Superstition

Recorded in Los Angeles for Sergio Mendes and Brasil '77's 1974 album Vintage 74, 'Superstition' featured Mendes on electric piano, Bonnie Bowden on vocals, Lee Ritenour and Oscar Castro-Neves on guitars, Octavio Bailly Jr. on bass and Claudio Slon on drums. The recording was produced and engineered by Bones Howe at Wally Heider Recording Studio, with rhythm arrangements by Mendes. Released in 1974 on Bell Records, the recording reinterpreted Stevie Wonder's 1972 composition as an extended performance built around syncopated rhythms, electric piano, guitar and percussion. Its nearly six-minute arrangement demonstrated Mendes's ability to adapt contemporary American popular songs through the distinctive instrumental and vocal approach of Brasil '77. The recording developed a following among breakbeat DJs, dancers and record collectors, particularly for its driving percussion and distinctive rhythmic arrangement. Its continued circulation on original pressings and subsequent reissues of Vintage 74 has preserved its reputation as a notable interpretation of Stevie Wonder's composition.