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
I'll Tell You
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll tell you where you have to go
This place is really the place to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
Just come and go with me
To the place where we can have some fun
It's not too far from here
We can dance to the beat
And we can go right now
I'll tell you where you have to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
This place is really the place to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
Everyone will be waiting
Anticipaiting the fun we'll have tonight
Come on people let's get out of here
Let's jump in the ride
It won't take any time
Tell me - you're ready to go?
When we get to the place
You'll have a smile on your face
As soon as you walk through the door
There'll be flashing lights
Everything is out of sight
It's really happening tonight
We can move our feet
We can dance to the beat
And we can really get down
I'll tell you where you have to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
This place is really the place to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
This place is really the place to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
I'll tell you where you have to go
I'll tell you where you have to go . . .
The lyrics to Sergio Mendes's song "I'll Tell You" are an invitation to a party or a night out. The singer is urging someone to come with them to a place where they can have fun and dance. He promises to tell them exactly where they need to go, and reassures them that it's not far from their current location. Once they arrive, the music and atmosphere will be electric, with flashing lights and an irresistible beat. Everyone will be waiting for them, and they'll have a great time.
The song's repeated chorus functions as a kind of hypnotic mantra, urging listeners to follow the singer to this magical place. The verses give more detail about what to expect when they get there, describing the excitement and energy of the party.
Overall, the song is a celebration of dancing, music, and the joy of spending time with friends. The singer wants to share this experience with someone they care about, and they are confident that they'll have a great time together.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell you where you have to go
I know the perfect destination for us
This place is really the place to go
This is the ultimate spot to experience fun and excitement
Just come and go with me
Let's embark on an adventure together
To the place where we can have some fun
To a destination where we can enjoy ourselves
It's not too far from here
It won't take us long to get there
We can move our feet
We can dance and groove to music
And we can go right now
We don't have to wait any longer to leave
Everyone will be waiting
People are expecting our arrival
Anticipating the fun we'll have tonight
Eagerly looking forward to the entertainment we will experience
Come on people let's get out of here
Let's leave this place and head to the next destination
Let's jump in the ride
Let's get into the mode of transportation
It won't take any time
We will arrive at the destination soon
When we get to the place
After we reach the destination
You'll have a smile on your face
You will be happy and excited
There'll be flashing lights
There will be bright and colorful lights
Everything is out of sight
Everything is exciting and impressive
It's really happening tonight
The entertainment will be superb tonight
And we can really get down
We can really enjoy ourselves and party
Contributed by Logan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lou Rivera
58 years old and 40 years later still jamming to this joint. Used to play it in dances, clubs and WBLS - NYC. Many many good times.
Lou Rivera
@Lawrence Edwards No doubt brother; sad things have changed.
Lawrence Edwards
Yes Lou, WBLS! They should change their format back to this time and capture this niche (market)
Rocco Sinisi
I love disco music and it’s crazy that I never heard of this song until I heard it on The Studio 54 channel on Sirius a few years ago. Great song.
Lewis Ogle
Sadar Bahar played this at dimensions festival about 4 years ago - I’ve been hooked ever since. ANTHEM.
manuel Tubens
I was just thinking about this song. It's still popping after so many years.
Jeffrey Fortson
You could play this at any club now in 2014 and it would still pack the floor!!
Hugh Phillips
That's Mendes Magic, it'd still pack the floors in 2022. That's just it, Sergio's Music never ages, mainly because he has always been ahead of his time😎😎🎶🎶🎼🎼🎤🎤🎵🎵❤
njplr
Wow, it is rare i hear i song that I once LOVED, but have since forgotten all about. This was one. Hear it today on Sirius XM driving home from work, lost my mind. This was played in ALL the clubs in 79, well, in NY and NJ anyway. God, I miss that era.
manuel Tubens
Fantastic era for good music 🎶