Eumir Deodato Explained

Eumir Deodato
Alias:Deodato
Birth Name:Eumir Deodato de Almeida
Birth Date:1943 6, df=yes
Birth Place:Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Spouse: [1]
Instrument:Piano
Years Active:1959–present
Label:CTI, MCA, Warner Bros.
Associated Acts:Kool & the Gang
John Tropea
Hubert Laws

Eumir Deodato de Almeida (pronounced as /pt-BR/; born 22 June 1943)[2] is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, Latin and bossa nova.[3]

Deodato has arranged and produced more than 500 records for acts such as Frank Sinatra, Roberta Flack, Björk and Christophe, as well as produced Kool & the Gang's hits "Celebration", "Ladies' Night" and "Too Hot".[4]

Deodato was nominated for three Grammy Awards and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1974 for "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)." The song peaked at number 2 on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 in March 1973.[5] It reached number 3 in Canada and number 7 on the British charts.[6]

Biography

Deodato, born in Rio De Janeiro on June 22, 1943, began his musical life on accordion when he was 12 years old, and then piano two years later. He studied orchestration, conducting and arranging. He played bossa nova in bands with Paulo Silvino and Orlandivo, then formed his own band, which featured João Palma, Sergio Barroso, Ugo Marotta, Henri Ackselrud and guitarist Celso Brando, who was later replaced by Roberto Menescal in 1962. Eumir’s paternal grandfather was a marble craftsman from Custonaci, Sicily.[7]

Career

Recording career

Deodato often plays the Fender Rhodes electric piano. He became successful as a keyboard player in the 1970s. Since then, he has produced and arranged music on more than 500 albums for artists such as Kool & the Gang, Con Funk Shun, Björk, Christophe, Ithamara Koorax and k.d. lang. Guitarist John Tropea and flautist Hubert Laws appeared on his early albums.

Prelude, his first album in the U.S., was released in 1973.[8] His track Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001) gained big hit in Billboard pop chart. This album was crossover music style that attracted a large audience and was produced by Creed Taylor for his label CTI. The album sold 5 million copies worldwide and earned Deodato the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for the track Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001) as well as a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

His second album, Deodato 2, reached number 19 on the Billboard album chart, and the single "Rhapsody in Blue" reached No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973.[9] His interpretation of Pavane pour une infante défunte ("Pavane for a Dead Princess") by Maurice Ravel was used in the 1970s by an Australian television station as background music.

In 1978, he had an orchestral hit with "Whistle Bump" from the LP titled Love Island. The track promoted the widespread use of whistles in nightclubs at the time. However, his popularity in the discos was solidified when he released the 1979 single Night Cruiser from the album of the same name, which earned him a third Grammy nomination for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.[10] Deodato continued recording through the 1980s. In 1985, he had two hits, "S.O.S., Fire in the Sky" and "Are You For Real", on Billboard magazine's top 20 Dance chart.

In 1998, Deodato invited his old friend and fellow Brazilian jazz impresario Arnaldo DeSouteiro to co-produce with him the first official CD reissues of all his albums from the 1960s, in a total of nine releases. Among them, Inútil Paisagem (reissued by JSR in co-production with Universal Music), Idéias, and all the albums from the Os Catedráticos series that were digitally remixed and remastered by audio engineer Rodrigo de Castro Lopes under the direct supervision of both Deodato and DeSouteiro.

He recorded Live in Rio in 2007. In 2009, Prelude was reissued for the first time in Asia on SACD and SHM-CD formats under the supervision of Arnaldo DeSouteiro. In 2011, he released the album The Crossing, which he produced with Lino Nicolosi and Pino Nicolosi at Nicolosi Productions, with guest vocalist Al Jarreau. In 2010 he played the rhodes piano in the album Oasis produced and performed by Marita Pauli. In 2018 he arranged and conducted the strings orchestra in the album The First released by Riccardo Dalli Cardillo.

Arranging and producing

Since the 1960s, Deodato has been in demand as a producer and arranger. He has worked on more than 500 albums, and 15 have reached platinum status as defined by the RIAA.

In the early 1960s, he worked as a freelance arranger for Odeon Records. He wrote arrangements for Wilson Simonal, Marcos Valle, Leny Andrade, Pery Ribeiro, Tito Madi and for his own debut album, Inútil Paisagem (1964), which was dedicated to the work of Antônio Carlos Jobim and recorded in Rio when Deodato was 22. Jobim praised him in the album's liner notes. Deodato played piano with guitarists Oscar Castro-Neves and Roberto Menescal, drummer Juquinha and an all-star cast including Copinha, J.T. Meirelles, Cipó, Paulo Moura.[11] He has been credited for helping to start the career of Milton Nascimento; Deodato was part of a committee tasked with choosing songs for a festival and chose three by Nascimento.

He moved to New York City in 1967 to work with guitarist Luiz Bonfá, with whom he recorded seven albums and countless jingles. Bonfá also introduced him to vocalist Astrud Gilberto and record producer Creed Taylor, when they were reunited on the making of Astrud's "Beach Samba" album for Verve Records. Later on, Creed Taylor hired him to write arrangements for musicians at CTI Records who included Wes Montgomery, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Walter Wanderley, Stanley Turrentine, Paul Desmond and the CTI All Stars. Deodato also recorded with Frank Sinatra, (1969), João Donato (1970), Youg, Holt Unlimited (1973), Aretha Franklin (1973), and recorded three albums with Roberta Flack from 1971 to 1973.

He had other collaborations, including producing four million-selling albums for Kool and the Gang from 1979 to 1982, the first solo album by Kevin Rowland of Dexys Midnight Runners in 1988, three albums four singer Ithamara Koorax, as well as records by Chuck Mangione, Larry Graham, Tania Maria, Eliane Elias, Pretty Poison, One Way, Con Funk Shun, Brenda K. Starr, Kleeer, and kd Lang.Deodato also developed a close collaboration with Iceladinc singer Bjork from 1996 to 1998, arranging her albums Post, Telegram and Homogenic. For Deodato's Love Island, he and Maurice White co-wrote the instrumental "Tahiti Hut", which (with lyrics added to it) was later recorded by the band Switch with guest vocals by Jermaine Jackson.

Deodato wrote orchestral arrangements for the films The Gentle Rain (with original soundtrack by Luiz Bonfá in 1965), and ""The Adventurers" (with soundtrack by Antonio Carlos Jobim and additional score by Deodato in 1969), as well as the original soundtracks for ""Target Risk", "The Reporter", The Black Pearl (1977), The Onion Field (1979), ""Beat Street (1980) and Bossa Nova (2000), among many others.He also produced and arranged for the movies "Body Rock" and "The Ghostbusters II".

Personal life

Eumir Deodato was married to Ruth Deodato from 1963 to 1999. Their daughter Kennya Deodato (b. 1968) is married to actor Stephen Baldwin.[12] Their granddaughter Hailey Bieber is married to Canadian singer Justin Bieber.[13]

Discography

Albums

YearAlbumPeak chart positionsLabel
US Pop
[14] 		US R&B
US Jazz
[15] 		AUS
[16] 		CAN
[17]
1964Inutil Paisagemalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―Forma
Ideias...align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―Odeon
Samba Nova Concepçãoalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―Equipe
1965Bossa Nova for Swinging Loversalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―London Globe
The Gentle Rainalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―Mercury
1972Percepçãoalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―London
1973Preludealign=center 3align=center ―align=center 1align=center 17align=center 6CTI
Deodato 2align=center 19align=center 16align=center 1align=center 37align=center 24
DonatoDeodato (with João Donato)align=center ―align=center ―align=center 35align=center ―align=center ―Muse
Os Catedraticos 73align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―Equipe
1974In Concert (with Airto Moreira)align=center 114align=center ―align=center 29align=center ―align=center ―CTI
Whirlwindsalign=center 63align=center 28align=center 7align=center 85align=center 54MCA
Artistryalign=center 102align=center ―align=center 20align=center ―align=center ―
1975First Cuckooalign=center 110align=center 15align=center 11align=center ―align=center ―
Love, Strings and Jobimalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―Warner Bros.
1976Very Togetheralign=center 86align=center ―align=center 13align=center ―align=center ―MCA
1978Love Islandalign=center 98align=center ―align=center 9align=center ―align=center 100Warner Bros.
1979Knights of Fantasyalign=center ―align=center ―align=center 7align=center ―align=center ―
1980Night Cruiseralign=center 186align=center 53align=center 7align=center ―align=center ―
1982Happy Houralign=center ―align=center ―align=center 30align=center ―align=center ―
1984Motionalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
1989In Concert [reissue with bonus tracks]align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―CBS
Somewhere Out Therealign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―Atlantic
2009Live in Rioalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―DRG Brazil
2010The Crossingalign=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―Expansion
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

As sideman

With Luiz Bonfá

With Astrud Gilberto

With Antônio Carlos Jobim

With Kool & the Gang

With Ithamara Koorax

With Roberto Menescal

With Milton Nascimento

With Frank Sinatra

With Brenda K. Starr

With Stanley Turrentine

With Marcos Valle

With others

Singles

YearSingle (A-side / B-side)Peak chart positions
US Pop
US R&B
US Dance
US AC
AUS
UK
[18] 		CAN Pop
[19] 		CAN AC
[20] 		CAN Dance
[21]
1973"Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" / "Spirit of Summer"align=center 2align=center ―align=center ―align=center 5align=center 4align=center 7align=center 3align=center 22align=center ―
"Rhapsody in Blue" / "Super Strut"align=center 41align=center 42align=center ―align=center ―align=center 42align=center —align=center 48align=center 13align=center ―
1974"Do It Again" (live) / "Branches" (live) (B-side is by Airto)align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
"Moonlight Serenade" / "Havana Strut"align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center 83align=center —align=center ―align=center 5align=center ―
1975"Caravan" / "Watusi Strut"align=center ―align=center ―align=center 3align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
1976"Theme from Peter Gunn" / "Amani"align=center 84align=center 96align=center 20align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
1978"Pina Colada" / "Love Island"align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
"Whistle Bump" / "Love Island"align=center ―align=center 81align=center 8align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center 1
1979"Shazam" / "Space Dust"align=center ―align=center ―align=center 71align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
1980"Night Cruiser" / "Groovation"align=center ―align=center ―align=center 23align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
"East Side Strut" / "Uncle Funk"align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
1982"Keep It in the Family" / "Keep on Movin'"align=center ―align=center ―align=center 41align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
"Happy Hour" / "Sweet Magic"align=center 70align=center 70align=center 44align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
1984"S.O.S. Fire in the Sky" / "East Side Strut"align=center ―align=center ―align=center 6align=center ―align=center 77align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
"Are You for Real" / "Motion"align=center ―align=center ―align=center 17align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
1989"Everybody Wants My Girl" (featuring Tom Hammer)align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
2010"Double Face" (feat. Al Jarreau) (UK only release)align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―align=center ―
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mary Deodato Obituary - Orange Park, FL. Dignitymemorial.com.
  2. Web site: Eumir Deodato. Dicionariompb.com.br. 22 June 2024.
  3. Web site: Neder. Alvaro. Deodato. AllMusic. 25 October 2017.
  4. Web site: Hanson. Amy. Ladies' Night. 23 October 2016. AllMusic.
  5. Book: Feldman, Christopher. 2000. Billboard Book of Number 2 Singles. Watson-Guptill. 978-0-8230-7695-6. 136. registration.
  6. Web site: RPM Top 100 Singles - April 7, 1973. Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  7. Web site: Deodato allo Spasimo dirige l' Orchestra jazz - la Repubblica.it . 7 July 2022 . Archivio - la Repubblica.it . 30 August 2007 . it.
  8. Web site: Desouteiro. Arnaldo. 40 Years of Eumir Deodato's iconic "Prelude". Jazz Station. 25 October 2017. 30 September 2013.
  9. Deodato – Billboard Hot 100. Billboard.
  10. Web site: GRAMMY Award Results for Eumir Deodato. The Recording Academy. 13 March 2018.
  11. Web site: Neder. Alvaro. Inutil Paisagem. AllMusic. 25 October 2017.
  12. Web site: Faber. Judy. Stephen Baldwin: Born Again. CBS News. 25 October 2017. 5 September 2006.
  13. News: Justin Bieber confirms he is a 'married man'. CNN. 24 November 2018.
  14. Web site: Deodato. Billboard. billboard.com.
  15. Web site: Deodato – Awards. AllMusic. 16 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20120718083704/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/deodato-mn0000212614/awards. 18 July 2012.
  16. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 87.
  17. Web site: RPM Magazine. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
  18. Web site: Deodato. Official Charts. officialcharts.com.
  19. Web site: RPM Top Singles. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
  20. Web site: RPM AC. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
  21. Web site: RPM Dance. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.

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