Mendes is married to Gracinha Leporace who regularly performs vocals for her husband and can also be heard on his 2006 version of the song Mas Que Nada with the Black Eyed Peas.
Early career
The child of a physician in Niterói, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late-1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was taking off. Mendes played with Antônio Carlos Jobim (whom he regarded as a mentor) and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.
Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio and recorded Dance Moderno in 196. Touring Europe and the United States, Mendes recorded albums with Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann and played Carnegie Hall. Mendes moved to the U.S. in 1964 and cut two albums under the name Sergio Mendes and Brasil '65 with Capitol Records and Atlantic Records.
Brasil '66
When sales were tepid, he replaced his Brazilian born vocalist Wanda de Sa with the distinctive voice of Chicago native Lani Hall (who learned Mendes' Portuguese material phonetically), switched to Herb Alpert's A&M label, and released Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, an album that went platinum based largely on the success of the single "Mas Que Nada" (a Jorge Ben cover) and the personal support of Alpert, with whom Mendes toured regularly.
The original lineup of Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 was Mendes (piano), vocalists Lani Hall and Janis Hansen, Bob Matthews (bass), Jose Soares (percussion), and Joao Palma (drums). John Pisano guested as guitarist. This lineup recorded three albums between 1966-1968 (including the best-selling Look Around LP), before there was a major personnel change for their fourth album Fool on the Hill.
Karen Philipp replaced Hansen as the second female vocalist, while veteran drummer Dom Um Romão teamed with Rubens Bassini to assume percussionist duties. Sebastiao Neto was the new bassist and Oscar Castro-Neves the guitarist. This lineup had a more orchestral and big band sound than their predecessors. Most significantly, in the early 1970s, lead singer Hall pursued a solo career and became Alpert's second wife. Some accounts claim that Mendes was upset with Alpert for years for "stealing" Hall away from his group.
Though his early singles with Brasil '66 (most notably "Mas Que Nada") met with some success, Mendes really burst into mainstream prominence when he performed the Oscar-nominated Burt Bacharach and Hal David song The Look of Love on the Academy Awards telecast in April 1968. Brasil '66's version of the song quickly shot into the top 10, peaking at #4, and eclipsing Dusty Springfield's version from the soundtrack of the movie, Casino Royale. Mendes spent the rest of 1968 enjoying consecutive top 10 and top 20 hits with his follow-up singles, "The Fool on the Hill" and "Scarborough Fair". From 1968 on, Mendes was arguably the biggest Brazilian star in the world, enjoying immense popularity worldwide and performing in venues as varied as stadium arenas and the White House, where he gave concerts for both Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.
Middle career
Mendes' career in the U.S. stalled in the mid-1970s, but he remained very popular in South America and Japan. His two albums with Bell Records in 1973 and 1974, followed by several for Elektra from 1975 on, found Mendes continuing to mine the best in American pop music and post-bossa writers of his native Brazil, while forging new directions in soul with collaborators like Stevie Wonder, who wrote Mendes' R&B-inflected minor hit, "The Real Thing".
In 1983, he rejoined Alpert's A&M records and enjoyed huge success with a self-titled album and several follow-up albums, all of which received considerable adult contemporary airplay with charting singles. "Never Gonna Let You Go", featuring vocals by Joe Pizzulo and Leza Miller, equalled the success of his 1968 single "The Look of Love" by reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it also spent four weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart. In 1984, Mendes worked with singer Lani Hall again.
By the time Mendes released his Grammy-winning Elektra album Brasileiro in 1992, he was the undisputed master of pop-inflected Brazilian jazz. The late-1990s lounge music revival brought retrospection and respect to Mendes' oeuvre, particularly the classic Brasil '66 albums. His stature in his native Brazil is reflected by "Cantor de Mambo", a song by fellow Brazilians Os Mutantes, which they regularly dedicate to Mendes in concert.
Later career
Timeless features a wide array of neo-soul and alternative hip hop guest artists, most prominently will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas. It was released February 14, 2006 by Concord Records.
The album features the Black Eyed Peas, Erykah Badu, Black Thought, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, India.Arie, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder and Pharoahe Monch.
The 2006 re-recorded version of "Mas que Nada" with the Black Eyed Peas had additional vocals by Gracinha Leporace (Mendes' wife); a version that is included on his album Timeless. In Brazil, the song is pretty well-known for being the theme song for the local television channel Globo's Estrelas.
The Black Eyed Peas' version also contains a sample of their 2004 hit "Hey Mama". The re-recorded song became popular on many European charts. On the UK Singles Chart, the song entered at #29 and rose to and peaked at #6 on its second week on the chart.
Official website of Sérgio Mendes: http://www.sergiomendesmusic.com
For Me
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, every star's in a spin
Hey, something's saying out there
Hey, something's gonna begin
For me
Never at no time was there a night like this
Never at no time was every star so clear
Never at no time was everything so clear
Somewhere there's someone else who feels it too
Something rare and wonderful
Is due
Hey, there's a fire in the sky
Hey, and the moon's in a dive
Hey, it's a dream you can't buy
Hey, life is coming alive
For me
Never at no time was there a night like this
Never at no time was every star so clear
Never at no time has my heart beat so fast
For me
Never at no time was there a night like this
The song For Me by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 portrays a dreamy and surreal experience. The initial lines of the song depict an unusual atmosphere with a ‘hum in the air,’ and ‘every star is in a spin.’ The singer believes there is something extraordinary happening, and there is an air of anticipation that something is about to begin. What is interesting to note is that the singer is convinced that this feeling of excitement is for them alone. This is where the title of the song, "For Me," comes into play. The singer is convinced that this moment is unique to them, and no one else can experience it like they can.
As the song progresses, we can see that the singer is entirely immersed in their surroundings, and they have never felt this way before. The stars are extraordinarily clear, and their heart is beating fast. We get a sense of urgency, and the singer is living in the moment, imagining that there is another person out there that feels the same way they do. The language used in the song is poetic and allows the listener to visualize the same experience.
In conclusion, the song For Me by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 is about a moment of heightened senses and the belief that something exceptional is about to happen. The song's language is poetic, and its surrealism allows the listener to imagine and feel the thrill of the experience along with the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, there's a hum in the air
There's a feeling of anticipation around.
Hey, every star's in a spin
The whole world around is caught up in excitement.
Hey, something's saying out there
There's a message out there beckoning me.
Hey, something's gonna begin
There is something new, exciting and positive ready to start.
For me
This is all happening for me.
Never at no time was there a night like this
This is a highly unusual, special and unique moment in time.
Never at no time was every star so clear
There has never been a time when everything seemed to align so perfectly. Everything is crystal clear.
Never at no time has my heart beat so fast
The excitement I feel is pushing my heart to new levels.
Somewhere there's someone else who feels it too
I'm not alone in feeling this because there is someone else out there who is feeling it too.
Something rare and wonderful
This is a moment that doesn't come around often. It is special and beautiful.
Is due
This is something that deserves or is owed to me, a positive change in my life.
Hey, there's a fire in the sky
The world around me seems to be on fire with anticipation and excitement.
Hey, and the moon's in a dive
The usual rhythm of life is changing, even the moon is playing a part in this special moment.
Hey, it's a dream you can't buy
This is a moment that I couldn't have planned or predicted. It's like a dream come true that can't be bought or replicated.
Hey, life is coming alive
This is a moment when life around me feels more alive, vibrant and exciting.
For me
This is happening for me, everything is aligning for my benefit.
Never at no time was there a night like this
This moment is unlike any other, it is truly special and unique.
Never at no time was every star so clear
Every aspect of life right now is better than expected, it's all crystal clear.
Never at no time has my heart beat so fast
The emotions I'm feeling right now are like nothing I've ever experienced before.
For me
This is all happening for my benefit, everything is coming together to create a positive experience for me.
Contributed by Kaitlyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@anjaligr7702
Hey, there's a hum in the air
Hey, every star's in a spin
Hey, something's saying out there
Hey, something's gonna begin
For me
Never at no time was there a night like this
Never at no time was every star so clear
Never at no time has my heart beat so fast
Never at no time was everything so clear
Somewhere there's someone else who feels it too
Something rare and wonderful
Is due
Hey, there's a fire in the sky
Hey, and the moon's in a dive
Hey, it's a dream you can't buy
Hey, life is coming alive
For me
Never at no time was there a night like this
Never at no time was every star so clear
Never at no time has my heart beat so fast
For me
Never at no time was there a night like this
@mariaservalli7447
@Bradley Scarton I know that they have recorded in Portuguese too, of course they did, their most famous song is in Portuguese indeed. And well, translating Mas que nada is to kill the song.
Your answer highlights precisely the problem here: not everything that is done for profit is good, and in case of Bossa and MPB the translated version nearly always loses part of its charm. It is a different language so it sounds different, it has a different vibe.
Translated bossa sounds a bit... plain? I am just feeling that part of the effort is wasted when a beautiful arrangement is put over a tune that sounds so much better in the original tongue.
And I am yet to discover why the American audience expects everything to be about them, what is the problem with listening to songs in other languages, really?
The language is a part of the song beauty [and I ended up learning Portuguese because of how beautifully it sounded in this kind of music]
It is a part of the same loss of personality story that gave many more recent bossa-like creations a place in the pile of indistinguishable "calm easy-listening" creations.
Besides that, a talented singer can sing in a language he/she does not speak and it used to be more common back in the day.
Just to be clear, I am not talking about Brazilian-inspired compositions written by American musicians nor pieces composed by Brazilians originally in English.
@Udui1o1
I love Bossa Nova Music. When Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 came onto the scene it was so cool. My Mom had all the albums and this song "For Me" is one of many favorites that I love from this group. I'm so glad I was a kid inthe 60's and listening to al this beautiful music.
@alfredomarquez9777
Definitely! There was an elegance, freshness and fine elements of Jazz and Brazilian culture... what a combo!
@iammar10
I so agree! My father loved bossa nova and when Sergio Mendes hit the scene with this group, it was a trip to the record store everytime they released a new one. As a young drummer, I loved their sound! 🎼🎹🎤
@SunnyIlha
Ok Wow
This surely, undoubtedly
Among the Greatest, of Great,
Most Beautiful of the most beautiful,
Songs ever composed, recorded, band performaned,
And sung,
Ever.
It is Eternal Beauty.
@stevej136
Growing up in the 60's there was so much great music and Brasil '66 takes me back to my childhood and listening to the radio. Great memories.
@scottthomas5630
Lani Hall has such a clear/wonderful voice - you can understand every word she sings.
@rickemmons7300
Wrote to Lani a few years ago...she sent an autographed picture and a signed CD of hers after the years with Sergio. Sweet lady...always the best
@SimpleJack1
That's so cool
@hitomusic
This is one of the absolute greatest songs, and recordings in the history of music.
@lindaclairesartori
Oh but it makes me cry so.
I was there.