SILVETTI-SPRING RAIN.

dereksmusicblog ♦ September 28, 2013 ♦ 1 Comment

SILVETTI-SPRING RAIN.

Despite enjoying a career that lasted four decades, Bedu Silvetti is always remembered for his disco classic Spring Rain. It originally featured on Silvetti’s 1976 debut album World With Words. On its release as a single in January 1977, it reached number four in the US Disco Charts. Seven months later, Spring Rain was the title of Silvetti’s Salsoul album. Released in August 1977, Spring Rain, which was recently released by BBR Records, showcased one of the most innovative producers of the disco era. That’s no exaggeration. You’ll realize that, once I’ve told you about Silvetti’s career and then his sophomore album Spring Rain.

Bedu Silvetti was born in Quilmes, a city in the Buenos Aries province if Argentina. Christened Juan Fernando Silvetti Aorno, Silvetti’s musical eduction started at an early age. Aged six, he was learning to play the piano. Then as a teenager, Silvetti formed a jazz quartet. By the time Silvetti turned twenty-one, he was leaving Argentina’s shores.

Arriving in Spain, Silvetti soon forged a reputation as one of the best jazz pianists in Spain. This resulted in him playing in some of Spain’s most prestigious venues. Then when he spent some time living in Mexico, Silvetti spent time working as an arranger and composer. This would prove to useful when he returned to Spain.

On his return his adopted home, Spain, Silvetti signed his first recording contract. He signed Hispavox Records, which was EMI’s Spanish imprint. For his debut album, 1976s World Without Worlds, musical genres and influences melted into one. Elements of soul, funk, Latin, classical, jazz and M.O.R. melted into one. Produced by Rafael Trabucchelli, Silvetti was learning from an experienced and producer. Rafael was a legendary figure in Spanish music, so the perfect person to guide Silvetti through the recording of World Without Words.

Featuring ten tracks and clocking in at thirty-one minutes, Silvetti’s debut album World Without Words was released in 1976. Not only was World Without Rain released in Spain, but in various other countries.This was the result of a licensing agreement Hispavox Records had with other record companies. One of these companies, was Salsoul Records in America.

Salsoul were drawn to one track on World Without Rain, Spring Rain. This was just a shortened version of the track that would become synonymous with Silvetti. Indeed, Spring Rain would be the title of Silvetti’s sophomore album.

For the followup to World Without Words, Silvetti wrote seven of the eight tracks on Spring Rain. The exception was Contigo, which Silvetti cowrote with Ibanez Sylvia Riera. These eight tracks became Spring Rain, which was released on Hispavox Records in Spain and Salsoul in America.

Despite being only licensed to Salsoul, Spring Rain is perceived as a Salsoul Records release. It is and it isn’t. Recorded in Spain, The Salsoul Orchestra don’t feature on Spring Rain. Indeed, the musicians aren’t named. This adds an air of mystery. You wonder who were the musicians that Silvetti conducted? Silvetti played piano and arranged the eight tracks. Producing Spring Rain was Rafael Trabucchelli, who produced World Without Words. Tom Moulton, Salsoul’s favorite mixer was brought in to mix Spring Rain which was released in August 1977.

Before the release of Spring Rain, the title-track was released as a single. Incredibly, Spring Rain just reached number thirty-nine in the US Billboard 100, number seventy-seven in the US R&B Charts and number four in the US Disco Charts. Then to coincide with the release of Spring Rain the album, Voyage Of No Return was released as a single. It reached just number nineteen in the US Disco Charts. Then when Silvetti’s sophomore album Spring Rain was released, it failed to chart. For everyone involved, this must have been hugely disappointing. After all, here was a producer although based in Spain, who bought in to the ethos and sound of Salsoul. He was innovative, producing music that was ahead of the musical curve. Unfortunately, great music doesn’t always find an audience. Maybe Silvetti was ahead of his time with Spring Rain? Was that the case?

Opening Spring Rain is the title-track. Mixed by Tom Moulton, a lush sounding track, that sounded as if it had been recorded by The Salsoul Orchestra unfolds. Opening with stabs of piano that give way to that much sampled piano riff, rocky guitars and then the lushest of strings enter. From there, the track sweeps along at 114 beats per minute. Subtle, tender backing vocalists enter, as the track takes on a hustle sound. Percussion then plays its part, joining the strings and that piano, while drums pound dramatically. By the end of the track, you can only marvel at this timeless opus that has inspired a new generation of producers.

Primitive Man sees Silvetti find his inner funkateer. Bursting into life, a bubbling bass line, riffing guitars, braying horns and a pulsating heartbeat unite. Scatted, sassy harmonies join rasping horns and the lushest of disco strings. That’s not forgetting Silvetti’s piano masterclass. Subtle, spacious and effective, it’s what he doesn’t play. Behind him, the rest of the band provide a pulsating, uber funky arrangement. It bubbles along with disco, funk, Latin and jazz majestically becoming one.

A Smile At Dawn sounds as if it’s a lost track from The Salsoul Orchestra or Salsoul Strings. Again, musical genres melt into one. There’s a real Latin flavor to this track. Add to that soul, disco, funk and jazz. Silvettie’s jaunty piano is joined by chiming guitars, piano and the rhythm section. Then there’s the ethereal beauty of the seductive, scatted harmonies. Sudden, sharp, bursts of piano and horns provide a contrast to the harmonies. Lush, meandering, seductive and dramatic, this tracks all this and more. It’s five magical minutes that epitomize the Salsoul sound and ethos.

Two Cups Of Coffee has a dreamy, languid sound. It has a Sunday morning sound, where easy listening, jazz and even, erotica unite. This proves a potent and compelling fusion. Meandering along, with chiming, jazz-tinged guitars, Silvetti’s keyboards and melancholy strings join wistful, breathy and almost sensual harmonies. Floating along, swathes of strings, keyboards and the rhythm section take the track in the direction of jazz, before the track returns to it’s familiar laid-back sound.

Voyage Of No Return sounds like the type of music Vince Montana Jr. wrote, arranged and produced when he lead The Salsoul Orchestra. When he left, they lost direction. Silvetti maybe, should’ve been the man to replace him? Given this track’s Salsoul sound, I wonder why nobody thought of this? Best described as sounding like The Salsoul Strings with The Sweethearts of Sigma adding punchy, wistful harmonies. As disco, Philly Soul, Latin and M.O.R. were all combined by Silvetti, it’s hard to believe this track wasn’t recorded at Sigma Sound Studios? Instead, it was recorded in Spain, by the man who could’ve been keeper of the Salsoul flame, Silvetti.

Coconut Rain is best described as calypso, Latin, funk and jazz combining over five minutes. An infectiously catchy track unfolds over five minutes. Gradually, it reveals its secrets. A combination of Latin percussion, urgent bursts of piano and thunderous drums finds a groove and exploit it fully. Then the bass helps propel the arrangement along. Soon, disco strings, rasping horns and bubbling bass join with Silvetti’s decisive piano playing to create a musical mystery tour that takes in the Caribbean, South America, Europe and America.

Fortune Teller is very different from the rest of Spring Rain. It sees Silvetti turn back time, resulting in a vintage slice of jazzy music. The track has a smokey, late-night sound. Think four in the morning and your hearts been broken. Your’e sitting with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of whisky in the other. This is the music that would provide the backdrop to your hurt and heartache. Swathes of strings sweep and swirl, harmonies coo and drums pound. They set the scene for a soul-baring saxophone solo. It wanders its way across the arrangement, matched every step of the way by the rhythm section. Silvetti is content to play second fiddle to the saxophone, and later, the soulful and heartbreakingly beautiful harmonies. All this results in a beautiful track, one that’s truly timeless and showcases Silvetti’s versatility.

Closing Spring Rain is Contigo, which has a real Brazilian influence. Drums pound, providing the heartbeat, while bass snakes its way across the arrangement. Above it sits the sultriest of saxophones. Soon, a myriad of Latin percussion, swathes of grand strings sweep and swirl across the arrangement. Bursts of pensive, acoustic guitar flits its way up and down the fretboard, while Silvetti deliberately and confidently adds bursts of piano. Adding the finishing touches, are bursts of ethereal harmonies as this grand, genre-melting track heads to its crescendo. This means Spring Rain finishes, as it began, on a high.

Just eight songs and thirty-nine minutes long, Spring Rain is an almost flawless album. A fusion of musical genres, everything from disco, funk, jazz, and soul sat comfortably next to calypso, Latin and classical music. Sometimes, four or five musical genres melt into one during just one track. Often, this results in music that epitomizes the Salsoul sound. The strange thing is, that while Salsoul is a New York label, Silvetti was a Spanish producer. However, Silvetti’s music has the same sound, ethos and sheen as Salsoul. Despite this, Spring Rain never enjoyed the same commercial success as many of Salsoul’s release. Maybe the problem was people didn’t understand Spring Rain which was recently rereleased by BBR Records?

That’s often the case with innovative and imaginative music. Spring Rain was a progressive album, way ahead of the musical curve. Sculptural, elegant and ethereal, the music of the past and the present met head-on. The result was an album that was dance-floor friendly, soulful, Latin-tinged and jazzy. That describes Spring Rain, an album that’s pretty near flawless. 

Best know for its title-track, which is a disco classic, there’s much, much more to Silvetti than Spring Rain. Much more. Silvetti released a string of solo albums, then worked as an award winning composer, arranger and producer. Critical acclaimed and commercial successful, Silvetti’s work as a composer, arranger and producer lead to him winning numerous prestigious awards. This includes being named Billboard’s producer of the year in 2002. Then in 2003, the year of his death, Silvetti won a Latin Grammy Award. He was named producer of the year for his work on Luis Miguel’s Hasta Que Vuelvas. Despite enjoying such a successful and award winning career, many people remember Silvetti for just one song, Spring Rain. Mind you, if you’re going to be remembered for just one song, make it as good as Silvetti’s Spring Rain, a timeless, disco classic. Standout Tracks: Spring Rain, A Smile At Dawn, Voyage Of No Return and Contigo.

SILVETTI-SPRING RAIN.