This has probably been asked before, but...

[Chris Martin]

How did you discover Sergio Mendes?

Sergio has been an abiding presence in my life for as long as I can remember (I'm 41 now), initially through my parents' record collection. However, my mother, late one evening, had been watching TV. It was showing an American programme -- she can't remember what it was but she wasn't particularly interested in any of the guests who were billed. These were pre-remote control times, so she got up to switch the TV off or to switch channels when Brasil 66 were announced. She'd never heard of them but, thank God, caught the first bars of Mas Que Nada. She recalls she just stood there in awe! Next day she was at Binns (department store) to buy Herb Alpert Presents. This must have been 1966, and a love affair began! I'd love to know what that programme was and whether footage exists...

For me, years later, it was sometimes quite a slog to fill in the gaps in the record collection, but it's been more than worth it (apart from Magic Lady) .

On this subject, did anyone who posts here discover Sergio mendes through Timeless?

 

[Mike Blakesley]

You're right, it's been asked before but what the hey, it's fun to tell the story.

The first Sergio song I heard was "Look Around" from a various-artists collection called MUSIC BOX, probably in 1968 or so. I loved the tune but didn't buy the namesake album. After that, I bought the 8-track tape of STILLNESS just after it first came out because I thought the cover looked cool. From there I was hooked and picked up each new release when it came out, and gradually gathered the rest of the catalog...first on tape, then on LP, then on CD, then on CD again (remasters).

I hope if anyone discovers Sergio through TIMELESS, they'll get the hints of what his music is really all about and dig deeper.

 

[Dave]

Uh, well...Saw Albums in Store, Got Curious, Bought, Listened To, Repeated as Necessary...!



Dave

 

[Yazmin_Salinas]

My mom had a cassette, in which there were 3 songs by Brasil 66. I borrowed this cassette and I listened to it over and over. Now it's lost somewhere in Hermosillo.

 

[thetijuanataxi]

"Million Dollar Sound Sampler". I loved their version of "Daytripper". Didn't even know it was a Beatles song until years later. Then "Family Portait" came along and after "Like A Lover" I was hooked!

David,
NP Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 25th Anniversary A&M CD........

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I heard "For Me" on KMPC, Los Angeles in 1967 and was hooked. I was 11, so by the time I put together the bucks and went to the store to buy a Sergio LP, "Look Around" had been released. I bought that instead of "Equinox"...and every one that came out through "Stillness". In fact, it wasn't until last year that I've actually owned a copy of "Equinox".

---Michael Hagerty
hoping for a re-issue of "Crystal Illusions", "Ye-Me-Le" and "Stillness" on CD, online.

 

[sbsugar]

Interesting, Mike B, I also 'discovered' Sergio via the Music Box lp....but I daresay it was probably a lot more recent, 1990 to be exact. I bought it at a yard sale for a quarter, mainly for "Fowl Play" by BMB & "My Heart Belongs To Daddy" by Herb. But once I heard "Look Around", I was hooked...went out & got the A&M Greatest Hits and went from there!

 

[cleveland mike]

Easy question for me. As a teenager who HATED rock-n-roll (Beatles, Stones, etc...)I only listened to jazz and classical. In fact the one genre in jazz that I had developed a great appreciation for was Bossa Nova, with Jobim, Stan Getz, Gilberto, Charlie Byrd, etc. So the first time I heard Mas Que Nada on the radio I was hooked. At about the same time, if my memory is accurate, I recall listening to the Brasil'65 album on an overnight jazz radio show here in Cleveland. Sergio was the greatest, even with a totally different sound (more Brazilian). Reza was my favorite track. Just love it -and in some ways- often felt Sergio should have done more with this small jazz combo sound. Bought every album for the next twenty years, no, not Magic Lady, and every subsequent CD, no not Timeless though, can't listen to the Will whoever stuff and am hoping for an album of Jobim standards with Gracinha and Dawn on the vocals. We should be so lucky...

 

[Harry]

Coming from a background of classical music with piano lessons, I had always looked down a bit at pop music. Sure, there was my old 50's pop records that were hand-me-downs from my older sister, but overall I preferred "good" music. (Though there was something about The Beatles that registered with me, if only subconsciously.)

Instrumental pop music was a natural step for me and Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass filled that nicely. I caught onto their "act" around the time of WHIPPED CREAM and GOING PLACES, bought every album going forward, and filled in the rest of the catalog when I could.

I first heard of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 by way of the innersleeves on the Herb Alpert A&M albums. But I didn't actually hear a song until my parents picked up a copy of FAMILY PORTRAIT for me, because of the Herb Alpert angle. Though I already owned "Flea Bag", the TjB track on FAMILY PORTRAIT, I welcomed the addition to my then-small record album collection. Once I finally got around to sampling "Like A Lover", the Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 track on FAMILY PORTRAIT, I was hooked. I knew I had to have whatever albums were out there, and over the next few months managed to acquire HERB ALPERT PRESENTS, EQUINOX and LOOK AROUND. From then on, with each album's release, I bought them as soon as I could.

I followed Sergio up through the PAIS TROPICAL album, and liked it a lot, though it didn't seem to have much in the way of radio hits on it. By then, my interest in better pop music had me listening more to the radio, and with Sergio's music disappearing from the current charts, I began to wonder about in what direction he was headed.

I'd heard that his latest album at the time was PRIMAL ROOTS, but that it was a return to Sergio's Brazilian influences and not designed for pop radio. I decided to skip it. Boy, was I stupid!

I did buy the next album on Bell though, LOVE MUSIC. I was disappointed that it wasn't on A&M anymore, and that Lani was now long-gone, but I enjoyed the pop tunes that Sergio and the gang performed on that album, most notably on the title track.

Then I sort of lost interest in Sergio, though I managed to grab a copy of VINTAGE '74 when it was tossed in a throwaway pile at the radio station I started working at.

My Sergio Mendes interest came and went over various periods of time in the '80s and early '90s, each time as a return to the sounds of the old Brasil '66 albums. I wasn't interested in the new stuff, though I had at least noticed that Sergio managed a hit with "Never Gonna Let You Know", which to this day, just sounds like all of the other '80s pop recordings, without that special Mendes magic.

It wasn't until checking into the A&M Corner Forum in 1997 that I had my interest in Sergio's later recordings rekindled. Then I began the task of filling in the missing gaps from the pre-A&M period, and the later '70s, '80s, and '90s albums.

My collection is fairly well complete, though I still haven't managed to pick up the PELE album. Have no fear, though - it's actually on order through Collectors' Choice in their three-fer release and due to arrive any day now.

Some of the intervening "discoveries" have been amazing. The live albums in the '70s were spectacular finds. HORIZONTE ABERTO remains a favorite from the non-A&M years and the closest Sergio's ever gotten to recapturing the Brasil '66 sound, and the BRASIL '86, album though spotty, is a great listen.

Harry

 

[unclesox]

Hello everyone.
I'm 40 and a complete newbie to Sergio Mendes' music although I had heard his name before.
I've really become addicted to finding all the songs Brasil '66 released with Lani Hall singing lead.
This sudden obsession with Brasil 66 came about 4 months ago. I was listening to an AM station that plays "music from yesteryear", stuff like Glenn Miller, Dean Martin, Carpenters, etc.
One day they played this one song that just hit me like a ton of bricks. Last time I remembered hearing it, I was probably 4-5 years old but the tune was SO familiar and it just took me back to when I was a little one. Although I had a clear memory of the tune, I never knew the song title or who sang it.
Come to discover that it was Sergio Mendes' version of "Fool On The Hill" which I found amazing because I'm also a huge Beatles fan and regularly post on Paul McCartney's official message board.
From that one moment, I starting doing searches of Brasil 66 and have absolutely loved everything I've discovered. Still haven't found every song yet, but it's a joy every time I discover a 'new' one and hear it for the first time.
Also discovered on YouTube.com two performances by the group that looks like it was from one of those variety shows that were the rage back then. Would love to find more of that kind of stuff if anyone can help.
I'm not familiar at all with Brasil '77 or Lani Hall's solo material so any info would be extremely welcome.
Also, not too sure I really want to give a listen to "Timeless" as I'm not really down with today's style of music.
Anyways, sorry to ramble. Looking forward to browsing around this forum.

-Sox-

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Congratulations on discovering Sergio's music! All of his A&M albums are available on Japanese import CD from the usual sources, and mini-LP (cardboard sleeve) CD versions of the albums are coming out this fall. You can get an idea of what's out there by looking at the Brasil '66 discography.

You can find Lani's solo album information at the Lani Hall discography here at the Corner. None of her A&M solo music is available on CD at this time, but you can still find her most recent album BRASIL NATIVO...just keep in mind, she sounds quite different solo than she does with Sergio, but she's still great!

 

[Karla]

You can find Lani's solo album information at the Lani Hall discography here at the Corner. None of her A&M solo music is available on CD at this time

That's too bad!!! I'm one of Lani's fans who want some re-issues on CD!!!

 

[Mike Blakesley]

I wish they'd just put the songs on iTunes. The albums are pretty spotty for me, outside of the first 2. (Although I doubt I'd be able to resist buying them all!)

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Once I finally got around to sampling "Like A Lover", the Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 track on FAMILY PORTRAIT, I was hooked.

I'm glad the first song I heard was "Look Around." In my teen years, a romantic ballad like "Like A Lover" would have been a turnoff for me and I might never have explored more Sergio music! What a loss that would have been.