#gilberto

Tall and tan and young and lovely The girl from Ipanema goes walking and When she passes, each one she passes goes, ‘ah'”

The Girl from Ipanema

The girl from Ipanema is dead. Or rather the one who gave her voice to it died, Astrud Gilberto.

The Girl From Ipanema was originally titled ‘Menina que Passa’ (‘The Girl Who Passes By’) and set to be featured in a musical comedy entitled Dirigivel.It was written in 1962 by Antônio Carlos Jobim with Portuguese lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes. The inspiration for the song came from a young woman, Heloísa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto who lived in Montenegro Street in Ipanema. The 17 year old Heloísa would be noticed walking past the Veloso bar-café as part of her daily routine, and one day going about her normal business she caught the attention of the composers. Leaving an impression of youth and grace, to Moraes and Jobim she became the girl from Ipanema. The popularity of the song would elevate the teenager to celebrity status, and in the years that followed would be known as Helô Pinheiro a model and successful businesswoman. 

Under the spell of bossa nova, the great Stan Getz teamed up with Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto to record, primarily, the songs of Antônio Carlos Jobim. The resulting album, Getz/Gilberto was released in 1964 became a million seller and one of the most famous jazz albums of all time. The success of the album was arguably down to the track ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ which came out as a 45rpm single. It was sung by Astrud Gilberto, it went on to sell more than five million copies worldwide.

During the recording session for the album that took place on 18 and 19 March, 1963 it was decided that a version with lyrics in English would be a good idea. Norman Gimbel was on hand to write the English lyrics, and ‘Garota de Ipanema’ quickly became ‘The Girl From Ipanema’.  There was just one problem: no one available with a good enough command of the language to sing the song in English. That was, apart from João’s wife Astrud who had come along to the studio.

Although she had never recorded professionally before, she was an experienced vocalist having sung on stage with her husband and what followed catapulted the 22 year-old singer to worldwide fame. She laid down vocals for the track, as well as another song – ‘Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)’. Getz, Gilberto and producer Creed Taylor quickly realised they had something special, with her gentle voice, almost a quiet whisper, a perfect fit for the song and for Getz’s warm yet light toned tenor playing.

The astronomical success of the single ensured good sales for the full album too, and Stan Getz is said to have been remuneration handsomely for his work. However, whilst the success of the song may have helped launch Astrud’s career, she did not benefit financially. She was reportedly paid just $120 which was the standard rate for her contribution - although the saxophonist was apparently insistent that she should be paid nothing.

In her own words, she was manipulated by “wolves posing as sheep”. Both Getz and Creed Taylor claimed credit for the discovery, with the singer later commenting: “in fact, nothing is further from the truth. I guess it made them look important to have been the one that had the ‘wisdom’ to recognise potential in my singing… I can’t help but feel annoyed that they resorted to lying.”

As a result of the way the song was credited for royalties, Astrud Gilberto received indeed received no additional financial remuneration for her contribution. The injustice continues when it transpires that her husband at the time (they divorced a short time afterwards in 1964) received a 5-figure amount via royalties while Getz, securing the largest amount, is rumoured to have bought a mansion with his share that amounted to nearly $1 million. The injustice and inequality of the music business may have reared its ugly head – unfortunately just one of many such instances - but the music that came from the session has left us with a timeless gem. Today it is reportedly the second most recorded pop song of all time after the Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’.

The Girl from Ipanema would be her only major hit - though it crept back into the UK chart in 1984 as bossa nova flourished again, popularised by Everything But the Girl, Sade and others - but she retained a fandom for a series of subsequent solo albums on the jazz label Verve, beginning with 1965’s The Astrud Gilberto Album. She also recorded with Chet Baker, and continued to tour until 2002. In 2008 she was given a lifetime achievement award by the Latin Grammys.

Video: is Astrud Gilberto performing "The Girl from Ipanema" in 1964 with Stan Getz on tenor sax, Gary Burton on vibraphone, Gene Cherico on bass, and Joe Hunt on drums.