Lani Hall
Encyclopedia
Lani Hall is an American
singer and the wife of Herb Alpert
.
pianist/bandleader Sérgio Mendes
, who happened to be on tour in Chicago. His group, Brasil '65, was disbanding, and he invited Hall to come to Los Angeles and be a part of his new project, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66. She agreed, and the group rehearsed in LA, eventually signing a contract with A&M Records.
Unlike the previous incarnation, Brasil '66 was an instant success - making a significant impact on the charts with its first single, a version of the Brazilian song "Mas Que Nada
". Much of the song's appeal was due to the distinctive, multi-tracked vocals of Hall.
A series of popular interpretations followed, including their take on The Beatles
' "The Fool on the Hill
" and "Day Tripper
". Though many associate her with Brasil '66's hit rendition of Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love"
on the album Look Around
(which reached #4 on the pop charts in 1968), the lead on that single was actually handled by Mendes' other singer of that period, Janis Hansen
.
The band toured alongside A&M labelmates (and label founder) Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass in 1966. She left Brasil '66 in 1971 and married Alpert in 1974.
With Alpert assuming production and arranging duties, Hall embarked on a solo career, beginning with 1972's Sun Down Lady and following up with Hello It's Me in 1975. She recorded regularly throughout the 70s and 80s, including singing the title song to the James Bond
film Never Say Never Again
in 1983. In 1984, she again worked with Sérgio Mendes, appearing on his album Confetti.
Beginning in 1982, Hall recorded several successful Latin pop albums in Spanish, culminating in 1985's Es Facil Amar, produced by Albert Hammond, for which she won the Grammy Award
for Best Latin Pop Performance. Among her Spanish hits were "Un Amor Así" and "De Repente El Amór," duets with José Feliciano
and Roberto Carlos
respectively; "Para Vivir Así," which features Herb Alpert
on trumpet; and another duet, "Te Quiero Así" with José José
(who also began his career with a bossa nova/jazz
band). She recorded "Corazón Encadenado" with Camilo Sesto
in 1984.
After raising a family with Alpert and writing fiction, she returned in 1998 with the album Brasil Nativo on the Windham Hill label. In 2008, she reunited with Mendes again, performing vocals on the song "Dreamer" on his album Encanto.
In 2007, she and Alpert began performing with a band consisting of pianist/composer Bill Cantos, bassist Hussain Jiffry and drummer/percussionist Michael Shapiro, developing new arrangements of jazz standards and Brazilian songs. From then until the present, they have continued to tour, and have released two CDs for Concord Music Group, Anything Goes (2009) and I Feel You (2011).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and the wife of Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
.
Music career
Her first public appearances occurred in Old Town Chicago in early 1966. At one of those performances, she was heard by Brazilian Bossa NovaBossa Nova
Bossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova , a 2000 film*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli...
pianist/bandleader Sérgio Mendes
Sergio Mendes
Sérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
, who happened to be on tour in Chicago. His group, Brasil '65, was disbanding, and he invited Hall to come to Los Angeles and be a part of his new project, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66. She agreed, and the group rehearsed in LA, eventually signing a contract with A&M Records.
Unlike the previous incarnation, Brasil '66 was an instant success - making a significant impact on the charts with its first single, a version of the Brazilian song "Mas Que Nada
Mas Que Nada
-Song information:In 2006, Mendes re-recorded the song with The Black Eyed Peas and additional vocals by Mendes' wife, Gracinha Leporace; a version that is included on his album Timeless. In Brazil, the song is well-known for being the theme song for the local television channel Globo's Estrelas....
". Much of the song's appeal was due to the distinctive, multi-tracked vocals of Hall.
A series of popular interpretations followed, including their take on The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "The Fool on the Hill
The Fool on the Hill
"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by The Beatles. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1967...
" and "Day Tripper
Day Tripper
"Day Tripper" is a song by The Beatles, released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out". Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the Rubber Soul album...
". Though many associate her with Brasil '66's hit rendition of Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love"
The Look of Love (1967 song)
"The Look of Love" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and sung by Dusty Springfield, which appeared in the 1967 spoof James Bond film Casino Royale.-Songwriters:...
on the album Look Around
Look Around (Sergio Mendes album)
Look Around is the third album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66, with vocalists Lani Hall and Janis Hansen. It was released in 1968. Mendes burst into mainstream prominence when he performed the Oscar-nominated Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "The Look of Love" on the Academy Awards telecast in March...
(which reached #4 on the pop charts in 1968), the lead on that single was actually handled by Mendes' other singer of that period, Janis Hansen
Janis Hansen (singer)
Janis S. Hansen is an American singer, producer and writer.-Early career:Hansen joined Lani Hall as one of the singers in the group Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66...
.
The band toured alongside A&M labelmates (and label founder) Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass in 1966. She left Brasil '66 in 1971 and married Alpert in 1974.
With Alpert assuming production and arranging duties, Hall embarked on a solo career, beginning with 1972's Sun Down Lady and following up with Hello It's Me in 1975. She recorded regularly throughout the 70s and 80s, including singing the title song to the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film Never Say Never Again
Never Say Never Again
Never Say Never Again is a 1983 spy film based on the James Bond novel Thunderball, which was previously filmed in 1965 as Thunderball...
in 1983. In 1984, she again worked with Sérgio Mendes, appearing on his album Confetti.
Beginning in 1982, Hall recorded several successful Latin pop albums in Spanish, culminating in 1985's Es Facil Amar, produced by Albert Hammond, for which she won the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Latin Pop Performance. Among her Spanish hits were "Un Amor Así" and "De Repente El Amór," duets with José Feliciano
José Feliciano
José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
and Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos (singer)
Roberto Carlos Braga is a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian singer and composer, who has achieved a great deal of success and recognition in his 50 year career, also known as King of Latin Music....
respectively; "Para Vivir Así," which features Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
on trumpet; and another duet, "Te Quiero Así" with José José
José José
José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz , known by his artistic name José José, is a Mexican singer.Referred in the entertainment world as "El Príncipe de la Canción" , José José is best known for his romantic ballads and renowned for his vocals...
(who also began his career with a bossa nova/jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
band). She recorded "Corazón Encadenado" with Camilo Sesto
Camilo Sesto
Camilo Blanes Cortés , better known as Camilo Sesto, is a Spanish singer , composer and producer who enjoyed fame during the 1970s and the 1980s...
in 1984.
After raising a family with Alpert and writing fiction, she returned in 1998 with the album Brasil Nativo on the Windham Hill label. In 2008, she reunited with Mendes again, performing vocals on the song "Dreamer" on his album Encanto.
In 2007, she and Alpert began performing with a band consisting of pianist/composer Bill Cantos, bassist Hussain Jiffry and drummer/percussionist Michael Shapiro, developing new arrangements of jazz standards and Brazilian songs. From then until the present, they have continued to tour, and have released two CDs for Concord Music Group, Anything Goes (2009) and I Feel You (2011).
Discography
- 1972 - Sun Down LadySun Down Lady (Lani Hall album)-Track listing:#Love Song 2:55#Tiny Dancer 4:06#How Can I Tell You 2:56#You 3:58#Ocean Song 3:40#We Could Be Flying 3:53...
#203 U.S. - 1975 - Hello It's MeHello It's Me (Lani Hall album)-Track listing:#Hello It's Me 3:35#Peace In The Valley 4:10#Time Will Tell 4:16#Banquet 2:48#Wheelers And Dealers 2:35...
- 1976 - Sweet BirdSweet Bird (Lani Hall album)-Track listing:#Send In The Clowns 2:21#That’s When Miracles Occur 3:07#Early Mornin’ Strangers 3:40#Mr. Blue 3:29#Too Many Mornings 4:40...
- 1979 - Double or NothingDouble or Nothing (Lani Hall album)-Track listing :#Nobody Gets This Close To Me 4:20#Shot In The Dark 3:38#Meni Devol 5:10#To The Morning 3:57#Sailing Without A Sail 3:12...
- 1980 - Blush #206 U.S.
- 1981 - A Brazileira (Portuguese)
- 1982 - Albany Park
- 1982 - Lani (Spanish)
- 1984 - Lani Hall (Spanish)
- 1984 - Collectibles
- 1985 - Es Fácil Amar (Spanish)
- 1987 - Classics Volume 19
- 1987 - Lo Mejor De Lani (Spanish)
- 1998 - Brasil Nativo
- 2009 - Anything Goes (Herb Alpert & Lani Hall) Concord JazzConcord JazzConcord Jazz is a subsidiary of Concord Records, owned by Concord Music Group.-Dozens of albums:*Charlie Byrd*Ruby Braff*Dave McKenna*Marian McPartland*Rosemary Clooney*Scott Hamilton*Tito Puente*George Shearing*Gene Harris*Mel Tormé*Monty Alexander...
- 2011 - I Feel You (Herb Alpert & Lani Hall) Concord JazzConcord JazzConcord Jazz is a subsidiary of Concord Records, owned by Concord Music Group.-Dozens of albums:*Charlie Byrd*Ruby Braff*Dave McKenna*Marian McPartland*Rosemary Clooney*Scott Hamilton*Tito Puente*George Shearing*Gene Harris*Mel Tormé*Monty Alexander...
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66
- 1966 - Herb Alpert PresentsHerb Alpert Presents (Sergio Mendes album)Herb Alpert Presents is the first album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66.-Track listing:#Mas Que Nada #One Note Samba #The Joker...
- 1967 - EquinoxEquinox (Sergio Mendes album)Equinox is the second album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66, with vocalists Lani Hall and Janis Hansen.-Track listing:#Constant Rain #Cinnamon and Clove...
- 1968 - Look AroundLook Around (Sergio Mendes album)Look Around is the third album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66, with vocalists Lani Hall and Janis Hansen. It was released in 1968. Mendes burst into mainstream prominence when he performed the Oscar-nominated Burt Bacharach/Hal David song "The Look of Love" on the Academy Awards telecast in March...
- 1968 - Fool on the HillFool on the Hill (Sergio Mendes album)Fool on the Hill is the fourth album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66.The band on this album is the second version of Brasil '66. Mendes replaced all of the original band members for this album...
- 1969 - Crystal IllusionsCrystal Illusions (Sergio Mendes album)Crystal Illusions is the fifth album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66.-Track listing:-Performance Credits:*Sérgio Mendes - Keyboards, Vocals, Arranger, Producer*Lani Hall - Vocals*Karen Philipp - Vocals*Oscar Castro-Neves - Guitar...
- 1969 - Ye-Me-LêYe-Me-Lê (Sergio Mendes album)Ye-Me-Lê is the sixth album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66.-Track listing:#Wichita Lineman #Norwegian Wood #Some Time Ago #Moanin'...
- 1970 - Live At Expo '70
- 1971 - StillnessStillness (Sergio Mendes album)Stillness is the final album by Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66. Following this album, Mendes renamed his group Brasil '77.-Track listing:#Stillness #Righteous Life #Chelsea Morning...
Singles
- 1976 - "Send In The ClownsSend in the Clowns"Send in the Clowns" is a song by Stephen Sondheim from the 1973 musical A Little Night Music, an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night. It is a ballad from Act II in which the character Desirée reflects on the ironies and disappointments of her life. Among other things, she...
" - #18 US A/C - 1980 - "Come What May" - #32 US A/C (Re-entry)
- 1982 - "Te Quiero Así (Duet with Jose JoseJosé JoséJosé Rómulo Sosa Ortiz , known by his artistic name José José, is a Mexican singer.Referred in the entertainment world as "El Príncipe de la Canción" , José José is best known for his romantic ballads and renowned for his vocals...
) - 1983 - "Never Say Never AgainNever Say Never AgainNever Say Never Again is a 1983 spy film based on the James Bond novel Thunderball, which was previously filmed in 1965 as Thunderball...
" #22 US A/C #103 US Bubbling Under - 1983 - "I Don't Want You to GoI Don't Want You to Go (Lani Hall song)-La Toya Jackson version:"I Don't Want You to Go" is the second single from American singer La Toya Jackson's second album My Special Love....
" - 1984 - "Para Vivir Así"
- 1985 - "De Repente El Amor" (Duet with Roberto CarlosRoberto Carlos (singer)Roberto Carlos Braga is a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian singer and composer, who has achieved a great deal of success and recognition in his 50 year career, also known as King of Latin Music....
) - 1985 - "Un Amor Así" (Duet with Jose FelicianoJosé FelicianoJosé Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
)