Baccara

Baccara are a Spanish pop duo, most famous for Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, which reached number one in October 1977. With a penchant for peculiar song titles, including Ay Ay Sailor and Sorry I'm A Lady, the duo stacked up a variety of europop and disco hits before quietly disappearing.

It started back in early 1977. Mayte Matee and Maria Mendiolo were discovered on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura by RCA, where they performed cabaret and flamenco for the tourists. Named after the Baccara Rose their first song, Yes Sir, I Can Boogie reached number one in the UKand became a massive international hit. Followed swiftly by a second single, the hilariously camp Sorry, I'm A Lady, and a self-titled album, Baccara were a hit. Briefly.

Of course, more singles followed: Darling, Ay Ay Sailor, The Devil Sent You To Laredo, and an appearance representing Luxembourg on the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest. But this appearance pretty much marked the peak of their career. They faded swiftly from fame in the UK, though they remained popular in Germany, Scandinavia and Japan for some years. By 1981 their fourth album release, Bad Boys, was largely ignored in most of Europe, and was not even released in the UK.

To further complicate matters, Mayte and Maria decided to split, both releasing solo albums in countries with a strong Baccara fanbase. Furthermore, each group wished to retain the Baccara name and form a new band, leading to the introduction of Baccara (Mayte's version of the group) and New Baccara (Maria's version). New Baccara still exists today, featuring the talents of Maria and new girl Marissa Perez. Their success remains limited.