Taco Ockerse

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Taco

Country Germany
Genres Rock
Labels RCA

Taco Ockerse (born 21 July 1955) is a singer popularly known as Taco.

Taco gained international stardom when in 1982 he recorded a distinctive cover record of the old Irving Berlin favorite, Puttin' on the Ritz in Germany, which made him famous early the next year (United States Billboard chart number 4). It has been reported that he did not speak any English at all and merely read the lyrics from transliterations, but this is false: Taco's first language is English, and he has always performed in English. He also speaks German, Dutch, and French.

Taco was born to a Dutch couple in Jakarta. 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.

Contents

[edit] Selected Discography

[edit] After Eight (RCA Records, 1982, produced by David Parker)

  1. Singin' In The Rain
  2. Tribute To Tino
  3. Puttin' On The Ritz
  4. I Should Care
  5. Carmella
  6. La Vie En Rose
  7. Cheek To Cheek
  8. After Eight
  9. Livin' In My Dreamworld
  10. Encore (Sweet Gypse Rose)
  11. Thanks A Million

(Note: Released as Puttin' On The Ritz in Sweden by Grammofon AB Electra, 1982.)

[edit] "Singin' In The Rain" (1983) (UK double pack promotional 12" single only)

  1. Singin' In The Rain
  2. After Eight
  3. Puttin' On The Ritz
  4. Broadway Rhythm
  5. Living In My Dreamworld

[edit] "Superphysical Resurrection" (single only, 1983)

  1. Superphysical Resurrection
  2. Flash

[edit] Let's Face The Music (RCA Records, 1984, produced by David Parker)

  1. Let's Face The Music (And Dance)
  2. Taco's Charleston (Medley: Charleston/If You Knew Susie/An Oldie's Trip/Yes Sir That's My Baby)
  3. La Chambre Separee (A Media Luz)
  4. Mae West (appears on European pressings only)
  5. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (appears on European pressings only)
  6. Married (appears on American pressings only)
  7. They Can't Take That Away From Me
  8. Opera Rap
  9. Winchester Cathedral
  10. You Are My Lucky Star
  11. Flash
  12. Lassiter's Theme (Beware of the Winners)
  13. Sayonara ('Til We Meet Again)

[edit] "Under My Tight Skin" (single only) 1984

  1. Under My Tight Skin
  2. Standing In The Shadows

[edit] Swing Classics, in the mood of Glenn Miller (Polydor, 1985, produced by Werner Lang)

  1. Chattanooga Choo Choo
  2. That Old Black Magic
  3. Frenesi
  4. Moonlight Serenade
  5. Pennsylvania 6-5000
  6. Tuxedo Junction
  7. Stompin' At The Savoy
  8. In the Mood
  9. Perfedia
  10. Stardust
  11. Poinciana
  12. Serenade In Blue

[edit] Tell Me That You Like It (Polydor, 1986, produced by Taco and David Parker)

  1. You're My Answer To It All
  2. Tellin' Everybody
  3. Chove Chuva
  4. Mas Que Nada
  5. Hooked On Life
  6. Tell Me That You Like It
  7. Love Is A Dangerous Game
  8. Where Did Our Love Go
  9. I'm Sentimental
  10. Heartbreak City
  11. Ocean Deep

[edit] "Heartbreak City" (1986) (single)

  1. Heartbreak City
  2. Destination Love

[edit] Taco (Perle, 1987, produced by David Parker)

  1. Is It Love
  2. Nice Weather
  3. Chain Reaction
  4. Beautiful Sailor
  5. Venice An' Moonlight
  6. Running For Love
  7. You're Exactly What I'm Looking For
  8. If Swing Goes, I Go Too
  9. Night And Day

[edit] "Got To Be Your Lover" (single only, 1989)

[edit] "Love Touch" (single only, 1989)

[edit] "4 Tracks" (Japan only EP, 1989)

  1. Got To Be Your Lover
  2. Got To Be Your Lover (maxi version)
  3. Love Touch
  4. Love Touch (maxi version)

[edit] "Tico Tico" (single only, 1991)

  1. Tico Tico
  2. Magena
  3. Tico Tico (long version)

[edit] "Lady Of My Heart" (single only, 1990)

[edit] Puttin' On the Ritz - Best of Taco (BMG, 1991, produced by David Parker)

  1. Puttin' on the Ritz
  2. La Vie En Rose
  3. Cheek to Cheek
  4. After Eight
  5. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
  6. Winchester Cathedral
  7. La Chambre Separee (A Media Luz)
  8. Singin' In The Rain
  9. Living In My Dreamworld
  10. You Are My Lucky Star
  11. Let's Face The Music (And Dance)
  12. Taco's Charleston (Medley)
  13. Superphysical Resurrection
  14. Got To Be Your Lover

[edit] Best of Taco (BMG, 1999)

  1. Puttin' on the Ritz
  2. Cheek to Cheek
  3. Beautiful Sailor
  4. Where Did Our Love Go
  5. After Eight
  6. Heartbreak City
  7. Chain Reaction
  8. Nice Weather
  9. Night And Day
  10. Mas Que Nada
  11. If Swing Goes I Go Too
  12. I'm Sentimental (Je pense a toi)
  13. Tellin' Everybody
  14. La vie en Rose
  15. Running For Love
  16. Singin' In The Rain

[edit] Soundtrack Appearances

  • Lassiter (1984) - song "Lassiter's Theme: Beware Of The Winners"
  • Bodo - Eine ganz normale Familie (1989) aka "The Wiz Kid" - song "Heavy Metal"
  • Go Trabi Go (1991) - song "Lady Of My Heart"


[edit] External links

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