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 María 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 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.
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.
Yes Sir I Can Boogie
Baccara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mister
Your eyes are full of hesitation
Sure makes me wonder
If you know what you're looking for
Baby
I wanna keep my reputation
I'm a sensation
You try me once, you'll beg for more
Oh, yes sir, I can boogie
But a I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
No sir
I don't feel very much like talking
No, neither walking
You wanna know if I can dance
Yes sir
Already told you in the first verse
And in the chorus
But I will give you one more chance
Oh, yes sir, I can boogie
But a need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie
But a need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie (I can boogie)
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, (I can boogie) boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie (I can boogie)
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, (I can boogie) boogie-boogie
All night long (all night long)
Yes sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Your eyes are full of hesitation
Sure makes me wonder
If you know what you're looking for
Baby
I wanna keep my reputation
I'm a sensation
Oh, yes sir, I can boogie
But a I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
No sir
I don't feel very much like talking
No, neither walking
You wanna know if I can dance
Yes sir
Already told you in the first verse
And in the chorus
But I will give you one more chance
Oh, yes sir, I can boogie
But a need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie
But a need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie (I can boogie)
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, (I can boogie) boogie-boogie
All night long
Yes sir, I can boogie (I can boogie)
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, (I can boogie) boogie-boogie
All night long (all night long)
Yes sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
All night long
The song "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" is about a woman who is confident in herself and her ability to dance to a certain song all night long. The lyrics express her self-assuredness and determination to maintain her reputation as a "sensation."
The first verse describes the woman's perception of the man's hesitation, making her wonder if he truly knows what he wants. The chorus then follows, emphasizing that the woman can dance well to a specific song, and ends with the line "all night long."
In the second verse, the woman's short responses to the man's questions demonstrate her disinterest in talking or walking, and her repetition of the chorus reaffirms her confidence in her ability to dance. The song ends with a final repetition of the chorus, once again emphasizing the woman's self-assuredness and ability to "boogie all night long."
Overall, the lyrics reflect the woman’s confidence and assertiveness, making her a character who stands out from traditional gender roles in music at the time. This may have contributed to the song's success and its status as a disco classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Mister
Addressing a man, possibly with a hint of concern
Your eyes are full of hesitation
You seem hesitant or unsure
Sure makes me wonder
This behavior makes me curious and suspicious
If you know what you're looking for
Do you have a clear goal or aim in mind?
Baby
Addressing a person with affection
I wanna keep my reputation
I want to maintain my public image or standing
I'm a sensation
I am very popular or well-known
You try me once, you'll beg for more
If you experience what I have to offer, you'll want more
Oh, yes sir, I can boogie
I am confident in my ability to dance
But a I need a certain song
However, I require a specific type of music to dance to
I can boogie, boogie-boogie
I can dance energetically and enthusiastically
All night long
For an extended period of time
If you stay, you can't go wrong
If you continue to spend time with me, it will be a positive experience
No sir
Politely declining or disagreeing with a man
I don't feel very much like talking
I am not in the mood for conversation
No, neither walking
I also do not feel like going for a walk
You wanna know if I can dance
You are curious about my dancing ability
Already told you in the first verse
I have already informed you earlier
And in the chorus
And it has been repeated in the chorus section
But I will give you one more chance
However, I am willing to humor you with another answer
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Frank Dostal, Rolf Soja
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@alidemirbas6566
Red flags for women in descending order:
1. smokes
2. messy household
3. plastic surgery
4. tatoos
5. her mother is heavier than you (thank me later)
When the rest, like general appearance, is average: jackpot, merry her
@christophertudor4727
@@larrycj4382 Hi Larry 👋🏻. Many thanks for correcting me on this. I thought it was a hit in America after reading something years ago on the songs global success.
I have just had a quick look at the chart history and you are correct - the song was never released in the States.
In most of Europe, Africa, Asia and even Australasia, as I've mentioned, the song was a huge hit reaching the top of the charts in many countries - but rather ironically, in Spain - it peaked at number 2.
It's a great classic!
Cheers,
Chris (UK).
@susanrobles515
Mister
Your eyes are full of hesitation
Sure makes me wonder
If you know what you're looking for
Baby
I wanna keep my reputation
I'm a sensation
You try me once, you'll beg for more
Yes Sir, I can boogie
But I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie boogie
All night long
Yes Sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie boogie, all night long
No Sir
I don't feel very much like talking
No, neither walking
You wanna know if I can dance
Yes Sir, already told you in the first verse
And in the chorus
But I will give you one more chance
Yes Sir, I can boogie
But I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie boogie
All night long
Yes Sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie boogie, all night long
Yes Sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie boogie, all night long
Yes Sir, I can boogie
But I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie boogie
All night long
Yes Sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie boogie, all night long
Yes Sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie boogie, all night long
Yes Sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can't go wrong
I can boogie, boogie boogie, all night long
@sarahjeanne8584
My dad was 17 in 1977. Today he still says 'Yes sir, I can boogie' to reply to anything you'd ask him. I love him, and this song.
@NinorahDeux
So cute !!
@adifferentangle7064
That is actually hilarious.
@Kevin-1969
He sounds awesome, what did he look like, I was 8 in 1977.
@alfredoespinoza2327
Te amo a ti por este comentario 🥴
@crecenciogonzalez9875
Same here same age
17 today still boogie
Guest forever young
😇😇😇👀👀👀👀
@craig1538
RIP María Mendolia who sadly passed away today aged 69. I remember when I first heard Yes Sir, I Can Boogie back in 1977 when I was just 7 years old. I loved it then and I still love it now. Hearing it now brings back some lovely memories of my younger days and instantly takes me back to the seventies. Thank you for those wonderful songs. Sleep well, María.
@alisonesler6621
O M G When did this happen
@judechannelimaginationcros8684
Such a sad day on Planet Earth.
@Belzedar
Especially painful listening to it just after I'd read Maria had died. So many times we're confronted with our mortality, though in youth you think it'll never happen to you. Hearing her singing now "I can boogie all night long" is just too much.