Italian music in Brazil 1963 to 1969: FERMATA singles

Fermata was a middling Brazilian label which held the rights to press records from a few Italian labels like Durium, Style, RI-FI, Joker, Cetra and others. Editora e Importadora Musical Fermata do Brasil Ltda. had its headquaters at Avenida Ipiranga, 1123, 12o. andar, conjunto 1204.

Partial list of Italian singles (compactos-simples) released by Fermata 1963-1967

the actual numbering is FB-3300 but I simplified to 000

04 - Volare / Sway - Bobby Rydell (Cameo) 1962
06 - Cherie (Lowe-Mann-Appell) / Good time baby - Bobby Rydell (Cameo)
07 - The fish (Lowe-Mann-Appell) / The third house - Bobby Rydell (Cameo)
11 - Twistin' USA / The twist - Chubby Chedker (Parkway) 1962
16 - La mezza luna (pedacinho de lua) / Si è spento il sole (Por do sol) - Adriano Celentano

22 - Pulecenella twist / Serenata malandrina - Aurelio Fierro
28 - Telstar / Release me - Billy Vaughn
29 - Birdland (Mann-Smith) / Black cloud - Chubby Checker (Parkway)
30 - Chiedo perdono (Perdão para dois) / Tempo di Roma - Tony Dallara (Music)
39 - A mani vuote / Il tramonto - Ricky Gianco
48 - Forget him / Hey! Everybody - Bobby Rydell (Cameo-Parkway)

52 - Sul cucuzzolo / Texas Rider - Ricky Gianco (Jaguar)
53 - If I had a hammer / Blue velvet - Bobby Rydell (Cameo)
67 - Ti cercherò / Prima di tutto (sono giovane) - Ricky Gianco
69 - Bussicabombaio / Quando vedrai la mia ragazza - Dick Danello 1964
75 - Amore scusami / Dedicato a Paola - John Foster (Style)
76 - So che non è così / È l'uomo per me (He walks like a man) - Mina (RI-FI)

82 - Piccola marcia per un grande amore / Pavana per la Contessa Alessandra - Juca Chaves (Style)
84 - Un bucco nella sabbia / Se mi compri un gelato (RI-FI) 1964
85 - Ed ora insegnami / Relax - John Foster (Style)
86 - Baby love / Come see about me - The Supremes (Motown)
88 - Where did our love go? / He means the world to me - The Supremes

90 - Cominciamo ad amarci (San Remo) / Arrivederci amore mio - John Foster 1965
95 - Ho capito che ti amo / Io lo so già - Luigi Tenco (Jolly)
93 - Don't let the sun catch you crying / Show me that you care - Gerry & the Pacemakers (EMI)
97 - Se piangi, se ridi / Più di te - Mina (RI-FI)
98 - Devi essere tu (from San Remo 1965) / Come lei - Ricky Gianco
99 - Dansons la Bostella / Viens danser la bostella - Esperanza Gustino & Orchestra

105 - Do the Freddie / At the discotheque - Chubby Checker (Parkway)

114 - Tu non hai capito niente / Non sono io - Luigi Tenco (Jolly)
116 - Il silenzio / Ho bisogno di te - Nini Rosso (Durium)
118 - Non aspetto nessuno / Ogni mattina - Dick Danello

120 - Frutto di mare / Verrò a chiederti perdono - Peppino Gagliardi (Jolly)

124 - Quem desdenha (samba) / A batatinha - Regina Célia (Carnaval 1966)

133 - You were on my mind / Small world - We Five
135 - Questa sera / Finirà - I Satelliti di Ricky Gianco
137 - Mani bucate / Dimmi la verità - Sergio Endrigo
140 - O silêncio (Il silenzio) / Valsa da recordação (Vals del recuerdo) - Claudia Barroso

143 - Se questo ballo non finisse mai (San Remo '66) / È troppo facile - John Foster 1966
145 - The more I see you (Warren-Gordon) / Call me - Chris Montez (A&M)
146 - I hear a symphony / Who could ever doubt my love? - The Supremes (Motown)

150 - Il ragazzo della Via Gluck / Chi era lui - Adriano Celentano (Clan)
151 - A la buena de Dios (San Remo '66) / Ribelli - I Ribelli (Clan)
152 - Deus, como te amo (Dio, come ti amo) / Nenhum de vocês (Nessuno di voi) - Claudia Barroso
154 - Nessuno mi può giudicare / Parlami di te - Dick Danello
157 - Una casa in cima al mondo (San Remo '66) / Penso forse sogno - Claudio Villa
158 - It's gonna be all right / Ferry cross the Mersey - Gerry & the Pacemakers (EMI)

160 - Joseph's trumpet shake / Tema de Lara (Maurice Jarre) - Al Korvin w/ The Clippers (GTA)
161 - Vieni con me a Rio / Il Vs/Aff.mo Juca - Juca Chaves (Style)
162 - I can't help myself / Sad souvenirs - Four Tops
163 - Se tu non fossi bella come sei (Gianni Ferrio) / 'Se tu non fossi bella come sei' (Fred Bongusto)
173 - Teresa (Endrigo) / O pica-pau - Os Cometas
176 - There will never be another you / You can hurt the one you love - Chris Montez
177 - Guantanamera / What makes you dream, pretty girl? - The Sandpipers (A&M)

180 - Blue Spanish eyes (Occhi spagnoli) / Una campana (Rusty bells) - Milva
182 - The yellow submarine / Never never (Hugo-Osvaldo) - The Shakers (E.M.I.)
186 - 96 tears / Midnight hour - Question Mark & the Mysterians (Cameo-Parkway)
187 - L'amour toujours l'amour (gravado ao vivo no FIC) / Toi e moi - Guy Mardel (AZ)
193 - Chove chuva / Slow hot wind - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (A&M)
197 - Non pensare a me (San Remo '67) / Non dirmi addio - Claudio Villa (Cetra)

201 - La revoluzione / Ciao ragazza ciao - Gianni Pettenati (Cetra)
202 - Sopra i tetti azzurri del mio pazzo amore (San Remo '67) / Io sono qui - Christophe (AZ) 1967
204 - Cuore matto (San Remo '67) / Gente che mi parla di te - Little Tony (Durium)
205 - Sunny / Just friends - Chris Montez (A&M)

212 - Kilimandjaro / Les trois dernières minutes - Pascal Danel (AZ)
211 - Quando dico che ti amo / Cuore matto - Archibald & Tim (Style)
207 - Because of you / Elena (C.Montez) - Chris Montez
220 - Estou feliz (Puppet on a string) v.: Lilian Knapp / Namoro de bonecos - Ed Carlos
224 - Dindi (Jobim-Oliveira-Gilbert) / Foolin' around - Chris Montez
228 - Corriamo / Chiedilo al tuo cuore - Isabella Iannetti (Durium)

230 - La coppia più bella del mondo / Torno sui miei passi - Adriano Celentano (Clan)
235 - The frog (João Donato) / Watch what happens - Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 (A&M)
238 - Cantiga de Jesuino (Capiba-Suassuna) / Canção do meu pranto - De Kalafe
239 - Canção do cangaceiro que viu a lua cor de sangue / Canto incerto - Maria Odette
240 - Les moustaches / Ça se passe comme ça - Sacha Distel (Pathé)
243 - Last kiss / I dreamed, I gambled, I lost - Wayne Cochran (King) 1967
245 - Marilu / Si lo supiera mama / The Shakers (E.M.I.)
246 - Stasera mi butto / Reach out I'll be there - Rocky Roberts & the Airdales (Durium)

256 - Canzone per te / Il primo bicchiere di vino - Sergio Endrigo (Cetra) 1968
257 - Per vivere (Nisa-Bindi) (San Remo '68) / Ridendo vai - Udo Jürgens (Durium)
258 - La tramontana / Voglio tornare a casa mia - Gianni Pettenati (Cetra)
262 - Quando m'innamoro (San Remo '68) / Angelique - The Sandpipers
264 - There was a time / I can't stand myself - James Brown & the Famous Flames (King)
268 - La siepe (San Remo '68) / Tu che non sorridi mai - Claudio Villa (Cetra)
269 - Zabadak / Washington Square - Alladin Band

284 - Acho que estou apaixonado / Principe encantado (Roberto-Edson) - Ed Carlos
289 - C'è più samba (Tem mais samba) / La voce del silenzio - Mina (PDU) 1968
290 - This guy is in love with you / Choo-choo train - The Sound & Company (Sicamericana)
291 - Eleanor Rigby / Yesterday - Ray Charles (ABC-Tangerine Records)
294 - La morale della favola / Sonia - Nico Fidenco (Fonit-Cetra)
295 - La canzone di Marinella / I discorsi - Mina (PDU) - 1968
297 - Little green apples / Mac Arthur Park - The Ray Charles Singers (ABC)

301 - Le bruit des vagues / Une fille nommée amour - Romuald (AZ) 1968
303 - Il profeta / Non prenderla sul serio - Carmen Villani (Cetra)
305 - Sacumdi sacumdà (Nem vem que não tem) / Zum zum zum - Mina 1969

315 - Chewy chewy / Eleonore - Pintura Fresca (Sports) an Argentine combo

319 - Lontano dagli occhi (San Remo '68) / San Firmino - Sergio Endrigo (Cetra)

327 - Dizzy / The you I need - Tommy Roe (ABC) strings arrangement: Jimmie Haskell

336 - Oração de um jovem triste / Canção p'ra qualquer hora - Alberto Luiz
337 - Per te amore (Guardabassi-Pettenati) / L'ultima parola - Alberto Lupo (Cetra)
348 - Love is all / Tra la la - Malcolm Roberts (Major Minor) 1969

352 - Isadora (Maurice Jarre) / L'ultima parola - Giancarlo Chiaramello (Cetra)
348 - Looky looky (Moroder-Rainford) / Happy birthday - Giorgio (Hansa)
361 - L'arca di Noé (San Remo '70) / Dall' America (Bardotti-Endrigo) - Sergio Endrigo (Cetra) 1970

362 - Keep the faith / ...... - The American Breed

373 - Eu vou caminhar Isolda-M.Carlos) / Tudo parou - Milton Carlos
384 - Con quale amore, con quanto amore (Catherine Spaak) / same song (Riz Ortolani) 1970

410 - Amor mio / Capirò - Mina (PDU) 1971
421 - La casa / La marcia dei fiori (Vinicius-Bardotti) - Sergio Endrigo - 1971

Bobby Rydell's rendition of Modugno's 'Volare' (3304) b/w 'Sway'

Bobby Rydell (06) 'Cherie' b/w 'Good time baby'

Fermata couldn't be bothered to change their single sleeves; Bobby Rydell (06) sings 'The fish' b/w 'The 3rd house'. 1962 was the year of the novelty dance-crazes. Everyone was still doing The Twist when along came the Mashed Potato, the Locomotion, the Hully-Gully, and of course Bobby Rydell's 'The Fish'.

Adriano Celentano (16) with 'Mezza luna' b/w 'Si è spento il sole'

Aurelio Fierro (22) was an old-timer but he had a good rapport with teens; listen to a twist of his: 'Pulecenella twist'; Fierro visited Brazil twice during 1961.

Billy Vaughn's rendition of 'Telstar' (028) doesn't come close to the originality of British combo The Tornadoes who took it to #1 in the USA in December 1962. Telstar was the first artificial communications satellite launched by the US government on 10 July 1962.

Chubby Checker (29) with 'Birdland'

'Chiedo perdono' (030) an Italian translation of Palmeira's 'Perdão para dois' made famous in Brazil by Leila Silva (Chantecler) and Cauby Peixoto (RCA) in 1960.

Ricky Gianco (039) with 'Il tramonto' b/w 'A mani vuote' was one of the 1st Italian acts to be released in Brazil... even though he never actually managed to make it into the charts.

It looks like Bobby Rydell's prayers were answered with 'Forget him' (048) which went Top 5 in the USA. Rydell never quite made it in Brazil even though he visited us in early 1964. 'Forget him' would

be covered in Portuguese by Roberto Carlos as 'Esqueça' and hit #1 in 1966. Mark Anthony is actually a pseudonym for Tony Hatch who wrote hits like 'Look for a star', 'Downtown', 'Call me' etc.

Bobby Rydell (53) desperately needed a hit after recording so many covers of other people's hits: Trini Lopez's 'If I had a hammer' and Bobby Vinton's 'Blue velvet'.

Ricky Gianco (67) had a few singles released but never had much air play.

Dick Danello '(69)

Dick Danello (69) a Brazilian singer born in Italy did good covers of Italian hits sometime before they reached these shores. Here he is accompanied by The Italy's and The Beverlys, a Black vocal group.

'Amore scusami' (075) with John Foster (pseudonym for Paolo Occhipinti) went up to #1 immediately after being released.

Mina (76) was utterly overlooked by Fermata; but still 'È l'uomo per me' played quite a bit at radio stations in S.Paulo.

Juca Chaves (82) a Brazilian singer-song-writer who had to flee the country just before the Military Coup d'Etat in 1964. He first settled in Portugal and then decided to make Italy his home living there for a few years and recording his own material for Style which was distributed by Fermata in Brazil. 'Piccola marcia per un grande amore' is probably Juca's best song in Italian.

'Un buco nella sabbia' (84)

'Ed ora insegnami' (85) was John Foster's follow up to 'Amore scusami'. Foster sang melodic tunes reminiscent of the 1940s US big band slow tunes.

The Supremes (86) were huge in the USA but for some unexplainable reason they never quite made it in Brazil; 'Baby love' was their greatest hit but it hardly ever played on the radio.

The Supremes's 'Where did our love go?' (88) was even less known than the previous single.

'Cominciamo ad amarci' (90) was John Foster's entry to 1965 San Remo Festival. It's quite a nice tune. This is actually a double-sided hit because 'Arrivederci amore mio' is quite nice too.

'Ho capito che ti amo' (95) was Luigi Tenco's most popular tune up to the time of his untimely death in early 1967.

Mina (97) made a point of never singing at San Remo festival after her last performance there in 1961 with 'Mille bolle blu'. She kept her word but that didn't prevent her from recording the tunes presented at the Festival that she liked best. Bobby Solo won San Remo with 'Se piangi, se ridi' in 1965. Mina's rendition is absolutely fabulous but only Solo's recording made it to the Brazilian charts.

'Devi essere tu' (98)

'La Bostella' (99) was the newest dance-craze coming from France. It would never catch it in Brazil because its name (Bostella) was too close to 'bosta' which means 'bull-shit' in Brazilian Portuguese.

Luigi Tenco (114) ever so dark and gloomy with 'You haven't understood anything'.

'Il silenzio' (116)

Italo-Brazilian Dick Danello (118) covers 2 Little Tony hits: 'Non aspetto nessuno' b/w 'Ogni mattina'; note that even the original hit sleeve was copied by Fermata.

Peppino Gagliardi (120) from Jolly with 'Frutto di mare' (Pallavicini-Soffici) b/w 'Verrò a chiederti perdono' (Amendola-Gagliardi).

'You were on my mind' (133) with We Five, a California band, played on the radio and became a mid-sized hit in Brazil in early 1966.

I Satelliti di Ricky Gianco (135)

'O silêncio' (140) Claudia Barroso's cover of Nini Rosso's 'Il silenzio'

'Se questo ballo non finisse mai' (143) was John Foster entry for San Remo '66.

Chris Montez's revival of 'The more I see you' (145) a 1945 tune written by Harry Warren & Mark Gordon went right up to #1.

Fermata kept on releasing The Supremes (146) singles to no avail.

Adriano Celentano (150) never quite made it in Brazil. He had been 'king' in Italy since 1961; his records had been released in Brazil consistently but Celentano never got air play. When the Italian invasion took place Adriano was nowhere to be seen and now that he was back again in Italy the Italian music was on the wane... Anyway, I particularly liked 'Il ragazzo della Via Gluck' a lot... I bought the single and gave it as a gift to my dear friend Silvia Paula Jentsch who has already departed this world. I took the single back after she died.

Claudia Barroso (152) covers 'Dio, come ti amo' (Deus, como te amo) b/w Milva's 'Nessuno di voi' (Nenhum de vocês).

Dick Danello (154) covers San Remo 1966's hits: Caterina Caselli's 'Nessuno mi può giudicare' and Edoardo Vianello's 'Parlami di te'.

'Una casa in cima al mondo' (157)

Gerry & the Pacemakers (158) with 'Ferry cross the Mersey' on the B-side

Four Tops (162) was #1 in the USA with 'I can't help myself' by it hardly played at Brazilian radios.

Os Cometas (173) an instrumental combo from Macapá-AP the northern-most capital city in Brazil play Endrigo's 'Teresa' b/w Erasmo Carlos & Lilian Knapp's 'O Pica-Pau'.

Milva (180) sings 'Blue Spanish eyes' in Italian.

The Shakers (182) an Uruguyan rock band covered Beatles material but actually hit the Brazilian charts with their own 'Never, never'.

Question Mark & the Mysterians (186) had a sizeable hit with '96 tears'

Archibald and Tim (211) sing 'Cuore matto' and 'Quando dico che ti amo' for Style Records.

Ed Carlos (220) was a boy singer who hit the big time with 'Estou feliz' a cover of Sandie Shaw's 'Puppet on a string' adapted to Portuguese by Lilian Knapp.

De Kalafe (238) was an exotic youth with an attitude who had a disheveled hair and sang barefeet; Denise Kalafe caused a bit of a commotion but then left Brazil and settled in Mexico where she was fairly popular; De Kalafe sings 'Cantiga de Jesuino' from the 1967 TV Record music festival.

Maria Odette (239) was not as exotic as De Kalafe but she had a raspy voice that commanded attention; as De Kalafe she also sang a northeastern rural tune at the 1967 pop-music festival; both sang of the harsh life of a region known for its draughts and heat that take people to madness. 'Canção do cangaceiro que viu a lua cor de sangue' means 'The song of the bandit who saw the blooded moon'.

Sergio Endrigo (256) won San Remo Festival with 'Canzone per te' (A song for you) which is a beautiful melody. One could not but see the utter contrasts between Italian and Brazilian pop music festivals. Italians were mainly romantic whereas Brazilians were full of hatred, suffering and misery. Brazilians sang about hunger, over-exposure to heat and social injustice while Italians sang about love and sometimes the lack thereof.

James Brown & the Famous Flames (264)

Alladin Band (269) was actually The Jordans's guitarrist Aladin with other musicians trying to get somewhere. It was shortlived and he reformed The Jordans eventually.

Mina's rendition of Chico Buarque's 'C'è più samba' (Tem mais samba) (289) is amazingly good. Mina now owned her own record label PDU in partnership with her father.

The Sound & Companhy (290) covers 'This guy's in love with you'. Not much information about the band but it seems it is an Argentine product judging by the record company's name: Sicamericana.

Ray Charles's rendition of Paul McCartney's 'Eleanor Rigby' (291) and 'Yesterday'.

Nico Fidenco (294) left RCA Italiana where he had his hey-days for Fonit-Cetra which was distributed by Fermata do Brasil.

Mina's 'La canzone di Marinella' (295)

Mina (305) always had a soft spot for Brazilian music... in 1969 she recorded Carlos Imperial's 'Nem vem que não tem' which became 'Sacumdi sacumdá' in Italian. Augusto Martelli made the arrangements and conducted the orchestra.

Carmen Villani (303) sings theme from movie 'Il profeta'; Villani seen here with Adamo.

Pintura Fresca (315) an Argentine combo covered bubble-gum-rock Ohio Express's 'Chewy chewy' and The Turtles's 'Eleonore'.

Sergio Endrigo (319) sings 'Lontano dagli occhi' from San Remo 1969 b/w 'San Firmino' written with Sergio Bardotti.

1971's 'Amor mio' (410) was Mina's last single released by Fermata. Soon, PDU, her Italian label would be distributed by EMI-Odeon.

Some Extended-plays

EPE-545

EPE-549 - 'That Motown Sound' had 2 hits by Martha & the Vandellas plus 2 from the Four Tops, including 'It's the same old song' a #6 at Billboard and a follow-up to 'I can't help myself'.

EPE-609

some FERMATA albums

In 1967 Fermata recorded an album (FB-192) with Brazilian night-club singer Claudia Barroso containing 5 Italian covers; 4 had been contenders at Festival di San Remo; 2 in 1966 and 2 in 1967. 'Il silenzio' had been an instrumental hit by trumpet player Nini Rosso which Fred Jorge wrote lyrics in Portuguese and was released as a single in 1965.

Claudia Barroso would still have to wait a few more years to blossom to her full potential. She was already 39 years-old when she finally hit the big time in April 1971 taking 'Você mudou de mais' (You have changed too much), a tune written by Waldik Soriano, all the way to the top of the charts. She had an immediate follow up with 'Quem mandou você errar?' (Who told you to make a mistake?) which turned her into a torch-singer who gave all of herself to the denouement of the dramas built into such songs.

In mid-1967 though Claudia was into the Italian-song mood in arrangements made by Francisco Moraes & maestro Portinho. The album was produced by Manoel Barenbein and Julio Nagib.

1. This is my song (Esta é a minha canção) Charles Chaplin; v.: Alexandre Cirus

2. Parlez-moi de lui (Falem me dele) M.Riygauche-J.Dieval; v.: Alexandre Cirus

3. Io per amore (Eu por amor) Pino Donaggio-V.Pallavicini; v.: Fred Jorge (San Remo '67)

4. Dio come ti amo (Deus como te amo) Domenico Modugno; v.: Demetrio Carta (San Remo '66)

5. Eine ganze Nacht (Amor não é brinquedo) James Last-Gunter Loose; v.: Juvenal Fernandes

6. La musica è finita (A música termina) Umberto Bindi-F.Califano; v.: Salathiel Coelho (San Remo '67)

1. È più forte di me (É mais forte que eu) E.Polito-A.del Monaco; v.: Fred Jorge (San Remo '67)
2. Nessuno di voi (Nenhum de vocês) Pallavicini-Kramer; v.: Alexandre Cirus (San Remo '66)
3. Começar de novo - Nobrega de Souza-David Mourão-Ferreira
4. Vals del recuerdo (Valsa da recordação) Kalender-B.Molar; v.: Salathiel Coelho
5. In Excelsis Deo (Glória) S.Vasco-T.del Rincon-T.Rendall; v.: Juvenal Fernandes
6. Il silenzio (O silêncio) - G.Brezz-Nini Rosso; v.: Fred Jorge