In honor of Sérgio Mendes’ passing, today’s classic song of the day is “Mas que Nada” by Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ’66. Mr. Mendes’ single was released in September of 1966 and reached #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. It got more radio play on AC stations, however, and hit #4 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart.
“Mas que Nada” was written by Brazilian artist Jorge Ben and originally released by him in January of 1963. Ben based the melody on a previous song by another Brazilian artist named José Prates; that song, originally recorded in 1958, was titled “Nanã Imborô.” (That title roughly translates into “even a child.”)
Mr. Mendes included “Mas que Nada” on his group’s debut album for A&M Records, Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66. That album introduced Mendes’ Brazilian sound to American audiences and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. As Mr. Mendes later commented on the success of his first single, “[‘Mas que Nada’] was the first time that a song in Portuguese was a hit in America and all over the world.”
“Mas que Nada” was the first of many hits for Mr. Mendes and his various musical assemblages. Some of his biggest hits were covers of songs by other artists, including Dusty Springfield’s “The Look of Love” (#4 in 1968), the Beatles’ “Fool on the Hill” (#6 in 1968), and Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” (#16 in 1968).
Sérgio Mendes was born in 1941 in Rio de Janeiro. He attended the local music conservatory and got interested in jazz. He started playing local nightclubs in the late ’50s, playing bossa nova, a jazz-influenced version of traditional Brazilian samba music. He recorded his first album, for a Brazilian label, in 1961, then transitioned to be a sideman for such jazz greats as Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Hancock. Mendes moved to the U.S. in 1964 and formed a jazz group he originally called Brasil ’65.
After cutting two albums with that original jazz group, Mendes adopted more popular material and had his singers sing in both English and Portuguese. His new group, dubbed Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ’66, was signed by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss for their A&M Records label. Their first album on A&M was the breakthrough they needed, and included their first hit single, “Mas que Nada.”
In case you’re wondering, the lyrics for “Mas que Nada” roughly translate as follows:
More than nothing
Get out of my way
I want to pass through
Because the samba is animated
What I want is to dance samba.
More than nothing
A samba like this [is] so cool
You won’t want me
To come to the end.
The original lineup of Brasil ’66 included vocalists Lani Hall (later Alpert’s wife) and Sylvia Dulce Kleiner, guitarist John Pisano, bassist Bob Matthews, percussionist José Soares, and drummer João Palma. Mendes himself played keyboards.
Sérgio Mendes’ career in the U,.S. stalled in the mid-70s, although he remained popular in South America and, for some reason, Japan. He did, however, have a comeback solo hit in 1983 with “Never Gonna Let You Go,” which hit #4 on the Hot 100. He also re-recorded a version of “Mas que Nada” with the Black Eyed Peas in 2006; that version was a big dance club hit and even hit the top ten in the UK.
Unfortunately, Sérgio Mendes passed away on September 5, 2024, of complications related to long COVID. He was 83 years old.
