Song No. 173 — A Tua Volta | Sebastião de Barros (1961)

A Tua Volta was recorded in late 1960 and introduced in early 1961 by Sandra on the album Isto é o Drink. The little-known song was only recorded five times, including two times with the composer himself, bassist Sebastião de Barros, also known as Tião Barros, first in the original recording with Sandra and in 1963 as part of the Night Boys by guitarist Paulo Nunes.

Isto é o Drink, often mistaken for a Celso Murilo album, was actually a compilation album with Celso Murilo on organ alongside Américo Cerqueira, Paulinho Nogueira, Sebastião de Barros, Fernando Alves, Francisco Neto ‘Ceará’ and Julio da Silva as the Conjunto Drink from Djalma Ferreira’s nightclub Drink in Rio de Janeiro, and featuring Luiz Bandeira, Lila de Oliveira, Wilson Simonal and Sandra as vocalists.

Isto é o Drink was Sandra’s debut recording, on which she had another solo alongside A Tua Volta with Poema das Mãos. Her last name is unknown, which is why she is sometimes mistaken for another Sandra, who made a few recordings from the mid-1960s.

Sandra started as a singer in nightclubs such as La Boheme and Carroussel in Copacabana and Djalma Ferreira‘s Drink. She recorded only one more album, A Voz Balanço… Samba 35 mm, in 1961, including Dói, Dói, Dói by João Mello and O Tempo Não Desfaz by Newton Mendonça, which won her the “Sambista” award as best female newcomer from the Brazilian Association of Disc Critics. However, just a few days before the celebration of receiving this award, in December of 1961, Sandra died in an accident, when the taxi he was traveling skidded on the tram tracks in Vila Isabel in Rio and crashed into a pole.

On the album of the pianist Fernando Gallo the song is credited as Tua Volta.

Selected recordings of A Tua Volta:

1. Sandra with Celso Murilo & Conjunto Drink from the album Isto é o Drink (1961, Remon RD 101)

   
Artwork for Isto é o Drink with photograph by Mafra

2. Djalma Ferreira from the album Weekend in Rio (1962, Discos Drink ML-DF-15.003)

    

3. Gallo from the album Um Galo Internacional – Gallo e Seu Conjunto Apresentando Marla (1962, Philips P 632.110 L)

   

4. Paulinho & Seus Night Boys from the album Disco Dançante (1963, RCA Camden)

   

5. Dina Gonçalves from the single Louco (Ela É Seu Mundo) b/w A Tua Volta (1963, Copacabana 6.570) and the EP Dina Gonçalves / Fernando Barreto (1963, Copacabana 3405)

   

Song No. 63 — O Tempo Não Desfaz | Newton Mendonça (1961)

O Tempo Não Desfaz was introduced in 1960 by Geny Martins as A-side to É o Fim. The song was one of the last compositions by Newton Ferreira de Mendonça who died in late 1960 at the age of 33 after suffering his second heart attack. Mendonça is best known for the songs he composed together with Antônio Carlos Jobim such as Desafinado, Meditação, Discussão, Foi a Noite and Samba de Uma Nota Só.

O Tempo Não Desfaz was recorded only three more times at its time, first by Ernani Filho on a tribute album that also featured Carminha Mascarenhas and Marisa Gata Mansa on vocals in front of a top-class orchestra conducted by José Pacheco Lins aka Pachequinho and featuring Irany Pinto, José Luiz aka Formiga, Ed Maciel, Zé Bodega, Aurino Ferreira de Oliveira.

The next year, O Tempo Não Desfaz was included on A Voz Balanco… Samba 35 mm, the fabulous solo debut by singer Sandra, who died in a car crash a few days after she received an award for this very album. Marco Ruppi, who arranged Sandra’s album along with Celso Murilo, besides both also playing saxophone and organ, reutilized all arrangements from Sandra’s album the following year on Sambalanço credited to Orquestra Moderna de Sambas.

Selected recordings of O Tempo Não Desfaz:

1. Geny Martins from the single O Tempo Não Desfaz b/w É o Fim (1961, Sinter 650-a)

2. Ernani Filho from the album Em Cada Estrela uma Canção (1961, Copacabana CLP 11191)

   
Art work for Em Cada Estrela uma Canção by Sérgio Malta

3. Sandra from the album A Voz Balanço… Samba 35mm (1962, Pawal P-20.016)

   

4. Orquestra Moderna de Sambas from the album Sambalanço (1963, Pawal P-20.023)

  

Song No. 29 — Dói, Dói, Dói | João Mello (1960)

Dói, Dói, Dói was introduced in early 1960 by Aracy de Almeida as a-side to Pra Que, shortly before Vera Lúcia issued the song as a-side to Leva-me Contigo. Both versions were arranged by Carlos Monteiro de Souza, and both singers included the song on their concurrent albums, with Vera Lúcia’s published a bit earlier.

The song was only a minor success and vanished four years after its debut and about nine recordings.

A timelessly modern version was recorded by the highly talented Sandra, who was tragically killed in a car crash a few days after she received an award for her excellent debut album A Voz Balanco… Samba 35 mm. Except for the song Nuvem, arranger and tenor saxophonist Marco Ruppi aka Marko Rupe reutilized all arrangements from Sandra’s A Voz Balanço… Samba 35 mm the next year on the album Sambalanço credited as Orquestra Moderna de Sambas.

Selected recordings of Dói, Dói, Dói:

1. Aracy de Almeida from the album Samba com Aracy de Almeida (1960, Philips P 630.410 L)

   

2. Vera Lúcia from the album Leva-me Contigo (1960, Philips P 630.405 L)

  

3. Isaura Garcia from the album Saudade Querida (1960, Odeon MOFB 3183)

4. Sandoval Dias from the album Dançando com Sandoval Dias (1960, Philips P 630.406 L)

   

5. Sandra from the album A Voz Balanço… Samba 35 mm (1962, Pawal P-20.016)

   

6. Orquestra Moderna de Sambas from the album Sambalanço (1963, Pawal P-20.023)

  

Selected medley including Dói, Dói, Dói:

1. Paulinho from the album Para Animar Sua Festa N° 3 (1960, Prestige DLP 1014)