Desafinado
"Desafinado", a Portuguese and spanish word (usually rendered into English as "Out of Tune", or as "Off Key"), is the title of a bossa nova song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with lyrics (in Portuguese) by Newton Mendonça. It was originally a response to critics who claimed that bossa nova was a new genre for singers who can't sing. The English language lyrics were written by Jon Hendricks and "Jessie Cavanaugh" (a pseudonym used by The Richmond Organisation). Another English lyric, more closely based on the original Portuguese lyric (but not a translation) was written by Gene Lees, and appears on some recordings as well. The version by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd (from the album Jazz Samba) was a major hit in 1962, reaching number 15 and number 4 on Billboard′s pop and easy-listening charts, respectively; their definitive rendering also reached number 11 in the UK, while Ella Fitzgerald's version made number 38.[1] The song was voted by the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone as the 14th greatest Brazilian song.[2]
Recordings
Date | Artist | Album | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1959 | João Gilberto | Chega de Saudade | Inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.[3] |
1961 | Dizzy Gillespie | Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival | First released as A Musical Safari in 1974, featuring Lalo Schifrin |
1962 | Quincy Jones and his orchestra | Big Band Bossa Nova | |
1962 | Laurindo Almeida and the Bossa Nova Allstars | Viva Bossa Nova! | |
1962 | Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass | The Lonely Bull | |
1962 | Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd | Jazz Samba | Rec. in February |
1962 | Charlie Byrd | Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros | Guitar trio recorded in April |
1962 | Pat Thomas | "Desafinado (Slightly Out of Tune)"/Desafinado | Released on Verve in October, 1962 |
1962 | Ella Fitzgerald | "Desafinado (Slightly Out of Tune)"/"Stardust Bossa Nova" | Rec. in October |
1962 | Dizzy Gillespie | Dizzy on the French Riviera | Recorded live in July at the 3rd International Jazz Festival D'Antibes/Juan-Les-Pins with Lalo Schifrin as arranger and pianist |
1962 | Coleman Hawkins | Desafinado | Rec. in September |
1962 | Herbie Mann | Right Now | Rec. in April |
1962 | Tito Puente & His Orchestra | Bossa Nova by Puente | |
1962 | Lalo Schifrin | Lalo = Brilliance | Subtitled The Piano of Lalo Schifrin |
1963 | Julie London | The End of the World | Released in May |
1963 | João Gilberto, Stan Getz and Antônio Carlos Jobim | Getz/Gilberto | Rec. in March |
1963 | Antônio Carlos Jobim | The Composer of Desafinado Plays | Rec. in May |
1963 | Laila Kinnunen | "Stänk av Dissonans" | EP |
1963 | Bill Haley and His Comets | Carnaval de Ritmos Modernos | Instrumental; recorded in Mexico |
1964 | Clare Fischer | So Danço Samba | |
1964 | Sérgio Mendes & Bossa Rio | Você Ainda Não Ouviu Nada! | |
1964 | Zdenka Vučković (hr) | Zdenka Vučković & I njezini novi uspjesi (4 track EP) | Croatian rendering entitled "Izgubljeno" |
1965 | Doris Day | Latin for Lovers | |
1965 | João Gilberto & Herbie Mann | Recorded in Rio de Janeiro | |
1966 | Abi Zeider | Abi Zeider | Russian recording on Melodya |
1967 | Antônio Carlos Jobim | A Certain Mr. Jobim | The song credited as "Off-Key" |
1969 | Frank Sinatra and Antônio Carlos Jobim | Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings | 2010 compilation; the song was first released in 1995 on box set compilation Frank Sinatra – The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings |
1970 | Jula de Palma | Jula al Sistina | |
1971 | Nara Leão | Dez Anos Depois | |
1974 | Tete Montoliu | Temas Brasileños | |
1975 | Tania Maria | Via Brasil, Volume 2 | |
1978 | João Gilberto | João Gilberto Interpreta Tom Jobim | |
1980 | Antônio Carlos Jobim | Terra Brasilis | |
1980 | Julia Migenes | Latin Lady | |
1981 | Ella Fitzgerald | Ella Abraça Jobim | Subtitled "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook"; the song credited as "Off Key" |
1981 | João Gilberto | João Gilberto Prado de Oliveira | |
1986 | Stephane Grappelli / Baden Powell | La Grande Réunion | |
1986 | Nara Leão | Garota de Ipanema | |
1987 | Antônio Carlos Jobim | Inedito | Rec. May-Aug. Private limited edition for Jobim's 60th birthday. Released publicly in Brazil in 1997, and in the U.S. in 2006, as The Unknown (Tom Jobim Inedito) |
1990 | Eliane Elias | Eliane Elias Plays Jobim | |
1995 | João Gilberto | Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar (Ao Vivo) | |
1996 | George Michael, Astrud Gilberto | Red Hot + Rio | Would later be put on Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael in 1998. |
1996 | Nina Persson | (Single in Japan) | Rec. at MTV Classic 90s; "Don't Explain" by Stakka Bo on B-side |
1998 | Toninho Horta | From Ton to Tom | |
1999 | Gal Costa | Gal Costa Canta Tom Jobim ao Vivo | |
1999 | Kenny G | Classics in the Key of G | |
1999 | Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum | Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum | |
2000 | Rosemary Clooney | Brazil | English lyrics by Jon Hendricks |
2000 | João Gilberto | João Voz e Violão | |
2000 | Bill Watrous Quartet | Live at The Blue Note | |
2001 | Ana Caram | Blue Bossa | |
2002 | Paquito D'Rivera and New York Voices | Brazilian Dreams | |
2003 | Royce Campbell | A Tribute to Charlie Byrd | |
2003 | Lisa Hannigan and Damien Rice | Goldfish Memory O.S.T. | |
2004 | Adalberto Bravo | Smooth Passions | |
2005 | Seth MacFarlane (as Brian Griffin) | Family Guy: Live in Vegas | |
2005 | Toquinho | Tributo a Bossa Nova | |
2006 | Ana Belén, Pastora Soler, Lucrecia, Lolita Flores, Carmen Paris | Samba Pa Ti (Un Tributo a Brasil) | |
2006 | Stevie Holland | More Than Words Can Say | |
2008 | Eliane Elias | Bossa Nova Stories | |
2010 | Eliane Elias | Eliane Elias Plays Live | |
2013 | Vanessa da Mata | Canta Tom Jobim | |
2014 | Gilberto Gil | Gilbertos Samba | |
2015 | Axel Wolf & Hugo Siegmeth | Flow | Instrumental |
2017 | Katie Noonan & Karin Schaupp | Songs of the Latin Skies |
See also
- List of bossa nova standards
References
- "Hits from early December 1962". Everyhit.com.
- Duarte, Alexandre (2009). "As 100 Maiores Músicas Brasileiras – "Desafinado"". Rolling Stone Brasil (in Portuguese). Spring. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- "Latin GRAMMY Hall Of Fame". Latin Grammy Award. Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. 2001. Retrieved 19 August 2014.