(Antonio Carlos Jobim)
(English lyrics: Gene Lees)
This bossa nova classic was written by Antonio Carlos Jobim with the translation into English lyrics by Gene Lees, when it also became known as “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars”. The song is named after the mountain of the same name, also known as “The Hunchback”, which is the home to the huge statue called Christ the Redeemer that looks over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. “It tells the story of a man that lives on that hill” who is “always dreaming of a simple life and from his window he always sees the Saviour”according to Jobim.
It was first appeared on recordings in 1962 when it was performed on the albums Cannonball’s Bossa Nova by Cannonball Adderley and Sergio Mendes and Quiet Nights by Miles Davis. The following year it was released on the multi-Grammy Award winning album Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz, Astrud & Joao Gilberto with Antonio Carlos Jobim playing the piano. In 1967 the composer appeared as a performer again on the Frank Sinatra album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim.
The song was released as a single by Andy Williams which entered the US Chart and appeared on his 1968 album Sound of Music.
Since then it has been recorded by countless artists that include Charlie Byrd, Perry Como, Everything but the Girl, Ella Fitzgerald, Art Garfunkel, Engelbert Humperdinck, Diana Krall, Queen Latifah, Oscar Peterson, Cliff Richard, Frank Sinatra and Mary Wilson.
Sources:
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:3cfexxwaldje
- http://kokomo.ca/pop_standards/quiet_nights_of_quiet_stars.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corcovado_(song)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getz/Gilberto
- http://mp3shake.com/en/Andy_Williams/297783-Quiet_Nights_Of_Quiet_Stars_mp3_download.html