Oh Baía, when twilight is deep in the sky, Baiá
Someone that I long to see, keeps haunting my memory
And so the loneliness deep in my heart calls to you, calls to you!

I’ve been looking for the recording of this from the soundtrack to Disney’s The Three Caballeros ever since I first watched it.  The sensuousness of the music, combined with the lush imagery I saw on screen just riveted me.  I think this was when I got my wish to visit Brazil someday.  But Disney’s release policy regarding its soundtracks has always mystified me.  Sometimes they release the original version, sometimes a bastardized re-recording that just plain stinks.  To my knowledge they’ve never released this bit of simply beautiful music anywhere, ever.  Not on LP, not on CD.  I’ve heard other recordings of this piece, by other artists, and while some of them come close, none of them quite hit the mark the Disney version does.  It needs that rich brass sound in the slow sultry beat beneath the singer.

But then last night I realized that I had the film on laserdisc anyway, and via Final Vinyl I could rip a copy off for my iPod that was as good as if I’d gotten it from CD.  I’ve been enjoying it since last night when I loaded it into iTunes and went for a late night walk, cigar in hand like Joe Carioca, reminiscing about a beautiful place I’ve never been.  Sorry Mr. DisneyCorp sir, but I can’t buy anything from you that you don’t sell.

Ah…Baía.  Baía is my Ithaca…