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T he E x is t e n t i a l S oul of
Tim Maia
Nobody
Can Live
Forever
Worl d Psychedel ic Cl assics 4
Nobody C a n L i v e F ore v er : T he E x is t ent ia l Soul of T im M a ia
In the early 1970’s, Brazilian popular music was approaching a
high water mark of creativity and popularity. Artists like Elis
Regina, Chico Buarque and Milton Nascimento were delivering
top-shelf Brazilian pop, while tropicalists Caetano Veloso,
Gilberto Gil and Os Mutantes (see World Psychedelic Classics
1) were entertaining the college set with avant-garde fuzz-pop
poetry.
Enter Tim Maia with a massive cannonball into the pool. It
was the only dive Tim knew.
Standing just 5’7 (6’ with the Afro) Tim Maia was large,
in charge and completely out of control. He was the
personification of rock star excess, having lived through five
marriages and at least six children, multiple prison sentences,
voluminous drug habits and a stint in an UFO obsessed
religious cult. Tim is also remembered as a fat, arrogant,
overindulgent, barely tolerated, yet beloved man-child who
died too young at the age of 55.
Sebastião Rodrigues Maia was born in Tijuca, Rio de
Janeiro, on September 28, 1942. He was the 18th in a family
of 19 siblings. At six he started to contribute to the family
income by delivering homemade food prepared by his mother,
Maria Imaculada Maia. Tim learned to play guitar as a child and
was 15 when he formed his first band. They called themselves
The Sputniks and were notable for also including Roberto
Carlos, a neighborhood pal of Tim’s who would later become
one of Brazil’s biggest stars. In 1957, at the age of 17, the
singer went to America. He left home with $12 in his pocket
and no knowledge of English. He adopted the name ‘Jimmy’
and lied to the immigration authorities, saying that he was a
student.
Living with distant cousins in Tarrytown, New York, he
worked odd jobs and committed petty crimes. Having a
prodigious ear he quickly learned to speak, sing and write
songs in English. He formed a small vocal group called The
Ideals who even recorded one of Tim’s songs, “New Love.”
Intent on starting a career in America, Tim never planned on
going back to Brazil, but like a badass Forrest Gump, he also
had a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In
a 1964 early pre-cursor to Spring Break’s modern debauchery,
Tim was busted in Daytona, Florida for smoking pot in a stolen
car and served six months in prison. U.S. Immigration caught
up with him and he was deported.
Back in Brazil, Tim told his friends that he hadn’t spoken a
word of Portuguese for the last 3 years of his stay in the U.S.
Not surprisingly, he was completely out of step with the
prevailing mode of MPB and Tropicalia. Eventually he got a
huge break when legendary singer Elis Regina fell in love with
his song “These Are the Songs” which had been released as a
single on the Fermata label. She invited him to sing a duet of
it with her in Portuguese and English on her 1970 album “Em
Pleno Verão”. This high profile debut forced people to take
notice of the unknown singer /songwriter with a big voice,
bigger afro and huge ambitions. Soon after, Philips signed Tim
to a recording contract. In 1970 his first album spent 24 weeks
on the charts, beginning a new chapter in Brazilian music.
His close friend, Nelson Motta, who was the A & R rep who
signed Tim to the Philips label remembers Tim’s initial impact
on the scene:
He was something absolutely new. Until then, Brazilian
music was divided into nationalist MPB Tropicalia and
international rock. All really white and really English. Tim
Maia changed the game, introducing modern black music
from the U.S. to national pop music, linking funk and baião,
bringing soul closer to bossa nova and opening windows
and doors to new forms of music that were not Tropicalist,
nor MPB, nor rock n’ roll: they were quintessentially
Brazilian. They were Tim Maia.
Prior to the 1970’s, the average white, urban Brazilian
imagined him or herself living in a harmonious melting pot of
European, African and indigenous heritage, but racism,
despite being distinctly different than in North America, still
permeated Brazilian society. There were no shortages of
prominent Afro-Brazilian musicians, singers or composers,
but black Brazilians were primarily typecast as nothing more than
happy-go-lucky samba singers.
Tim wasn’t the first Brazilian artist under the sway of
North American black music: Wilson Simonal and Jorge Ben
experimented and synthesized different soul and funk rhythms
into their styles, but Tim was the first to completely flip the
equation, embracing soul and funk music wholeheartedly,
adding indigenous Brazilian touches if and when they fit.
Tim’s first commercial records showed that a black Brazilian
singer could assert his identity with confidence and power.
His music helped to build the Black Rio movement, a new
Afro-Brazilian music culture influenced by the U.S. civil rights
struggle. As a result, Tim Maia’s soul music described a modern
Black Brazilian identity that blew the doors off mass culture’s
tightly circumscribed role for Afro-Brazilians.
More importantly, as Tim basically says in “Let’s Have a Ball
Tonight:” ‘Fuck politics! Let’s make love and party!’ According
to Nelson Motta, the impact of his music was felt where it
mattered the most: on the dance floor and in the bedroom:
With his thundering and sultry voice he enchanted
and seduced legions of dancers and lovers along his
explosive and turbulent career of 40 years. Sweetening and
adding velvet touches to his voice, then downing the lights,
he crooned his ballads and inspired hot romances and lots of
sex, like a tropical Barry White (one of his idols, together
with Isaac Hayes and James Brown). Like no other pop
star — including most of the best comedians in the land — he
made the people laugh. “I don’t burn, I don’t snort, and I
don’t drink.
My only problem is that sometimes I lie a little.” (Often said
with a joint in hand). He was the funniest (and smartest)
man in the Brazilian music scene. With hit after hit, he
started his brilliant career, cheered by critics and adored by
the big audiences, rich and poor, black and white, rockers
and bossanovistas as well.
A funny thing happened when Tim Maia launched his career in
Brazil: he kept on writing and recording songs in English. Every
album (all titled Tim Maia with only the copyright years to
differentiate) included at least one, if not a few songs in English.
Obviously, Tim “Jimmy” Maia’s teenage dreams of international
soul success didn’t die when he was deported from the U.S.
As Motta notes:
He always dreamed of coming back to America to be
successful. But, in Brazil none of his songs in English, not
even “These Are the Songs” were hits. Critics and
musicians loved it, but nobody else cared. The songs never
played on the radio and he rarely sang them in his shows.
He had so many huge hits in Portuguese, there was no point
in any one listening to songs in English. He always did
whatever he wanted, so the record label people, who were
basically afraid of him, would take whatever he gave them.
In 1971, fresh from the big hit of his first album, Tim
went to London and spoiled himself. He smoked, inhaled,
drank, traveled on acid, listened to music, argued with his
wife and returned to Brazil with 200 doses of LSD to
distribute amongst his friends. As soon as he arrived, he
went to (recording company) Philips’ offices, which he called
“Flips,” where he visited various departments, beginning
with those he considered most “square,” like the accounting
and legal departments, where he acknowledged the boss
and repeated the same introduction, in a calm and friendly voice:
“This here is LSD, which will open your mind,
improve your life, and make you a better and happier person.
It’s very simple: there are no side effects.
It is not addictive and only does good. You take it
like this . . . “
He would place the acid in his mouth, swallow it and leave
another at the front desk. Since he was one of the bestselling artists for the company, everyone thought it
humorous. In the production and journalism departments,
the gifts were a success. Even André Midani, the president
of the company, received his.
Tim returned home in his jeep, certain that he had saved
“Flips’” soul.
It’s hard to believe, considering the tossed off brilliance of his
songs, that Tim Maia did not care much for lyrics (or lyricists for
that matter). Motta says, “Tim would ‘fill-up’ the music with
good sounding words and that was that.” His English lyrics
were so spontaneous and off the cuff that they sound more like
Tim is having a conversation, with whomever was around,
about his own tumultuous life.
One line that seems to sum up his restless feelings after his
initial success is “I am so groovy now and I don’t care.”
Considering Tim’s sense of largess, not to mention his
largeness, it’s not surprising he would quickly grow jaded and
continued to search for new sensations.
In 1974, touched by who knows what, he converted to a
religious sect, the cult of Racional Engergy. The sect was based
in the faith that we are perfect beings from a distant planet,
exiled on Earth to suffer but able to purify through the reading
of a single book and to finally be rescued by flying saucers of
our original home. It was a perfect fit for someone like Tim.
At the moment of his illumination, he was finishing his fifth
solo album with what would later become known as the Vitória
Régia Band, the band that would be with him the rest of his life,
almost. When he joined the cult, he dressed in white, shaved
his ever-present facial hair, he quit alcohol, drugs and red meat
and always kept a strange book in-hand. He would say things
that, for him, were completely out of character, like “Pot and
booze are the devil’s stuff.” He decided that all the songs he
recorded and sang would be in celebration of his new faith in
the Superior Rational from outer space. He rewrote the lyrics
and recorded the funky devotional albums Tim Maia Racional I
(1974) and II (1975). Philips had no interest in these bizarre and
uncommercial songs, but that did not stop Tim Maia. Always a
pioneer, he started the first independent music label in Brazil,
called Seroma, and arranged for the albums to be produced and
distributed by his company. The label name was taken from his
initials: S E bastiao RO drigues M A ia.
Having given up smoking and drinking, he had lost a lot of
weight and his voice had never been so clean and strong. His
singing on the Racional albums is unrivaled, but to most the
lyrics didn’t make any sense. Radio refused to play the Racional
albums, which were mostly purchased by fellow cult members.
He left the sect one year later, broke, disillusioned and fed up
with the hypocrisy of the cult leader. He ordered the destruction
of all the Racional recordings and forbade anyone to record the
songs. As someone who prided himself on being street smart
and prison wise, Tim may have felt a bit ashamed of having
been duped by a charlatan in a white robe preaching about UFOs.
On his first post-Racional album Tim Maia 1976, Tim made
sure to include a couple of ‘answer’ songs, possibly to assure
fans that he was no longer under the sway of extra-terrestrials.
Leaving Racionalism behind, Tim once again embraced the
earthy reality of life. In “Nobody Can Live Forever,” he confronts
human loneliness (“Nobody will know how I feel”) alongside
the absence of God (“There’s no heaven / there’s no god /
there’s no devil / there’s no hell), and concludes with existential
resolve. “Play your music,” he chants.
As his career carried on through the 70s, 80s and 90s Tim
became more like the folkloric characters he liked to
sing about — the malandros — someone you had to be careful
about trusting. He was famous for not showing up at his own
shows and for sometimes appearing so drunk that he was not
able to perform. When he did show up, he would terrorize the
sound guy with demands for “More Bass! More Treble! More
Volume! More EVERYTHING!”
Four months before his death, at his own cost, he played a
chaotic show at a hotel lounge in Miami attended by 50
Brazilian nuts. He then filmed a fabulous road trip from Miami
to New York, including the Daytona pen, New York City and
Tarrytown, all the places he visited 40 years earlier, talking to
people along the way. It was a like a wrap-up of his unfinished
history.
He died on March 15, 1998, at the age of 55.
“I am bicão,” he used to say about himself, which is slang for
people who go to a party without an invitation. He may have
crashed the party, but he never failed to warm it back to new
levels of fun and decadence.
— Allen Thayer, Paul Heck and Nelson Motta
1. Imuniz ação R acional ( Que Bel e z a)
“How Beautiful (Rational Immuniz ation) ”
Que beleza é sentir a natureza
Ter certeza pra onde vai e de onde vem
Que beleza é vir da pureza
E sem medo distinguir o mal e o bem
Open the door
And come on in
Happiness will brighten the world
How beautiful (Repeat × 4)
oo, oo, oo que beleza (Repeat × 2 )
Que beleza é saber seu nome
Sua origem, seu passado e seu futuro
Que beleza é conhecer o desencanto
E ver tudo bem mais claro no escuro
oo, oo, oo que beleza (Repeat × 2 )
Abra a porta
E vá entrando
Felicidade vai brilhar no mundo
Que beleza (Repeat × 4 )
How beautiful to feel nature
To know where you’re going and where you’ve been
How beautiful to come from purity
And without fear of knowing good from bad
Ooh, ooh, ohh, how beautiful (Repeat × 2 )
How beautiful to know your name
Your origin, your past and your future
How beautiful to face the disenchantment
And to be able to see more clearly in the dark
Ooh, ooh, ohh, how beautiful (Repeat × 2 )
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Seroma
From Tim Maia, Racional Vol. 1 1974 (Seroma)
Produced by Joáo Marcello, Boscoli, André Szajman,
and Cláudio Szajman
Tim Maia (vocals)
Paulinho Guitarra (guitar, bass)
Paulinho Trompete (trumpet)
Oberdan Magalhães (saxophone)
Robson Jorge (electric organ, piano, keyboard)
Serginho Trombone (piano)
Beto Cajueiro (bass)
Robério Rafael (drums)
Luiz Carlos (drums)
2 . L e t ’s H av e a Ba l l T onigh t
There are so many politicians
Trying hard to find the way
And peace is not so far
And yet, it seems that nobody can see that
Love is all that you’re needing
Love is all that you have to do
Love is really the answer
Why waste time with war?
There are so many conversations
Meeting parties and cocktails
To preserve peace on earth
But they never find the way
You know why?
Love is really the answer
This, you have to agree
It will be celebration
When all people be free
And if you keep doing things like that
Peace gonna be far
Deep and over
Far from over
There are so many politicians
Trying hard to find the way
To preserve peace on earth
But they never found the way
Do you know why?
There are so many politicians
Trying hard to find the way
And peace is not so far
And yet, it seems that nobody can see that
Love is all that you’re needing
Love is all that you have to do
Love is really the answer
Why waste time with war?
There are so many conversations
Meeting parties and cocktails
To preserve peace on earth
But they never find the way
You know why?
Love is really the answer
This, you have to agree
It will be celebration
When all people be free
And if you keep doing things like that
Peace gonna be far
Deep and over
Far from over
There are so many people trying
To preserve peace on earth
It seems that nobody can see
But yet it’s not so difficult to see
It’s fundamental necessary to have love in your life
All the people living together
It’s going to be like 4th of July
Let’s have a ball tonight (Repeat × 3 )
Written by Tim Maia, Reginaldo
From Tim Maia 1978 (Seroma)
Produced and arranged by Tim Maia
Tim Maia (vocals, drums, congas, percussion)
Paulo Ricardo (6 and 12 string guitars, vocals)
Reginaldo Francisco (piano, organ, harp, synthesizer, vocals)
Carlos Simoes (bass)
3 . O C a minho do Bem
“ T he Good Pat h”
O caminho do bem (Repeat × 3 )
Já iniciou
Está acontecendo
Fase racional
Não estou sabendo
O
O
O
O
caminho
caminho
caminho
caminho
do
do
do
do
bem (leia logo, saiba logo)
bem (está na hora, é agora)
bem (acredite, não duvide)
bem
O
O
O
O
caminho
caminho
caminho
caminho
do
do
do
do
bem
bem
bem
bem
é um só caminho
é para todos
é racional
(Repeat × 4 )
Pode aguardar
Que o mundo inteiro
Logo saberá
No Brasil primeiro
O caminho do bem (leia logo, saiba logo)
O caminho do bem (está na hora, é agora)
O caminho do bem (acredite, não duvide)
O caminho do bem (Repeat × 4 )
Vida modesta e fecunda
Amor de um doce paraíso
Reino prepotencial racional
Aonde viver sempre o bem, e não o mal
Leia logo, saiba logo
Está na hora, é agora
Acredite, não duvide
Do que já aconteceu
Já aconteceu
Está acontecendo
Fase racional
Não estou sabendo
O
O
O
O
caminho
caminho
caminho
caminho
do
do
do
do
bem (leia logo, saiba logo)
bem (está na hora, é agora)
bem (acredite, não duvide)
bem
Numa natureza onde não existe regulagem,
não pode existir o bem
O bem só pode ser encontrado na imunização racional
O caminho do bem (Repeat × 4 )
Pode aguardar
Que o mundo inteiro
Logo saberá
No Brasil primeiro
O caminho do bem (Repeat × 2 )
The good path (Repeat × 3 )
It’s already begun
It’s happening
Rational phase
I don’t know
The
The
The
The
good path (read it right away, you’ll get it right away)
good path (it’s time, it’s now)
good path (believe it, don’t doubt it)
good path
The
The
The
The
good
good
good
good
path
path
path
path
is the only path
is for all
is rational
(Repeat × 4 )
You can be sure
That the whole world
Will soon understand
Has already come to Brazil
The
The
The
The
good
good
good
good
path
path
path
path
(read it right away, you’ll get it right away)
(it’s time, it’s now)
(believe it, don’t doubt it)
(Repeat × 4 )
A modest and fertile life
Love of a sweet paradise
The superior rational kingdom
Where you live always with the good and never the bad
Read it right away, you’ll get it right away
It’s time, it’s now
Believe it, don’t doubt it
What has already happened
It’s already begun
It’s happening
Rational phase
I don’t know
The good path (read it right away, you’ll get it right away)
The good path (it’s time, it’s now)
The good path (believe it, don’t doubt it)
The good path
In a natural state where there are no rules
Good cannot exist
Good can only be found in the rational immunization
The good path (Repeat × 4 )
You can be sure
That the whole world
Will soon understand
Brazil will be the first
The good path (Repeat × 2 )
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Arlequim
From Racional Vol. 2 1975 (Seroma)
Produced by Joáo Marcello, Boscoli, André Szajman, and Cláudio Szajman
Tim Maia (vocals)
Paulinho Guitarra (guitar, bass)
Paulinho Trompete (trumpet)
Oberdan Magalhães (saxophone)
Serginho Trombone (piano)
Robson Jorge (electric organ, piano and keyboard)
Beto Cajueiro (bass)
Robério Rafael (drums)
Luiz Carlos (drums)
4 . El a Pa r t iu
“She ’s Gone”
Ela partiu
Partiu e nunca mais voltou
Ela sumiu, sumiu e nunca mais voltou
She’s gone
Gone and she hasn’t come back
She disappeared, disappeared and hasn’t come back
Se souberem onde ela está
Digam-me e vou lá buscá-la
Pelo menos telefone em seu nome
Me dê uma dica, uma pista, insista
If you know where she is
Tell me and I’ll go and find her
At least call me up on her behalf
Give me a hint, a clue, I’m begging you
Ei! e nunca mais voltou
Ela sumiu, sumiu e nunca mais voltou
She’s gone
Gone and she hasn’t come back
Ela partiu, partiu
E nunca mais voltou
Se eu soubesse onde ela foi iria atrás
Mas não sei mais nem direção
Várias noites que eu não durmo um segundo
Estou cansado
Magoado exausto
E nunca mais voltou
She’s gone, gone
And she hasn’t come back
She disappeared, disappeared and will never come back
If I knew where she went, I’d go look for her
But I don’t know which way to turn
So many nights that I can’t sleep even for a second
I’m tired
Hurt, exhausted
And she hasn’t come back
Written by Tim Maia and Beto Çajueiro
Published by Seroma
From the Seroma 45
5 . Q uer Q ueir a , Q uer N ão Q ueir a
“L ik e It Or No t ”
Queira ou nao queira
Todos vao ler
O Universo Em Desencanto
Que são mensagens de um lugar superior
E o que e preciso e muito simples
Ler e reler
Pro seu sucesso aqui na terra
Ate o tempo da materia terminar
Viva a cultura racional
Linda cultura transcendental
Nao e historia, nao e doutrina
Nao e ciencia, seita ou religiao
E coisa limpa, e coisa pura
Para o caminho da eterna salvacao
Viva a cultura racional
Linda cultura transcendental
Estando imune da energia Animal
Todo o vivente fica ligado
A sua origem o supermundo racional
De la recebe o que e preciso
Todo equilibrio toda orientacao
Para que tudo, tudo de certo
Em sua casa, seu trabalho ou conducao
Mas e preciso que nao se esqueca
Melhor passeio e ter o livro na mao
Para que possa ficar mais perto
O seu transporte para a eterna salvacao
Like it or not
Everyone will read
The Universe in Disenchantment
It holds messages from a superior place
What you need is very simple
Read and reread
For your success here on earth
Until the time when matter ceases to exist
Long live Rational Culture
Beautiful transcendental culture
It’s not history, it’s not doctrine
It’s not science, cult or religion
It’s a clean thing, a pure thing
For your journey to eternal salvation
Long live Rational Culture
Beautiful transcendental culture
We are immune to animal energy
All living things are connected
To your origin in the rational Super World
From there we receive what we need
All equilibrium, all orientation
So that everything, everything is perfect
In your house, your work or your travels
But what you cannot forget is
The best way to go is with the book in hand
So that you can always stay close
To your path to eternal salvation
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Seroma
From Racional Vol. 2 1975 (Seroma)
Produced by Joáo Marcello, Boscoli, André Szajman, and Cláudio Szajman
Tim Maia (vocals)
Paulinho Guitarra (guitar, bass)
Paulinho Trompete (trumpet)
Oberdan Magalhães (saxophone)
Serginho Trombone (piano)
Robson Jorge (electric organ, piano, keyboard)
Beto Cajueiro (bass)
Robério Rafael (drums)
Luiz Carlos (drums)
6 . Bro t her Fat her Mo t her Sis t er
Brother, every time I call you home you are dancing
Sister, please don´t put your children on initiation
‘Cause there is no heaven
There is no God
‘Cause there is no devil
There is no hell
Mother, every time I call you home you are in church
Father, every time I call you home you are saying
True devotion is the way
Wake up Africa
Now today
Sister, every time I call you home you are shopping
Father, every time I call you home you are drinking
Too many brothers in the mood
And some are dancing rock and roll
Everybody is the same, everybody is the same
Everybody is the same, everybody is the same
Everybody has a heart and feels the pain
Everybody is the same
Chinese, Japanese, Africans, Americans, Canadian,
Russians
Spanish people, Italian people, Hungarians
Everybody is the same
Germans, everybody is the same
You are not better than me
And I am not better than you
Everybody is the same
Everybody is the same
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Seroma (Sicam)
From Tim Maia 1976 (Polydor Phonogram)
Tim Maia (vocals, drums, guitar, percussion, flute)
Paulo Ricardo (guitar solos, percussion, vocals)
Paulinho Roquete (rhythm guitar)
José Maurício (rhythm guitar)
Reginaldo Francisco (keyboard, vocals)
Carlos Simões (bass)
Antonio Pedro (funky bass machine, percussion, vocals)
Paulinho Batera (percussion, drums)
Antonio Claudio, Luis Endes, Jr., Gastão Lamounier (additional vocals)
Arrangements by Tim Maia
String Arrangements by Miguel Cidras
String and Horns/Woodwinds Arrangements by Arthur Verocai
7. Do L eme ao Ponta l
“F rom L eme t o Ponta l”
Do Leme ao Pontal
Nao há nada igual
Do Leme ao Pontal
Nao há nada igual
Sem falar no Calabouço
Flamengo, Botafogo,
Urca, Maracana.
Do Leme ao Pontal
Nao há nada igual
Do Leme ao Pontal
Nao há nada igual
Do leme ao Pontal
Não há nada igual
Do leme ao Pontal
Do leme ao Pontal
Não há nada igual no mundo
Sem contar com Calabouço, Flamengo Botafogo
Urca Praia Vermelha
Do Leme ao Pontal
Não há nada igual
From Leme to Pontal
There’s no place like Rio
From Leme to Pontal
There’s no place like Rio
Not to mention Calabouço,
Flamengo, Botafogo,
Urca, Maracana
From Leme to Pontal
There’s no place like Rio
From Leme to Pontal
There’s no place like Rio
From Leme to Pontal
There’s no place like Rio
From Leme to Pontal
From Leme to Pontal
There’s no place like Rio in the world
Not to mention Calabouço, Flamengo, Botafogo,
Urca, Praia Vermelha
From Leme to Pontal
There’s no place like Rio
Drink a guaraná, cashew juice,
Guava jam for dessert
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Seroma
From the Seroma 45
8 . Nobody C a n L i v e F ore v er
One thing you have to agree with me
That nothing’s for sure, nothing’s for sure
Nobody can live forever
And everybody is the same
Don’t you worry! (Don’t you worry)
(Repeat × 3 )
Play your music! (Play your music)
Here we go, how we doin man?
What’s happenin’?
Alright, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sooner or later, sooner or later
You’re gonna understand that
Here we go
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody
can
will
can
can
live forever
know how I feel
give you the answers
play but for real
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody
can
will
can
can
live forever
know how I feel
give you the answers
play but for real
There’s
There’s
There’s
There’s
no
no
no
no
God
heaven
devil
hell
There’s
There’s
There’s
There’s
no
no
no
no
God
heaven
devil
hell
(Repeat × 4 )
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Seroma (Sicam)
From Tim Maia 1976 (Polydor Phonogram)
Tim Maia (vocals, drums, guitar, percussion, flute)
Paulo Ricardo (guitar solos, percussion, vocals)
Paulinho Roquete (rhythm guitar)
José Maurício (rhythm guitar)
Reginaldo Francisco (keyboards, vocals)
Carlos Simões (bass)
Antonio Pedro (funky bass machine, percussion, vocals)
Paulinho Batera (percussion, drums)
Antonio Claudio, Luis Endes Jr., Gastão Lamounier (additional vocals)
Arrangement by Tim Maia
String Arrangement by Miguel Cidras
String and Horns/Woodwinds Arrangement by Arthur Verocai
9 . I Don’ t C a re
( N ão Q uero Nem S a ber )
You leave him, leave him and he’ll die
But think it, think it if you’re smart
I don’t need you
I don’t have to plead you
You know my name
Well, I feel the same
I am so groovy now
And I don’t care
You know who will lose
I’m not a fool
And if you think I am
Well, I feel the same
I am so groovy now
And I don’t care
I don’t care
I don’t care
I don’t care
I just don’t care
About anything at all
I just do what I feel like doing
And I feel
I don’t care
I just don’t care
Come on
I don’t care
I wanna do it
I don’t give a damn about anything at all
I just wanna do
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Musiclave
From Tim Maia 1971 (Polydor Phonogram)
Produced by Tim Maia
Tim Maia (vocals)
Capacete (bass)
Paulinho (drums)
Chacal (percussion)
Hyldon (backing guitar)
Paulo (lead guitar)
Tim (acoustic guitar)
Peter (organ, accordion)
Pinduca (vibraphone)
Waldir (first brass player)
Darcy (second brass player)
Zé Bodega (tenor saxophone)
Aurino (baritone saxophone)
Zeca and Silvio (trombone)
Homero Gelmini – “Spala” (violin)
Marcelo Pompeu Filho (violin)
Quinidio Faustino Teixeira (violin)
Gentil Dias (violin)
Natércia Teixeira da Silva (violin)
Adolpho Pissarenko (violin)
Pesach Nisembau (violin)
Otávio Canabrava Waladares (violin)
Octávio Miranda Ilha (violin)
Murillo da Silva Lourdes (viola)
Nelson de Macêdo (viola)
Ana Bezerra de Mello Devos (cello)
Alceu de Almeida Reis (cello)
10 . Bom Senso
“Good Sense”
Já virei calçada maltratada
E na virada quase nada
Me restou a curtição
Já rodei o mundo quase mudo
No entanto num segundo
Este livro veio à mão
I’ve been down in the gutter beaten and abused
And turned the corner to find nothing at all
Left with only fun and games
I’ve traveled the world nearly speechless
But then all of a sudden
This book fell in my hands
Já senti saudade
Já fiz muita coisa errada
Já pedi ajuda
Já dormi na rua
Mas lendo atingi o bom senso
I’ve had the blues
I’ve made so many mistakes
I’ve asked for help
I’ve slept in the street
But reading I’m grasping the good sense
But reading I’m grasping the good sense
The rational immunization
Já virei calçada maltratada
E na virada quase nada
Me restou a curtição
Já rodei o mundo quase mudo
No entanto num segundo
Este livro veio à mão
Já senti saudade
Já fiz muita coisa errada
Já pedi ajuda
Já dormi na rua
Mas lendo atingi o bom senso
Mas lendo atingi o bom senso
A imunização racional
Leia o livro Universo em Desencanto
Nao perca tempo
Leia o livro Universo em Desencanto
Read the book, The Universe in Disenchantment
Don’t waste time
Read the book, The Universe in Disenchantment
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Arlequim
From Racional Vol. 1 1974 (Seroma)
Produced by Joáo Marcello, Boscoli, André Szajman,
and Cláudio Szajman
Tim Maia (vocals)
Paulinho Trompete (trumpet)
Paulinho Guitarra (guitar, bass)
Oberdan Magalhães (saxophone)
Serginho Trombone (piano)
Robson Jorge (electric organ, piano, keyboard)
Beto Cajueiro (bass)
Robério Rafael (drums)
Luiz Carlos (drums)
11. W here is M y Ot her H a l f ?
Every man deserves a woman
Every woman deserves a man
So, I’m about to ask
I have felt this strange vibration
And I had a lot of patience
But where is my other half?
Can’t somebody say?
Can’t somebody tell I love her?
Can’t you hear my prayer?
Many, many days, I wonder
I wonder why she left me
I wonder why she left me
I wonder why, I wonder why
I wonder why she left me, I wonder why
I wonder why she left me
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Seroma (Sicam)
From Tim Maia 1972 (Polydor Phonogram)
Produced by Tim Maia
Tim Maia (vocals, guitar)
Luis Carlos (drums)
Rubens (bass)
Salvador (piano)
Pedrinho (organ)
Garoto (vibrafone)
Paulinho (guitar)
Chacal, Hermes and Ariovaldo (tumba, conga, percussion)
Oberdan (sax, flute)
Serginho (trombone)
Waldir and Barrosinho (horns)
Arranged by Waldir and Barrosinho
12 . Ov er Ag a in
Open letters when you’re down and out, waiting for news
Hoping high and let a lot of things, happen to do
Feel so lonely but I don’t know why, I’m gonna try
Want somebody to be on my side, and I’m gonna try
I’m gonna try, try, try, oh, try
Try it over and over and over, over again
Try, try, try, oh, try
Try it over and over and over, over again
(Verse and chorus repeat)
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Vitale
From Tim Maia 1973 (Polydor Phonogram)
Produced by Tim Maia
Tim Maia (vocals)
Pedrinho (organ)
Cidinho (piano)
Barbosa (bass)
Myro (drums)
13 . T he Da nce Is Ov er
The dance is over
Face reality
Forget the sorrows,
There’s a lot to live
Have a ball
While you can
There’s a lot to romance
(Repeat × 4 )
Written by Tim Maia, Hyldon, Reginaldo
Published by Seroma/Direto (Sicam)
From Tim Maia 1976 (Polydor Phonogram)
Tim Maia (vocals, drums, guitar, percussion, flute)
Paulo Ricardo (guitar solos, percussion, vocals)
Paulinho Roquete (rhythm guitar)
José Maurício (rhythm guitar)
Reginaldo Francisco (keyboard, vocals)
Carlos Simões (bass)
Antonio Pedro (funky bass machine, percussion, vocals)
Paulinho Batera (percussion, drums)
Antonio Claudio, Luis Endes Jr.,
Gastão Lamounier (additional vocals)
Arrangement by Tim Maia
String Arrangement by Miguel Cidras
String and Horns/Woodwinds Arrangement by Arthur Verocai
14 . You Don’ t Know W h at I Know
Tim Maia (vocals)
(Repeat × 4 )
15 . R at ion a l Cult ure
We are gonna rule the world
Don’t you know, don’t you know
We are gonna rule the world
Don’t you know, don’t you know
We’re gonna put it together
(Want to put it together)
We’re gonna put it together
(Want to put it together)
(Repeat × 4 )
Listen you all,
we’re gonna tell you the most important thing
That you ever heard in your life
You never heard that before
We came from a super world
World of rational energy
And we live in an anti-world
World of animals’ energy
Read the book, the only book, the book of God
Universe in Disenchantment
And you’re gonna know the truth
Alright man, play that guitar, come on, do it
We are gonna rule the world
Don’t you know, don’t you know
We are gonna rule the world
Don’t you know, don’t you know
We’re gonna put it together
(Want to put it together)
We’re gonna put it together
(Want to put it together)
So listen, once more, don’t forget
Read the book, the only book, the book of God
Universe in Disenchantment
Don’t waste your time, don’t waste your time
Read the book, Universe in Disenchantment
And you’re gonna know the truth
We are gonna rule the world
Don’t you know, don’t you know
We’re
(Want
We’re
(Want
gonna put it together
to put it together)
gonna put it together
to put it together)
(Repeat × 4 )
Written by Tim Maia
Published by Arlequim
From Racional Vol. 1 1974 (Seroma)
Produced by Joáo Marcello, Boscoli, André Szajman,
and Cláudio Szajman
Tim Maia (vocals)
Paulinho Guitarra (guitar, bass)
Paulinho Trompete (trumpet)
Oberdan Magalhães (saxophone)
Robson Jorge (electric organ, piano, keyboard)
Serginho Trombone (piano)
Beto Cajueiro (bass)
Robério Rafael (drums)
Luiz Carlos (drums)
Tim Maia’s Polygram/Universal tracks are courtesy of Universal
Music Latino and Universal Music Brazil, a division of UMG
Recordings, Inc. ℗ Universal Music Brazil, a division of
UMG Recordings, Inc., Av. Erico Verissimo, 918, Barra da Tijuca,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 22621-180. Tim Maia’s Seroma tracks are
courtesy of the Estate of Tim Maia.
We’ve been working on this album for 10 years!
A lot of people helped make this album possible.
From Beco Dranoff who started talking to Tim Maia’s
family for us ten years ago and was the one who
originally told Paul Heck about the Racional albums to
Allen Thayer who suggested a lot of great tracks we
hadn’t considered to the DJ in Williamsburg, Ross1,
who loaned us an album to master from even though
we had never met, to Greg Cassis who has loved
and spins Brazilian music for years and was able to
provide clean copies of some tracks to Nelson Motta
who signed Tim Maia to Polygram in the 1970’s and
would write us the most amazing letters about him
to Denise Romano at Universal Brazil and to the
wonderful Marcelo Goyanes and Neil Jacobs who I have
discussed, cajoled and every other adjective to help
make this music you are encountering able to come
out through our label enterprise. And most importantly
thanks to Carmelo Maia, Tim’s only legal heir, for
allowing this album to finally see the light of day.
Compiled by: Paul Heck
Cover design by: Rodrigo Corral
Cover Illustration by: Sam Weber
Portuguese lyric translations by: Allen Thayer
Project coordination by: Tara Anders
Mastered by: Scott Hull
Executive Produced by: Yale Evelev
Lyrics reprinted by permission.
All rights reserved.
All tracks copyright control unless otherwise noted.
For more information, go to:
www.timmaia.com
www.luakabop.com
1.
QUE BELEZA 3:29
2.
LET’S HAVE A BALL TONIGHT 5:11
3.
O CAMINHO DO BEM 6:08
4.
ELA PARTIU 4:40
5.
QUER QUEIRA, QUER NÃO QUEIRA 4:52
6.
BROTHER FATHER MOTHER SISTER 3:21
7.
DO LEME AO PONTAL 3:14
8.
NOBODY CAN LIVE FOREVER 2:54
9.
I DON’T CARE 2:57
10.
BOM SENSO 5:09
11.
WHERE IS MY OTHER HALF 4:02
12.
OVER AGAIN 3:23
13.
THE DANCE IS OVER 2:32
14.
YOU DON´T KNOW WHAT I KNOW 0:34
15.
RATIONAL CULTURE 12:19
Compiled by: Paul Heck
Executive Produced by: Yale Evelev
Tim Maia, THE Brazilian Funk Soul
Godfather was the real thing. His 1970
debut album introduced his audacious
talent, as well as North American soul
and funk musical influences, forever
changing Brazilian popular music.
His legendary appetites sought out
carnal AND spiritual fulfillment in equal
measure. He bought 100 hits of LSD
and handed them out to the staff of
his record label. At the height of his
mid-70s success he joined the Cult of
Racional Energy; watching for spaceships while wearing only white clothes
and playing only white instruments!
Yet the two albums he record for the
Cult are among his best. His songs
search for love, and they dig into the
existential. His own lyrics say it best:
“I am so groovy now and I don’t care!”
& 2012 Luaka Bop, Inc., 250 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10107.
All rights reserved. Warning: Unauthorized reproduction of this recording
is prohibited by federal law and subject to criminal prosecution.