Inútil paisagem (Useless Landscape)

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page originally published on 8 May 2014; latest edit: 27 June 2020

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Inútil paisagem (m. Antônio Carlos Jobim, w. Aloysio de Oliveira) — The song is dated 1963 at Instituto Antônio Carlos Jobim (jobim.org). An English-language version, with words by Ray Gilbert, which was first recorded in 1965 under the title “Useless Landscape,” has also been recorded as “If You Never Come to Me.” The title “Useless Landscape” is a literal translation of the original Portuguese title.

Selected links:

song title pronunciation (Forvo.com):

Wanda Sá — recorded in April 1964; issued on the 1964 RGE (Brazil) label LP Wanda Vagamente, RLP 5.248

Dick Farney — issued in 1964 on the Elenco (Brazil) label album Dick Farney, ME-15

article on the founding of Elenco Records by Aloysio de Oliveira:

“Bossa Nova and Elenco Records” by Andrew Stout

Nana Caymmi and Dorival Caymmi, with Tom Jobim — from the 1964 LP Caymmi visita Tom, Elenco ME-17, produced by Aloysio de Oliveira

From the chapter “Freedom” of the 2011 book Antonio Carlos Jobim: An Illuminated Man by Helena Jobim, sister of the biography’s subject (the Google eBook preview is unpaginated):

Still in 1963, Tom and Aloysio de Oliveira agreed to record an album that would become an anthological classic in Brazilian music: Caymmi visita Tom. Tom’s purpose was to pay tribute to Caymmi, one of his masters. Tom knew how Aloysio was an idealist who always strove to do the very best albums possible at Elenco, at Aloysio’s own recording company.

On May 16 [1964, Tom] traveled to New York initially to fix several problems associated with Corcovado, his music company. Sergio Mendes sought him insistently for them to do an album together. They ended up recording Bossa New York, produced by Elenco, with Art Farmer, Phil Woods, and Hubert Laws. Often chaperoned by Stan Getz, Tom also worked on Gary McFarland’s disc Sympathetic Vibrations. All these projects were brought to fruition too fast for Tom’s liking.

He went back to Brazil on July 30, 1964, even though he believed he needed to stay longer in New York. In Rio he recorded Caymmi visita Tom with instrumental accompaniment by the Dori and Danilo Caymmi brothers and the unmistakable vocals by their sister, Nana Caymmi.

personnel:
Nana Caymmi – vocal
Dorival Caymmi – vocal
Tom Jobim – piano
Dori Caymmi – acoustic guitar
Danilo Caymmi – flute
Sergio Barroso – double bass
Edison Machado – drums

album links:

Tom Jobim — fourth track on his 1965 album The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim, (US) Warner Bros. Records W 1611 (Mono) WS 1611 (Stereo), featuring arrangements by Nelson Riddle — This may be the first recording using the English lyric by Ray Gilbert.

From the “Freedom” chapter of Antonio Carlos Jobim: An Illuminated Man by Helena Jobim, page number unknown:

Toward the end of 1964, Tom went to Los Angeles, where he initially stayed at a small hotel called the Sunset Marquis, on Alta Loma Road. [His wife] Thereza could not join him until one month later, because she needed to spend more time with their children. When she arrived, they move to a small house on Norma Place, which Ray Gilbert had suggested. Tom continued writing English versions of his songs with [Gilbert]. The lyrics that resulted from this collaboration with Gilbert became the seeds for the recordings that would follow–those he did with Andy Williams, others with Frank Sinatra, and the ones with Tom alone.

Sylvia Telles — from the 1966 album The Music of Mr. Jobim, Elenco ‎(Brazil) MEV 5

Paulinho Nogueira — nylon-string guitar with light percussion, from his 1965 album Paulinho Nogueira

Quarteto Em Cy — from their 1966 self-titled album, Elenco ME-33

Frank Sinatra and Tom Jobim — recorded as “If You Never Come to Me” for their collaborative album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Reprise Records (US) F-1021 (Mono), FS-1021 (Stereo) — album recorded on 30 January and 1 February 1967, arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman, and released in March 1967

album links:

Tom Jobim and Elis Regina — from the 1974 LP Elis & Tom, Philips ‎6349.112

Maúcha Adnet and Tom Jobim — from the Jobim album Inédito — According to an AllMusic.com review of the album by Richard S. Ginell, it was originally issued privately in 1987 in a limited edition, and not released commercially until 1995 (Ariola label).

Maúcha Adnet – voice
Tom Jobim – piano

Nana Caymmi — from her 1988 album Nana 1988, (Brazil) EMI ‎064 791175 1

Nana Caymmi discography:

MPB4 — from the tribute album Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook, Vol. 3 (Lumiar 108), featuring recordings by various artists, released in 1996

Rosa Passos — from her 1998 LP Rosa Passos Canta Antonio Carlos Jobim: 40 Anos de Boss Nova, Lumiar Discos LD 3702/98

album track samples (30 second):

AllMusic

Morelenbaum 2 (Jaques and Paula Morelenbaum) / Ryuichi Sakamoto — from the 2002 US version of the LP Casa, Sony Classical SK 89982 — The track doesn’t appear on the 2001 versions released in Brazil and Japan.

Paula Morelenbaum – vocal
Jaques Morelenbaum – cello
Ryuichi Sakamoto – piano

Real Deal Big Band rhythm section — live 5 November 2005, featuring Mike Cochrane – piano, John Hughes – bass, Karl Latham – drums, Jose Chavarria – percussion, and Willy Dalton – guitar

Bertrand Burgalat — recorded as “If You Never Come to Me” — from the album Inédits, Tricatel ‎TRICDFR030 (France), released on 14 May 2007

Esperanza Spalding, with Gretchen Parlato — recorded as “Inútil Paisagem,” despite the English lyric; from the 2010 Spalding album Chamber Music Society, Heads Up International ‎HUI-31810-02