US Black music has always been difficult to market in Brazil. It is not that Brazilians are racist or anything like that. Far from it.
I think US Black acts usually express themselves in records in a more vigorous way than their White counterpart and in the end it comes through as 'a lot of shouting' instead of a 'lot of music' to the foreign ear (Brazilian ear). In other words: Blacks are shouters and Whites are 'melodic and bland'.
I think US Black acts usually express themselves in records in a more vigorous way than their White counterpart and in the end it comes through as 'a lot of shouting' instead of a 'lot of music' to the foreign ear (Brazilian ear). In other words: Blacks are shouters and Whites are 'melodic and bland'.
The fact that Brazilians don't understand the English language means that in order to become popular records sung in this foreign language must be very melodic. Songs must not necessarily have 'content'; they need to be melodic otherwise the Brazilian listener will 'turn off 'after a few bars.
Take The Supremes, for example. By late 1964 they were the biggest thing that happened in the USA after the Beatles & the British Invasion. The three Motown girls placed one hit after another at Number One in the US charts starting with 'Where did our love go?'.
But when they released (what would have been) a double-sided hit like 'Baby love'-'Come see about me' in Brazil, nothing happened.
But when they released (what would have been) a double-sided hit like 'Baby love'-'Come see about me' in Brazil, nothing happened.
I remember the 1st time I saw a Supreme single in early 1965. My friend Walter Tsutsui bought it and made a point of showing me his acquisiton saying it was the hottest thing coming in from the USA. It had been released by Fermata and had 'Baby love' on the A side b/w 'Come see about me'.
Take 'Baby love' for example. It is a plaintive song where the girl pleads for love from beginning to end. Now, if one doesn't grasp the meaning of the message one will think it is a repetitive littany all the way to heaven (or hell). I think that was the main problem with acts such as The Supremes for Brazilian ears with no command of the English language. They sounded monotonous!
In 1964-1965 I used to listen to the radio morning, noon & night and I remember hearing 'Baby love' on one particular radio station in which there was a Fermata promotion-man telling how marvelous The Supremes were and how successfully they had stormed the US charts. I wish I knew this guy's name for he was very keen on them. Then the DJ played both sides of the single and that was probably the first and last time I heard The Supremes playing on Brazilian radio.
Notwithstanding, Fermata kept releasing Supremes singles and albums until such a day in early 1967, when Motown switched record company and signed with Rozenblit-Mocambo, a small label too based in Recife-PE in the north of Brazil.
Suddenly, just after they switched to Rozenblit-Mocambo, Motown had its very first hit in Brazil: Four Tops' 'Reach out I'll be there' went to the top of the charts; they also had a follow up with 'Bernadette' and that was all she wrote.
Take 'Baby love' for example. It is a plaintive song where the girl pleads for love from beginning to end. Now, if one doesn't grasp the meaning of the message one will think it is a repetitive littany all the way to heaven (or hell). I think that was the main problem with acts such as The Supremes for Brazilian ears with no command of the English language. They sounded monotonous!
In 1964-1965 I used to listen to the radio morning, noon & night and I remember hearing 'Baby love' on one particular radio station in which there was a Fermata promotion-man telling how marvelous The Supremes were and how successfully they had stormed the US charts. I wish I knew this guy's name for he was very keen on them. Then the DJ played both sides of the single and that was probably the first and last time I heard The Supremes playing on Brazilian radio.
Notwithstanding, Fermata kept releasing Supremes singles and albums until such a day in early 1967, when Motown switched record company and signed with Rozenblit-Mocambo, a small label too based in Recife-PE in the north of Brazil.
Suddenly, just after they switched to Rozenblit-Mocambo, Motown had its very first hit in Brazil: Four Tops' 'Reach out I'll be there' went to the top of the charts; they also had a follow up with 'Bernadette' and that was all she wrote.
This was the first image of the Supremes I ever saw.
The Supremes 1st ever release in Brazil come with explanatory notes in the back.
Três jovens de Detroit, The Supremes, conseguiram realizar o grande feito de atingir o 1o. lugar nas paradas de sucessos, 2 vezes em poucas semanas. Sua interpretação de 'Baby love', colocou-as na fila para receber o 2o. prêmio concedido pela revista Billboard; o 1o. foi ganho pela gravação de 'Where did our love go?'; por ela receberam um Disco de Ouro, pela vendagem estupenda de mais de 1 milhão de cópias. A 3a. melodia que gravaram 'Come see about me', encontra-se atualmente em 1o. lugar e poderá lhes possibilitar o recebimento de outro disco de ouro. 'Baby love' chegou simultâneamente ao 1o. lugar nos Estados Unidos e Grã Bretanha.
The Supremes são Diana Ross, Mary Wilson e Florence Ballard. Produções Fermata, lançando a série 'Motown' pretendem, a exemplo deste disco, promover os lançamentos de sucessos simultâneos com os Estados Unidos e Europa. Esperando que você aprecie.
The Supremes' singles released by Fermata in Brazil
33-088 - Where did our love go? / He means the world to me
33-146 - I hear a symphony / Who could ever doubt my love?
33-162 - I can't help myself / Sad souvenirs - Four Tops
I hear a symphony / Who could ever doubt my love?
Where did our love go? / He means the world to me
The Supremes albums by Fermata
'I hear a symphony', The Supremes's 1st album in Brazil.
Fermata didn't even bother to translate 'A bit of Liverpool' for the benefit of Brazilian buyers.
Translation Fermata-style was really atrocious. 'Cant' buy me love' (Não podes comprar o meu amor) became 'Não vendo meu amor' (I don't sell my love)...
Fermata actually translated 'A bit of Liverpool' as 'Um pedaço de Liverpool' but only in the back-cover. Released in late 1965; this particular copy was given as a present on 6 February 1966.
Translations of song-titles were not accurate at all; 'You've really got a hold on me' became 'Acredite em mim' (Believe in me). They didn't even bother to translate 'A hard day's night'. How could Fermata do such a shoddy job?
The Supremes à go go! - FB 168 - Fermata sleeves were really flimsy and hardly any survived the test of time. Supreme's Brazilian-pressed albums are supremely rare due to not having sold well when released. Most of the survivors were 'not-for-sale' albums the record company gave free to radio stations around the country.
Some quaint translations of titles of 'The Supremes à go go!'
1. Love is like a itching in my heart - O amor faz cócegas no meu coração. That's really an stretch of the imagination to think that someone's heart has got an itching. It makes sense in English but definetely no such a thing in Portuguese.
2. This old heart of mine is weak for you - Esse meu coração velho! Here the translator stopped short of completing the sentence. He was so tired he couldn't finish his job properly! What a lazy fellow!
3. You can't hurry love. Não apresse o amor!
4. Shake me, wake me (When it's over); Agite-me, acorde-me! The translator did only half a job. What a bum!
5. Baby, I need your loving; Meu bem, preciso de teu amor!
6. These boots are made for walking; Estas botas foram feitas para andar!
1. I can't help myself; Não posso ajudar-me! This is a classic type of translation error commited by most students of English as a foreign language.
2. Get ready; Apronte-se!
3. Put yourself in my place; Ponha-se em meu lugar.
4. Money (That's what I want); Dinheiro. The translator couldn't see the writing between brackets. Too lazy!
5. Come and get these memories; Venha e leve essas memórias. That's not exactly what the title meant.
6. Hang on Sloopy! Pobre menina! Jee, that's terribly wrong. Just because some other Brazilian act (Leno & Lilian) did an adaptation of 'Hang on Sloopy!' with such a title it doesn't mean it is right!
More quaint translations from Fermata's James Brown's 'I can't stand myself when you touch me'
1. I can't stand myself when you touch me - Eu não me aguento!
3. Get it together - Junte tudo
5. You've got to change your mind - Mude seu pensamento
Translation bloopers
Four Tops's 'I can't help myself' was translated as 'Não posso me ajudar' which makes no sense in Portuguese. One cannot simply translate literally what one sees... sometimes it doesn't make sense. 'I can't help myself' should have been translated as 'Não posso fazer nada' ou 'Não tenho controle sobre mim mesmo'... something on these lines.
Johnny Mathis's 'It's not for me to say' is usually wrongly translated as 'Não é para eu dizer'... which does not make any sense. A good translation would be 'Não compete a mim dizer...' or 'Não tenho conhecimento suficiente para para uma opinião sobre esse assunto'.
some Fermata albums
FB 103 - A bit of Liverpool - The Supremes
FB 107 - Ferry cross the Mersey - Gerry & the Pacemakers (EMI)
FB 140 - I hear a symphony - The Supremes (Motown)
FB 168 - The Supremes à go-go! - The Supremes (Motown)
FB 220 - I can't stand myself when you touch me - James Brown (King)
FB-140 'I hear a symphony' was their 3rd album released in Brazil.
R O Z E N B L I T / M O C A M B O / M O T O W N
R O Z E N B L I T / M O C A M B O / M O T O W N
Then some time in 1967, Fermata do Brasil and Motown discontinued their partnership and The Supremes' records started being pressed by Rozenblit-Mocambo.
James Brown (220)
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