Taco was born to a Dutch couple in Jakarta (On a side note, Indonesia was once a Dutch colony). Prior to his worldwide hit with Puttin' on the Ritz, he fronted a Berlin-based band called Taco's Bizz. Their niche was performing Depression-era oldies in a more contemporary style, and soon Taco was courted by record labels to release a solo single. Puttin' on the Ritz gained so much attention that an entire album was funded by RCA Records. Both the album and the single were hits in Europe, and thanks to a popular MTV video for Puttin' on the Ritz, the single and the album became hits in America as well, selling over 500,000 copies of Taco's 1982 debut album After Eight.
A follow-up album, Let's Face The Music, was recorded in 1984 for RCA, but it failed to recreate Taco's initial success, and he vanished from the American market immediately thereafter. Taco continued to record, however, focusing mostly on the German market with albums Swing Classics/In The Mood Of Glenn Miller in 1985 and Tell Me That You Like It in 1986 for Polydor. In 1987 he recorded the self-titled album Taco. In 1989 he briefly flirted with contemporary dance music by releasing a pair of singles, Love Touch and Got To Be Your Lover, that were blatantly styled after the high energy disco sound popularized by Stock Aitken Waterman. Afterwards he repositioned himself as a swing/soul singer. He has collaborated with Geff Harrison of Kin Ping Meh fame.
He currently resides in Germany, occasionally performing in Berlin and recording.
He has been referenced on the TV show The Simpsons. Episode BABF19, "Behind the Laughter", features Willie Nelson saying, "Thank you, Taco, for that loving tribute to Falco", as well as the end of the tribute itself. Recently, Taco was referenced in an episode of The Venture Bros. in describing Klaus Nomi's tuxedo attire.
La Chambre Séparée
Taco Lyrics
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Frequented clubs of bad taste
In disguise she mine the hunter
Only to play with her brain
Her husband at home without a notion
Led a dull, secluded life
Tell the night he
Trivialities and fate, with a pinch of spice and vice
Has changed the lives of small and great
La chambre separe, that lusty hideaway
Has many little secrets who tell of yesterday
Some trivial, some trite, some oo-la-la's in white
Some rendezvous made history or ended in a fight
Napolean Bonaparte
Was fooled, went out on a spree
Girls amused him in the chamber
There was no way he could flee
His generals, conspired
France was ready for a little break
They dethroned their ruler
Locked in the gwudarufay
Trivialities and fate, with a pinch of spice and vice
Has changed the lives of small and great
La chambre separe, that lusty hideaway
Has many little secrets who tell of yesterday
Some trivial, some trite, some oo-la-la's in white
Some rendezvous made history or ended in a fight
The lyrics of "La Chambre Separee" tell the story of Contessa Tridessa, a woman who frequents clubs of bad taste and hunts for prey, all whilst disguised. Her unsuspecting husband lives a dull, sequestered life until one night, he discovers her activities and begins to hunt her. The song describes the lusty hideaway of La chambre separee, a place where both small and great have had their lives changed by trivialities and fate, with a pinch of spice and vice. The room contains many secrets, some of which are trivial, others of which are trite, and some of which are oo-la-la's in white. From rendezvous that made history to those that ended in fights, the room holds the memories of its many visitors.
The lyrics of this song paint a picture of a secretive and exciting world where nothing is quite as it seems. Contessa Tridessa and her husband live very different lives, with one seeking adventure and the other content to live in seclusion. The use of historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte shows that this room and its secrets have been important to many throughout history, and that it has the power to make or break a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Contessa, of Tridessa
A woman named Contessa from a place called Tridessa
Frequented clubs of bad taste
She often went to low-class clubs
In disguise she mine the hunter
She disguised herself to pursue men
Only to play with her brain
She only wanted to manipulate and control them
Her husband at home without a notion
Her husband was unaware of her actions
Led a dull, secluded life
He lived a monotonous life, isolated from society
Tell the night he
Until the night he found out
Now he hunts her night and day
He is now obsessed with finding and catching her
Trivialities and fate, with a pinch of spice and vice
Small, insignificant events and destiny, with some added excitement and sin
Has changed the lives of small and great
These things have altered people's lives, regardless of their status
La chambre separe, that lusty hideaway
That separate chamber, a place of lustful intimacy
Has many little secrets who tell of yesterday
It holds many secrets from the past
Some trivial, some trite, some oo-la-la's in white
Some of these secrets are unimportant, some are cliché, and some are scandalous
Some rendezvous made history or ended in a fight
Some of these meetings were significant or ended with conflict
Napolean Bonaparte
The French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte
Was fooled, went out on a spree
He was deceived and went on a wild night out
Girls amused him in the chamber
Women entertained him in the private room
There was no way he could flee
He could not escape the situation
His generals, conspired
His military leaders plotted together
France was ready for a little break
The country was prepared for a change in leadership
They dethroned their ruler
They removed their emperor from power
Locked in the gwudarufay
He was imprisoned in a small cell
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: E. DONATO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind