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
Wichita Lineman
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he drives the mainroad
Searchin' in the sun for another overload
I hear you singing in the wire
I can hear you thru the whine
And the Wichita Lineman
Is still on the line
But it don't look like rain
And if it snows that stretch down south
Won't ever stand the strain
And I need you more than want you
And I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman
Is still on the line
And I need you more than want you
And I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman
Is still on the line
The lyrics of the song "Wichita Lineman" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 are a complex confluence of romantic longing and occupational pride. The song refers to the titular lineman who works the power lines in the county, with the singer stating that they are driving along the main road when they notice the hardworking lineman. They remark that they themselves are looking for something to overload them in the sun, which could be interpreted as being in search of some meaning, purpose, or fulfillment in their own lives.
The mood of the song shifts as the singer starts to hear the lineman singing in the wire as they work, a task that is both physically demanding and mentally taxing. The lyricist emphasizes the difficult and often unnoticed work of this public servant who is a vital part of the infrastructure of society. By saying that the Wichita Lineman "is still on the line," the songwriter is conveying a sense of resilience and dedication, as the worker is not complaining about the demands of their job but rather silently carrying on.
Line by Line Meaning
He is a lineman for the county.
The man being referred to works as a lineman and serves the county.
And I drive the mainroad.
The singer is stating that they are driving on the main road.
Searching in the sun for another overload.
While driving, the singer is looking out for any electrical overloads that may happen on the power lines due to the sun's heat.
I hear you singing in the wire.
The artist is able to hear the sound of electricity running through the power lines.
I can hear you through the whine.
The sound of whirring electricity can be heard by the artist.
And the Wichita Lineman, Is still on the line.
The man being referred to as 'Wichita Lineman' is still working on the power lines, probably trying to resolve an electrical issue.
I know I need a small vacation.
The singer is aware that they need a break from their normal life.
But it don't look like rain.
The artist doesn't expect it to rain anytime soon.
And if it snows that stretch down south, Won't ever stand the strain.
If there is a snowfall in the area, the power lines might not be able to withstand the extra pressure, and may snap or break.
And I need you more than want you.
The artist needs someone more strongly than just wanting them around for fun.
And I want you for all time.
The singer wants the person they're addressing to be with them 'forever'.
And the Wichita Lineman, Is still on the line.
The 'Wichita Lineman' is still hard at work dealing with an electrical problem on the power lines.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimmy Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
stevealexR1
He is a lineman for the county
And he drives the main roads
Searchin' in the sun
For another overload
I hear you singin' in the wires
I can hear you through the whine
And the Wichita lineman
Is still on the line
I know I need a small vacation
But it don't look like rain
And if it snows that stretch down south
Will never stand the strain
And I need you more than want you
And I want you for all time
And the Wichita lineman
Is still on the line
And I need you more than want you
And I want you for all time
And the Wichita lineman
Is still on the line
NECHO II
Such beautiful singing voices Lani Hall and Karen Philip have They are heavenly to listen to.
Jeff Neptune
Glen's version is so classic and epic but this haunting cover version by Brasil'66 approaches it in greatness.
Randall Sundeen
This song comes from the most prolific and creatively daring time of the late sixties I love music from this period thanks for posting ❤️
BroccoliQueefed
Such mellow smooth female voices. They were da-bomb. Timeless music.
Brad Peterson
Lani's & Karen's vocals gave me chills.
Dean Giusti
+Brad Peterson You are exactly right!! Phenomenal vocals. Hot too!!
Brad Peterson
Yep, Dean Guisti.
Edmund Charles
+Brad Peterson
Awesome ladies to be sure- perfect harmony! Today's music aside from the classics is trash to be polite.
Steven S
Every bit as good as Karen Carpenter, Diana Ross, Marilyn McCoo, Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland, etc
Steven S
Every bit as good as Karen Carpenter, Diana Ro