One Note Samba
"Samba de Uma Nota Só" ("One-Note Samba") is a bossa nova song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with Portuguese lyrics by Newton Mendonça. The English lyrics were written by Jobim. It was first recorded by João Gilberto in 1960 for his album O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor.
The song title refers to the main melody line, which at first consists of a long series of notes of a single tone (typically D, as played in the key of G) played over a descending chord progression in a bossa nova rhythm. The first eight measures consist of D, followed by four measures of G, and then four measures of D. This is followed by eight measures of a more conventional, scalar melody line.
This well-known song first reached a wide audience on the Grammy-winning bossa nova LP Jazz Samba (Getz/Byrd/Jobim),[1] which reached the number one spot on the Billboard 200 in 1963.[2] Another well-known release is the Sergio Mendes-Brasil '66 version, in medley with "Spanish Flea".
The song was featured in a prominent scene of "A Man Without A Skin", a 1963 episode of "Naked City". The song was mentioned in the song "Astrud" by Basia.
Notable recordings
- João Gilberto - O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor (1960)
- Caterina Valente - Caterina Valente Live 1968
- Sylvia Telles - Amor Em Hi-Fi (1960)
- Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba (1962)
- Herbie Mann and Tom Jobim - Do the Bossa Nova (1962)
- Quincy Jones - Big Band Bossa Nova (1962)
- Antônio Carlos Jobim - The Composer of Desafinado, Plays (1963)
- Eydie Gormé - Blame It On The Bossa Nova (1963)
- Clare Fischer - So Danço Samba (1964)
- Modern Jazz Quartet and Laurindo Almeida on Collaboration (1964)
- Preben Kaas and Jørgen Ryg - Hvad Skal Vi Med Kvinder (1964)
- June Christy - Something Broadway, Something Latin (1965)
- Percy Faith - Latin Themes for Young Lovers (1965)
- Sérgio Mendes - Herb Alpert Presents Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 (1966)
- Cliff Richard - Kinda Latin (1966).
- Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim - Sinatra & Company (1967)
- Perrey and Kingsley - Kaleidoscopic Vibrations: Spotlight on the Moog (1967)
- Nara Leão - Dez Anos Depois (1971)
- Barbra Streisand (in a medley with "Johnny One Note") - Barbra Streisand...And Other Musical Instruments (1973)
- Kaye Ballard & Miss Piggy in an episode of "The Muppet Show"
- Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Abraça Jobim, Pablo, (1981) and a
- Joe Pass and Ella Fitzgerald - Fitzgerald and Pass... Again (1976)
- In 1986 Australian recording artist Kate Ceberano recorded a version for her album Kate Ceberano and her Septet
- Eliane Elias - Eliane Elias Plays Jobim (1990)
- Stereolab Herbie Mann - Red Hot + Rio (1996)
- Bossacucanova - Revisited Classics (1998)
- Stereolab - Aluminum Tunes (1998)
- Bebel Gilberto Vinicius Cantuaria - Next Stop Wonderland (1998)
- Eumir Deodato & Barbara Mendes - OST from Bossa Nova (film) (2000)
- Rosemary Clooney & John Pizzarelli - Brazil (2000)
- Al Jarreau - Expressions (2001)
- Royce Campbell - A Tribute To Charlie Byrd (2004)
- Sitti Navarro - Café Bossa (2006)
- Olivia Ong - A Girl Meets BossaNova 2 (2006)
- The Postmarks - By the Numbers (2008)
- Stacey Kent - The Changing Lights (2013)