Lani Hall

Leilani "Lani" Hall Alpert (; born November 6, 1945) is an American singer. From 1966 to 1971, she performed as lead vocalist for Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66. In 1972, Hall released her first solo album, Sun Down Lady. She may be best known, however, for providing the most recognizable female face and vocal signature sound to Mendes's group during her tenure there, and for her rendition of the theme song to the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, with its accompanying video, in which she prominently appears. In 1986, she was awarded her first Grammy for Es Fácil Amar, as "Best Latin Pop Performance".

After that year, Hall largely retired, resurfacing in 1998 with the solo album Brasil Nativo. She has recorded more than 22 albums in three different languages and has released three albums on which she performs alongside her husband, Herb Alpert: Anything Goes, I Feel You and Steppin' Out. Hall received her second Grammy Award in 2013 as producer of the album Steppin' Out.

Music career

Hall's first public appearance occurred in 1965 at The Centaur, a coffee house in Old Town, Chicago. She was heard by Brazilian pianist and bandleader Sérgio Mendes, who was on tour in Chicago. He first heard her perform at a benefit at Mother Blues, another club in Old Town. His group, Brasil '65, was disbanding, and he invited Hall to come to Los Angeles to be the lead singer of his new project, Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66. As she was only 19 and still living with her parents, she agreed only after Mendes met her father and obtained his blessing, and six months later, the group signed a contract with A&M Records. Unlike the previous incarnation, Brasil '66 was an instant success – making a significant impact on the charts with its first single, a version of the Brazilian song "Mas Que Nada". Much of the song's appeal was due to Hall's distinctive, multi-tracked vocals and Herb Alpert's expertise as producer.

A series of popular interpretations followed, including the group's take on the Beatles' "The Fool on the Hill" and "Day Tripper". In 1966 the band was the opening act that toured alongside A&M labelmates (and label founder) Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

In 1970, midway through the production of the folk-rock concept album Stillness, Hall left Brasil '66 and was replaced by Mendes' wife, Gracinha Leporace. Hall embarked on a solo career, with Herb Alpert assuming production duties. She released Sun Down Lady in 1972, followed up by Hello It's Me in 1975. She regularly recorded throughout the 1970s and 1980s, recording the title song for the James Bond film Never Say Never Again in 1983, produced by Mendes and Alpert. Never Say Never Again was the second of only two James Bond films to date not to be produced by EON Productions; coincidentally, Alpert had performed the instrumental theme for the first, 1967's Casino Royale.

Beginning in 1982, Hall recorded several successful Latin pop albums in Spanish, culminating in 1985's Es Fácil Amar, produced by Albert Hammond, for which she received the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance.

Writing As a young girl, Hall wrote poetry. She began writing short stories in 1982 while on tour in Mexico City. In 2012 she published Emotional Memoirs & Short Stories. Written over the course of more than 30 years, the book contains fiction and nonfiction stories that describe women coping with the vicissitudes of life.

Personal life On December 15, 1974, Hall married Herb Alpert; they have a daughter, actress Aria Alpert.

Discography Solo albums 1972 – Sun Down Lady 1975 – Hello It's Me 1976 – Sweet Bird 1979 – Double or Nothing 1980 – Blush 1981 – A Brazileira (Portuguese) 1982 – Albany Park 1982 – Lani (Spanish) 1984 – Lani Hall (Spanish) 1984 – Collectibles 1985 – Es Fácil Amar (Spanish) 1987 – Classics Volume 19 1987 – Lo Mejor De Lani (Spanish) 1998 – Brasil Nativo 2022 - Seasons of Love (featuring Herb Alpert)

Solo singles 1976 – "Send in the Clowns" 1980 – "Come What May" 1980 – "I Don't Want You to Go" 1981 – "Where's Your Angel?" (peaked at No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100) 1982 – "Te Quiero Así (Duet with Jose Jose) 1983 – "Never Say Never Again" 1984 – "Para Vivir Así" 1985 – "De Repente El Amor" (Duet with Roberto Carlos) 1985 – "Un Amor Así" (Duet with Jose Feliciano) 1985 -- "Corazón Encadenado" (Duet with Camilo Sesto)

Collaboration albums Albums with Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66 1966 – Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 1967 – Equinox 1968 – Look Around 1968 – Fool on the Hill 1969 – Crystal Illusions 1969 – Ye-Me-Lê 1970 – Live at Expo '70 1971 – Stillness

Albums with Herb Alpert 1978 – Herb Alpert / Hugh Masekela 2009 – Anything Goes 2011 – I Feel You 2013 – Steppin' Out