IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AT AUCTION, ONE OF THE RAREST RECORDS IN THE WORLD, THE HOLY GRAIL OF BRAZILIAN MUSIC AND LEGENDARY FIRST RECORD BY THE INFAMOUS OS MUTANTES:

O’ SEIS (SUICIDA/APOCALIPSE) - ORIGINAL 1966 PRESSING ON CONTINENTAL RECORDS (BRAZIL)

THIS BEAUTIFUL RECORD WAS LIKE A LITTLE JOURNEY FOR ME TO ACQUIRE AND TOOK ME YEARS AND YEARS OF RESEARCH AND PAINSTAKING EFFORT TO FINALLY TRACK DOWN. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS I MADE TRYING TO FIND A COPY OF THIS LITTLE GEM TO WHICH I WOULD ALWAYS RECEIVE THE SAME REPLY. EVERYONE TOLD ME THE SAME THING, “IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND,”  “IT IS THE HOLY GRAIL OF BRAZLIAN MUSIC TO RECORD COLLECTORS,” “IT IS LIKE TRYING TO CATCH AN INVISIBLE FLY, IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!”

THEN ONE DAY, I GOT IN TOUCH WITH A RECORD SELLER FROM NEW YORK NAMED JOEL OLIVEIRA WHO RAN A LITTLE SHOP CALLED TROPICALIA IN FURS. IT SO HAPPENS THAT HE HAD A COPY OF THIS MONSTROUSLY RARE RECORD AND WAS WILLING TO SELL IT TO ME. THE STORY GOES, THAT HE WAS IN BRAZIL BUYING RECORDS FROM A GENTLEMAN WHEN HE NOTICED A SMALL BOX IN THE CORNER OF HIS ROOM. JOEL ASKED THE MAN, “HEY WHATS IN THE BOX?” TO WHICH THE GENTLEMAN REPLIED, “THOSE ARE NOT FOR YOU, TRUST ME.” JOEL ASKED IF HE COULD LOOK THROUGH THE GEMS FOUND INSIDE THE BOX AND THE MAN AGREED. JOEL WAS LOOKING AND LOOKING BUT STILL NOTHING CAUGHT HIS EYE, THAT WAS UNTIL HE SAW SOMETHING THAT DID NOT LET HIM SLEEP FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. IN THE LITTLE BOX, IN THE CORNER OF HIS ROOM, IN A LITTLE HOUSE LOCATED IN THE BEAUTIFUL LUSH JUNGLES OF TROPICAL BRAZIL, WAS A COPY OF ONE OF THE RAREST RECORDS ON OUR PLANET, O’ SEIS.

JOEL ALMOST FAINTED WHEN HE SAW THIS AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE GENTLEMAN WHAT HE WANTED FOR THIS PARTICULAR GEM. THE GENTLMAN REPLIED, “IT IS NOT FOR YOU, IT IS TOO MUCH MY FRIEND.” JOEL WENT BACK HOME TO NEW YORK CITY WITH A MISSION, A MISSION TO OBTAIN THE RAREST BRAZILIAN RECORD ON THE PLANET. AFTER COUNTLESS TRIPS BACK AND FORTH TO BRAZIL, AND HUNDREDS OF RECORDS, THE GENTLEMEN EVENTUALLY GAVE IN AND RECEIVED A GREAT REWARD FOR HIS LITTLE GEM. JOEL WAS HAPPY AND RETURNED BACK TO NEW YORK CITY AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF NEGOTIATING AND THOUSANDS SPENT ON AIR FAIRE. TIME WENT BY, MANY MOONS CHANGED, AND THEN HE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL, WHICH WOULD CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY FOR POPULAR BRAZILIAN MUSIC AS WE KNOW IT.

THIS IS WHERE I FINALLY COME INTO THE PICTURE, I CONTACTED JOEL, AND AFTER WEEKS OF NEGOTIATING, I PURCHASED THE RAREST BRAZILIAN RECORD FROM HIM.

JOEL LOVED THIS RECORD SO MUCH THAT IT IS FEATURED IN THE FILM, “BEYOND IPANEMA,” IN WHICH HE DESCRIBES IT AS, “THE HOLY GRAIL OF BRAZILIAN MUSIC.” AFTER THE PRODUCERS OF, “BEYOND IPANEMA,” GOT WORD THAT JOEL HAD SOLD THE RECORD FOR A RECORD PRICE, THEY IMMIDIATELY WENT DOWN TO HIS SHOP AND DOCUMENTED OUR TRANSACTION ON FILM, WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN THE MOVIE!!!

I WENT TO THE PREMIER OF, “BEYOND IPANEMA,” AND MET THE PRODUCERS OF THE FILM WHO INCLUDED THE TRANSACTION AS WELL AS PICTURES OF ME WITH THE RECORD IN THEIR BEAUTIFUL MOVIE.

THERE IS ALSO A PICTURE OF JOEL HOLDING THIS BEAUTIFUL RECORD (THE RECORD IN THIS AUCTION) IN ISSUE NUMBER 36 OF WAX POETIC (THE BRAZIL ISSUE).

ANYONE READING THIS KNOWS HOW RARE THIS RECORD IS. THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THIS AND I AM SURE THIS WILL NEVER GO ON SALE IN PUBLIC AUCTION AGAIN. EVEN TERRIBLY RARE RECORDS LIKE ARTHUR VEROCAI AND ZE RAMALHO & LULA CORTES (PAEBIRU) HAVE GONE ON SALE SEVERAL TIMES ON EBAY. RECENTLY, A COPY OF ARTHUR VEROCAI SOLD FOR $5100, AND THIS RECORD IS NOT HALF AS RARE AS THE LEGENDARY O’ SEIS (WHICH HAS NEVER, EVER, I MEAN EVER BEEN SOLD ON EBAY OR ONLINE AUCTION!!!). 

THIS IS THE HISTORY OF THE RECORD AS TOLD BY ARNALDO BAPTISTA (THE FOUNDER OF OS MUTANTES):

“The group O’Seis is Arnaldo's first recorded music collaboration. In 1966 with Raphael, Arnaldo, Sérgio, Rita, Mogguy and Pastura in the line up the group releases their only recording; a 45" single through Continental (a Brazilian label). With a cover inspired by the Fab 4 album With The Beatles the record featured Suicida (Raphael Vilardi / Roberto Loyola) and Apocalipse (Raphael Vilardi / Rita Lee) as a B side, it is now a true vinyl rarity. According to the legend only 500 copies were pressed and 300 of those were distributed in Porto Alegre, the capital of one of the southern states in Brazil. The following year O’Seis is reduced to a trio after Raphael, Mogly and Pastura left the band and Os Mutantes is born!”

I have researched this information and discovered that only 300 of these records were pressed without the permission of the band, and 150 were shipped to a wrong address and lost to time. That is why this record remains so illusive and rare to Brazilian music history. Continental Records had O’ Seis come into their studios and record “Suicida” as well as, “Apocalipse,” with the intention of releasing it as a single. The band recorded the songs but did not want them released, to which Continental Records released without the permission of the band. The copy sold here is a Promotional Copy with the Picture Sleeve. The fact that the picture sleeve survived 46 years amazes even me. Back in the early 60’s, many record Dj’s in Brazil used to throw the picture sleeves away immediately and only save the record, which makes this copy even rarer.

Here is the information from the Beyond Ipanema film:

“BEYOND IPANEMA is a mash-up of thoughts and ideas about the repeating cycle of discovery of Brazilian music in the world. Through interviews with David Byrne, Devendra Banhart, M.I.A., Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, Seu Jorge, Thievery Corporation, Bebel Gilberto, CSS, Creed Taylor and many others, BEYOND IPANEMA surveys the Brazilian music experience outside of Brazil. Artists, producers, DJs and critics analyze how the crosspollination of music styles, as well as sampling and globalization; have helped Brazil to secure a unique position in global culture.

During the film’s production, the crew witnessed the sale of the most expensive Brazilian record ever. An extremely rare 45" copy of a 1966 recording by the band O’Seis, an early formation of the legendary group Os Mutantes, was tracked by the producers at the New York store Tropicália in Furs. Owner Joel Oliveira was able to obtain the record from a Brazilian collector, in exchange for 200 rare albums. The film then shows the sale of the two-song record for $5,000 to an American-based Os Mutantes fan.”

According to what I have read from a Big Brazilian Record Seller, a copy of O’SEIS sold for over $8,000 US Dollars in a live auction in Brazil last year (2011). This was the only time it was ever sold to a public audience.

The Condition of the Record is as follows:

Sleeve: Very Good +

Record: Very Good +

This is your chance to own music history, do not let this invisible fly slip through your fingers…

Serious Bidders Only, thank you! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or call me over the phone.

Happy Bidding and Good Luck!

 Shipping will be calculated at the end of the auction. Will be shipped with Insured Priority Shipping Only! Will Ship Worldwide!

 AUCTION UPDATE:

My good friend Guto Barra, producer/film maker from the movie, "Beyond Ipanema," has allowed me to use the clip from the film, which includes Joel Stones from Tropicalia in Furs talking about and showing the HOLY GRAIL of Brazilian Records: O'SEIS - Suicida/Apocalipse (the record in this auction!!!)

Click On the Link Below to see the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8C-10GIwUg