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 Français?" 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, María 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 María 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 Palmarés 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 début single “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” and most of their other 1970's hits. Recorded in Holland and released in 1977, “Yes Sir, …” 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.
“Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” 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 : “[…] this mind-bending Common Market melding of foreign accents, bad diction, bizarre arrangements and lightweight production, usually top-heavy with strings” - The Independent, 10th April 1999.
Baccara sold more than 16 million copies of “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” 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, “Sorry, I'm A Lady”, 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 – until it ended in 1989 the largest such contest in the world. Their song, “Mad In Madrid”, came 14th out of 37 participating countries.
In 1978 the second Baccara album, “Light My Fire”, was released across Europe, and whilst not matching the international success of the first, it spawned the single “Parlez-vous français?” 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.
“Think what you like about Baccara, seen today their 1978 Eurovision performance has a certain style while their competition from that event looks dated and amateurish″ - 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 “celebrities whose abilities have impressed, moved and enthused the people in Germany”.[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 “The Devil Sent You to Lorado”[8] with “Somewhere in Paradise”[9] as its B side. Both of these Baccara recordings have become iconic. “Somewhere in Paradise” (with its allusions to life after death) is regularly played by Christian radio stations while “The Devil…” (with its background pistol shots) is sometimes identified with the gay community. A Spanish language version of the “The Devil…” (“El diablo te mandó a Laredo”) was released at the same time as the English one.
1979 saw the album “Colours” and the separately-recorded single “Eins plus eins ist eins”, 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 “Bad Boys”, 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 “one hit wonder” 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 “mined for all it was worth” over two years until public interest moved on to other things.[10] The same critic also drew attention to an element of “anti-feminist subservience” in the lyrics of some Baccara songs.
The 1980 single release of “Sleepy-Time-Toy” 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 “Bad Boys” with Bruce Baxter and Graham Sacher. Neither the album nor its spin-off single “Colorado” 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 – Mateos with “Spanish Dreams” and Mendiola with “Born Again” – 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 “Mad In Madrid”, “Amoureux”, “Baila tú”, “En el año 2000”, “Eins plus eins ist eins” and “Candido” made their debut on CD.
Parlez-Vous Francais
Baccara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How was the island, the sun and the sea?
Tell me all about it
Oo just too much, Maria
It was like a dream come true
Go on, I want details
Where did you stay?
What did you do?
Oh, I don't know where to start
Well, the most important thing first
Any romance? All right then
Laying down by the seaside
One lazy afternoon
In the sun, in the sun?
Having fun, having fun?
Watching him watching me
Was his body looking naughty
I thought it was too soon
Oh, but then, why? What then?
Oh, that man, oh, that man
Stood before me as tall as a tree
He asked me
Parlez-vous français?
If you do, we will be okay
If not, it's all right
'Cause baby, tonight
L'amour will teach you what to say
He asked me
Voulez-vous dancer?
If you do, we will be okay
'Cause lovers in France
Begin with a dance
L'amour will teach you what to say
Have you had a feeling
You don't know who you are?
Once you are glad, once you are glad
Once you are sad, oonce you're sad
That's what he did to me
I'll show you Eros, the way to Paris
I don't care if it's far
I'll be bad, I'll be bad
I'll be mad, I'll be mad
I'll be crazy as Paris can be
They'll as me
Parlez-vous français?
If you do, we will be okay
If not, it's all right
'Cause baby, tonight
L'amour will teach you what to say
They'll ask me
Voulez-vous dancer?
If you do, we will be okay
'Cause lovers in France
Begin with a dance
L'amour will teach you what
To say olé
They'll ask me
Parlez-vous français?
If you do, we will be okay
If not, it's all right
'Cause baby, tonight
L'amour will teach you what to say
They'll ask me
Parlez-vous français?
If you do, we will be okay
If not, it's all right
'Cause baby, tonight
L'amour will teach you what to say
Parlez-vous français?
If you do, we will be okay
If not, it's all right
'Cause baby, tonight
L'amour will teach you what to say
Parlez-vous français?
Voulez-vous dancer?
The song "Parlez-vous Francais?" by Baccara is an upbeat, catchy tune that tells the story of a woman named Mayte who goes on a trip to an island and has a romantic encounter with a man who speaks French. The lyrics begin with Mayte's friend Maria asking about her trip, and Mayte excitedly recounting her experience. She explains that she met a man on the beach and they had fun together watching the waves. The man asked Mayte if she spoke French and if she wanted to dance, and Mayte, who did not speak French, agrees. The chorus of the song repeats, with the man asking Mayte if she speaks French and wants to dance, and Mayte saying that love will teach her what to say.
Line by Line Meaning
Wow,hello, you are looking good, Mayte
The singer is greeting Mayte and complimenting her appearance.
How was the island, the sun and the sea?
The singer is asking Mayte about her trip to the island, wanting to hear about the sun and the sea.
Tell me all about it
The singer is expressing a desire to hear all the details of Mayte's trip.
Oo just too much, Maria
Mayte expresses that the trip was an overwhelming experience, addressing the artist as Maria.
It was like a dream come true
Mayte describes the trip as a fulfilling and surreal experience.
Go on, I want details
The singer emphasizes her interest in hearing more about the trip and encourages Mayte to share more details.
Where did you stay?
The singer is asking Mayte about the place where she stayed during the trip.
What did you do?
The artist is asking Mayte about the activities she engaged in during the trip.
Who did you meet?
The artist is asking Mayte about the people she met on the trip.
Oh, I don't know where to start
Mayte expresses confusion regarding where to start sharing about her trip.
Well, the most important thing first
The singer urges Mayte to start with the most important thing about the trip.
Any romance? All right then
The artist has an interest in hearing about any romantic experiences Mayte had and reassures her that it's okay to share.
Laying down by the seaside
Mayte sets the scene for a relaxing afternoon by the sea.
One lazy afternoon
Mayte describes the time of day as being lazy and relaxed.
In the sun, in the sun?
The singer repeats the phrase for emphasis, questioning whether Mayte was enjoying the sun.
Having fun, having fun?
The artist repeats the phrase for emphasis, questioning whether Mayte was having fun.
Watching him watching me
Mayte describes an exchange of gazes with someone who was observing her lying on the beach.
Was his body looking naughty
Mayte questions whether the person who was watching her had a suggestive or playful demeanor.
I thought it was too soon
Mayte expresses that she felt it was not yet appropriate for anything romantic to happen between them.
Oh, but then, why? What then?
Oh, that man, oh, that man
Stood before me as tall as a tree
Mayte is questioning her initial hesitance towards the man watching her, as he later appeared in a powerful and attractive manner.
He asked me
Parlez-vous français?
If you do, we will be okay
If not, it's all right
'Cause baby, tonight
L'amour will teach you what to say
The man asks Mayte if she speaks French, and reassures her that if she doesn't, it doesn't matter since love will guide their conversation.
He asked me
Voulez-vous dancer?
If you do, we will be okay
'Cause lovers in France
Begin with a dance
L'amour will teach you what to say
The man asks Mayte if she wants to dance, emphasizing that it's a natural way for lovers to begin bonding in France, and that love will teach her what to say.
Have you had a feeling
You don't know who you are?
Once you are glad, once you are glad
Once you are sad, once you're sad
That's what he did to me
Mayte asks if anyone else has had the experience of feeling uncertain of their identity, which she attributes to the man's impact on her emotions.
I'll show you Eros, the way to Paris
I don't care if it's far
I'll be bad, I'll be bad
I'll be mad, I'll be mad
I'll be crazy as Paris can be
Mayte expresses her desire to lead the man to experience the passion of Eros and the allure of Paris, promising to let loose and embrace the excitement of the city.
They'll as me
Parlez-vous français?
If you do, we will be okay
If not, it's all right
'Cause baby, tonight
L'amour will teach you what to say
Mayte anticipates being asked if she speaks French, and recalls the man's earlier reassurance that love will guide their conversation if she doesn't.
They'll ask me
Voulez-vous dancer?
If you do, we will be okay
'Cause lovers in France
Begin with a dance
L'amour will teach you what
To say olé
Mayte anticipates being asked to dance, and recalls the man's earlier statement that love will teach her to say olé.
Parlez-vous français?
If you do, we will be okay
If not, it's all right
'Cause baby, tonight
L'amour will teach you what to say
The singer repeats the earlier phrase and reassurance that love will guide the conversation, regardless of whether Mayte speaks French.
Parlez-vous français?
Voulez-vous dancer?
The title phrase, asking if Mayte speaks French and wants to dance, which are both associated with romance in France.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: FRANK DOSTAL, ROLF SOJA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@steveguest2003
Wow... Bonjour, ma chere, tu as bonne mine Mayte
Comment cela a ete, Iile, la mer, la plage?
Hm... Formidable Maria, comme un reve, ah... Si j'avais vu
A-ha... As-tu compris L'importance de savoir le francais? This-le moi
Non
Je t'en pris, vois-tu?
Oh... Je le sais, c'est-a-dire...
Ah... Je suis l'amour heure un affair de coeur?
Vas-y, et bien, ca y est
Elle est a la plage, un peu l'apres-midi
Le soleil (Le soleil?)
Me reveille (Te reveille?)
Que d'un homme, un passant
Un messager sans alliance
C'est sur: des traits d'un joueur
Et alors? (Hm... Alors?)
Ou cet homme (Ou cet homme?)
Ou il vient chez moi comme un brigand, demanda:
Parlez-vous francais?
La langue d'amour et de l'ete
Voila, c'est une chance, d'un cours de vacances
Mais on y soit qui mal, il pense
Il me dit
Parlez-vous francais?
Mais cette nuit, laisse-moi prier
De voir les lumieres d'une jolie maniere
De faire l'amour a mon francais
Quel bonheur, sale nuage
L'amour en verite
Quand on pleur (Le bonheur)
Embrasser (Enchante)
Oh... Quel temps des jeunes folies
La Mery-Seine plus d'une semaine
Nous irons la-bas ensemble
Nous serons (C'est si beau)
Nous serons (C'est si beau)
Nous serons comme les belles de Paris
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous francais?
La langue d'amour et de l'ete
Voila, c'est une chance, d'un cours de vacances
Mais on y soit qui mal, il pense
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous francais?
Mais cette nuit, laisse-moi prier
De voir les lumieres d'une jolie maniere
De faire l'amour a mon francais
Ole
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous francais?
La langue d'amour et de l'ete
Voila, c'est une chance, d'un cours de vacances
Mais on y soit qui mal, il pense
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous francais?
La langue d'amour et de l'ete
Voila, c'est une chance, d'un cours de vacances
Mais on y soit qui mal, il pense
Parlez-vous francais?
Mais cette nuit, laisse-moi prier
De voir les lumieres d'une jolie maniere
De faire l'amour a mon francais
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous français?
@psympson
Hi! Here you are, I think there are still some gramatical errors, but if you search the lyrics online, they're worse than these:
Wow... Bonjour, ma chère, tu as bonne mine Mayte !
Comment cela a été, l'île, la mer, la plage ?
Hm... Formidable Maria, comme un rêve, ah... Si j'avais vu
A-ha... As-tu compris l'importance de savoir le français ? Dis-le moi
Non
Je t'en pris, vois-tu ?
Oh... Je ne sais, c'est-à-dire...
Ah... Je suis l'amour hein? un affaire de coeur ?
Vas-y, et bien, ça y est
Elle est à la plage, un peu l'après-midi
Le soleil (Le soleil ?)
Me réveille (Te réveille ?)
Que d'un homme, un passant
Un messager sans alliage,
C'est sûr: des traits d'un joueur
Et alors ? (Hm... Alors ?)
Ou cet homme (Ou cet homme ?)
Ou il vient chez moi comme un brigand, demanda :
Parlez-vous français ?
La langue d'amour et de l'été
Voilá, c'est une chance, d'un cours de vacances
Mais honni soit qui mal y pense
Il me dit
Parlez-vous français ?
Mais cette nuit, laisse-moi prier
De voir les lumières d'une jolie manière
De faire l'amour à mon français
Quel bonheur, sale nuage
L'amour en verité
Quand on pleur (Le bonheur)
Embrasser (Enchantée)
Oh... Quel temps des jeunes folies
L'année prochaine, plus d'une semaine
Nous irons là-bas ensemble
Nous serons (C'est si beau)
Nous serons (C'est si bon)
Nous serons comme les belles de Paris
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous français ?
La langue d'amour et de l'été
Voilà, c'est une chance, d'un cours de vacances
Mais honni soit qui mal y pense
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous francais ?
Mais cette nuit, laisse-moi prier
De voir les lumières d'une jolie manière
De faire l'amour a mon français... ¡Olé!
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous francais ?
La langue d'amour et de l'eté
Voilà, c'est une chance, d'un cours de vacances
Mais honni soit qui mal y pense
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous français ?
La langue d'amour et de l'eté
Voila, c'est une chance, d'un cours de vacances
Mais honni soit qui mal y pense
Parlez-vous français ?
Mais cette nuit, laisse-moi prier
De voir les lumières d'une jolie manière
De faire l'amour a mon français
Nous dirons
Parlez-vous francais ?
La la la laaa.... tacatacatá... La la laaa...
@JEJE2361
Souvenirs... Un très bon disco, avec un excellent travail des violons. La prononciation en français est charmante 😊
@juanmajan
Que grandes!!!!! Maravillosas
@64214Jose
Best entry that year.
@JohanLebbing
The intro is amazing........big crush on Mayte, such a wonderful lady.
@Denon1970
Fantásticas Baccara María y Mayte !
@andresdeleon5499
El mejor dúo del mundo Mayte y María bellísimas las dos
@casimirmasque2147
J'adore, j'adore et j'adore encore
@walterdelanghe6519
Comme un rêve !
@Avecitoyens1804
Ave !
@Denon1970
RIP María Mendiola