Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 were all over the radio in the late '60s with hits like Mas Que Nada, Constant Rain (Chove Chuva) and Fool on the Hill. Their albums for A&M were big sellers as well.
In the late 1950s Mendes had succumbed to the lure of bossa nova in his native country, abandoning thoughts of a career as a classical pianist. Even though he was still in his teens he kept company with the likes of João Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Mendes had relocated to New York by 1964, about the time Você Ainda Não Ouviu Nada! ("You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet!") was released by Philips in his homeland. In North America the LP didn't appear until 1967, under the title The Beat of Brazil on Atlantic. The release came in the wake of the success of Mendes and Brazil '66.
The album wasn't a big seller in the U.S. and Canada at the time but there were numerous vinyl reissues under various titles in countries like The Netherlands and Japan. Here's a sample tune.
Ela é Carioca (She's a Carioca)
The album (under The Beat of Brazil title) is available on CD for literally pennies for a used copy in the Amazon Marketplace. The release is on the very reliable Collectables label, so you can buy with confidence.
As a download the album is being sold as both The Beat of Brazil and Você Ainda Não Ouviu Nada! by iTunes and others.
From YouTube comes Primitivo, another selection from the album.
No comments:
Post a Comment