1971 November - 'Fire & rain' / 'Don't let it die'

2nd November 1971 - Amiga n. 76 

1. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS) (2) 
2. Fire and rain - James Taylor (WB-Philips) 
3. Oh me oh my - B.J. Thomas (Scepter-Top-Tape)
4. Independência ou morte - Zedi (Tapecar)
5. Impossivel acreditar que perdi você - Marcio Greyck (CBS)

6. If - Bread (Elektra-Philips)
7. Have you ever seen the rain? - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)
8. Acapulco gold - Mason-Dixon (Jubilee-Top-Tape)
9. It's too late - Carole King (Ode-A&M-Odeon)
10. Rainy days and Mondays - Carpenters (A&M-Odeon) 

11. Izabela – Renato & seus Blue Caps (CBS)
12. Co-co - The Sweet (RCA) 

13. Desacato – Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (RCA)

14. Oho aha – Los Angeles (Hispa-Vox-Continental)

15. Barbarella – Archaeopterix (Kuckuck-Cid)

16. Les rois mages (Tweedle dee tweedle dum) - Sheila (Carrere-Sigla)

17. How can you mend a broken heart – Bee Gees (Polydor)

18. Ainda queima a esperança - Diana (CBS)

19. It don’t come easy – Ringo Starr (Apple)

20. You’ve got a friend – James Taylor (WB-Philips)

Among the 20 best-selling singles 14 were foreign hits. Foreign-language hits started their dominance circa 1968, when at least 2 radio stations in São Paulo converted their format to playing exclusively Ango-American Top 40s hits. 

In Rio de Janeiro there was a trend of playing US dance hits at night-clubs (which they wrongly labeled as 'funk') in their night clubs which translated into the production of compilation-albums by such DJs as Ademir Lemos and Big Boy for Top Tape, Equipe and other small labels that were best sellers nationally.

At the same time, high-rated nightly soap-operas (tele-novelas) made a point of having foreign hits as incidental music for their plots. Suddenly, common people who didn't know a word of English or French would be humming hits like B.J.Thomas' 'Oh me oh my' (TV Globo's 'O cafona') and buying the compilation albums by the loads.  

It is interesting to notice how European pop was on the ascent even though mostly disguised as 'US music'. Rita Lee sang 'José' a translation of George Moustaki's 'Joseph', the story of how Jesus' parents Joseph & Mary met and got married. 

Now, French rock queen Sheila sang her version of Lally Stott's 'Tweedle dee tweedle dum' as 'Les rois mages' about the Magi's (Three Wise Men) visit to baby Jesus. 

Talking about baby-Jesus, Chico Buarque de Hollanda took 'Minha história' a translation of Lucio Dalla's 'Gesubambino' (Baby Jesus) high up in the charts too. It looked like the Bible was a major pop-music influence. I guess it all started with Murray Head's 'Superstar' in 1970.

France's Sheila's 'Les rois mages' played as incidental music at telenovela 'O cafona' and became a hit. On the right, German rock-band Archaeopterix with 'Barbarella', their brand of the so-called 'kraut-rock'.  

At the single-charts there was Los Angeles, a Spanish combo with 'Oho aha'. Earlier in 1971, Spanish band Los Pekenikes had a major hit with 'Tren transoceanico a Bucaramanga'. As one can see European pop was highly popular in Brazil then.

'Barbarella' with German band Archaeopterix and 'How can you mend a broken heart' with the Bee Gees in their 2nd phase.

Roberto Carlos, com 'Amada amante', continua pela 3a. semana na liderança. 'Fire and rain' passou para o 2o. lugar e ZéDi, com 'Independência ou morte' ameaça a liderança.  

Extended-plays (compactos-duplos)

1. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS) 
2. Evie - Johnny Mathis (CBS)
3. De tanto amor - Claudette Soares (Philips)
4. Love story - Johnny Mathis (CBS) 
5. Ave Maria no morro - Eduardo Araujo (Odeon)

6. Super Erótica - Os Carbonos (New Records-Beverly)
7. The end - Earl Grant (Decca-Chantecler) 
8. Quem mandou você errar? - Claudia Barroso (Continental)
9. Love story - Francis Lai (Paramount-RGE)
10. Friends - Elton John (Paramount-Young-RGE)

Albums (long-plays)

1. O cafona (Internacional) - various novela songs (Sigla-Som-Livre)
2. As 14 Mais vol. 25 - various Brazilian artists (CBS)
3. Salve, salve brasileiro - Eduardo Araujo (Odeon)
4. Love story - Johnny Mathis (CBS)
5. Mar de rosas - The Fevers (London)

6. Pendulum - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)
7. Love story sound-track - Francis Lai (Paramount-RGE)
8. Só o amor contrói - Wanderley Cardoso (Copacabana) 
9. Memórias de um sargento de milícias - Martinho da Vila (RCA)
10. Super Erótica - Os Carbonos (Beverly)

2nd November 1971 - songs with most air-play on the radio around the country:

1. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS)
2. Quem mandou você errar? - Claudia Barroso (Continental)
3. If - Bread (Elektra-Philips)
4. Baby, eu te amo - Wanderley Cardoso (Copacabana)
5. Sinfonia n. 40 Mozart - Waldo de los Rios (Hispa-Vox-Continental)

6. It's too late - Carole King (Ode-A&M-Odeon)
7. Eu só tenho um caminho - Roberto Carlos (CBS)
8. How can you mend a broken heart? - Bee Gees (Polydor) 
9. Oho aha - Los Angeles (Hispa-Vox-Continental) 
10. O solitário (Ed ora tocca a me) - Mauro Sergio (Beverly)

11. Se Deus me ouvisse - Silvana (Copacabana)
12. P'ra você - Nelson Gonçalves (RCA)
13. Kyrie - Trio Ternura (CBS)
14. Meu pequeno amigo - Paulinho Nogueira (RGE) 
15. Esta cidade é um monstro - Marcus Pitter (Polydor)

Adding to the European pop-scene here's Spain's Waldo de Los Rios (even though he was an Argentine) with his chart-buster 'Mozart Symphonie n. 40'. Earlier in the year, Miguel Rios (no relation) had a major hit with Waldo's adaptation of Beethoven's 'Song of Joy'.   

Wanderley Cardoso charts with 'Historia de amor' a cover of 'Love story' love-theme 'Where do I begin?'; Cardoso started charting in 1965. As São Paulo was crowded with rock acts coming from Rio de Janeiro, Wanderley did the opposite: he moved to Rio where he made a solid career. Jerry Adriani did it likewise. Agnaldo Timóteo was a different cup of tea. Timóteo charted nationally since his 1966 debut album for EMI-Odeon; Timoteo's latest hit being Pino Donaggio's 'L'ultimo romantico' (O último romântico); Tony & Frankye were a duo from São Paulo who also moved to Rio and recorded a few singles for CBS, produced by Raul Seixas who would become a pop-star himself within 2 years (1973). Mauro Sergio was a Sao Paulo singer who first recorded for RCA but only started charting when he moved to Beverly Records. Now he had an E.P. (O solitário) and a single (O fim/The end) in the best-selling list.

9 November 1971 - Amiga n. 77 

1. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS) (3) 
2. Fire and rain - James Taylor (WB-Philips)
3. Impossivel acreditar que perdi você - Marcio Greyck (CBS) 
4. Oh me oh my - B.J. Thomas (Scepter-Top-Tape)
5. Independência ou morte - Zedi (Tapecar)

6. It's too late - Carole King (Ode-A&M-Odeon) 
7. If - Bread (Elektra-Philips)
8. Izabela - Renato & seus Blue Caps (CBS) 
9. Desacato - Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (RCA) 
10. Have you ever seen the rain? - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA) 

11. Co-co – The Sweet (RCA)
12. Acapulco gold - Mason-Dixon (Jubilee-Top-Tape)

13. Oho aha – Los Angeles (Hispa-Vox-Continental) 

14. Barbarella – Archaeopterix (Kuckuck-Cid)

15. Rainy days and Mondays - Carpenters (A&M-Odeon) 

16. How can you mend a broken heart? – Bee Gees (Polydor) 

17. It don’t come easy – Ringo Starr (Apple-Odeon) 

18. Les rois mages - Sheila (Som-Livre)

19. Ainda queima a esperança - Diana (CBS) 

20. Sweet hitch-hiker – Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)

James Taylor is #2 with 'Fire and rain'.

Extended-plays (compactos-duplos) 

1. Evie - Johnny Mathis (CBS) (1) 
2. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS) 
3. Love story - Johnny Mathis (CBS)
4. De tanto amor - Claudette Soares (Philips) 
5. Love story - Francis Lai (Paramount-RGE) 

6. Ave Maria no morro - Eduardo Araujo (Odeon) 
7. Quem mandou você errar? - Claudia Barroso (Continental) 
8. Super Erótica - Os Carbonos (Beverly) 
9. The end - Earl Grant (Decca-Chantecler) 
10. Na galha do cajueiro - Wilson Simonal (Odeon) 

Albums (long-plays) 

1. O cafona (Internacional) - various novela songs (Sigla-Som-Livre)
2. Love story - Johnny Mathis (CBS)
3. As 14 Mais vol. 25 - various Brazilian artists (CBS)
4. Memórias de um sargento de milícias - Martinho da Vila (RCA)
5. Salve, salve brasileiro - Eduardo Araujo (Odeon)

6. Mar de rosas - The Fevers (Odeon)
7. Só o amor constrói - Wanderley Cardoso (Copacabana)
8. Pendulum - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)
9. Love story sound-track - Francis Lai (Paramount-RGE)
10. VI Festival Internacional - various artists (Sigla-Som-Livre)

9 November 1971 - songs with most air-play on the radio around the country:

1. Oh me oh my - B.J. Thomas (Scepter-Top-Tape)
2. Mamy blue - Ricky Shayne (Hansa-Young-RGE)
3. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS) 
4. If - Bread (Elektra-Philips)
5. Ultimo romantico (L'ultimo romantico) - Agnaldo Timoteo (Odeon)

6. Kyrie - Trio Ternura (CBS)
7. Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey - Paul & Linda McCartney (Apple-Odeon) 
8. E o destino desfolhou - Paulo Sergio (Caravelle) 
9. Impossivel acreditar que perdi você - Marcio Greyck (CBS)
10. Butterfly - Danyel Gerard 

11. Don't let i die - Harricane Smith (Odeon) 
12. Esta cidade é um monstro - Marcus Pitter (Polydor) 
13. Never can say goodbye - Jackson Five (Motown-Tapecar)
14. Tema de Adão - Evinha (Odeon)
15. Desacato - Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (RCA)

'Sweet hitch-hiker' was Creedence Clearwater Revival's follow-up to 'Have you ever seen the rain?' their biggest hit in Brazil ever. Ricky Shayne's 'Mamy Blue' played as incidental music at novela 'Bandeira 2' hit the top in 1972. Paul McCartney now making a duo with his wife Linda Eastman McCartney had his 3rd hit in a row with 'Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey', one of his best songs ever.

16 November 1971 - Amiga n. 78 

1. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS) (4)
2. Oh me oh my - B.J. Thomas (Scepter-Top-Tape)
3. Impossivel acreditar que perdi você - Marcio Greyck (CBS) 
4. Desacato - Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (RCA)
5. Co-co - The Sweet (RCA)

6. It's too late - Carole King (Ode-A&M-Odeon)
7. Fire and rain - James Taylor (WB-Philips)
8. Independência ou morte - Zedi (Tapecar)
9. Have you ever seen the rain? - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)
10. If - Bread (Elektra-Philips) 

11. Izabela – Renato & seus Blue Caps (CBS)
12. Barbarella –  Archaeopterix (Kuckuck-Cid)

13. Oho aha – Los Angeles (Hispa-Vox-Continental)

14. You’ve got a friend – James Taylor (WB-Philips)

15. Minha história – Chico Buarque de Hollanda (Elenco-Philips)

16. I am so happy – Trio Galleta (Odeon)

17. Acapulco gold – Mason Dixon (Jubilee-Top Tape)

18. Ainda queima uma esperança - Diana (CBS)

19. How can you mend a broken heart? – Bee Gees (Polydor)

20. Butterfly – Danyel Gerard (CBS)

1971 was Johnny Mathis' best year in Brazil. He visited the country a few times and was a very popular act. Jimmy Webb's 'Evie' had been entered at Rio de Janeiro's 1969 International Song Festival and it was sung by Bill Medley. It ended being the runner-up to 'Cantiga p'ra Luciana' written by Edmundo Souto & Paulo Tapajós. 

left: Johnny Mathis with Brazilian singer Agostinho dos Santos at TV Exelsior in 1964; on the right Mathis & Santos sing together again at TV Tupi in 1971. Two years later (1973) Agostinho would die in a plane crash in Paris.

Extended-plays (compactos-duplos)

1. Evie - Johnny Mathis (CBS) (2) 
2. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS)
3. Love story - Johnny Mathis (CBS)
4. De tanto amor - Claudette Soares (Philips)
5. Quem mandou você errar? - Claudia Barroso (Continental)

6. Love story - Francis Lai (Paramount-RGE)
7. The end - Earl Grant (Decca-Chantecler)
8. Ave Maria no morro - Eduardo Araujo (Odeon)
9. Super Erótica - Os Carbonos (New Records-Beverly)
10. For all we know - Carpenters (A&M-Odeon)

Albums (long-plays)

1. O cafona (Internacional) - various novela songs (Sigla-Som-Livre)
2. Pendulum - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)
3. Love story - Johnny Mathis (CBS)
4. Memórias de um sargento de milícias - Martinho da Vila (RCA)
5. As 14 Mais vol. 25 - various Brazilian artists (CBS)

6. Salve, salve brasileiro - Eduardo Araujo (Odeon)
7. Mar de rosas - The Fevers (London)
8. Só o amor contrói - Wanderley Cardoso (Copacabana)
9. Sinfonias - Waldo de los Rios (Hispa-Vox-Continental) 
10. VI Festival Internacional - various artists (Sigla-Som-Livre)

16 November 1971 - songs with most air-play on the radio around the country:

1. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS)

2. Desacato - Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (RCA)

3. Que será? (Che sará?) - Altemar Dutra (Odeon)

4. Segure tudo - Martinho da Vila (RCA)

5. Ainda queima a esperança - Diana (CBS)

6. Meu Deus - Evaldo Braga (Polydor)

7. Sweet hitch-hiker - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)

8. Eu digo adeus - Luiz Carlos Magno (Epic)

9. Les rois Mages - Sheila (Som-Livre)

10. Vamos lá p'ra ver - Tony & Frankye (CBS)

11. Independência ou morte - Zedi (Tapecar) 

12. Hei amigo - Ronnie Von (Polydor)

13. O fim (The end) - Mauro Sergio (Beverly)

14. Co-Co - The Sweet (RCA)

15. Sinfonia n. 40 Mozart - Waldo de Los Rios (Hispa-Vox-Continental)

Brazilian soul music at its best. Tony & Frankye were Luiz Antonio Bizarro (Tony) and Fortunato Arduini (Frankye) met at Cave night-club in São Paulo where soul-music musicians used to gather and formed band Top Five. They moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1968 where they recorded 2 singles for CBS. ‘Viu, menina’ had a fair bit of air-play. Soon they recorded their only album which was produced by Rau Seixas and featuring  ‘Vou procurar o meu lugar’ a cover of Sly Stone’s ‘Thank you (Falletinme be mice elf agin)’. Unfortunately, they didn’t last long. Frankye dropped some acid and dropped out. When he came back to the music business for years later everything had changed.

23rd November 1971 - Amiga n. 79 

1. Desacato - Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (RCA) (1)

2. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS) 

3. Co-co - The Sweet (RCA)

4. Impossivel acreditar que perdi você - Marcio Greyck (CBS) 

5. It's too late - Carole King (Ode-A&M-Odeon) 

6. Fire and rain - James Taylor (WB-Philips) 

7. You've got a friend - James Taylor (WB-Philips) 

8. Oh me oh my - B.J. Thomas (Scepter-Top-Tape) 

9. Izabela - Renato & seus Blue Caps (CBS) 

10. Have you ever seen the rain? - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)  

11. Independência ou morte – Zé Di (Tapecar)
12. If - Bread (Elektra-Philips)

13. Barbarella – Archaeopterix (Cid)

14. I am so happy – Trio Galleta (Odeon)

15. Acapulco gold – Mason-Dixon (Top Tape)

16. Ainda queima uma esperança - Diana (CBS)

17. Oho aha – Los Angeles (Hispa-Vox-Continental)

18. Minha história (Gesubambino) – Chico Buarque

19. Butterfly – Danyel Gerard (Epic-CBS)

20. How can you mend a broken heart? – Bee Gees (Polydor)

James Taylor had 2 singles in the charts: 'Fire and rain' and 'You've got a friend'

Trio Ternura's 'Kyrie' won the song fest but flopped at the charts.

Pop music festivals had been really popular circa 1966-1967-1968 but they were dying fast of 'natural causes'. The last of such festivals was the one organized by TV Globo but by 1971 it became really difficult to due to the heavy censorship on the songs wielded by the Military Junta that ruled Brazil since 1964 but became extremely overbearing since December 1968. TV Globo which itself had been created with the Junta's blessings to become the one-and-only TV station in-the-land was the last to give it up. As late as 1970, TV Globo's Festival Internacional da Canção had been fairly popular, but 1971's edition was lacklustre and 1972 would see the last of it.

25 September 1971 was the night 'Kyrie' with Trio Ternura won the VI Festival but it failed to chart well. Antonio Carlos & Jocafi's 'Desacato' was the runner up and eventually went to #1 in the charts. Zé Rodrix's 'Casa de campo' was placed #9 in the Festival and charted well with Elis Regina later on. Even though 'Lourinha' with Wanderléa failed to get a good position at the Festival it ended up having good chart action.

Extended-plays (compactos-duplos)

1. Evie - Johnny Mathis (CBS) (3) 
2. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS) 
3. Love story - Johnny Mathis (CBS) 
4. Love story - Francis Lai (Paramount-RGE) 
5. Quem mandou você errar? - Claudia Barroso (Continental) 

6. De tanto amor - Claudette Soares (Philips)  
7. Super Erótica - Os Carbonos (New Records-Beverly)
8. Ave Maria no morro - Eduardo Araujo (Odeon) 
9. Co-co - The Sweet (RCA) 
10. The end - Earl Grant (Decca-Chantecler)

Echoes of 1969 - Bill Medley (left) sings Jimmy Webb's 'Evie' at Rio de Janeiro's International Song Festival in 1969, wrapped up in the Union Jack trying to appease the audience that went wild about Malcolm Robert's rendition of 'Love is all'. The crowd was really unhappy when it realized that their favourite tune ('Love is all') had been left out of the finalists and booed Bill Medley off the stage. 'Evie' was sort-of forgotten. Then in 1971, Johnny Mathis recorded it and it finally went to #1 exactly 2 years after being booed off by tens of thousands of people at the 1969 Festival.

Albums (long-plays)

1. Love story - Johnny Mathis (CBS)
2. Memórias de um sargento de milícias - Marinho da Vila (RCA)
3. O cafona (Internacional) - novela foreign hits (Som-Livre)
4. As 14 Mais vol. 25 - various Brazilian hits (CBS0
5. Pendulum - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Liberty-RCA)

6. Salve, salve brasileiro - Eduardo Araujo (Odeon)
7. Só o amor constrói - Wanderley Cardoso (Odeon)
8. VI Festival Internacional - songs from FIC (Sigla-Som-Livre)
9. Som Ecodinamic - various US hits (Tapecar)
10. Tapestry - Carole King (Ode-A&M-Odeon)

23rd November 1971 - songs with most air-play on the radio around the country:

1. Amada amante - Roberto Carlos (CBS)  
2. Oh me oh my - B.J. Thomas (Scepter-Top-Tape) 
3. Independência ou morte - Zedi (Tapecar) 
4. If - Bread (Elektra-Philips)
5. Ainda queima a esperança - Diana (CBS)

6. Desacato - Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (RCA) 
7. Se Deus me ouvisse - Silvana (Copacabana)
8. Leve esse chapeu - Waldik Soriano (Continental)
9. Filho do mestre - Adeilton Alves (Copacabana)
10. Look my world - Antonio Marcos (RCA) 

11. O machão - Sylvio Cesar (Odeon) 
12. Sem vergonheira - Os Incriveis (RCA)
13. De noite na cama - Erasmo Carlos (Philips)
14. Minha Cinderela - Paulo Sergio (Caravelle)
15. Snow frolic - Francis Lai (Paramount-RGE

Antonio Marcos' 1971 album '8-11-45' (date-of-his-birth 8 November 1945) had arrangements by Portinho, Elcio Alvarez, Chico Moraes, Manito e H.Silvestre. 'Namorada', sung with his wife Vanusa was a single and a hit. 'Look my world' (grammatically defective) with a soul-tinged flavour had some air-play too.