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
Love Me Tomorrow
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And if you really love me won't you tell me
And if you really love me won't you tell me
Then I won't have to be
Playing around
You call my name
Oooh so sweet
To make your kiss incomplete
You quickly change your ways
Then you say I'm untrue
What am I supposed to do
Be a fool who sits alone waiting for you
But if you really love me won't you tell me
But if you really love me won't you tell me
And if you really love me won't you tell me
Then I won't have to be
Playing around
I see the light of your smile
Calling me all the while
You are saying baby
It's time to go
First the feeling's alright
Then it's gone from sight
So I'm taking out this time to say
Oh if you really love me won't you tell me
Oh if you really love me won't you tell me
And if you really love me won't you tell me
Then I won't have to be
Playing around no
Playing around no
Hey yeah
Goofin' around no
Oh baby
Playing around no
Let me know how you feel baby
Hey oh baby
Playing around no
The lyrics to Sergio Mendes and the New Brazil '77's song Love Me Tomorrow express the singer's frustration and confusion over their partner's mixed signals. The singer is pleading for their partner to tell them if they truly love them or not, because without that reassurance, the singer feels like they have to constantly "play around" and seek validation from other people. Despite the partner's sweet words and smiles, their actions quickly change and they accuse the singer of being unfaithful. The singer is stuck in a cycle of uncertainty and waiting for their partner to make a clear decision about their relationship.
This song touches on the common struggle of trying to navigate a relationship without clear communication and honesty. The singer is tired of having to guess their partner's true intentions and desires, and is begging for a straightforward answer. At the same time, the singer is also acknowledging their own role in this situation - by "playing around," they are also contributing to the instability of the relationship. Ultimately, the song is a plea for honesty and authenticity, both from the singer and their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
And if you really love me won't you tell me
The singer is asking their partner to express their feelings to them if they truly love them.
Then I won't have to be Playing around
If the partner expresses their love, the singer won't have to play around or look elsewhere for affection.
You call my name Oooh so sweet
The partner addresses the singer in an affectionate manner.
To make your kiss incomplete
The partner doesn't give the singer the full amount of love and affection they need.
When your mood is clear You quickly change your ways
The partner changes their behavior suddenly and often, making it difficult for the singer to keep up.
Then you say I'm untrue What am I supposed to do
The partner accuses the singer of being unfaithful, but the singer doesn't know what to do to prove their innocence.
Be a fool who sits alone waiting for you
The partner's behavior makes the singer feel foolish for waiting around for them.
I see the light of your smile Calling me all the while
The partner appears happy and affectionate towards the singer, but only temporarily.
You are saying baby It's time to go
The partner is ready to leave the situation and move on from the relationship.
First the feeling's alright Then it's gone from sight
At first, everything seems fine between the partners, but the love and affection quickly fades away.
So I'm taking out this time to say
The singer is using this moment to express their feelings and communicate with their partner.
Playing around no
The singer won't have to look elsewhere for affection if their partner expresses their love.
Goofin' around no
The partner's behavior and changing moods are making it difficult for the singer to take the relationship seriously.
Let me know how you feel baby
The singer is asking their partner to be honest about their feelings towards them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Syreeta Wright, Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elisabethderu1817
Great album, and this song is a major favourite of mine!
@yuridiogo5528
Muito swing, uma obra de arte!