Sometimes in winter, Live or Stillness version?

[Aqua do Brasil]

Dear Forum Members,

Yesterday evening I played after many times Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’77
‘Live at the Greek Theatre’ once again during the 24 years since I obtained this album on the MFP/ EMI imprint (Music For Pleasure).


I wonder whats the Forum members opinion is about the song:
SOMETIMES IN WINTER,
You prefer the LIVE or Stillness version?

I prefer the ‘Live’ version above the Stillness album version.
BTW. this above mentioned album has some great moments,
especially, VIRAMUNDO, THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA, GOING OUT OF MY HEAD , CHELSEA MORNING, the percussion interlude ((with parts of PRIMAL ROOTS) and JOGA DE RODO as a leading line. FOOL ON THE HILL, Gracinha Leporace and Gerrie Stevens singing’ with strong voices Whoppa... at the end of chorus in the final part of the song, a nice treat.

Sergio plays excellent all over the place, with a witty quica solo by I guess the late Rubens Bassini and fine guitar work by the great Oscar Castro Neves, and bass by Sergio’s late long-time friend Sebastiaõ Neto and Laudir Soares on congas and drums by Claoudio Slon. Perhaps the best rhythm section (IMHO) which played with by Sergio.

All the best,
Aqua do Brasil

 

[Chris Martin]

I certainly agree that the '73 Greek Theater album is a blast. I dig the cuica solo as it's also quite humorous (in a sexy sort of way).
I do, however, prefer the STILLNESS version (I like the higher-key vocals).
Then again, I'm torn. I admire artists who add something new to a live version and I admire artists who can replicate the vinyl sound, and, boy, is that '73 version faithful.
Viramundo is also fabulous in its slick studio version and in its more frantic live version. Geri Stevens and Gracinha certainly stepped lithely into Karen and Lani's shoes. The "whoos" and "haas" in the vocals (line-end) grow bit tiresome, though, again, they were very pleasing during the studio version of Norwegian Wood.
Chris

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I like the studio version of "Sometimes in Winter" better because it has such a nice flow to it. The live version gets too slow in the middle.

I think my favorite part of the Greek Theatre album is "Viramundo" but the whole thing is a fun listen. It really captures the live feel more than a lot of live albums do.

 

[Cortnee]

Dear Forum Members,



, with a witty quica solo by I guess the late Rubens Bassini and Laudir Soares on congas

All the best,
Aqua do Brasil

I wish I had this album! It sounds exciting.Although I am pretty sure it was actually Laudir who played cuica on this album. I have several concert photos and it is Laudir playing the ciuca. Rubens played the cuica on FOTH album( just listen to Lapinha and you'll hear Ruben's ciuca "grunting").

 

[Harry]

Currently on sale in two different covers on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1599&item=4045466643&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1599&item=4045465909&rd=1

Harry

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Note to posters: It isn't necessary to quote the entire original post (as Cortnee did above) when you reply. Just reply without quoting, unless you need to highlight a certain part of another post, then just quote that part. To quote more just wastes bandwidth and downloading time for those with slow connections.

 

[Brasil_Nut]

The original recorded version of "Sometimes In Winter" is beautiful, no doubt about it. However, I really dig the live version from In Concert. For one, I think the combination of Gracinha and Geri Stevens was magical. For another, the song was much better suited to a live arrangement than I would have imagined. In other words, it was a happy surprise.

Karen and Gracinha also performed "Sometimes In Winter" back in the early days of Brasil '77. Like the Geri/Gracinha combination, Karen added a classic bit of Brasil '66 to the song.

Jon

 

[Dave]

Hmmm...how 'bout Blood, Sweat & Tears' version...?? Never got to hear Live At The Expo, '70, let alone ever see a copy of it near me, for at least 10 years or longer... Or "Live At The Greek", either...

But B, S & T's second album was how I got introduced to the song; and had it on various compilations, too. Stillness was the first Sergio Mendes album I ever bought (and I think, Ye-Me-Le was the second...) and I thought the array of material like "For What It's Worth" and "Chelsea Morning", as well as "Sometimes..." was a new-found selling point, as was the band in a Rurual American setting, as opposed to their usual "Tropicalia Trappings"...


Dave

 

[Mr Bill]

Note to posters: It isn't necessary to quote the entire original post...

Mike is quite right. If your reply is the very next post, quoting is not necessary at all (unless extracting from a VERY large post).

If your reply is several posts down the thread and the thread has "drifted" from the specifics of your reply then, as Mike suggests, quote only the portion to which you're replying. Helps keep everyone in focus!

--Mr Bill

 

[Brasil_Nut]

The Blood, Sweat & Tears version of "Sometimes In Winter" is a classic, indeed. I had actually heard this version before Sergio's, so hearing it on Stillness was a pleasant surprise.

I've always thought that Lani's last verse of, "...to ease my pain..." had to have been a stop-down in the recording process. I've listened to it time and again. There simply isn't enough time for her to have taken a breath. The reason I thought of this was because of hearing the live version on In Concert. Both Gracinha and Geri take a prolonged breath before going into this line.

Then again, every singer is different. I'm sure the live arrangement differed greatly from that of the recorded version. Still, of the two, I'm more fond of the live arrangement over all.

Jon

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Do you mean, a breath between "my" and "Pain?" I wouldn't think she'd really need to take a breath there, since the word "pain" isn't drawn out that long. But, I'm no singer so what do I know, eh?

One thing I have noticed on the CD versions of the studio "Sometimes," is there is a little tiny piano hiccup just after the word "pain" on the first piano note. It sounds like two different tapes were spliced but they missed the mark by just a nanosecond. You hear part of that first note twice. I first noticed this on the British "VERY BEST OF..." compilation and I was hoping the STILLNESS reissue would clear this up, but nope. I have never checked any of my vinyl versions to see if it's that way there too. Something else for my to-do list.

 

[Harry]

I've always thought that Lani's last verse of, "...to ease my pain..." had to have been a stop-down in the recording process. I've listened to it time and again. There simply isn't enough time for her to have taken a breath.

Check it again with headphones. After "..ease my..", I hear a definite quick breath sound before "..pain" on the STILLNESS recording of "Sometimes In Winter".

The reason I thought of this was because of hearing the live version on In Concert. Both Gracinha and Geri take a prolonged breath before going into this line.

It's more noticeable here, but I hear it in Lani's version too.

I've always liked this song and I too heard the Blood, Sweat & Tears rendition first. When I read through the track listing on my new STILLNESS album way back when, I was somewhat disappointed to see among the cover tracks, "Sometimes In Winter" as I thought that BS,&T's version was just about perfect.

Then I heard the outstanding arrangement that Sergio & Co. did and it solidified the album as a favorite right from the start.

I find the live version on IN CONCERT to be pretty much the same arrangement with a few brass embellishents here and there. All in all, an excellent job by Gracinha and Geri in capturing the magic live that Lani and Karen did in the studio.

Harry
...heading for a cup of morning coffee, online...

 

[Brasil_Nut]

I guess I do hear a slight breath, although it still sounds like a stop-down to me. Maybe they did the stop-down prior to her breath, mixed another portion with this one and mixed it again into the final master? Hard to say. Then again, having heard Lani perform "Pra Dizer Adeus" on Live At Expo '70, nothing would surprise me...she's amazing.

Jon