1968 Anglo-American hits invade Brazil

When it comes to being culturally Americanized one could safely say Brazil may be regarded as a middling market compared to Central American countries like Cuba and Nicaragua where baseball and other forms of U.S. influence are strongly felt. 

Colombia, Venezuela and Chile used to repeat (broadcast) Casey Kasem's 'American Top Forties' radio programmes sent in from Hollywood on their radio stations in the 1970s. Such a thing would be unthinkable in Brazil which has had strict laws against foreign-language broadcasting since WWII. 

Ever since the talkies were introduced in the early 1930s, Brazilian cinema audiences got used to listening to the English language spoken in myriad of Hollywood movies... but Brazilians never really got to learn this Germanic language which went over their heads like water on a duck's back.

During the 40s & 50s Brazilians had phases of falling in love with Portuguese fado or Latin American pop music (mainly boleros). Then there was an Italian invasion in 1963-1964. 

Soon afterward, Brazilian rock aka Jovem Guarda was at its peak circa 1966. 

In 1967 Brazilians were busy with (highly competitive) pop-music-festivals that were beamed by TV Record to almost universal acclaim. That's when the acronym MPB came into existence. MPB actually means Musica Popular Brasileira - Brazilian popular music - derived mostly from samba or other Brazilian rhythms as opposed to rock'n'roll, bolero, trot-fox etc.  

Now, it is almost beyond comprehension how in early 1968 Radio Excelsior & Radio Difusora - two Sao Paulo radio stations - converted to playing Anglo-American hits as if they were American Top-40 stations. Around the same time Rio de Janeiro's Radio Mundial and Radio Tamoyo also turned to playing US-UK hits only. It must have been a concerted effort on the part of Emissoras Associadas, a corporation that owned Difusora in S.P. & Tamoyo in Rio - and Rede Globo which owned Excelsior in S.P. & Mundial in Rio.  

DJs on those 4 radio-stations would use play-lists based on charts taken out of Billboard, Cash Box, Record World and other music business rags. They played 45 rpms sent in straight from New York and London with no particular order. Many of those singles were never released by Brazilian labels. 

'Homburg' by Procol Harum was at the top of play-lists but one could never get hold of a physical record because Deram had no representative in Brazil even though their 'A whiter shade of pale' which reached #1 was released by EMI's Odeon just the year before.  

Here's a list of the most popular songs played on those radio stations in 1968. Some of them went on to become hits in other radio stations too but most of them played only on Difusora & Excelsior.

1. (Sittin’ on) The dock of the bay - Otis Redding (Atco-Philips)
2. Homburg - Procol Harum (Deram) never released by Odeon
3. Hello, goodbye - The Beatles (Odeon)

4. Lady Madonna - The Beatles (Odeon)

5. Magical Mystery Tour - The Beatles (Odeon)

6. Your mother should know - The Beatles (Odeon) 

7. Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel (CBS) 

8. Tramp - Otis Redding & Carla Thomas (Atco-Philips)

9. The rain, the park  and other things - The Cowsills (MGM-Philips) 

10. Judy in disguise (with glasses) - John Fred & His Playboy Band (Continental)

11. Love is blue (L'amour est bleu) - Paul Muriat (Philips)

12. Baby come back - Equals (RCA)

13. Bend me, shape me - American Breed (Dot-RGE)

14. Do you know the way to San Jose? -  Dionne Warwick (Scepter-Rozenblit)
15. Gimme a little sign - Brenton Wood (Som Maior)

16. Dream a little dream of me - Mama Cass (Dunhill-RCA)

17. Woman, woman - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (CBS)
18. Suddenly you love me - Tremeloes (CBS)
19. Angel of the morning - Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts (Odeon)

20. It’s too late - Johnny Rivers (Liberty-RCA) 

21. Theme from “Valley of the dolls” - Dionne Warwick (Scepter-Rozenblit)
22. Deborah - Wilson Pickett (Atco-Philips) released only in album format 
23. Baby, now that I found you - The Foundations (Pye-Musidisc)
24. Back on my feet again - The Foundations (Pye-Musidisc)
25. The fool on the hill - Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 (A&M-Odeon)

26. Legend of Xanadu - Dave Dee, Dozzy, Beaky, Mitch & Tich (Philips)

27. I say a little prayer - Dionne Warwick (Scepter-Rozenblit)

28. There is a mountain - Donovan (CBS) 

29. Hurdy Gurdy man / Jennifer Juniper - Donovan (CBS)
30. Malayisha - Miriam Makeba (Reprise-Philips)

31. The ballad of Bonnie & Clyde - Georgie Fame (CBS)
32. Free again (Non c'est rien) - Barbra Streisand (CBS)
33. Mony mony - Tommy James & the Shondells (Roulette-RGE)
34. Chain of fools - Aretha Franklin (Atco-Philips)

35. Cinderela Rockefela - Esther & Abi Ofarim (Philips)

36. Neon rainbow  - The Box Tops (Odeon)

37. Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) - Manfred Mann (Mercury-Philips)

38. The good, the bad and the ugly - Hugo Montenegro Orchestra (RCA)
39. Light my fire - José Feliciano (RCA)
40. Cry like a baby - The Box Tops (Odeon)

41. The look of love - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (A&M-Fermata)

42. Carpet man - The 5th Dimension (RCA)
43. Simon says - 1910 Fruitgum Co (Buddah)
44. Green tambourine - The Lemon Pipers (Buddah) 
45. Dance to the music - Sly & the Family Stone (CBS)

46. Jumpin' Jack Flash - Rolling Stones (London) 
47. The days of Pearly Spencer - David McWilliams (Fermata) - Os Carbonos (Beverly)
48. I've gotta get a message to you - Bee Gees (Polydor) 
49. Words - Bee Gees (Polydor)
50. Lalena - Donovan (CBS)

51. Delilah - Tom Jones (London) 
52. Help yourself (Gli occhi miei) - Tom Jones (London)
53. Canzone per te - Sergio Endrigo (Cetra-Fermata)
54. La denière valse (The last waltz) - Mireille Mathieu (Barclay-RGE)
55. Mc Arthur Park - Richard Harris (RCA)

56. Summer rain - Johnny Rivers (Liberty-RCA)
57. Never my love - The Association (Warner-Philips)
58. Born to be wild - Steppenwolf (Dunhill-Odeon) 
59. White room - Cream (Polydor)
60. Magic carpet ride - Steppenwolf (Dunhill-Odeon)

61. Young girl - Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (CBS)
62. Yummy yummy yummy - Ohio Express (Buddah) 

63. Bang shang-a-lang - The Archies (RCA)

64. San Franciscan nights - Eric Burdon & the Animals (MGM)

65. Nobody but me - The Human Beinz (Capitol)

66. Januária -Chico Buarque de Hollanda (RGE)

67. Domingou - Gilberto Gil & Mutantes (Philips)

68. Ele falava nisso todo dia - Gilberto Gil (Philips)

69. Ai de mim, Copacabana - Caetano Veloso (Philips)
70. Minha menina - Mutantes (Polydor)

71. Caminhante noturno - Os Mutantes (Philips)

72. É proibido proibir - Caetano Veloso (Philips)

73. Panis et circenses - Mutantes (Polydor)

74. Batmacumba - Gilberto Gil & Mutantes (Philips)

75. P’ra chatear - Ronnie Von & Caetano Veloso (Polydor)

76. Baby - Gal Costa (Philips)

77. Divinho, maravilhoso - Gal Costa (Philips)

78. Superbacana - Caetano Veloso (Philips)

79. Soy loco por ti América - Caetano Veloso (Philips)

80. Retrato em branco e prêto / Sabiá - Chico Buarque de Hollanda (RGE)

81. Canzone per te - Roberto Carlos (CBS)

82. Viola enluarada - Marcos Valle & Milton Nascimento (Odeon)

83. Os verdes campos de minha terra (Green, grass home) - Agnaldo Timóteo (Odeon)

84. Canzone per te - Sergio Endrigo (Cetra-Fermata)

85. La denière valse (Last waltz) - Mireille Mathieu (Barclay-RGE)

86. Mc Arthur Park - Richard Harris (RCA)

87. Hey Jude - The Beatles (Odeon)

88. Honey - Bobby Goldsboro (United Artists-Copacabana)

89. Lapinha - Elis Regina (Philips)

90. Ultima canção - Paulo Sergio (Caravelle)

91. Sou louca por você - Elizabeth (Caravelle)

92. Samba do crioulo doido - Quarteto em Cy (Elenco)

93. A volta do pic nic - Os Caçulas (RCA)

94. Vai ser triste - Os Caçulas (RCA)

95. Não fico mais sem seu carinho - Antonio Marcos (RCA)

96. Eu te amo, te amo, te amo - Roberto Carlos (CBS)

97. A pobreza - Leno (CBS)

98. Andança - Beth Carvalho & Golden Boys (Odeon)

99. Como é grande o meu amor por você - Roberto Carlos (CBS)

100. Sá Marina - Wilson Simonal (Odeon)

101. Segura esse samba, Ogunhê - Osvaldo Nunes (Equipe)

102. Para não dizer que não falei de flôres (Caminhando) - Geraldo Vandré (Som Maior)

103. Vesti azul - Wilson Simonal (Odeon)

104. A chuva que cai (È la pioggia che va) - Os Caçulas (RCA)

105. Molambo - Os Incríveis (RCA)

106. Ela desatinou - Chico Buarque de Hollanda (RGE) 

107. Minha primeira desilusão - Silvinha (Odeon)

108. The world we knew (Over and over) - FrankSinatra (Reprise-Philips)

109. Playboy - Silvinha (Odeon)

110. Massachusetts - Bee Gees (Polydor)

111. São São Paulo, meu amor - Tom Zé (RGE)

112. Sem fantasia - Chico Buarque & Cristina (RGE)

113. Pior p’ra você, bem pior p’ra mim - Martinha (AU-Rozenblit)

114. Sei lá Mangueira - Elza Soares (Odeon)

115. América, América - Cesar Roldão Vieira (RGE)

115. Para, Pedro - José Mendes (Copacabana)

116. Casa de bamba - Martinho da Vila (RCA)

117. Nem vem que não tem - Wilson Simonal (Odeon)

118. Perto dos olhos, longe do coração - Dori Edson (RGE)

119. Words - Bee Gees (Polydor)

120. Eu daria a minha vida - Martinha (AU-Rozenblit) 

15 October 1966 - Os Mutantes play Mamas & Papas's 'Got a feeling' and 2 other songs at Ronnie Von's TV show on Teatro Record. 

May '68 Gilberto Gil album

June '68 'Os Mutantes' 

July '68 Tropicalia 

Flower Power - Hit Parade Internacional 

1. The ballad of Bonnie & Clyde - Georgie Fame
2. Suddenly you love me (Uno tranquillo) - The Tremoloes
3. Call my name - James Royal
4. Everlasting love - The Love Affair 
5. Young girl - Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
6. Jennifer Juniper - Donovan

1. There's a mountain - Donovan
2. Woman, woman - Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
3. Too much talk - Paul Revere & the Raiders
4. Hush - Billy Joe Royal 
5. Silence is golden - The Tremeloes 
6. L.David Sloane - Michele Lee

I remember having bought this 'Flower Power' CBS compilation album in a record shop on Avenida Liberdade (São Paulo). As I was used to buying Italian pop-music compilation albums all through the 1960s I always derived the most pleasure out of them as soon as I got home and played them in my record player. 

After listening to the album for a couple of times I would select some of my favourite tracks and played them over & over for the longest time. This was the routine I followed after purchasing an RCA Italiana compilation album.  

Trying to repeat that experience with an Anglo-American compilation album was something new to me. Even though I was a big Donovan fan and also liked Gary Puckett's 'Woman, woman' as well as The Tremeloes's 'Silence is golden' I was disappointed with the whole album. I couldn't get me the kind of thrill I used to get out of those Italian compilation albums. I listened to 'Flower Power' a few times and decided (with a sunk heart) I would go back to the record shop and try to exchanged it for another album. 

I don't remember which album I ended up exchanging 'Flower Power' with but that's what I did.

Believe it or not, even country-rock band Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had an E.P. released by RCA Victor in 1967. It didn't play at all but here's the proof such a release actually happened.