Monday, April 07, 2008

Jorge Ben - Tropical (1977)

Hello, good evening! One of the most difficult tasks (and more risky) at Loronix is talking about an artist that everybody knows and love, especially when I need to show an album with so little information available. This one is a perfect example, Tropical never had a CD reissue in Brazil, and until last week, was completely unknown to me. Jorge Ben fans go to the last consequences when hunting albums. I received several requests of impossible to find records, but no one ever asked or talked about this one, which is a Jorge Ben LP, always worth a lot to give a try. Let's see.

This is Jorge Ben - Tropical (1977), for Philips, recorded in 1976 in UK for Island Records. Perhaps the only Jorge Ben album recorded outside Brazil, featuring new versions of Jorge Ben older songs, done with Brazilian and international musicians. The repertoire brings nine tunes, but with a lot to hear on 45 minutes running time. I hope Tropical amazes most of you, bringing a solid listen to start another week. Tracks include:

Personnel

Jorge Ben
(voice, guitar)
Gustavo Schroeter
(drums, percussion)
Eduardo Magalhaes de Carvalho
(bass)
Joao Batista Pereira
(percussion)
Joao Roberto Vandaluz
(piano, organ)

Track List

01 - Taj Mahal (Jorge Ben)
02 - Os Alquimistas Estão Chegando os Alquimistas (Jorge Ben)
03 - Chove Chuva (Jorge Ben)
04 - Georgia (Jorge Ben)
05 - O Namorado da Viúva (Jorge Ben)
06 - My Lady (Jorge Ben)
07 - Jesus de Praga (Jorge Ben)
08 - Mas Que Nada (Jorge Ben)
09 - País Tropical (Jorge Ben)

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Could anyone post lossless versions of Jorge Ben (1969) and Negro E Lindo (1971); These albums are impossible to find. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Actually I didn´t know of this artist a year ago. But now I do - and I love him. Very happy to fins a "new" album here! Thanx a lot!

Anonymous said...

Caetano Veloso said something like that: "We don't need to listen Disco Music because we have Jorge Ben!"

Anonymous said...

Parabens pelo site.

descobri faz pouco tempo mas ja estou divulgando para diversos amigos. Esse disco do Jorge Ben realmente nao conhecia.

Estou fazendo incriveis adicoes a minha phonoteca.

AND4ever said...

I have this beauty on a worn out vinyl so this is a great find for me! Thanks! :)

Anonymous said...

Valews Zeca por mais este Samba Rock

Abraços

Jamil

Anonymous said...

legal achar este lp do Jorge Ben. O Artésio já havia comentado como seu blog é bom mas só hoje estou navegando mesmo nele! adorei!parabéns.
Milu

Anonymous said...

Ah! And here i am listening to Taj Mahal from the Ben album, just as I click over here to find a new Jorge Ben uploaded! Nice!

Anonymous said...

You are amazing! I've had this album for almost thirty years and had given up hope of ever hearing it on anything other than my turntable. The sound quality of my vinyl made it a lost cause to transfer myself.

This was my first exposure to Jorge Ben as he wasn't being played on the radio in Brasil when I lived there in 1978-79. Albums by Brasilian artists were hard to come by in the US in the late 1970s. I just loved this album, especially this version of Taj Mahal. When CDs started coming out this was on my list to find, but always with no success.

Thanks and keep up the great work.

Anonymous said...

Zeca, there are at least 4 other LPs recorded by Jorge Ben outside of Brasil. One of them you also have here on Loronix, Live in Tokyo with Trio Mocoto (very rare as you know), Live in Olympia Paris in about 1978, and there is another LP recorded especially for Island in UK with a cover art almost identical to this one. I used to own the record but cannot remember what it's called. I think it's Sabor Tropical. These 2 were from when Chris Blackwell at Island decided to make Jorge Ben the new global Bob Marley type phenomonen.

Except that we all know Jorge Ben didn't like to leave Brasil.

The rarest LP of all is Italian from CBS Italia Jorge Ben Al Vivo Dal Sistina.

So rare that when Marcelo Froes was doing the Jorge Ben discography for his box set I told him about this record and he went crazy because he never saw it before. He asked me to immediately scan the cover and record it for him.

Except there was a problem - somebody offered me a stupid high price one month before and so I sold it!

Anyway, some targets for Jorge Ben collectors to hunt down...

Gary