Saturday, April 26, 2014

MALCOLM ROBERTS 1944-2003


British tenor singer Malcolm Roberts sang 'Love is all' - written by Les Reed and Barry Mason - at Rio de Janeiro International Music Festival in 1969, and took the 100,000-crowd that packed Maracanãzinho arena to a delirious ovation that made him an instant celebrity in Brazil.

Malcolm James Roberts * 31st March 1944, in Blackley, Manchester, UK  + 7 February 2003.

Malcolm Roberts nasceu em 31 Março 1944, em Blackley, Manchester na Inglaterra. Foi ator de TV. Descoberto pelo compositor Lionel Bart, quando fazia papel de Tony em ‘West Side Story’ em 1964.  

Gravou 45 rpms pela Major Minor Records; ‘Time alone will tell’ (1967), ‘May I have the next dream with you?’ (1968) e finalmente ‘Love is all’ em novembro de 1969, a qual defendeu no IV Festival Internacional da Canção do Rio representando a Inglaterra.  Foi a sensação daquele festival, tendo conquistado o Maracanãzinho e o Brasil com seu poderoso tenor. 

Malcolm ainda participou do Eurovision durante os anos 70 e 80. 

Em 7 Fevereiro 2003, Malcolm sofreu um ataque cardíaco fulminante quando dava partida em seu carro num estacionamento. Ficou debruçado sobre o volante do veículo por vários minutos até ser encontrado por alguém, mas já era tarde demais. Morreu com 58 anos de idade em Chertsey, Surrey.


Malcolm Roberts, the British blonde who conquered Brazil.
a youngish Malcolm Roberts. 
Malcolm sings with Caterina Valente & Engelbert Humperdinck on German TV. 
Malcolm Roberts' greatest hits. 

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Brazilian acts abroad

Spunky Brazilian young men with a lot of talent go viral in Europe & the USA. 






Thursday, April 10, 2014

The Beatles Brazilian records


The Beatles Brazilian discography is idiosyncratic. Up to 'Rubber Soul' the Beatles releases were made-up somewhere at Odeon's offices in Rio de Janeiro following some mysterious directives coming from Hell or Heaven. Here are the few Beatles albums released in Brazil in 1964 & 1965. 

One has to bear in mind that when 'Beatlemania', the first Beatles album was released in Brazil, in March 1964, the Liverpoodian foursome had already released 2 full albums in the UK: 'Please please me' on 22nd March 1963 (containing 14 songs) and 'With the Beatles' on 22nd November 1963 (the day JFK was assassinated in Dallas, USA) containing 14 songs making up 28 songs. Besides, the Beatles and were on the verge of releasing 'A hard day's night', their 3rd album, on 10 July 1964

'Beatlemania' released in Brazil in March 1964.
1. I want to hold your hand
2. It won't be long
3. All I've got to do 
4. Little child
5. Don't bother me (Harrison)
6. Please Mr Postman (Dobbins-Garrett-Gorman-Bateman-Brian Holland)

1. She loves you 
2. Roll over Beethoven (Chuck Berry)
3. You really got a hold on me (Smokey Robinson)
4. I wanna be your man 
5. Devil in her heart (Richard Drapkin)
6. I saw her standing there 

Beatles' second album in Brazil released in July 1964.
1. Please, please me
2. Boys (Dixon-Farrell)
3. Twist and shout (Medley-Russell)
4. From me to you 
5. Baby, it's you (David Williams-Burt Bacharach)
6. I'll get you

1. Hold me tight
2. Money
3. Do you want to know a secret?
4. All my loving
5. Love me do
6. Can't buy me love 


http://www.beatlemania.net.br/discografiabrasil_eng.htm

Odeon 1964 compilation album

274 - Beatlemania
287 - The Beatles Again
269 - Idolos da Juventude - The Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Peter & Gordon etc.


just waiting to step into history... 

Saturday, April 5, 2014

THE SHAKERS & Argentine Rock

Even though the page's title is 'Argentine Rock', The Shakers were actually from Uruguay. They broke into the Brazilian charts circa 1966 with 'Never, never', a catchy tune written by Hugo & Osvaldo, two of their own members.

They were Hugo Fattoruso (lead vocals, guitar, piano & harmonica), Osvaldo Fattoruso (vocal & guitar), Roberto (Pelin) Capobianco (backing vocals, bass & bandoneon) and Carlos (Caio) Vila (backing vocals & drum).

Fermata released their 1st single having a cover of The Beatles's 'Yellow submarine' as A-side, but radio stations DJs decided they liked 'Never, never' better... and the song started climbing up the charts to become one of the greatest Argentine-Uruguayan hits in Brazil. Unfortunately, Fermata was not forthcoming with information about the group. Maybe they wanted the public to think The Shakers were British or American, who knows?

The album's back sleeve would not shed any light on anything actually. Here is the list of the songs in Portuguese with some of them having their titles in English between brackets. All songs' rhythm are labeled as being 'shake' or otherwise 'slow-shake'.

The liner notes are deceptive; they don't shed any light on real information about the band. Brazilian liner notes writers were infamous for their misinformation:

Shake hands with... The Shakers...

Temos o prazer de apresentar-lhes um conjunto de jovens artistas que se designam como The Shakers, e que foram os primeiros a imprimir ao ritmo 'shake' sua personalidade marcante.

São jovens cuja idade oscila entre 16 e 21 anos. quatro músicos de alma, tendo estudado nos melhores conservatórios, e capazes de se revezar nos intrumentos interpretando os mais variados gêneros.

Os rapazes tocam piano, acordeon, bateria, bandoneon, contrabaixo e guitarra. Já integraram a Orquestra Sinfônica Municipal de sua cidade e, demonstrando sua grande versatilidade, fizeram temporadas em night-clubs e participaram de certames de jazz.

O resto vocês conhecerão através deste álbum. Quatro vozes... quatro jovens identificados com a juventude que os fez seus ídolos desde o primeiro momento.  

A-side

1. Quebrem tudo (Break it all)
2. Que amor (What a love)
3. Garôta sim sim
4. Não fomos - slow shake
5. Corram todos
6. Estou pensando (I'm thinking) - slow shake
7. Esta é minha festa (It's my party)

B-side

1. Procurando (Keep searching)
2. Para você e para mim (For you and me) - slow shake
3. Corro pelas ruas
4. A longa noite - slow shake
5. Garôta dance o shake
6. Não me peças amor (Don't ask me love)
7. Da-me - slow shake

EPE-550 (Extended-play
EPE-576 (Extended-play)

'Never never' lyrics printed at TV Guide Intervalo in 1967

1. Never never (Nunca nunca) Hugo-Osvaldo
2. The child and me (O menino e eu) Caio
3. Hear my words (Escute minhas palavras) 
4. Picking up troubles (Buscando dificuldades) Hugo-Osvaldo 
5. Too late (Muito tarde) Pelin-Osvaldo
6. Let me tell you (Deixe-me dizer-te) Hugo-Osvaldo 

1. The yellow submarine (O submarino amarelo) Lennon-McCartney
2. Got any money? (Tens algum dinheiro?) Hugo-Osvaldo
3. You'll find another gal (Encontrarás outra garota) Hugo-Osvaldo
4. Smile again (Sorria outra vez) Hugo-Osvaldo
5. Reviens ma cherie (Volte, meu amor) Hugo-Yanos Kolmos
6. Waiting (Sempre te esperarei) Hugo-Osvaldo

The second Shakers album in Brazil had 'Never never' which went up high in the singles charts. Don't be fooled by the titles in Portuguese... they're just translations of the original title. All songs are sung in English except 'Reviens ma cherie' sung in French.

Où tu es, cherie? Dis-moi, où tu es?
dis-moi pourquoi, pourquoi tu es partie?

Reviens, reviens, je t'en suplie
je cherchais, je cherce mom amour perdu
reviens, reviens, reviens,
oh, je t'ensuplie

Je deviens fou sans toi, oh my cherie
reviens, reviens, je t'en suplie
je deviens fou sans toi, oh ma cherie.