Cauby Peixoto (1931-2016) was one of Brazil's great cornball singers, a master of the "brega" romantic pop-vocals style. I mean, just so you're fully aware, we are talking about super-ultra-mega-hella-cheesy music here -- not for the faint of heart. Be warned. That being said, Peixoto was a remarkably prolific and influential performer. Here's a quick look at his work...
Cauby Peixoto "Blue Gardenia" (Columbia Records, 1955) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Voce, A Musica E Cauby" (Columbia Records, 1956) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Cancao Do Rouxinol" (Columbia Records, 1956) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "O Show Vai Comecar" (Columbia Records, 1956) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto & Os Peixotos "Quando Os Peixotos Se Encontram" (RGE, 1957) (LP)
Cauby's family band, with brothers Andyara, Araken and Maocyr Peixoto... Anybody heard this one recently?
Cauby Peixoto "Ouvindo Cauby" (RCA, 1957) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Musica E Romance" (RCA, 1958) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Nosso Amigo Cauby" (RCA, 1958) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Seu Amigo Cauby Cantando Para Voce" (RCA, 1959) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "O Sucesso Na Voz De Cauby Peixoto" (RCA, 1960) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "...Canta Novos Sucessos" (RCA, 1961) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Perdao Para Dois" (RCA, 1961) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Cancao Que Inspirou Voce" (RCA, 1962) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Tudo Lembra Voce" (RCA, 1963) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby Interpreta" (RCA, 1964) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby Canta Para Ouvir E Dancar" (RCA, 1965) (LP)
Horrendously schmaltzy, Vegas-y versions of contemporary bossa nova tunes and North American standards such as "Call Me Irresponsible" and "Hello, Dolly." One of the regular performers at the early 1960's nightclub, Drink, Peixoto may have been popular, but he sure was no Tom Jones or Sinatra, either in terms of personal charisma or vocal ability. Really, I just don't see the attraction of such hammy, cornball performances. This album is actually less subtle than a ton of bricks, and does not stand the test of time.
Cauby Peixoto "Porque So Penso Em Ti" (RCA, 1965) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto & Leny Eversong "Um Drink Com Cauby & Leny" (Rioson, 1968) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "O Explosivo Cauby" (Fermata, 1969) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Superstar" (EMI-Odeon, 1972) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby" (Som Livre, 1976) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby" (Som Livre, 1979) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto & Angela Maria "Angela E Cauby" (EMI, 1982) (LP)
A mega-schmaltzy set of romantic duets from two old-time Brazilian crooners, with songs drawn from sources ranging from Brazilian composers such as Djavan, Jobim and Gonzaguinha to Spanish-language Latin Americans such as Agustin Lara and Gabriel Ruiz. If you like boleros and other cornball ballad styles, this disc might be a treat. But anyone looking for something with a bit more bite will wanna avoid this album.
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby! Cauby!" (Som Livre, 1980) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "Estrelas Solitarias" (Som Livre, 1982) (LP)
Cauby Peixoto "So Sucessos" (Top Tape, 1986)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby E O Show" (CID, 1989)
Cauby Peixoto "Grandes Emocoes" (Polydisc, 1991)
Cauby Peixoto & Angela Maria "Ao Vivo" (BMG-Ariola, 1992)
Cauby Peixoto "Canta Sinatra" (Som Livre, 1995)
Cauby Peixoto "...Canta As Mulheres" (Albatroz, 1999)
Cauby Peixoto "Meu Coracao E Um Pandeiro" (Som Livre, 2000)
Cauby Peixoto "A Bossa E O Swing Do Cauby Peixoto" (Sony-BMG, 2004)
Cauby Peixoto "Gracas As Deus" (2007)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby Interpreta Roberto" (Lua Discos, 2009)
An homage to former teen idol Roberto Carlos who went from his jovem guarda roots to become a globally famous crooner in the style of Julio Iglesias. A natural match for Peixoto.
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby Sings Sinatra" (Lua Discos, 2010)
Cauby Peixoto "Caubeatles" (Lua Discos, 2011)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby Ao Vivo: 60 Anos De Musica" (Lua Discos, 2011)
Cauby Peixoto "Minha Serenata" (Lua Discos, 2012)
Cauby Peixoto & Angela Maria "Reencontro" (Nova Estacao, 2013)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby Sings Nat King Cole" (Nova Estacao, 2015)
Cauby Peixoto "Cauby Canta Dick Farney" (Biscoito Fino, 2017)
A tribute to Brazil's original king of US-style crooners, radio singer Dick Farney, who was considered the "Brazilian Sinatra..."
Cauby Peixoto "Os Grandes Sucessos" (CBS Records, 19--?) (LP)
With the orchestras of Paul Weston, Lyrio Panilcali and Renato De Ouveira
Cauby Peixoto "Os Grandes Sucessos" (RCA/Camden Records, 1969) (LP)
This old best-of LP gathered together Peixoto's early hits from the late 1950s and early '60s... It's mainly a bunch of overly-florid, over-the-top romanticism, boleros and old samba-cancao tunes with all the bite taken out of them, and glockenspiels and string sections added. This includes his version of "Mack The Knife" (supposedly the first recorded in Brazil?) which is silly but solid, and other like "Ave Maria Dos Namorados," which is sheer torture. A strong set if you like this style, but I think most modern listeners would be hard pressed to sit all the way through a gooey set like this.
Cauby Peixoto "20 Super Sucessos: O Professor Da MPB" (Polydisc, 1998)
Cauby Peixoto "Eternamente: 55 Anos De Carreira" (Atracao, 1998)
Cauby Peixoto "Serie Focus: O Essencial De Cauby Peixoto" (BMG, 1999)
This album includes more than half the tracks off of a later live album Peixoto recorded in the early 1990s, and although the remainder of the music comes from his old RCA albums from the early '60s, it all feels more modern than that... Mostly because it's all so schmaltzy and drippily produced. Super-cheesy, as a matter of fact. Peixoto's fans probably won't be disappointed, but geez... who are his fans?? This music is kind of hard to handle.
Cauby Peixoto "Maxximum" (Sony-BMG, 2008)
Cauby Peixoto "XXI Vinteum: 21Grandes Sucessos" (Sony, 2007)
Cauby Peixoto "Grandes Vozes" (Som LIvre, 2007)
Cauby Peixoto "Nova Serie" (Warner, 2008)
Cauby Peixoto "O Mito: 60 Anos De Musica" (Lua Discos, 2011)
A 3-CD set...
Cauby Peixoto "MPB Especial 1973" (InterCD, 2008) (DVD)
