Latin Themes for Young Lovers
reel-to-reel tape cover spine
photo by Styrous®
photo by Styrous®
This is part two of a tribute to Percy Faith who was born on this day, April 7, 1908. There is a link to part one below.
Of all the albums by Faith my favorite were the Latin ones. Viva: The Music of Mexico (1957), Malagueña: Music of Cuba (1959), Mucho Gusto! More Music of Mexico (1961), The Music of Brazil! (1962), Latin Themes for Young Lovers (1965) and Viva!/Mucho Gusto! (1975).
By 1965, Faith had reached a level of sophistication and with the album, Latin Themes for Young Lovers, he soared with the rhythms of the Latin blood. Although still saccharine, the Latin rhythms goosed the sound up with a touch of picante. The album featured lovely and smooth bossa nova from Brazil and salsa from Cuba; tunes that were beautiful and gave non-Latin listeners a glimpse of the sensual and romantic tempos from south of the border.
Percy Faith
Latin Themes for Young Lovers
reel-to-reel tape cover back detailLatin Themes for Young Lovers
detail photo by Styrous®
Although not truly Latin, (Faith used castinets which kind of put me off) my favorite song on the album was Spanish Harlem, originally sung by Ben E. King of the Drifters, in 1960 on Atco Records. I fell in love with the song when King sang it. Written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector, and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, I think it's one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It was sensual and I remember dancing to the tune and drifting away into
ecstasy with it's moderate but driving beat that made me gently spin and bend
with my partner. You just couldn't help falling in love with whoever you
were dancing with at the moment.
For gentle sensuality, nothing comes close to the bossa nova tune, The Girl From Ipanema. You can almost smell the palms gently swaying in the tropic breeze as she walks down a beach in Brazil. It was written in 1962, with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Portuguese lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. English lyrics were written later by Norman Gimbel. It won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. The version performed by Astrud Gilberto, along with João Gilberto and Stan Getz, from the 1964 album Getz/Gilberto, became an international hit. In the US, it peaked at number five on the Hot 100, and went to number one for two weeks on the Easy Listening chart. It is believed to be the second most recorded pop song in history, after Yesterday by The Beatles. In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. In 2009, the song was voted by the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone as the 27th greatest Brazilian song.
And there is nothing like the song, Manha De Carnaval from the film Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus). What a magnificent song and movie. I will never forget seeing the film. Written by Luiz Bonfá and lyricist Antônio Maria, it is amongst the most beautiful songs ever written. It was the principal theme in the 1959 Portuguese-language film, and the idea of the song being the reason the sun is rising was just magic to me. The retelling and relocation of the Orpheus (portrayed by Breno Mello) and Euridice legend during Rio Carnaval was brilliant. Manhã de Carnaval became one of the first compositions identified with Bossa Nova to gain popularity outside Brazil.
Particularly in the United States, the song is considered to be one of
the most important Brazilian Jazz/Bossa songs that helped establish the Bossa Nova movement in the late 1950s.
Latin Themes for Young Lovers
reel-to-reel tape cover spine detaildetail photo by Styrous®
Percy Faith – Percy Faith Plays Latin Themes For Young Lovers
Label: Columbia – CQ 709
Format: Reel-to-Reel tape
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: Latin
Style: Bossa Nova
Tracklist
Side 1:
1 - The Lonely Bull - 2:20
2 - One Note Samba - 2:45
3 - Spanish Harlem - 2:22
4 - How Insensitive - 2:36
5 - No More Blues - 2:33
6 - (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me - 2:55
Side 2:
1 - The Duck - 2:25
2 - Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars - 3:15
3 - Someone To Light Up My Life - 2:19
4 - Kahlua - 2:42
5 - The Girl From Ipanema - 2:36
6 - Manha De Carnaval - 2:55
Producer – Ed Kleban
Label: Columbia – CQ 709
Format: Reel-to-Reel tape
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: Latin
Style: Bossa Nova
Tracklist
Side 1:
1 - The Lonely Bull - 2:20
2 - One Note Samba - 2:45
3 - Spanish Harlem - 2:22
4 - How Insensitive - 2:36
5 - No More Blues - 2:33
6 - (There's) Always Something There To Remind Me - 2:55
Side 2:
1 - The Duck - 2:25
2 - Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars - 3:15
3 - Someone To Light Up My Life - 2:19
4 - Kahlua - 2:42
5 - The Girl From Ipanema - 2:36
6 - Manha De Carnaval - 2:55
Producer – Ed Kleban
Music videos on YouTube:
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