Marcos Valle's Fantasy Island Tracks

If you were stranded on a desert island, which tracks would you absolutely need to get you through those times of despair? Our castaway this month is Marcos Valle, one of the most important and popular artists in the history of Brazilian music. As a singer, songwriter, and record producer, he has worked with as diverse a range of artists as Milton Nascimento, Sarah Vaughan, Tim Maia, Roberto Carlos, and Ricky Martin, and has now released a new album. Through the following songs, Marcos shows us the music that created the special moments in his life and influenced him.

by Marcos Valle

Um A Um – Jackson do Pandeiro (1954)

Ever since I was very young - 3 or 4 years old - I had this attraction to music. It came on the one hand from my grandmother - she was a classical piano teacher - so I would listen to a lot of Beethoven, Bach and Brahms. At the same time my father, who was a lawyer, enjoyed a lot of popular music so I would listen to a lot of things he would bring home. The first song that really had an impact on me was a song by the name of Um A Um, which means One To One. It's like a football game. The artist is Jackson do Pandeiro. He recorded the song in '54. The song had a rhythm that I loved. It's Bahian. Which comes from the north of Brazil. Where my family are from. Maybe because of this I was very attracted to that incredible groove. It really got me.

Canoeiro – Dorival Caymmi (1954)

Dorival Caymmi had this style of being very simple and sophisticated at the same time. And he had simple but beautiful melodies and harmonies and a way of making the guitar sing. He was an artist that taught me a lot and had a large influence on me. I never could have imagined that later on in my career I would become a friend of his son, Dori Caime, and would then subsequently meet Dorival and that we'd be so close. This special song Canoeiro – he's talking about the sea and the fishermen in the Bahia where he came from - has a simple, beautiful combination of harmony, melody and rhythm.

Céu e Mar – Johnny Alf (1953)

Before I started as a professional artist I was very lucky to be introduced to a fantastic composer from Brazil by the name of Johnny Alf. He was an exponent of the boss nova. The way he would construct his harmonies and melodies was absolutely fantastic. And I know that Jobin, Carlos Lyra, Menescal... everybody says that he was the real deal and the man that influenced the beginning of bossa nova. I was lucky enough to have him in my house before I started. He knew about my music and knew that I was already writing a few songs and he came to my parents' house and played his songs on my piano. It was a strong influence on my music and on my will to become a professional artist. This one song from '53 is called Céu e Mar, which means Sky and Sea – it's a beautiful construction of melodies and everything.

Desafinado – Joao Gilberto (1959)

In '59, besides playing the piano and studying classical music for 7 years, I had also learned to play the accordion because of Jackson do Pandeiro, Luiz Gonzaga. So I decided to learn the accordion to find that groove. But then in '59 I was at a party with a girlfriend and somebody brought along a new João Gilberto record which had just been released called Chega de Saudade. I listened to it and that was a real impact on me. I forgot the party, I forgot the girlfriend. I was so focused on those songs and the voice and the guitar! The beautiful arrangements were by Jobim, who was playing the piano. And I later discovered that there were songs by Jobin and Carlos Lyra and so I was incredibly affected by that moment. To tell you the truth, the very next day I decided to learn to play guitar. I wanted to know how to recreate that sound. The influence was so strong that when I recorded my first album called Samba "Demais" in '63 it was very much a bossa nova album. Even though I had many different influences before bossa nova – jazz, black music, traditional samba – that impact from Joao Gilberto made me record my first record in a bossa nova style. After that, other influences emerged and my style could be understood by the many influences I had in my music. But that moment, discovering that record, it was incredible.

Embraceable You – Nat King Cole Trio (1944)

I was also interested in music coming from outside of Brazil and one singer who was very important to me was Nat King Cole. I loved his voice and his music and so I delved into his catalogue to discover all the records that he'd made. And then I found the King Cole Trio. Nat King Cole singing with piano and guitar and bass – no drums – that simple trio and the way he would sing and swing with his piano. That was magic to me. Totally magic. It affected my music a lot. I found samba similar to that trio – the way he would sing – and the way Billie Holiday would sing with her band – that atmosphere of simplicity. But with an incredible groove and harmony and melody. It was fantastic to me.

Baby It's Cold Outside – Ray Charles and Betty Carter (1961)

In '61 I heard this marvellous album by Ray Charles and Betty Carter. With beautiful songs, incredible duets, incredible arrangements by Marty Paich. I was happy to meet Paich later on in my career when he was producing an album with his son David for Sarah Vaughan and he asked if I'd sing a song with Sarah for the album. It was an album of Beatles songs and we recorded 'Something'. But the influence of this Ray Charles record early on in my career was very important to me and there's a special song called Baby It's Cold Outside.

Didn't We – Richard Harris and Jimmy Webb (1968)

Later in '68 I found the music of Jimmy Webb. A record by the name of A Tramp Shining where the actor Richard Harris is singing beautiful arrangements of Jimmy Webb songs. So many incredible, fantastic arrangements. So beautiful. I was already attracted by the music of Burt Bacharach, and Jimmy Webb seems to have something of Bacharach but with more orchestra, more symphonic feeling together with that groove... a little bit of country, sophisticated country music. That was absolutely incredible to me. He had this album and another record by the name of The Yard Went On Forever. I had the pleasure of meeting Jimmy Webb when he came to Brazil to play at a festival. I met him and took him to the Jobim's house. The three of us were together, playing piano and singing. It was an incredible afternoon. But there's one song of his in particular – Didn't We – which is absolutely magic.

Reelin In The Years – Steely Dan (1972)

In '72 I heard Steely Dan. I don't know how it came to my attention but there was this album that I had in my hands called "Can't Buy A Thrill". What an incredible sound and combination of jazz and funk and rhythm and blues. Everything together. Magic! The way that they would sing and play and the arrangements. Absolutely incredible. And then after this album I sought out all the other Steely Dan albums – that was a big influence on my music. I still listen to a lot of Steely Dan. And the Donald Fagen solo albums. Absolutely fantastic. And I think one of the songs that impacted me the most – it was Reelin In The Years . A great song.