, it´s really great and this is such a terrific song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_VhxSagVpE
Mister H, a member of Leadsister.com forum, has said that Karen (Carpenter)'s singing was like "I'm just here singing this song, it's nothing special, really", it came immediatly to my mind as I watched Elis Regina in this video, she was like totally the same as that. And PREGNANT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_VhxSagVpE
Mister H, a member of Leadsister.com forum, has said that Karen (Carpenter)'s singing was like "I'm just here singing this song, it's nothing special, really", it came immediatly to my mind as I watched Elis Regina in this video, she was like totally the same as that. And PREGNANT.
richard_sloat
Member
I was in a party last Saturday night and they played the version of País tropical from this album, remixed (not sure but I believe it was not the remix from the Bom tempo Brasil CD) and people responded greatly!
richard_sloat
Member
I have just listened to You and I on TV, it is on the soundtrack of the soap opera Ti-ti-ti, which have been broadcasted for months and I totally didn't know about the song playing in it, interestingly Ivete Sangalo, the singer of the original Portuguese version, has one track here too and culled from the very same CD featuring Muito obrigado, axé (You and I), entitled Pode entrar:
http://www.google.com.br/#hl=pt-BR&...=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=ebada4146f3ecc2e
http://www.google.com.br/#hl=pt-BR&...=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=ebada4146f3ecc2e
http://baixae.com/download-cd-ivete-sangalo-pode-entrar/
http://www.google.com.br/#hl=pt-BR&...=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=ebada4146f3ecc2e
01. RAPTE-ME, CAMALEOA Maria Gadú
02. TEUS OLHOS Ivete Sangalo Part. Esp.: Marcelo Camelo
03. GO BACK (POT-POURRI PORTUGUÊS E ESPANHOL) Titãs
04. QUEM EU SOU Sandy
05. DÉCADENCE AVEC ÉLÉGANCE Zélia Duncan
06. TI-TI-TI Rita Lee
07. NATURE BOY Caetano Veloso
08. FALA Gottsha
09. YOU AND I (MUITO OBRIGADO, AXÉ) Sérgio Mendes Feat. Carlinhos Brown & Nayanna Holley
10. SEU TIPO Ney Matogrosso
11. VOCÊ VAI LEMBRAR DE MIM Milton Guedes
12. VESTÍGIOS Jorge Guilherme
13. AGORA É MODA Biquini Cavadão
14. PRIMEIRO BEIJO Izi
http://www.google.com.br/#hl=pt-BR&...=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=ebada4146f3ecc2e
http://baixae.com/download-cd-ivete-sangalo-pode-entrar/
1. Balakbak
2. Eu to Vendo
3. Brumário – Participação Especial: Lulu Santos
4. Agora eu Já Sei
5. Teus Olhos – Participação Especial: Marcelo Camelo
6. Meu Maior Presente
7. Completo – Participação Especial: Monica de San Galo
8. Na Base do Beijo
9. Cadê Dalila
10. Sintonia e Desejo – Participação Especial: Aviões do Forró
11. Oba Oba
12. Viver com Amor
13. Vale Mais – Participação Especial: Saulo Fernandes
14. Quanto ao Tempo – Participação Especial: Carlinhos Brown
15. Muito Obrigado Axé – Participação Especial: Maria Bethânia
16. Fã
17. Não me Faça Esperar
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