Baccara were a very popular Spanish dance-pop duo in the late seventies. Th… Read Full Bio ↴Baccara were a very popular Spanish dance-pop duo in the late seventies. The group consisted of Mayte Mateos (7 March 1951), and MarΓa Mendiola (4 May 1952, died 11 Sept 2021 in Madrid aged 69). Their music was a blend of pop and disco, with lyrics in English sung with the peculiar Spanish accent of the two singers.
Baccara's most famous hits were "Sorry I'm a lady" and "Yes sir, I can boogie", both of which topped the charts during 1977 in some European countries, including the United Kingdom. In 1978, their song "Parlez-Vous FranΓ§ais?" got the seventh place at the Eurovision Song Contest. Curiously, the duo were representing Luxembourg. After releasing four albums, Baccara ceased to exist in 1982. Up from this moment, MarΓa and Mayte have followed their musical careers separately, either solo or with new reformations of the duo like Baccara 2000 or New Baccara.
Mayte Mateos graduated as a teacher from the Royal Spanish Academy for Arts, Drama and Dance in Madrid and then joined Spanish Television's Ballet Company. While there she met fellow performer MarΓa Mendiola. In 1976 the two women formed a singing and dancing duo (using the title Venus) and left the Ballet Company. Initially the duo's act was simply that of variety show dancers. Their first television appearance was on the PalmarΓ©s light entertainment programme[1] and they were engaged at a nightclub in the Aragon city of Zaragoza, but their contract was cancelled when the club manager decided that they were "too elegant" for the style of show.[2] Mateos and Mendiola relocated to the Canary Islands in search of work. Here they found that there was an audience for the performance of traditional Spanish music and dance in a form that was adapted to suit international tastes.
The duo were spotted by Leon Deane, manager of the German subsidiary of record company RCA, whilst performing flamenco dance and traditional Spanish songs for tourists (mostly German) in the Tres Islas Hotel on the island of Fuerteventura. He invited them to Hamburg in order for them to meet the 30 year old Dutch producer/composer Rolf Soja.[3] Soja was the prime mover behind what became Baccara.
He developed their stage performance and recruited their instrumental support. Mateos and Mendiola were retitled Baccara, after the name of the black rose, in reference to the women's dark Spanish appearance.
Together with fellow writer Frank Dostal, Soja penned their dΓ©but single βYes Sir, I Can Boogieβ and most of their other 1970's hits. Recorded in Holland and released in 1977, βYes Sir, β¦β proved to be a huge success, reaching the top of the charts in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Belgium, Israel, and Switzerland, and number three in France.[4] Later that year a self-titled album, written and produced by Soja and Dostal, was released. Soja is generally credited with the Baccara formula - consisting of breathy lyrics, lush backing, a disco beat and the striking image of two women (one dressed in black and the other in white) dancing. While drawing lightly on Spanish flamenco song and dance tradition, the formula was very much rooted in 1970's disco music. Soja's song arrangements generally used Mateos as the lead singer while Mendiola contributed with backing and refrains.
βYes Sir, I Can Boogieβ was an enormous pan-European hit and was a prime example of the phenomenon that is known as the "summer hit".[5] The song was heard everywhere over the summer of 1977 and it is still evocative of that moment in time. It is also one of the best known examples of the Eurodisco genre : β[β¦] this mind-bending Common Market melding of foreign accents, bad diction, bizarre arrangements and lightweight production, usually top-heavy with stringsβ - The Independent, 10th April 1999.
Baccara sold more than 16 million copies of βYes Sir, I Can Boogieβ and featured in the 1977 edition of the Guinness Book of Records as the highest-selling female musical group to date. They were the first female duo to reach number one in the UK, and had the only number one by a Spanish artist in the UK until Julio Iglesias, four years later. A follow-up single, βSorry, I'm A Ladyβ, was also an international hit, peaking at the top of the charts in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium and reaching the top ten in the UK, Sweden and Switzerland.[4] Most of Baccara's recordings were sung in English although they did also record in Spanish, German and French. They recorded different language versions of some songs (see Discography below).
Touring in Europe during the late 1970's helped the band establish a firm fan base in Germany (where their records continued to be produced) and the Scandinavian countries, and their Spanish-flavoured interpretation of the disco sound also brought them recognition in Japan and Russia. Baccara represented West Germany at the eighth World Popular Song Festival held in November 1977 β until it ended in 1989 the largest such contest in the world. Their song, βMad In Madridβ, came 14th out of 37 participating countries.
In 1978 the second Baccara album, βLight My Fireβ, was released across Europe, and whilst not matching the international success of the first, it spawned the single βParlez-vous franΓ§ais?β which was selected as Luxembourg's entry in that year's Eurovision Song Contest.[6] Despite full marks from Italy, Portugal and Spain the duo finished in 7th place. However high sales, particularly in Denmark, Sweden and Belgium, meant that the single was a commercial success.
βThink what you like about Baccara, seen today their 1978 Eurovision performance has a certain style while their competition from that event looks dated and amateurishβ³ - New Musical Express, May 2002
Further recognition came in 1978 when Baccara was granted Germany's most prestigious media award, Burda Publishing Group's Bambi prize. This is offered annually to βcelebrities whose abilities have impressed, moved and enthused the people in Germanyβ.[7] The duo made regular television appearances, becoming weekly guests on Sacha Distel's show in the UK, and on Musikladen in Germany. 1978 was the high point of Baccara's artistic and commercial success.
Late that year the duo released the single βThe Devil Sent You to Loradoβ[8] with βSomewhere in Paradiseβ[9] as its B side. Both of these Baccara recordings have become iconic. βSomewhere in Paradiseβ (with its allusions to life after death) is regularly played by Christian radio stations while βThe Devilβ¦β (with its background pistol shots) is sometimes identified with the gay community. A Spanish language version of the βThe Devilβ¦β (βEl diablo te mandΓ³ a Laredoβ) was released at the same time as the English one.
1979 saw the album βColoursβ and the separately-recorded single βEins plus eins ist einsβ, released to mark the United Nations' International Year of the Child and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UN adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
Baccara's fourth and final album (in the band's original incarnation) was βBad Boysβ, released in 1981. By this time the disco sound had been overshadowed by newer music movements (such as punk, new wave and synthpop) in much of Europe and interest was largely confined to those countries where the duo had an established fan base, notably Germany. The album was not released in the UK or US.
Baccara have been (possibly unfairly) described as βone hit wonderβ in the UK, while they never achieved any recognition in the US despite some of their songs being given significant airplay. One music critic suggested that the Baccara formula lacked artistic depth but had been βmined for all it was worthβ over two years until public interest moved on to other things.[10] The same critic also drew attention to an element of βanti-feminist subservienceβ in the lyrics of some Baccara songs.
The 1980 single release of βSleepy-Time-Toyβ led to disagreement within Baccara over the vocal mix used. Mendiola complained that her voice was not given sufficient prominence in the song's arrangement and sued RCA for breach of contract.[11] A court hearing in Munich resulted in 250,000 records being recalled from dealers. The dispute fatally damaged relationships. One consequence of this was that Soja and Dostal were not involved with Baccara's final album. The duo recorded βBad Boysβ with Bruce Baxter and Graham Sacher. Neither the album nor its spin-off single βColoradoβ were successful. In 1981, after RCA declined to renew their contract, Mateos and Mendiola ended their professional partnership and both launched solo careers.
By 1983 both artists had released albums of their own β Mateos with βSpanish Dreamsβ and Mendiola with βBorn Againβ β which saw moderate success amongst Baccara's original fan base. However there remained a demand for Baccara's music, particularly on the European television circuit, and by the middle of the decade both Mateos and Mendiola had formed their own versions of Baccara with new singing partners. Despite a series of name and line-up changes, both Baccara duos continue to perform around Europe and have released new albums. Both have also made re-recordings of their hits for various minor record labels, which are regularly re-packaged and re-issued under the original Baccara name. However, the original song versions (those recorded between 1977 and 1981) remain the property of Sony-BMG, which holds the rights to the RCA back catalogue.
On the occasion of Baccara's 30th Anniversary, Sony-BMG Germany released a very complete 3 CD box set on August 31 2007. This collection includes 50 RCA original recordings. Several songs such as βMad In Madridβ, βAmoureuxβ, βBaila tΓΊβ, βEn el aΓ±o 2000β, βEins plus eins ist einsβ and βCandidoβ made their debut on CD.
Baccara's most famous hits were "Sorry I'm a lady" and "Yes sir, I can boogie", both of which topped the charts during 1977 in some European countries, including the United Kingdom. In 1978, their song "Parlez-Vous FranΓ§ais?" got the seventh place at the Eurovision Song Contest. Curiously, the duo were representing Luxembourg. After releasing four albums, Baccara ceased to exist in 1982. Up from this moment, MarΓa and Mayte have followed their musical careers separately, either solo or with new reformations of the duo like Baccara 2000 or New Baccara.
Mayte Mateos graduated as a teacher from the Royal Spanish Academy for Arts, Drama and Dance in Madrid and then joined Spanish Television's Ballet Company. While there she met fellow performer MarΓa Mendiola. In 1976 the two women formed a singing and dancing duo (using the title Venus) and left the Ballet Company. Initially the duo's act was simply that of variety show dancers. Their first television appearance was on the PalmarΓ©s light entertainment programme[1] and they were engaged at a nightclub in the Aragon city of Zaragoza, but their contract was cancelled when the club manager decided that they were "too elegant" for the style of show.[2] Mateos and Mendiola relocated to the Canary Islands in search of work. Here they found that there was an audience for the performance of traditional Spanish music and dance in a form that was adapted to suit international tastes.
The duo were spotted by Leon Deane, manager of the German subsidiary of record company RCA, whilst performing flamenco dance and traditional Spanish songs for tourists (mostly German) in the Tres Islas Hotel on the island of Fuerteventura. He invited them to Hamburg in order for them to meet the 30 year old Dutch producer/composer Rolf Soja.[3] Soja was the prime mover behind what became Baccara.
He developed their stage performance and recruited their instrumental support. Mateos and Mendiola were retitled Baccara, after the name of the black rose, in reference to the women's dark Spanish appearance.
Together with fellow writer Frank Dostal, Soja penned their dΓ©but single βYes Sir, I Can Boogieβ and most of their other 1970's hits. Recorded in Holland and released in 1977, βYes Sir, β¦β proved to be a huge success, reaching the top of the charts in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Belgium, Israel, and Switzerland, and number three in France.[4] Later that year a self-titled album, written and produced by Soja and Dostal, was released. Soja is generally credited with the Baccara formula - consisting of breathy lyrics, lush backing, a disco beat and the striking image of two women (one dressed in black and the other in white) dancing. While drawing lightly on Spanish flamenco song and dance tradition, the formula was very much rooted in 1970's disco music. Soja's song arrangements generally used Mateos as the lead singer while Mendiola contributed with backing and refrains.
βYes Sir, I Can Boogieβ was an enormous pan-European hit and was a prime example of the phenomenon that is known as the "summer hit".[5] The song was heard everywhere over the summer of 1977 and it is still evocative of that moment in time. It is also one of the best known examples of the Eurodisco genre : β[β¦] this mind-bending Common Market melding of foreign accents, bad diction, bizarre arrangements and lightweight production, usually top-heavy with stringsβ - The Independent, 10th April 1999.
Baccara sold more than 16 million copies of βYes Sir, I Can Boogieβ and featured in the 1977 edition of the Guinness Book of Records as the highest-selling female musical group to date. They were the first female duo to reach number one in the UK, and had the only number one by a Spanish artist in the UK until Julio Iglesias, four years later. A follow-up single, βSorry, I'm A Ladyβ, was also an international hit, peaking at the top of the charts in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium and reaching the top ten in the UK, Sweden and Switzerland.[4] Most of Baccara's recordings were sung in English although they did also record in Spanish, German and French. They recorded different language versions of some songs (see Discography below).
Touring in Europe during the late 1970's helped the band establish a firm fan base in Germany (where their records continued to be produced) and the Scandinavian countries, and their Spanish-flavoured interpretation of the disco sound also brought them recognition in Japan and Russia. Baccara represented West Germany at the eighth World Popular Song Festival held in November 1977 β until it ended in 1989 the largest such contest in the world. Their song, βMad In Madridβ, came 14th out of 37 participating countries.
In 1978 the second Baccara album, βLight My Fireβ, was released across Europe, and whilst not matching the international success of the first, it spawned the single βParlez-vous franΓ§ais?β which was selected as Luxembourg's entry in that year's Eurovision Song Contest.[6] Despite full marks from Italy, Portugal and Spain the duo finished in 7th place. However high sales, particularly in Denmark, Sweden and Belgium, meant that the single was a commercial success.
βThink what you like about Baccara, seen today their 1978 Eurovision performance has a certain style while their competition from that event looks dated and amateurishβ³ - New Musical Express, May 2002
Further recognition came in 1978 when Baccara was granted Germany's most prestigious media award, Burda Publishing Group's Bambi prize. This is offered annually to βcelebrities whose abilities have impressed, moved and enthused the people in Germanyβ.[7] The duo made regular television appearances, becoming weekly guests on Sacha Distel's show in the UK, and on Musikladen in Germany. 1978 was the high point of Baccara's artistic and commercial success.
Late that year the duo released the single βThe Devil Sent You to Loradoβ[8] with βSomewhere in Paradiseβ[9] as its B side. Both of these Baccara recordings have become iconic. βSomewhere in Paradiseβ (with its allusions to life after death) is regularly played by Christian radio stations while βThe Devilβ¦β (with its background pistol shots) is sometimes identified with the gay community. A Spanish language version of the βThe Devilβ¦β (βEl diablo te mandΓ³ a Laredoβ) was released at the same time as the English one.
1979 saw the album βColoursβ and the separately-recorded single βEins plus eins ist einsβ, released to mark the United Nations' International Year of the Child and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UN adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
Baccara's fourth and final album (in the band's original incarnation) was βBad Boysβ, released in 1981. By this time the disco sound had been overshadowed by newer music movements (such as punk, new wave and synthpop) in much of Europe and interest was largely confined to those countries where the duo had an established fan base, notably Germany. The album was not released in the UK or US.
Baccara have been (possibly unfairly) described as βone hit wonderβ in the UK, while they never achieved any recognition in the US despite some of their songs being given significant airplay. One music critic suggested that the Baccara formula lacked artistic depth but had been βmined for all it was worthβ over two years until public interest moved on to other things.[10] The same critic also drew attention to an element of βanti-feminist subservienceβ in the lyrics of some Baccara songs.
The 1980 single release of βSleepy-Time-Toyβ led to disagreement within Baccara over the vocal mix used. Mendiola complained that her voice was not given sufficient prominence in the song's arrangement and sued RCA for breach of contract.[11] A court hearing in Munich resulted in 250,000 records being recalled from dealers. The dispute fatally damaged relationships. One consequence of this was that Soja and Dostal were not involved with Baccara's final album. The duo recorded βBad Boysβ with Bruce Baxter and Graham Sacher. Neither the album nor its spin-off single βColoradoβ were successful. In 1981, after RCA declined to renew their contract, Mateos and Mendiola ended their professional partnership and both launched solo careers.
By 1983 both artists had released albums of their own β Mateos with βSpanish Dreamsβ and Mendiola with βBorn Againβ β which saw moderate success amongst Baccara's original fan base. However there remained a demand for Baccara's music, particularly on the European television circuit, and by the middle of the decade both Mateos and Mendiola had formed their own versions of Baccara with new singing partners. Despite a series of name and line-up changes, both Baccara duos continue to perform around Europe and have released new albums. Both have also made re-recordings of their hits for various minor record labels, which are regularly re-packaged and re-issued under the original Baccara name. However, the original song versions (those recorded between 1977 and 1981) remain the property of Sony-BMG, which holds the rights to the RCA back catalogue.
On the occasion of Baccara's 30th Anniversary, Sony-BMG Germany released a very complete 3 CD box set on August 31 2007. This collection includes 50 RCA original recordings. Several songs such as βMad In Madridβ, βAmoureuxβ, βBaila tΓΊβ, βEn el aΓ±o 2000β, βEins plus eins ist einsβ and βCandidoβ made their debut on CD.
Light My Fire
Baccara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Reach out for me
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
No time to hesitate this through
No time to
Try now and we can only loose
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Reach out for me
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
No time to hesitate this through
No time to
Try now and we can only loose
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Ooooooo ooooooo ooooooooo
Ooooooo ooooooo ooooooooo
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Reach out for me
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
No time to hesitate this through
No time to
Try now and we can only loose
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Reach out for me
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
No time to hesitate this through
No time to
Try now and we can only loose
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Ooooooo ooooooo ooooooooo
Ooooooo ooooooo ooooooooo
The lyrics to Baccara's song Light My Fire revolve around the theme of love and passion. The singer is urging her lover to take a chance on love and reach out to her. The repetition of the line "Why don't you maybe reach out for love?" emphasizes the singer's plea for her lover not to be hesitant when it comes to love. The chorus, which repeats the line "Come on baby light my fire, try to set the night on fire," is a metaphor for passion and the intense feelings that come with love. In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that the lover may be hesitant because they fear being hurt or getting too close, but she insists that they need to try despite the risks.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer is passionate and eager for love, while her lover may be more hesitant or cautious. The repeated "reach out" and "light my fire" lines also suggest that the singer wants her lover to take the lead and make the first move towards intimacy in their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby why don't you reach out?
Asking the lover to express their love and feelings.
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Encouraging the lover to take a step towards being emotionally expressive.
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Repeating the earlier plea for the lover to open up emotionally.
Oh lover baby why don't you maybe reach out for love
Repeating the call for the lover to show some affection and emotion.
Reach out for me
Expressing the desire to be the recipient of the lover's emotional expression.
You know that it would be untrue
Acknowledging that dishonesty would be involved in denying the desire and love shared between them both.
You know that I would be a liar
Repeating foreshadowing of the dishonesty needed to deny their love.
If I was to say to you
Imagining the hypothetical scenario where one would deny their love.
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Acknowledging they are at their height of desire and love, and it cannot be surpassed.
Come on baby light my fire
Urging the lover to ignite their passion and love for each other.
Try to set the night on fire
Encouraging the lover to make the moment as passionate and romantic as possible.
No time to hesitate this through
Expressing the urgency to not waste time and to act on their feelings.
Try now and we can only lose
Acknowledging the risk involved in expressing their feelings, but emphasizing that not acting would be a greater loss.
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Imagining a life where their love fuels and drives them, creating endless passion.
Ooooooo ooooooo ooooooooo
Repeating the vocalization, emphasizing the passion and intensity surrounding their love.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@ashrafomran4358
Baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Reach out for me
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
No time to hesitate this through
No time to
Try now and we can only loose
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Reach out for me
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
No time to hesitate this through
No time to
Try now and we can only loose
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
@ashoktanwar990
wonderful. Takes me back 41 years when first heard it on LP in 1977, as a teenager.
@carinfourie6692
They were magical...I loved them since the age of 8, my dad had this record..
@letrayyelmo3004
Esta versiΓ³n es genial... Un verdadero regalo para el alma!
@velmad3091
I just love that Spanish guitarπ₯
@64214Jose
Yep, me too.
@jussitarponen1919
this album had a very beautiful coveri had this album those daysthe songs were good though many other people thought other things
@velmad3091
Jussi Tarponen I thought so too about the coveri. This album and the first was best didnβt like the later ones. They were very popular in Sweden.
@64214Jose
Things like what?
@amitsundriyal8298
I heard it when I was 9years old and now my 45years still it's so mesmerizing
@ashrafomran4358
Baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Reach out for me
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
No time to hesitate this through
No time to
Try now and we can only loose
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out
Why don't you maybe reach out for love
Oh lover baby why don't you reach out?
Why don't you maybe reach out for love?
Reach out for me
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Oh we couldn't get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
No time to hesitate this through
No time to
Try now and we can only loose
And our life becomes fuel and fire
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire