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
Going Out Of My Head
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes I think I'm going out of my head
Over you, over you.
I want you to want me.
I need you so badly,
I can't think of anything but you.
I need you so badly,
I can't think of anything but you.
And I think I'm going out of my head
'Cause I can't explain the tears that I shed
Over you, over you.
I see you each morning but you just walk past me
You don't even know that I exist
Going out of my head over you,
Out of my head over you,
Out of my head day and night,
Night and day and night wrong or right.
I must think of a way into your heart.
There's no reason why my being shy should keep us apart
And I think I'm going out of my head.
Yes I think I'm going out of my head. Repeat and fade
The lyrics of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 [OST Mad Men]'s song Going Out Of My Head speak of the pain of unrequited love. The singer is overwhelmed with feelings for someone who doesn't seem to reciprocate. They're so consumed with thoughts of this person that they can't even focus on anything else. The repeated lines "I want you to want me, I need you so badly, I can't think of anything but you" drive home the intensity of the singer's longing.
The chorus emphasizes how this one-sided love is affecting the singer's mental state; they feel like they're "going out of [their] head" and can't explain the tears they're shedding over this person. The second verse adds a layer of frustration, as the singer sees this person every day but doesn't even register on their radar. Despite this, the singer remains hopeful, thinking of ways to win this person's heart and overcome their shyness.
Overall, the song captures the universal experience of unrequited love and the consuming nature of infatuation.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I think I'm going out of my head.
I am consumed by my thoughts of you.
Yes I think I'm going out of my head Over you, over you.
My obsession with you is driving me crazy.
I want you to want me.
I desire for you to desire me.
I need you so badly,
I desperately require your attention and affection.
I can't think of anything but you.
You are constantly on my mind.
And I think I'm going out of my head
My thoughts of you are overwhelming me.
'Cause I can't explain the tears that I shed
My emotions are taking over and causing me to cry inexplicably.
Over you, over you.
My tears are a result of my overwhelming feelings for you.
I see you each morning but you just walk past me
I see you regularly, but you don't acknowledge me.
You don't even know that I exist
You are unaware of my presence and feelings for you.
Going out of my head over you,
My obsession with you is causing me to feel overwhelmed.
Out of my head over you,
My thoughts of you are all-consuming and causing me to feel crazy.
Out of my head day and night,
My obsession with you is constant, both day and night.
Night and day and night wrong or right.
My thoughts of you never cease, regardless of circumstances or consequences.
I must think of a way into your heart.
I need to find a way to make you reciprocate my feelings.
There's no reason why my being shy should keep us apart
My shyness is preventing me from expressing my feelings, and this should not be a reason for us to be apart.
And I think I'm going out of my head.
My obsession with you is causing me to feel overwhelmed and crazy.
Yes I think I'm going out of my head. Repeat and fade
My thoughts of you are causing me to feel unstable and unsure, and this feeling will not fade.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Aratchamitr8190
Lyric:
Well, I think I'm going out of my head
Yes, I think I'm going out of my head
Over you
Over you
I want you to want me
I need you so badly
I can't think of anything but, but you
And I think I'm going out of my head
'Cause I can't explain the tears I shed
Over you
Over you
I see you each morning
But you just walk past me
You don't even know that I exist
I'm going out of my head over you
Out of my head over you
Out of my head day and night
Night and day and night
Wrong or right
I must think of a way
Into your heart
Oh, there's no reason why
My being shy
Should keep us apart
I want you to want me
I need you so badly
I can't think of anything but you
Going out of my head over you
Out of my head over you
Out of my head day and night
Night and day and night
Wrong or right
I must think of a way
Into your heart
Oh, there's no reason why
My being shy
Should keep us apart
Going out of my head over you
Out of my head over you
Out of my head day and night
Night and day and night
Day and night
Night and day and night
Day and night
Night and day and night
@alfredomarquez9777
One of the FINEST tunes played MASTERFULLY by Sergio: hear the sincopation on his piano playing, not to say the singing was at its best. BEAUTIFUL!
@obedirect5491
My childhood too...the musi brings me to tears for its beauty and memories.
@sergiop9885
Really awesome LOV this song from Spain 🇪🇸!! Specially love lani hall,s VOICE AWESOME !!! Sergio Méndez group realy was a perfect sensual classic with bossa Brazilian styles from 60s LOV it as so much !! Really on my opinion music from past !!! Was as so better than real present!! Greetings from Spain ❤😅
@danobrien4640
Easily the best version of this song! The dynamics are unparalleled.
@youyong28
This is terrific, but nothing beats Little Anthony and the Imperials.
@alansenzaki4148
Wonderful group and album. Brings back alot of memories when i was a young man.
@venitakbennett-bonaparte1986
Classic Album. I was barely old enough to read the Liner Notes, but, thank my Parents for the gift of good music. They enrolled me in music (piano) at Five years old. Jazz is still my love and first choice of all genre's of music.
@sergiopolo8915
Love so much FROM Spain....this music loves me as so much... Always wanted plays or learning piano.... Piano it's my favorite instrument.....
@gloriagoodling4957
Takes me back to gentle times.
@GEKWINS
I like Sergio's piano comping on this track.