David Foster and his ultra-talented peers, Jay Graydon, the late Jeff Porcaro (1954-1992), David Hungate and Bill Champlin, did several sessions at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles around 1978. They were working, among other things, on albums by popular Brazilian acts Antonio Carlos Belchior (1946-2017), As Frenéticas and Ney Matogrosso. The legendary musicians brought a superior musicianship and slick, irresistible L.A. sound to those recordings. From what we hear they probably had a strong hand on those instrumental arrangements. Foster and his friends played on As Frenéticas’ “Dancin’ Days,” a disco tune that was a big hit in Brazil and was the main theme of a very popular soap opera. 

The same musicians also appeared on the Matogrosso song “Nao Existe Pecado Ao Sul Do Equador.” The tune also sported an energetic disco feel that was produced by Mazzola, a veteran music-maker who worked with a who’s who of Brazilian stars including Djavan, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento and Simone. Mazzola said that he was introduced to Foster by famed engineer Humberto Gatica. That meeting led to their various collaborations through the years. Another 1978 Mazzola production was Belchior’s Todos Os Sentidos. Belchior was one of Brazil’s premiere singers/songwriters with success in his homeland. The LA session mafia appeared on the bulk of Todos Os Sentidos including an irresistible funky track titled “Corpos Terrestres” that’s the Song of the Week.

“Corpos Terrestres” (“Earth Bodies” in English) was a duet with the aforementioned As Frenéticas and Belchior. Oddly, part of the song’s lyrics were written by Belchior in the ancient Latin language and delivered with spoken-word performaces on top of a killer funky groove.  Bill Champlin’s soulful voice appears singing the “tomorrow’s another day” refrain. The instrumental track is spectacular with swinging horns, Graydon’s guitar, Foster playing the Fender Rhodes while Porcaro and Hungate cement the rock-solid foundation. This smoking track is so tight that it could have come off Champlin’s 1978 seminal album, Single. Although concived in the late seventies and unavoidably dated in its sound, this music is still impressive and deserves a listen cause it’s great!

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Belchior and As Frenéticas
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Guitar: Jay Graydon
• Drums: Jeff Porcaro
• Bass: David Hungate
• Backing Vocals: Bill Champlin
• Produced by Marco Mazzola

Lyrics

Osculetur me oscule oris suis
Ideo adolescentulae dilexerunt te
Nigra sum sent formosa
(But tomorrow is another day anyway)
Nolite me considerare quod fusca sim
Quia decoloravit me sol
It’s alright, ma! (I’m only bleeding)
Here comes the sun
Indica mihi quem, dirigit anima mea
Ube pascas, ube cubes in meridie
(Come with me and be my love)
Ego ego dilecto meo, et dilectos meus mihi
(I’ve got you under my skin. Oh! Really?)

Ego flos campi
Et lilium convallium

Veni, dilecte mi egrediamur in agrum
Commoremur in villis
Ibi dabo tibi ubera mea

Quam pulchra es, amica mea, quam pulchra es!
Umbilicus tuus crater tornalitis
Numquam indigens poculis
Venter tuus sicut acervus tritici
Vallatus liliis
Duo ubera tua sicut duo hinnuli
Gemelli capreae
(Absque occultis tuis!)
Apori mihi, ‘soror mea, amica mea
Columba mea, immaculata mea

Dilectus meus misit manum sua per foramen
Et venter meus intremuit ad tactum eius

Qui faciemus sorori nostrae
In die quando alloquenda est?
Sub arbore malo suscitavi te
Ibi corrupta est mater tua
Ibi violata est genitrix tua

Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum
Ut signaculum super brachium tuum
Que fortis est ut mors dilectio