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
Some Morning
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gently I'm awakened
If I'm not mistaken
Spring is on the way
First Flight
A picture perfect sunlight
No ordinary morning
Must be my lucky day
In the quiet
I hear a stirring
I am not alone
I'm following the sound
A foot above the ground
Down the hallway
You are standing
Looking quite at home
Like you were never gone
Oh, morning
Gently I'm awakened
If I'm not mistaken
Spring is on the way
First Flight
A picture perfect sunlight
No ordinary morning
Must be my lucky day
At the table
There are children
Look how tall they've grown
Imagine my surprise
No sadness in their eyes
I grab the paper
Read the headline
It reads "Peace on Earth"
The same recurring dream
One morning
I will see that morning
And I won't be dreaming
Come some morning soon
The song "Some Morning" by Sergio Mendes is a beautiful track that evokes feelings of hope, optimism, and contentment. The lyrics are simple yet profound, discussing the beauty of a new day and the joy of being surrounded by loved ones. The gentle melody captures the peacefulness of a new morning as we awaken to a new day, perhaps with a newfound sense of purpose and possibility.
The first verse discusses the arrival of spring, a time of renewal and rebirth. The singer wakes up gently, with a sense of anticipation, as if something wonderful is about to happen. The second verse talks about a feeling of not being alone, as if a loved one or friend is nearby, providing comfort and companionship. The chorus repeats the opening lines, emphasizing the beauty and simplicity of a new day and the joy that it can bring.
In the third verse, the singer is surrounded by children, who have grown taller since the last time they saw them. The line "No sadness in their eyes" is particularly poignant, suggesting that the children are happy and content, a source of pride and joy for the singer. The last line of the verse "The same recurring dream" implies that the singer has been longing for this sense of peace and contentment for some time, but it has eluded them up until this point. The final chorus again emphasizes the joy of a new morning, and the hope that one day we will all wake up to a world of peace and harmony.
Overall, "Some Morning" is a beautiful song that captures the everyday moments of joy and contentment in life. The lyrics are simple yet profound, expressing the hope and optimism that can come with a new day.
Line by Line Meaning
Morning
The start of a new day
Gently I'm awakened
Waking up in a calm, soothing manner
If I'm not mistaken
Assuming that the coming of spring is on the way
Spring is on the way
The season of spring is approaching
First Flight
The first flight out in the morning
A picture perfect sunlight
The sunlight is perfect and beautiful
No ordinary morning
This morning is special and extraordinary
Must be my lucky day
Feeling fortunate to have such a great morning
In the quiet
In a peaceful and calm environment
I hear a stirring
Hearing a sound that is causing movement
I am not alone
Feeling the presence of others around
I'm following the sound
Moving towards the source of the sound
A foot above the ground
Feeling weightless and free
Down the hallway
Walking along the corridor
You are standing
Seeing someone standing in front of you
Looking quite at home
Appearing comfortable and settled
Like you were never gone
Giving the impression that they never left
At the table
Sitting down to have a meal
There are children
Being in the presence of kids
Look how tall they've grown
Noticing how much the kids have grown since last seeing them
Imagine my surprise
Feeling shocked and amazed
No sadness in their eyes
Noticing that the kids are happy and joyful
I grab the paper
Picking up a newspaper
Read the headline
Looking at the main news on the front page
It reads "Peace on Earth"
Noticing the headline that says there's peace in the world
The same recurring dream
Having a dream that occurs repeatedly
One morning
One day in the future
I will see that morning
Looking forward to the day when every dream comes true
And I won't be dreaming
It won't be a dream, but a reality
Come some morning soon
Hoping that the day arrives soon
Contributed by Emma L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Juan Elias
Great music. Love it.
Edy Widjaya
😍😍😍