Foi a Noite was introduced in 1956 by Sylvia Telles, arranged by Antônio Carlos Jobim and conducted by Léo Peracchi. The recording took place on June 7th and was released as A-side in August as her second single and reached number 18 in 1956 and number 73 in 1957 on the year-end charts.
However, Sylvia Telles was not the first to record Foi a Noite, because Osny Silva had already recorded the song with Luiz Arruda Paez and his orchestra in April 1956, but his version was only released as B-side in November 1956.
Aloysio de Oliveira, artistic director at Odeon at the time, was reluctant to label Telles’s recording with Jobim’s arrangement as a samba-canção. Years later Oliveira declared: “The recording had been prepared by the previous management. […] I entered the studio ignoring the music, the arrangement and the interpreter. […] The impact I had is still indescribable. The melodic construction was an entirely new thing within Brazilian standards. The simple, impeccable arrangement provided a harmonic sequence that enhanced the melody in an unusual way. The interpretation was brilliant. Sylvia Telles managed to penetrate us with her hoarse and soft voice and stir all our emotions. Well, I was definitely facing something I didn’t expect to find. It was bossa nova in its greatest form: expression”.
Although Foite a Noite by Telles and Jobim is a samba-canção and not yet the bossa nova that João Gilberto would trigger the following year with his guitar beat on Elizete Cardoso‘s album Canção do Amor Demais, the song is decisive for the transition in the mid-50s.
Foite a Noite became an instant hit with numerous recordings in the years that followed. Four of them are also noticeable because the arrangements were reutilised: In 1958, the arrangement by either Henrique Simonetti, Lyrio Panicali or Renato de Oliveira for Cauby Peixoto’s recording conducted by Lúcio Milena was reused on the album João Leal Brito ”Britinho” recorded using his pseudonym Al Brito. In 1961, José Pacheco Lins, better known as Pachequinho, reused his arrangement for Ernâni Filho’s version on the Newton Mendonça tribute album Em Cada Estrela uma Canção soon afterwards for his own album Música do Coração.
Internationally, Fui a Noite was recorded twice in 1965, titled It Was Night, by Bud Shank with João Donato and Rosinha de Valença as well as by Vic Dana with English lyrics by Gene Lees.
Selected recordings of Foi a Noite:
1. Sylvia Telles from the single Foi a Noite b/w Menino (1956, Odeon 14.077) and the album Carícia (1957, Odeon MODB 3076)
2. Osny Silva from the single Saudade Danada b/w Foi a Noite (1956, Odeon 14.109)
3. Helena de Lima from the album Dentro da Noite (1956, Continental LPP 38)
4. Turma da Gafieira from the album Samba em Hi-Fi (1957, Musidisc Hi-Fi 2009)
Artwork for Samba em Hi-Fi with photograph by Mafra
5. Tito Madi from the album Chove Lá Fora (1957, Continental LPP 52)
6. Claudette Soares from the single Foi a Noite b/w Escolinha do Bebop (1957, Repertório 9.074) and the album Falando de Amor (1958, Repertório LP 15014)
7. Almir Ribeiro from the single Foi a Noite b/w Laura (1958, Copacabana 5.879) and the album Onde Estou? (1958, Copacabana CLP 11023)
8. Agostinho dos Santos from the album Antônio Carlos Jobim e Fernando César na Voz de Agostinho dos Santos (1958, Polydor LPNG 4018)
9. Cauby Peixoto from the album Nosso Amigo Cauby (1958, Columbia LPCB 37008)
10. João Leal Brito ”Britinho” aka Al Brito from the album Arco-Iris Musical (1958, Columbia LPCB 37035)
11. Isaura Garcia from the album Foi a Noite (1958, Odeon MOCB 3031)
12. Carlos José from the album Revelação (1958, Polydor LPNG 4013)
13. Alan Gordon e Hugo Lander from the album Dois Americanos no Rio (1958, Rádio 0060-GV)
14. Luis Arruda Paes from the album Piano Romântico – Luis Arruda Paes, Seu Piano e Sua Orquestra (1959, Odeon MOFB 3089)
15. Sérgio Ricardo from the album Depois do Amor (1961, Odeon MOFB 3239)
Artwork for Depois do Amor by César G. Villela with photograph by Francisco Pereira
16. Ernâni Filho from the album Em Cada Estrela uma Canção (1961, Copacabana CLP 11191)
Artwork for Em Cada Estrela uma Canção by Sérgio Malta with photograph by Ronaldo Goyanes
17. Pachequinho from the album Música do Coração (1961, Copacabana CLP 11202)
Artwork for Música do Coração by Sérgio Malta
18. Moacyr Marques ‘Bijú’ from the album Samba Geléia (1962, Pawal P-20.015), also released on the album Berimbau Sambas (1964, Destaque D-7021) credited to Conjunto BemBossa
19. Mr. Samba & Seus Skindôs Rítmicos from the album Mr. Samba’s Authentic Brazilian Bossa Nova (1963, RGE XRLP-5.197) aka This Is Bossa Nova (1963, RGE LP3-1090)
20. Bud Shank, João Donato and Rosinha de Valença from the album Bud Shank & His Brazilian Friends (1965, Pacific Jazz Records [USA] ST-89) released in Brazil as Bud Shank/Donato/Rosinha de Valença (1965, Elenco MEV-8)
Artwork for Bud Shank/Donato/Rosinha de Valença by Eddie Moyna
21. Maria Creuza from the album Maria Creuza (1972, RGE 303.0014)
22. Agostinho dos Santos from the album Agostinho dos Santos (1973, Continental SLP 10.118)
23. Quarteto Nostalgia from the album Quarteto Nostalgia (1977, Beverly AMCLP 5433)
Selected medleys including Foi a Noite:
1. Ribamar from the album Duas Faces de Amor (1965, Equipe EQ 804), also released as Bastante Intimo credited to Quinteto Romantico (1965, Spot 33004) and Nosso Encontro de Amor credited to Ribamar (1969, Equipe EQC 853)
Artwork for Duas Faces de Amor by Joselito
Artwork for Nosso Encontro de Amor by Joselito
2. Dóris Monteiro and Miltinho from the album Dóris, Miltinho e Charme (1970, Odeon MOFB 3649)
3. Waleska from the album Waleska (1975, Copacabana COLP 12034)
Artwork for Waleska by Antônio José Castilho with photograph by Mafra
FOI A NOITE
Foi a noite, foi o mar eu sei • Foi a lua que me fez pensar • Que você me queria outra vez • E que ainda gostava de mim • Ilusão eu bebi talvez • Foi amor por você bem sei • A saudade aumenta com a distância • E a ilusão é feita de esperança • Foi a noite • Foi o mar eu sei • Foi você
Brazilliance 