Two Brasil '66 albums continue in limbo at Apple Music

[Michael Hagerty]

This happens sometimes with streamers---an album will disappear for a few days or a few weeks...but we're at or near three months with HERB ALPERT PRESENTS SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL '66 and LOOK AROUND being M-I-A on Apple Music. They never left Spotify, but as of last weekend I have, so I'd really like to see those two classics from the early catalog (the group's first and third albums) return to Apple Music.

 

[Harry]

Ah, the joys of streaming...

Those albums are firmly ensconced on my record shelves, CD shelves, and digitally on my computer. I can listen anytime I want in many formats, and don't have to rely on some streaming service's inventory.

 

[Mike Blakesley]

Yeah. I love how these streamers say "Listen to whatever you want!" Yeah right. I've got a short list of albums that have yet to ever turn up on any platform I've looked at, so I'm glad they are safe in my collection.

The same goes for movie streamers. Sure you can "watch whatever you want," but you've got to subscribe to half-a-dozen services to do it.

 

[Rudy]

Both are on Qobuz...and lossless of course.

Look Around is credited to Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 whereas HA Presents is only credited to Sergio Mendes. Can't blame the service for that one since they pass along data provided to them by the record label. (I've asked about other album data in the past.) I found it easier to search by album title, although my Roon Player has methods by which I can find music where the artist/band name differs.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Apple Music is now all-lossless, as well. They had a goal of having the entire library converted by December 31 of last year. I wonder if they simply dropped albums they weren’t going to be able to hit the deadline with and will phase them back in as they complete the full list.

Apple’s library is (usually) the largest. I went with them originally because of better compatibility with Apple CarPlay (given how much time I’m at the wheel).

 

[Rudy]

No idea here. But each service has its issues, no doubt about it. None are perfect, and the occasional album or two can fall between the cracks.

It was interesting to learn how the licensing works for these companies, and for an international company like Qobuz, it's not just a matter of flipping a switch--each country they operate in needs separate negotiations with labels and distributors before they can offer music there for download or streaming. I won't leave Qobuz since they're the only service offering hi-res and the ability to download in a non-proprietary format that I can use anywhere, and play or stream using non-proprietary software.

 

[Trevor]

Some years ago (like 2000) - Verve released Look Around on CD. Maybe Verve has the rights to it and hasn't released it on Apple????

 

[Rudy]

I think it's more like a technical glitch, as Mike is saying only those two titles disappeared while the others remain up there. Qobuz has all of them, so it doesn't appear as though the label is pulling the titles from distribution.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Some years ago (like 2000) - Verve released Look Around on CD. Maybe Verve has the rights to it and hasn't released it on Apple????

It was there until about 90 days ago. Verve and A&M are both owned by UMG.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Both are on Qobuz...and lossless of course.

Look Around is credited to Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 whereas HA Presents is only credited to Sergio Mendes. Can't blame the service for that one since they pass along data provided to them by the record label. (I've asked about other album data in the past.) I found it easier to search by album title, although my Roon Player has methods by which I can find music where the artist/band name differs.

It looks like FOOL ON THE HILL, CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS AND YE-ME-LE have vanished from Spotify.

I wonder if streaming rights are starting to expire on the catalog? So far, Apple Music is still missing HAP and LOOK AROUND, but only those two.

 

[Rudy]

I still show everything being available on Qobuz, along with Foursider and Classics Vol. 18.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I still show everything being available on Qobuz, along with Foursider and Classics Vol. 18.

Right. But albums missing from two of the biggest streaming services makes me wonder.

 

[Rudy]

I tend to trust Qobuz since it is operated by music lovers, and you can reach an actual human being if you need to contact them. But even they can't do anything about changes to availability when a label or distributor pulls the rights. They've been around 15 years (founded in 2007 in France), but only just opened to the US in 2019. And according to the employees I've spoken with, starting their service in the US was just like starting a new service, since all the music had to be negotiated. Even if they already had all the music on the servers (which they did), they couldn't deliver any of it in the US until they got the rights.

Titles do come and go, and it could be up to negotiations between label/distributor and streaming company. Yet if a label/distributor were pulling an entire catalog of a single musician, or all output for a label, it would hit all the streaming services at once. That is why I think the problem lies with the individual streaming companies, and is not a wholesale deletion of the Brasil '66 titles from all streamers (which is why I checked).

It should be interesting to see how it all plays out. They could magically reappear just as they disappeared.

 

[Murray]

It looks like FOOL ON THE HILL, CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS AND YE-ME-LE have vanished from Spotify.

On Spotify in Canada, FOOL ON THE HILL, CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS, and YE-ME-LE, show up when I search for "Sergio Mendes". When I search for "Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66", those albums are no where to be found, but HERB ALPERT PRESENTS, EQUINOX, LOOK AROUND, and STILLNESS are. Perhaps they are cataloged the same way on Spotify in the US?

 

[Mike Blakesley]

The lion's share of Sergio's music seems to be available on Amazon Music Unlimited.

- All the A&M albums from Brasil '66, Brasil '77, and solo eras, except Brasil '86 and Confetti
- All the Elektra albums
- From what I can tell, everything he's released from Brasiliero until today
- All of his Atlantic albums
- The recent Live in Japan album by Brasil '77

The only things missing, as far as I can tell, are the two Bell albums, Brasil '86 and Confetti. All of his compilations seem to be there too, with the exception of the Serie Grandes Nomes box set.

Most of the albums come up with a search for "Sergio Mendes," but most (not all!) of them will come up if you search "brasil '66" or "brasil '77."

 

[Rudy]

On Spotify in Canada, FOOL ON THE HILL, CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS, and YE-ME-LE, show up when I search for "Sergio Mendes". When I search for "Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66", those albums are no where to be found, but HERB ALPERT PRESENTS, EQUINOX, LOOK AROUND, and STILLNESS are. Perhaps they are cataloged the same way on Spotify in the US?

I had that issue with a couple of Mendes titles also--I'd have to check, but I know Herb Alpert Presents was not coming up with "Brasil '66" but did appear through a "Mendes" search. However, I discovered that by searching on the album title, and seeing that the artist listed was "Sergio Mendes" without the "Brasil '66".

I asked Qobuz about a similar matter, and they mentioned that all the album and track data they receive comes from the label or distributor, and they use it as-is. If you think about it, that makes sense, as they have 80 million tracks and who knows how many albums (hundreds of thousands or millions)--to expect staff to correct or catalog these items is a bit ridiculous.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

On Spotify in Canada, FOOL ON THE HILL, CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS, and YE-ME-LE, show up when I search for "Sergio Mendes". When I search for "Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66", those albums are no where to be found, but HERB ALPERT PRESENTS, EQUINOX, LOOK AROUND, and STILLNESS are. Perhaps they are cataloged the same way on Spotify in the US?

That’s probably it. Sorry for the false alarm.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

HERB ALPERT PRESENTS SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL '66 is back at Apple Music. Still waiting on LOOK AROUND.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

HERB ALPERT PRESENTS SERGIO MENDES & BRASIL '66 is back at Apple Music. Still waiting on LOOK AROUND.

Tired of waiting. Downloaded LOOK AROUND from Qobuz. Integrated seamlessly into my Apple Music library.

 

[Harry]

LOOK AROUND - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - rare mono promo version - listening now.

 

[Mike Smith]

LOOK AROUND - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - rare mono promo version - listening now.

I've always thought that was one of the best album covers I've ever seen. Really well composed.

 

[Bobberman]

Being I have almost everything either on CD or digital (until Bom Tempo) I'm still enjoying everything I will say Look Around has stood out to me as it was the last before the change of lineup and had several special moments the cover appears to have been taken at the same time as the Family Portrait photos were shot or it may be just a coincidence but still there were festive vibes through the whole proceedings

 

[Michael Hagerty]

the cover appears to have been taken at the same time as the Family Portrait photos were shot

It was. Same clothes, and in the same position (girls on either side of Sergio, guys seated in front).



I mentioned here a few years ago that I thought the BEAT OF THE BRASS cover was shot at the same time.




But someone pointed out that the tuxes the Brass wore on the FAMILY PORTRAIT cover are brown and the ones on BEAT OF THE BRASS are black.



Costume change? Different day? Who knows?

 

[Harry]

Perhaps the TjB tuxes were multicolored on that day. Herb's looks black, Tonni's and Edmondson's look dark red, Ceroli's brown(?), Pisano and Senatore look like an olive green in this photo anyway.



Here Ceroli's looks red like Tonni and Edmondson.

 

[Harry]

The Sergio Mendes ladies also swapped positions from one photo to the other, but it was clearly the same day.