Original released on LP Decca DL 8881
(US 1959, May 25)
Bert Kaempfert's
debut U.S. LP release is a smooth, sweetly (and lightly) exotic musical
travelog made up mostly of Portugese source material (in contrast to his later
albums, there are no Kaempfert originals here). The title track is the jewel
here, a brash big band piece without a lot of southern European flavor to it,
but so catchy that it can be heard several times without offense (which was
sort of the point of albums like this). Similarly, "Petticoats of
Portugal" could be an instrumental referring to anyplace, but it offers
some engaging trumpet work that makes it stand out. And the rest constitutes
some of the most interesting listening in Kaempfert's catalog. There is,
understandably, more emphasis on the guitar on some tracks - especially
"Sempre Que Lisboa Canta" and "Por Deus te Peço" - than is
usual on his arrangements, not that the piano and strings don't get their due
on "Fora de Portas" and "Tudo Isto é Fado," respectively. There's
also more focus on dance rhythms, as opposed to the slow, moody instrumentals
that filled up parts of Kaempfert's subsequent records, thus making this one of
the more exciting of his early albums. The familiar lush sound, including
enveloping harp arpeggios, also manifests itself, and the vivid hi-fi sound and
stereo separation made this a prime MOR selection in many bachelor's dens of
the era.
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