Thanks to my neighbor Stan, who graciously lent me a documentary, Once in a Lifetime, about the New York Cosmos and the groundbreaking-though-ill-fated North American Soccer League. While last weekend’s recent record snowstorm raged, I was riveted to the screen, grateful to have power — and incredulous that the most prominent 1970s American soccer franchise (who once fielded such international icons as Pelé, Giorgio Chinaglia, and Franz Beckenbauer) was founded by executives from a major record label!
The New York Cosmos is a modern fairy tale, whose humble origins would include players dodging the broken glass on the team’s first playing field at Randall’s Island. The first seismic shift in this Cinderella story occurs when Warner Communications CEO Steve Ross risks major shareholder ire by signing Brazil’s national hero, Pelé, for $5 million. Pelé would play three seasons for the Cosmos from 1975-77 and finish out his professional career with an exhibition match between the Cosmos and Brazil’s Santos (where he began his career) in which he played, fascinatingly enough, for both teams.
Pelé, who is often ranked as the world’s finest footballer, would enter the realm of popular music the same year he officially hung up his jersey. 1977 would see Pelé join forces with renowned Brazilian bandleader, Sergio Mendes (who headlined 2012’s Silver Spring Jazz Festival) on a 45 released by Warner-distributed Atlantic Records. Curiously, the single would not find release in either the US or Brazil but rather France, Germany, Portugal, and Japan.
Now you might be wondering why a music history blog that’s devoted to boosting the legacies of under-recognized artists would profile someone who’s a household name the world over. Excellent question, by the way. And here’s the answer: You can find a handful of YouTube audio clips for “Meu Mundo É Uma Bola” — and yet only a tiny percentage of the planet’s population have viewed/listened to them (i.e., 12,000+ currently) How likely is it that the low numbers on YouTube can be explained by millions of Pelé fans preferring instead to listen to their original 45? Not very. Yet another musical mystery that vexes.
“Meu Mundo É Uma Bola” (i.e., “My World Is a Ball”)
Pelé (1977)
I can only presume that the world’s greatest soccer star ended up not hitting the sales targets established by executives at Warner-Elektra-Atlantic, as Pelé’s musical career is a surprisingly and brutally short one.
The documentary makes excellent use of popular music to tell the story, one of the most inspired decisions being the use of Sparks‘ “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us” to underscore the tension incurred when Steve Ross, in a naked attempt to boost attendance and add even more marquee power to the Cosmos, signs Giorgio Chinaglia, whose flamboyant playing style and outsized ego are in stark contrast to Pelé’s humble and team-oriented approach. How amusing to discover that Chinalgia would release his one and only 45 – “I’m Football Crazy” – three years before Pele’s lone single for Atlantic. Would you be infuriated to know that Chinaglia’s single has considerably more views on YouTube?
Sports rockers might particularly enjoy Football45‘s passel of picture sleeves that feature other famous footballers who once enjoyed a dalliance with pop music.
Hey Stan, I hope you don’t mind that I hang onto this documentary a little while longer — these Bonus Features aren’t going to watch themselves.