Sérgio decided to pursue a career alongside Ivan Lins, making room for Mercês' return. However, the
time with Ivan was short, making Sérgio return to O Têrço, taking over the guitars and leaving the trio
now as a quartet. Right away, they released a double single with the songs "O Visitante", "Dormeceu",
"Doze Alertos", "Meio Ouvinte" and "Teatro da Área Extractida da Suite in D Major (Bach)". Influenced
by British progressive rock, they increasingly consider experimentalism in their rehearsals, and, in
addition, begin to build their instruments. It is here that the famous "Tritarra" appears, a three-neck
guitar that Amiden used to perform the difficult pieces that the band was beginning to create, as well
as the electric cello that Sérgio played. This cello can be heard, for example, in "Twelve Notices". The
new instruments were presented to the public at the VI Festival Internacional da Canção, in 1971, where
the song "O Visitante" reached fourth place.
After participating in the VI FIC, Amiden left. To avoid future problems, the remnants registered the
band's name, now as Terço, without accents, and continue as a trio, while Amiden set up the band Karma,
alongside Luiz Mendes Jr (guitars) and Alen Terra (bass). The Terço started to accompany the singer
Marcos Valle, participating in the fantastic album Vento Sul, highlighting the weird song "Democústico",
culminating this project with the band's performance alongside Valle at the Midem Festival, in Cannes,
France .
Going to France and collaborating with Valle gave O Terço an even stronger contact with progressive rock,
demonstrated in the single "Ilusão de Ótica" / "Tempo é Vento" (1971), where even the lyrics are more
elaborated. Sérgio starts playing the guitar and studying more and more. In this new phase, they launched
the fantastic album Terço, thus opening their main phase on the national scene.
Vinícius ended up in Caetano Veloso's band, being replaced by Luiz Moreno. Sérgio Magrão was invited to
play
bass and Mercês assumed the unique role of lyricist and composer. With the help of Milton Mascimento,
they
meet the multi-instrumentalist Flávio Venturini, who had accompanied the Clube da Esquina people and had
an unusual talent in Brazil, taking over the keyboards of the now named O Terço. The new lineup takes
part
in the album Never, by Sá & Guarabyra, and becomes the classic lineup of O Terço, when in 1975 they
launched
the spectacular Criaturas da Noite.
The B side is simply what fans consider the most brilliant moment in the group's career, opening with
another
classic, "Creatures of the Night". What about a song that is among the ten best known in national rock?
With
arrangements by maestro Rogéro Duprat, "Criaturas da Noite" became one of the band's central pieces,
being
requested in shows to this day. "Jogo das Pedras" resumes the atmosphere of "Queimada", with the guitars
being more prominent.
And finally, one of the best suites in national rock, the Maravilhosa "1974". Composed by Venturini,
this
track portrays the importance of the keyboardist's entry, giving O Terço a group face. The track starts
with its classic piano introduction and the bass playing the chords for Sérgio to bring the main theme.
The markings are present, bringing the main theme with Sérgio's famous vocalizations
("Na-na-na-na-na-na-naaaaaaaaa") and again the markings, to modify the main theme a little and also
the vocalizations ("Da-ra-ri-ra-tu-ra-raaaaaaa Di-ra-ri-ra-ra-raaaaaaaaaa") in a mesmerizing beat,
with the guitar playing the same notes as the vocalizations.
The riffs change, with Venturini soloing over a second instrumental theme, taking the song to a packed
mood, where Sérgio solos with a sensational reverb effect.
The more traveling part then arrives, with Venturini turning into a centipede on the keyboards, while
Sérgio emits sad vocals, accompanied by even sadder guitar notes.
Magrão's bass gives a swinging touch to the music, conveying an atmosphere of apprehension, where the
listener can't imagine what's coming. Bass, drums and guitar sequences intersperse over the long chords
of Venturini's keyboards, leading to the final theme of the song, with another solo by Sérgio and the
last vocalizations, made only with piano accompaniment.
Guitar and synthesizer duel for a few seconds, for Sérgio solar and to close this track that, for sure,
has to be heard and re-heard with all the affection and attention that one should give to a masterpiece.
Creatures of the Night was released in Europe in 1976 in a rare version, with songs sung in English and
named Creatures of the Night. It was the band's most successful album, with the single "Hey Amigo"
selling thousands of copies and even the presentation of "1974" as a choreographed musical piece, a
fact that occurred in 1977 through Argentine artist Oscar Araiz. Many consider it the best album of
all times in national rock.
In its original version, the LP had a very beautiful art, called A Comprehension, a work by Antônio
and André Peticov, as well as a giant booklet and poster of the group playing live. It is clear that
this version, when found, is disputed the slap in the used bookstores, worth a few barrels of beer.
There is also another version with the poster being the cover of the album, which many thought was
a live album by the band when it was released.
O Terço then became an exponent of the national progressive, alongside Sérgio Dias' Mutantes,
participating as one of the headliners of the Águas Claras (1975), Banana Progressiva (1975),
Hollywood Rock and Summer Season festivals. he isolated himself in a farm in the interior of São Paulo,
, Mutantes, among others. There, they built the songs for
their next album, Casa Encantada, released in 1976, and whose story will be here in a fortnight, when
we arrive at the Marvelous "Solaris", which together with "1974" is a great accompaniment to beer
with group name, released last year.
