Who Did It Better? Yes Sir, I Can Boogie

Who Did It Better? 

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie

This week? We have a very mixed bag of divas: a pair of Spanish sirens, the drag persona of a member of an established hit-making group, a transgender woman, the face and lead vocalist of a dynamic duo, and a true beauty who's a dancefloor filler. This song was suggested by none other than our own Miss Maddie! It seems, when she featured a video of the first group to record it, I erroneously mentioned that I adored the version by Sarah Brightman. Well, Sarah Brightman never recorded it - I had it confused with A Starship Trooper Stole My Heart. But it turns out there were, indeed, other versions of the song, some quite popular with the fanbases of these singers. 

Let's dig in!

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie was written by Frank Dostal and Rolf Soja.

It was first recorded by the Spanish vocal duo Baccara, which consists of Mayte Mateos and María Mendiola. Mateos and Mendiola were Spanish flamenco dancers who were discovered on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands by RCA Records executive Leon Deane. After seeing them dancing flamenco and singing traditional songs for tourists, he signed them to the label.

Produced by Soja, the song was a huge hit all across Europe in 1977, hitting #1 in the UK for one week in October. It also went #1 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and West Germany. In addition, it hit #2 in Spain and Austria, #5 in France, #9 in Australia, #13 in Italy, and #33 in New Zealand.

In 1985, Alexander Bard who would eventually become known worldwide as the lead singer  of the group Army Of Lovers (who had an international hit with Crucified), recorded an album as his drag persona, Barbie, with the help of the other eventual-members of Army Of  Lovers. Their version of the song is included on the album. 

 

A version by popular Israeli singer Danna (Dana) International was recorded with DJ extraordinaire Ofer Nissim in 1993 as part of her Danna International album.  The duo would go on to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 with her song Diva. Danna was the first openly transgender artist to take part in the competition.

Though assigned male at birth, Danna identified as female from a very young age. She was a very popular drag queen, and Ofer Nissim, after seeing her perform, helped discover her. With Nissim, she launched her professional singing career with a satirical version of Whitney Houston's My Name Is Not Susan. This led to her debut album, Danna International, which went gold in Israel. That same year, she flew to London for surgery and officially changed her name.

The musically adventuresome Goldfrapp (Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory), recorded a version of the song during their recording session for 2003's  Black Cherry album. Altering the title to simply, Yes Sir - their industrial-sounding take struck a chord with their fan base and was promoted by the duo on various television programs - even though the song was only available as part of the Dutch special edition bonus CD.

And finally, dance siren Sophie Ellis-Bextor (which is whom I got mixed up with Sara Brightman?) would record a version in 2003. It was included as a track on her I Won't Change You single. She also promoted the song during a number of television appearances. A live version of the song is included on her Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Kitchen Disco - Live At The London Palladium 2022 release.

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition!

The Song: Yes Sir, I Can Boogie/Yes, Sir

The Competition: Baccara vs. Barbie vs. International vs. Goldfrapp vs. Ellis-Bextor

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Baccara

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Barbie

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Danna International feat. Ofer Nissim

Yes Sir - Goldfrapp

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Baccara

Classic glissando opening bringing to mind two other disco classics - Thelma Houston's Don't Leave Me This Way and Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive. Plus some Donna Summer moaning. Man, talk about a wonderful set up. 

Lush and lovely (for the time period) with still more moaning. 

The vocals are too cute with lots of reverb. The over-articulation is part of its charm. Disco strings! Another classic sound. 

So, these ladies are lovely to look at. Without the visual, I must say, their vocals strike me as a bit on the thin side. The production work at play makes the most of what they have to offer, but I think the thing selling this to an audience is the song itself. 

There is something charmingly naïve about European disco. And your choice is to either  succumb or be horrified. Yes, there's something about it the feels stagnant or wooden. But that stiffness - shall we call it a lack of soul? - has its own allure.  

Things get a bit pitchy on that upswept "all night long..." I'm not saying it doesn't work, I'm just saying these ladies need to really work to find that note. 

They're much better on the verses, which are conversational in tone and come much more naturally to these beauties. I can imagine the reviews at the time... something akin to these ladies being little more than singing mannequins. Which, by the way, pretty much sums up the sexual appeal on display aurally as well. 

Listen to how they sing 'boogie, boogie'. It's almost comical, but endearing.

Between their odd pan-Europa accents and occasional tone deafness, I guess I could see why critics might dismiss this as just another reason disco is dead. But I happen to like untuneful, odd singing voices - which is something that should never be mistaken for bad singing. These ladies operate with a great deal of style and that can make up for whatever shortcomings they may suffer in the singing department. 

Let's hand it to the producers and label... at least they didn't bring in a bunch of ringers or try to shore it up with a ton of backup singers.

Personally, I am done with this at the 2:56 mark, but then I think all pop songs should end by the 3:00 mark.

Instead, we are treated to more moaning and ahh's and the chorus supplemented with a bit of additional vocalizing by one of the ladies. I am not sure what they are doing on the word 'long', but it continues to become more and more untuneful. Same applies to that additional vocalizing. See? There's a reason pop songs should end at the 3:00 mark. 

It can save all involved either embarrassment or pain.

Barbie

I love Barbie Goes Around The World, which is a sweet slice of Pet Shop Boys spliced with a bit of Human League. It's odd as hell, but fun.

Is that a harpsicord? And such an odd vocal affectation. What is that? 'Ehhh'? 

Oh, was not expecting all that busy beat business. Very near-techno. 

I get it. These vocals are sped up. To make them sound more feminine. (?)

Which is a little disappointing. You see, Alexander Bard can actually sing. He has a surprising range and great tone. Not surprisingly, he also suffers from what I can only term as... Eurovision-itis. We love the spirit, but well... we laugh a bit at the execution. It's always a bit odd. Eurocentric? 

Because of the sped up vocals, this is nothing more than a novelty record in my book. I can't take it seriously. 

Is that word 'long' going to be untuneful in every damn version? It bends my damn ear every time.

Now, I kind of wish Marlene Dietrich had lived long enough to record this. Or... why didn't Eartha Kitt?

The production work here sounds incredibly cheap. There's no separation, no air, and no depth to it. 

Okay, I made it to the spoken word C-section... and - I am done. 

Very disappointed.

Danna International feat. Ofer Nissim

Nice opening, lots of ahh's. Some sexy. Really like that pseudo-bass percolating. 

Oh, Dana can sing. She goes by Dana now, so that is how I will refer to her. 

Lots going on. Nissim really is quite clever. I have a number of his DJ sets on CD and when he chooses to remix something for an artist or produce it is always a treat.

I can tell you right now... the first version that lands that damn 'long' is going to win this for me. It sound untuneful here, too. What is the rub? What is causing that aural conflict? Is it some secret mad scientist discovery which brainwashes listeners and that is the reason this was an international hit?

Oh, my. Nissim is bringing so much to the table. Changing it up constantly. I heard a bit of Moroder early on, then some Ibiza trance, and now some Madonna/Nellee Hooper gurgling. And then it's back to Moroder. Sweet. Schizophrenic. But fun. 

That lovely 'Oh...', just before the title of the song? That's why I think Dana can sing. That is perfection. She nails that every time. I am assuming everything else is an homage to the original or a fun affectation. Because that really is the only thing going on in this song which makes me believe she's got a gift. 

That's a nice Bolero like touch Nissam brings near the 3:45 mark. 

And it simply plays out that way... except we get an excellent coda, a reprise of the start of the song. 

Nicely done. Interesting. I would listen to this again.

Goldfrapp

Leave it to these two to take us 'round the bend. 

Very Devo opening. Alison is in German dominatrix/whisper mode. This is a very creative take, one which has all the unmistakable earmarks of a Goldfrapp recording. Love the icy little synth stabs. You wouldn't know from this recording, but Alison is a very gifted singer. She's having a bit of fun here - more of an acting job than a singing one. 

And Mr. Gregory just keeps whipping things up, intensifying, increasing the tension. I can see why this is totally a fan favorite. He's unfurling synth lines like a whip. And that wonderful static grunge keeps things growing dimensionally. 

A brief respite before launching into a very dirty sort of what? guitar solo? It's very similar to what Robert Fripp was doing during his Frippertronics era. With some fun sci-fi effects thrown in. It's like they're trying to tune in something on an old ham radio. 

And it simply, literally, putters out. 

Fun.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Brilliant opening. Love the bell tones. This is like the Sex In The City version.  Full-bodied. Great strings. Taking me somewhere...

Great mix. Sophie is way on top, sounding like a disco space queen. Listen to that little trill she gives the 'for' on "what you're looking for." 

This is similar to the original, but warmer, with a fuller sound. And she comes closest to making 'long' work. (Well, Alison Goldfrapp very well may have, but, honestly? Who could tell?) 

Love the vocoder. Inspired. Fun little gallop to the chorus. The strings are disco perfection. 

Yet... there is something very homogenized about it. 

And what is she doing with 'chance' - or, as she sings it 'chonce'?

The thing is though... she's the first version where I started following the storyline. She can sing and she's damn charming. 

That brief instrumental break? Well, it would have been nice if they'd done something with it, but it isn't much of one. We're back to the chorus before we know it. 

I love those Lone Ranger style strings. They add a lot of fun. 

And, just like the original version, she waits for the end to add in some additional vocalizing (around the 3:00 mark). It gets a little messy.

I can't believe this goes on for another minute...

Oh, the drop out... nice move. Fun to hear the other pieces minus the rhythm track. 

And... we fade. 

Huh. 

I am going to have to sleep on this one. 

The Verdict

Okay. We'll eliminate Barbie right from the start. It's a novelty record at best and just so-so.

And as much as I like Goldfrapp's take on this, it's so far removed from the original song as to almost qualify as a new song that I'm not going to consider it either. I do think it's a lot of fun and the duo is having a blast, doing a great job of subverting the song's underlying somewhat twisted misogyny. It's constructed well and produced to perfection - but disco fun, it is not.

I like the simplicity of the original. Given the time and the technological advancements not available which the other two versions were privy to, producer/writer Soja does an excellent job of making the most of what he has to work with. And what he has to work with is part of the problem, here. Those ladies can barely sing. In the polite world of cabaret, they might slide by on style, but when it comes to the dance floor, I require a little more than the adroit android Euro-disco mannered mannequins on display. Stylish and clever alone doesn't cut it. I need me some soul. 

Ellis Bextor's version is a bit too homogenized for my taste. Yet, it captures a lot of what I like about the original while adding the bonus of someone who can truly sing. Her version is a tad pat, taking absolutely no risks, pleasant and easily digestible - like a great cover song, which is what it is.

Dana International may be a good singer - it's difficult to tell. With the exception of that 'Oh' before the title line, she's sort of buried or a bit lost within all of Nissim's many incredibly fun dance music landscapes. From what I can hear of it, her performance is an homage to the original's Euro-disco dollies, playing the part of a continental dance hall hostess. 

For me, it comes down to Ellis Bextor or Dana International. I actually did sleep on this and it was Ellis Bextor who wooed me to sleep last night - her rounded-out, hermetically sealed version and sound stayed with me. 

So, I am giving this to Ellis Bextor, even though, in my heart of hearts I would rather dance to Dana International's voice. It's a matter of the mix. For me - the singer serves the song and needs to be the focus. That doesn't happen for Dana, who keeps having to take a backseat to Nissim's noodling. Ellix Bextor, on the other hand, rules her version - never soaring, but staying on top and doing a nice job of tipping her hat to the originators. 

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And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn. You know what to do: leave your thoughts and choice in the comments section.

That's all for now.

Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Baccara

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Danna International feat. Ofer Nissim

Yes Sir - Goldfrapp

Yes Sir, I Can Boogie - Sophie Ellis-Bextor