Air Supply - "Soap Operas: A History of Success in Brazil!" (Part 2)

From the late 1986 to 1990, fans would have to face the total absence of new songs and any news related to their favorite romantic pop rock band. It seemed they would have to live with the eternal doubt about whether or not they would have broken up. If there only would be the internet those dark years! Russell Hitchcock, suddenly would appear here with a solo album and even would have a minor hit out of it, Someone Who Believes In You. It did look like the end then... But amazingly, Lonely Is The Night would return to the top charts again, oddly after 4 years it had been released. And guess what would be the responsible for that? Exactly. Once again, a soap opera. The soundtrack to Barriga de Aluguel (Surrogacy, 1990, theme for Ana, played by Cassia Kiss), would catapult the song straight to the top for the second time.

(1. The Brazilian album cover   2. The official album cover)

 Lonely Is The Night would definitely be one of those rare cases when a song becomes successful more than once at different times. Remember Unchained Melody? This song was a hit in the USA back in 1955 when it was first released by Todd Duncan. However, only in 1965 would reach the top of the charts in that country, as re-recorded by the duo The Righteous Brothers. Surprisingly, it would come back more powerfully than ever in 1990, when the duo’s version featured the worldwide famous movie soundtrack of Ghost (starring the late Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg). Accidentally, in the near future Air Supply also would record their version of this song on their 1995 forthcoming album, News From Nowhere and gain more success and recognition.

Still talking about Lonely Is The Night, its impressive successful revival by following its inclusion on the soundtrack of Barriga de Aluguel, would make Arista (the band’s label in the country) finally release the much awaited album Hearts In Motion. It’s their only album released in Brazil where you can see covers totally different from the original one. Right after its release, their fans still would turn You're Only in Love into another radio hit in 1986.

Then it was 1993 and a new song of the guys would be included on a soundtrack of a soap opera. That time, Goodbye. It would feature the album with the original international sound track of O Mapa da Mina (Map of the Mine - as a theme for Ligia, played by Gisela Marques). A smash hit in Brazil and the same successful story would happen. Once again, Air Supply would dominate the charts throughout the country. They would finally come to Brazil for their very first time to promote their new album, The Vanishing Race. The concerts took place in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, but the total lack of an efficient promotion in really taking into account the high status of the band as kings of the international romantic pop rock in the country, only contributed to the concerts had not had the expected audience. Just in Brazil, where there has always been a huge number of loyal fans of Air Supply.


Goodbye would be their last song to feature some soundtrack for a soap opera, at least originally performed by them. In 2010, Marcela Mangabeira -a young Brazilian singer, would re-record their first worldwide hit Lost in Love and her version in bossa nova rhythm would feature the soundtrack of the 6 pm’s soap opera Escrito nas Estrelas (Written In The Stars - as a general love theme). Oh, we can not forget O Amor E O Poder by Rosanna. Her Portuguese version for The Power of Love (1984) which in 1987-1988 became a #1 hit after being included on the soundtrack of Mandala (theme for Jocasta, played by Vera Fischer). Oddly, Rosanna would never repeat the same success and her version in Portuguese scored much more than its original English version, recorded by Air Supply, Laura Branigan and Jennifer Rush. O Amor e O Poder even would overshadow all their recordings in the country.

Check out below the 15 all-time hits of Air Supply in Brazil. It would be great if they could ever include some of them in their set list for their 2012 tour in the country. Did someone think of I Can Wait Forever and Lonely Is The Night? A dream come true just coming out from the soap operas, live and eternal!

1. MakingLove out of Nothing at All
2. Lonely I The Night

3. I can Wait Forever
4. All out of Love
5. Just As I Am
6. Goodbye
7. Even The Nights Are Better
8. Without You
9. Unchained Melody
10. The One That You Love
11. Every Woman in the World
12. Lost in Love
13. I Can’t Let Go
14. You’re Only in Love
15. Someone Who Believes in You
 (by Russell Hitchcock)

Texts and research by Tony Nascimento

Sources:

http://www.teledramaturgia.com.br/

http://www.teledramaturgia1.kit.net/trilhas_curiosid.htm