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
Take This Love
Sérgio Mendes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your eyes give you away
We've been talking all night long
And there's nothing left to say
It's a mutual emotion
Nothing's standing in the way
I've got this feelin' babe
You've been playing hard to get
I've waited patiently
It just keeps getting harder
There's a point of no return
'Cause the heat is in the moment
And the moment's in your hands
CHORUS
Take this love and let the night begin
(I want to give it all to you)
Time for you to show the way you feel
(You know how long I've waited)
I need a reason, a meaning in my life
So open up and take this love tonight
Too many wasted nights of hollow victories
But I know this time is diff'rent babe 'cause you mean so much to me
You're the answer to my question
And I need the answer now
'Cause the heat is in the moment
And the moment says it all
CHORUS
The lyrics of Sergio Mendes's song Take This Love depict a conversation between two lovers who have been talking all night long. The singer knows what the other person is thinking, probably that they have mutual feelings for each other that cannot be put into words anymore. As the conversation progresses, the impatient narrator conveys that the heat is in the moment and is in the other person's hands. The song is about taking the next step in their relationship and letting the night begin by sharing love and opening up to each other.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes their feelings and the importance of the other person in their life. The lyrics also mention the struggles of finding love and the emptiness of past relationships. However, with this particular person, the singer knows that this time is different and conveys a sense of urgency for them to take this love and make something of it. Overall, the lyrics express the intense emotions that come with being in love and the need for the other person to take action.
Line by Line Meaning
I know what you're thinking
I can tell from the look in your eyes what's going through your mind
Your eyes give you away
Your eyes reveal the truth about your thoughts and feelings
We've been talking all night long
We've had a long conversation and covered everything we needed to say
And there's nothing left to say
We've said everything that needed to be said
It's a mutual emotion
We both share the same feeling towards each other
Nothing's standing in the way
There are no obstacles or barriers that prevent us from being together
I've got this feelin' babe
I have this strong feeling inside me
That this was meant to be
I believe that we are destined to be together
You've been playing hard to get
You've been acting as if you're not interested in me
I've waited patiently
I've been waiting for you to show me your true feelings
It just keeps getting harder
It's becoming increasingly difficult to resist the urge to be with you
There's a point of no return
We've reached a moment where we can't go back to how things were before
'Cause the heat is in the moment
The sexual tension and passion between us is strong right now
And the moment's in your hands
You have the power to decide what happens next
Take this love and let the night begin
Let's start this night with a strong passion and love
(I want to give it all to you)
I'm willing to give you everything I have
Time for you to show the way you feel
It's your turn to reveal your true emotions and feelings towards me
(You know how long I've waited)
You are aware of how patient I've been waiting for you
I need a reason, a meaning in my life
I need you in my life to feel complete and have a purpose
So open up and take this love tonight
Be vulnerable with me and accept this love I'm offering you
Too many wasted nights of hollow victories
I've had too many shallow relationships with no depth or meaning
But I know this time is diff'rent babe 'cause you mean so much to me
I know this relationship is special because of how much you mean to me
You're the answer to my question
You are what I've been searching for
And I need the answer now
I need to know if you feel the same way about me
And the moment says it all
This moment is telling us everything we need to know about our feelings towards each other
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER BECKETT, JOHN PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@oloksinxs
I have loved this song from (the first time I heard it) back in the 80’s. The words are so damn powerful. I’ve been looking for this song for my collection for years. Wicked song💜💜💜💜💜
@brandaobrandao6441
Essa música toca profundamente em meu coração.
@oloksinxs
@@brandaobrandao6441… I felt that way from the very first moment I heard this beautiful song. Wish I could download it. I just can’t find this anywhere 🥺
@ludanehaeva1035
Сегодня в день рождения Серджио Мендеса слушаю мою любимую композицию. Спасибо за эту музыку. Она вечна. Первый раз услышала её в детстве в сериале Санта Барбара и слушаю по сей день. ❤
@thestreet3568
More than 30 years listening to this amazing song 🎵 still beats 🎧 ❤
@staceymckenley1769
An Amazingly exotic song that feeds the soul.💕💕💕💕💃💃💃💃💃💃
@shadowwarrior2030
Perfect song- Joe's excellent haunting vocals, the drum work, the melody, everything just blended so well.
@borky09
the drummer is jeff porcaro of toto band
@bryan6x
@@borky09 whoah..i didnt know that!! Tnx for the info mate!
@andykromosemito1399
I like the drums