Mendes is married to the singer Gracinha Leporace who regularly performs vocals alongside Mendes and can 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 1961. 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 Brasil '65 group name 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 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
Crystal Illusions
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said you never even tried for
Like mirrors try to see
New reflections that will be
Crystal Illusions
I'll walk but don't walk behind me
I'll go where no one will find me
Could it be I'm just a dreamer
Only looking for the sun
If I stay awake the morning
I believe the day will come
I'll go away
(I'll go away)
I'll find a way
(I'll find a way)
I'll try to know
(Know what I say)
I'll go
All the love that hides behind the eyes
That try to find a reason
If you only look within it's true
Love will begin
Waiting there to find you
I'll walk but don't walk behind me
I'll go where no one will find me
The shadows walking beside me will find me
All I want to know is wonder
Want my eyes to feel the rain
All the tears that spill for sorrow
Will begin and end again
I'll go away
(I'll go away)
I'll find a way
(I'll find a way)
I'll try to know
(Know what I say)
I'll go
I'll walk but don't walk behind me
I'll go where no one will find me
(I will be waiting for the sun)
The shadows walking beside me will find me
(I want my eyes to feel the rain)
I'll walk but don't walk behind me
(We'll begin and end again)
I'll go where no one will find me
(I will be waiting for the sun)
The shadows walking beside me will find me . . .
The lyrics to Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66's song Crystal Illusions contain themes of reflection, chasing dreams, and the loneliness of the individual journey. The opening lines urge the listener to look back at the dreams they never attempted to chase, like a mirror that shows new reflections. The chorus repeats the title phrase, "Crystal Illusions," suggesting that those dreams may have never been attainable or may have been a mere mirage.
The second verse reinforces the idea of the individual journey with the lines, "I'll walk but don't walk behind me/ I'll go where no one will find me." While the singer is searching for love and wonder, they are also aware that they may be seen as a dreamer who cannot or will not face reality. The phrase "shadows walking beside me will find me" carries a sense of uncertainty and potential danger, suggesting that the singer is willing to take risks despite the unknown dangers.
Overall, the lyrics of Crystal Illusions convey a sense of longing and optimism despite the potential pitfalls of chasing one's dreams. The singer is willing to leave behind what is comfortable or familiar in pursuit of something more meaningful, and while they are aware that the journey may be difficult or even impossible, they remain hopeful.
Line by Line Meaning
Look back to see all the dreams You said you never even tried for
Reflect on your past aspirations that you didn't put effort into
Like mirrors try to see New reflections that will be Crystal Illusions
Like mirrors, seek new goals that will create beautiful illusions
I'll walk but don't walk behind me I'll go where no one will find me The shadows walking beside me will find me
I will walk alone without followers, seeking solitude where only the inner voice can guide me
Could it be I'm just a dreamer Only looking for the sun If I stay awake the morning I believe the day will come
Maybe I'm just an idealist searching for hope, but I believe that if I stay vigilant, my dreams will become reality
I'll go away (I'll go away) I'll find a way (I'll find a way) I'll try to know (Know what I say) I'll go
I'll step back to find a new path, I'll discover it, I'll attempt to understand it, then I'll follow through with my plan
All the love that hides behind the eyes That try to find a reason If you only look within it's true Love will begin Waiting there to find you
Love is concealed within our thoughts, waiting to be discovered. If we seek it, we will find it
All I want to know is wonder Want my eyes to feel the rain All the tears that spill for sorrow Will begin and end again
I seek to be amazed and feel life, including its pain. Tears dry, and the cycle of life repeats
The shadows walking beside me will find me (I will be waiting for the sun) I'll walk but don't walk behind me (We'll begin and end again) I'll go where no one will find me (I will be waiting for the sun) The shadows walking beside me will find me . . .
My solitude and inner voice will bring enlightenment, and my shadows will guide me towards the light
Contributed by Jonathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Butch Javier
“You stepped out of a dream” I always liked this album. Great to hear sergio mendes and brasil 66 once again.
Gordon Landreth
How did I miss this album ? Oh well , Brasil 66 sounds new and fresh over 50 years later . Thanks for putting it out there .
David Trumper
I love this album. It's got some great songs including 'Pretty World'. They were in a class of their own and made wonderful music. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish Karen Phillips from Lani Hall but they were both great vocalists and Mr Mendes the master. I love 'Viola' especially. Many thanks.