Tell me about the song "Brazil"

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A famous tune as featured greatly in the Terry Gilliam film of the same name and fairly recently covered by Cornelius on his "Point" album.

This tune haunts me - I really like it and I know there must be millions of versions but I know very little about it. Can we list the different versions as I want to do a CDR of all of them. I'm especially looking for the samba and choirs version played at the end of the TG film (cracking movie too, all should see).

Also who wrote it and when? What else can you tell me about it?

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:19 (twenty-one years ago)

S Express had a track called 'Brazil' but i'm not sure it's the same thing - it's quite good tho

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Xavier Cugat I think is the artist most closely identified with this song. I think I've spelled his name wrong.

Tav Falco did a great version about 20 years ago.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Cornelius has a wonderfully vocoderized version of it on his album Point.

I don't think I go three days at a time without getting this song stuck in my head.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

D'oh!

(damnit READ first nick)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Indeed the Cornelius version is a work of wonder.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

For a second I thought this was about the frankly racist Chris De Burgh track.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Xavier Cugat I think is the artist most closely identified with this song.

yeah, the starts off that new fila brazillia mix cd very nicely.

― cutty (mcutt), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh? Tell us about the frankly racist Chris De Burgh track.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:35 (twenty-one years ago)

It wasn't from the sdtrk to the musical version of "Boys From Brazil" was it?

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Monday, 10 May 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I believe a guy named Ary Barroso (sp?) wrote the music. No idea when, or who came up with the words.

― Lee G (Lee G), Monday, 10 May 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

the esquivel version is pretty spectacular

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 10 May 2004 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

a few weeks ago across the street from my girlfriend's apartment, a guy with an accordian sat in front of a pharmacy and played this song all day long. It was fucking awesome.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 10 May 2004 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

how do you like your "Brazil" tempo?
I like the slow versions best I think.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Monday, 10 May 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

when they play it too fast, like in a spate of commercials a few years ago, it feels like a parody. To cha-cha-cha-ish.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Monday, 10 May 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

"Brazil" might be my favourite song in the world. I've been collecting versions for a year or two, now.

There used to be a fantastic page about the song, with a long list of cover versions, here, but it seems to be gone. (sigh) It was indeed written by Ary Barroso (the music as well as the original portuguese lyrics), and its formal name is "Aquarela do Brasil".

The versions of the song I've got are:
Xavier Cugat (with vocals and without)
Geoff Muldaur (the version in the film)
Cornelius (see above)
Pink Martini
Benny Goodman
Django Reinhart
Frank Sinatra (medley with "Cheek to CHeek")
James Last (guitars instrumental)
Vengaboys (!)
Wire
The Arcade Fire

Apparently these acts did vsns that I'm trying to track down:
D'Angelo
Jimmy Dorsey

and there are tons more, obviously; it's a jazz standard.

― Sean M (Sean M), Monday, 10 May 2004 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Vengaboys! I must hear this!

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Monday, 10 May 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Wasn't Ary Barroso a well-known composer in Brazil back in the first half of the 20th century? Kinda like a Brazilian George Gershwin?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 10 May 2004 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I just watched the Criterion Director's Cut of Brazil last night and remembered how much I loved this song.

I admitted to @d@ml on Friday night that I think I'm biased because all my favorite movies have great soundtracks.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 10 May 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I collect 'em too. These are the versions I have that Sean didn't list:

chet atkins & les paul
engelbert humperdinck
esquivel
joao gilberto
johnny mathis
kate bush
klaus wunderlich
maynard ferguson
the coasters
the ventures

― mrjackhandey (mrjackhandey), Monday, 10 May 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

>Vengaboys! I must hear this!

Yes, you must! The whole album's pretty good.

― dr. phil (josh langhoff), Monday, 10 May 2004 16:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Do they just have the one album?

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Monday, 10 May 2004 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)

When I saw Tav Falco, he played it. It was fantastic. His version is on the Behind The Magnolia Curtain album.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Monday, 10 May 2004 16:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I always felt, even though I KNEW better, that it was David Byrne singing it in the film.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Monday, 10 May 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Hakan Lidbo did an absolutely enormous house version (in a disco/carnaval stylee) a few years ago as well, though not released under his own name, as far as I can recall.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Monday, 10 May 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

>Do they just have the one album?

Um, kind of...

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDSUB040405101427361931&sql=1THE|VENGABOYS

― dr. phil (josh langhoff), Monday, 10 May 2004 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

My fave instrumental version is by Terry Snyder and the All-Stars on "Persuasive Percussion, Vol.2" produced by Enoch Light. Don't know how different this is from the Xavier Cugat take, tho'.

― zebedee (zebedee), Monday, 10 May 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

you guys collecting the song, the gal costa hit version in the late 70s is one of my favorite versions [it's on a samba comp easily available], the gilberto / veloso / gil / maria b. version from the amoroso / brasil reissue is very mellow and also one of my favorites, and there's a hilarious disco version by the ritchie family.

― mig, Monday, 10 May 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

i love that song

― robin (robin), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Elis Regina did a great version of it, too.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Here's a little background on the songwriter and the song from McGowan and Pessanha's book The Brazilian Sound:

"Ary Barroso (1903-1964), a legendary composer of Carnaval marchas and samba-canção tunes, wrote one of the most famous Brazilian songs of all time, "Aquarela do Brasil" (Watercolor of Brazil), internationally known as "Brazil." Born in Uba, Mina Gerais, Barroso studied classical piano as a youth and played for dance-hall orchestras after moving to Rio in 1920."

"In 1939, Ary wrote his famous "Aquarela do Brasil," which popularized a new subgenre, samba exaltação: songs that praise the beauty and richness of Brazil."

"'Aquarela do Brasil' received international exposure in the 1940s. Walt Disney heard the song on a trip to Brazil in 1941 and chose to include it in his 1942 animated film Saludos Amigos, which starred Zé Carioca, a Rio malandro in cartoon parrot form."

― Marcus Barr (Marcus Barr), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 01:01 (twenty-one years ago)

"In 1939, Ary wrote his famous "Aquarela do Brasil," which popularized a new subgenre, samba exaltação: songs that praise the beauty and richness of Brazil."

that is so great!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 01:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Elis Regina did a great version of it, too.
yeah, it's one of the better slow versions, i had forgotten about this one.

― mig, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 01:50 (twenty-one years ago)

which one is the samba choir version they sing during the end credits of the film? It's my favourite cos it sounds so creepy even though it's a children's choir with big samba drums.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Get the film soundtrack album, it's well worth it.

― Almanacky, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 09:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Hang on...

When did Wire do Brazil?

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 09:52 (twenty-one years ago)

which one is the samba choir version they sing during the end credits of the film? It's my favourite cos it sounds so creepy even though it's a children's choir with big samba drums

not sure if this is what you want, but the final track on the soundtrack LP is called 'Baschianos Brazil Samba' and is I think a Michael Kamen original/arrangement. If google is to be believed, Kate Bush is involved in this somewhere too. Does that make sense?

― zebedee (zebedee), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 10:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Hang on...

When did Wire do Brazil?

Er. Well, they did record a song called "Brazil" on Pink Flag. But dipping into the archives remind me that although I had read that it was a cover of Arroso's samba, it's, uh, not. oops. :)

― Sean M (Sean M), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

There's also a great Sinatra version on 'Come Fly With Me,' one of the definitive Capitol albums. And on one of the Rat-Pack-in-concert discs (I wanna say the Villa Venice show, currently on the 'Live and Swingin' ' set), he does a brief takeoff on it ("I love a broad with no brassiere").

Yeah, the Ritchie Family version is pretty funny. Lyrical addition: "You got me! You got me! You got me! You got me! Oooooooooh!"

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

django reinhardts version is a MUST.

― tom cleveland (tom cleveland), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 02:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Mine is Double Cd because I am the prince of darkness.

DISC 1

01 Misunderstood - I Can Take You To The Sun
02 Free - All Right Now
03 Doobie Brothers - Long Runnin' Train
04 Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Light
05 Roy Harper - When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease
06 Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way
07 Mountain - Mississippi Queen
08 Poco - Rose Of Cimarron
09 Thin Lizzy - Don't Believe A Word
10 Bad Company - Good Lovin' Gone Bad
11 Stealers Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You
12 Family - Burlesque
13 Lee Michaels - Do You Know What I Mean
14 Gary Glitter - Rock And Roll Part 2
15 Jb Pickers - Freedom Of Expression
16 Jefferson Starship - Miracles
17 Foghat - Slow Ride
18 Grateful Dead - Dark Star

DISC 2

01 Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
02 Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper
03 Edgar Winter Group - Free Ride
04 Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Taking Care Of Business
05 Little Feat - Dixie Chicken
06 Rod Stewart - Maggie May
07 Glen Campbell - Southern Nights
08 Racing Cars - They Shoot Horses, Don't They
09 Uriah Heep - Easy Livin'
10 Grinderswitch - Pickin' The Blues
11 Grand Funk Railroad - We're An American Band
12 Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes
13 Elvin Bishop - Fooled Around And Fell In Love
14 Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog
15 Ufo - Too Hot To Handle
16 Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky
17 Matching Mole - O Caroline
18 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird

ROOOCK N' ROOOOOOOOLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― Ozzy Osbourne, Wednesday, 12 May 2004 02:12 (twenty-one years ago)

ian masters of the pale saints does a short version (i think some of it may be him on an electric saw) as one of the 12 tracks on that Friendly Science 7" single. it's available for download here: http://www.dfuse.com/spoons/fs03.htm

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 07:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Hang on...
When did Wire do Brazil?

Er. Well, they did record a song called "Brazil" on Pink Flag. But dipping into the archives remind me that although I had read that it was a cover of Arroso's samba, it's, uh, not. oops. :)

Thanks for clearing that up! If they had, it would have been awesome divided by two...

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 07:27 (twenty-one years ago)

This has been a very cool thread. Glad to see other people are just as struck by this song as I. Managed to track down that samba version and it's been going through my head all day at work.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 07:48 (twenty-one years ago)

three years pass...

I just listened to the Sinatra version from Come Fly With Me twice, and I'm tempted to play it again.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 02:00 (eighteen years ago)

I'd love to hear all the versions listed on this thread.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 02:00 (eighteen years ago)

Come Fly With Me is so awesome. "On the Road to Mandalay" and "Autumn in New York" and "Isle of Capri."

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 08:15 (eighteen years ago)

Even better is A Swingin' Affair!.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 08:22 (eighteen years ago)

Come Fly With Me is so awesome

Agreed. All of it, pretty much.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 17:41 (eighteen years ago)

I'll have to check out A Swingin Affair.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 17:42 (eighteen years ago)

There's an amazing click-y but lush version by an artist called Wunder from 1998.

― Spencer Chow, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 17:53 (eighteen years ago)

unfortunately my wife hates Sinatra so I hardly ever listen to my vinyl copies, but yeah Come Fly With Me is classic, really evocative

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 17:59 (eighteen years ago)

For me it evokes an image of the '50s jet-set, martini-drinking, lounge-suit-wearing hipster sitting in a bar in a tiki hut somewhere in a Bing Crosby/Bob Hope road movie - but in a good way.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 18:11 (eighteen years ago)

yep totally

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 18:16 (eighteen years ago)

there's something really decadent about the whole album - "hey lets casually fly around the world gettin drunk and fallin in love why not?"

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 18:17 (eighteen years ago)

And it's funny how he's usually falling in love with local lovelies who turn out to be married or become nuns when he leaves them. I don't know if I'd call it decadent, but it's definitely worldly, like most of Sinatra.

― o. nate, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)

Antonio Carlos Jobim does a couple of fine versions (one fast, one slow) - are we allowed to offer ysi links off the board, as long as we don't post them here?

Well, hpsau✧✧✧@googlem✧✧✧.c✧✧, if you want one. I hope that is allowed.

― hobart paving, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 19:03 (eighteen years ago)

bollocks

Just send a message on ilm instead, then.

― hobart paving, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 19:04 (eighteen years ago)

i was gonna say what hobart just said. the stone flower versions are the jajjajaajam.

― s1ocki, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 19:20 (eighteen years ago)

also the esquivel one as i said upthread is pretty rad. at one point "you" leave the club and go down the street to another club where another band is playing it!

― s1ocki, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 19:20 (eighteen years ago)

four years pass...

The original
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aeBq5H3O2I

The Disney Cartoon that introduced the song to the USA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mQHr8bAojU

Elis Regina & Toots Thielemans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-S1hbRrHmg

Xavier Cugat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldMuNoIvWkI

Jobim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2d-GtJUO_w

Carmen Miranda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DBA5tnAJDk&feature=related

Cornelius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4D_1ochyus

Francisco Alves, 1939
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-y8TS7jbpY&feature=related

Tav Falco's Panther Burns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeTQ7kDeWfI

The Muppets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaAMSHo5RZY&feature=related