Tall and tanned and young and lovely,
The girl from Ipanema goes walking.
And when she passes, each one she passes goes, ‘ahhh’.
And when she passes, each one she passes goes, ‘ahhh’.
So go the English lyrics to “Garota de Ipanema”, the second most recorded song in popular music (after bloody "Scrambled Eggs"). The woman who sang those lyrics on the version that became an international hit was Astrud Gilberto. Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz, who also played on the track, made enough money from that record to buy a 23 room mansion. Astrud got $120.
Astrud Gilberto passed away earlier this week. Here are some tunes to pay tribute, starting with a song that owes quite a debt to the track above...
To Astrud Gilberto tunes
We made love in the afternoon
Then strolled down the Champs Elysees
Sharing a warm baguette
Coffee with anisette
We kissed in the Metro
In love, very retro
We're together again, by the Seine,
Samba Blue
Another very close tribute comes from Roxy Music's Big Phil, and vocalist Ana Maria Velez. I hope she got more than 120 bucks.
We were slow dancing
To the voice of Astrud
That's when you undid
My secret heart
Are we taking a risk
Do we face abyss
Is the mystery of love around
Is it safer to say
We got carried away
By Astrud
Odd Nordstoga is a Norwegian folk singer. He's the same age as me, but looking at him, I reckon there's a portrait in his attic that's rotting to pieces.
Melankoliens avenyar
Der var eg heime ein gong
Eg trudde alt det vakre
Som Astrud Gilberto song
Med Marty Paich sitt orkester i 1965
Og diktarens ord kom føre meg
Du skal aldri komme hjem
It translates, very roughly, and rather wonderfully, thus...
Avenue of Melancholy
I was at home there once
I thought everything was beautiful
Like Astrud Gilberto song
With Marty Paich's orchestra in 1965
And the poet's words came to lead me
You will never come home
Here's another folkie. One you may be a little more familiar with...
When I hear Astrud
Jasmine fills the air
I don't know anything about the Fay Hallam Trinity, but I liked this for what it was...
But this was my favourite. You may remember Basia, originally the singer with 80s band Matt Bianco, before she branched out on her own. Here she is on the Johnny Carson show, with a song from her hit 1987 album Time & Tide...
Nobody knows where she came from
The tall-and-tanned-young-and-lovely girl
With a voice as light as air
Nobody knows but no one cares
'Cause everybody loves her
Finally, because because, here's Astrud with George. 'Nuff said.
