Baccara dance up a sexy disco storm 

Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the tanned and lovely vision that is Baccara, representing Luxembourg at 1978's Eurovision. Huh?

☞ by Allen Therisa in Eurovision

Parlez-vous français?

Baccara, Luxembourg

1978

73 points (seventh)

WHAT ABOUT THE CONTEST?

As a result of France winning the year before with the MOR charmer L'Oiseau Et L' Enfant, the twenty-third Eurovision came from the very white and extremely large stage of the Palaise des Congres in Paris in 1978.

For the contest, the orchestra sat in an enormous egg-cup that drifted across the stage whenever the director got bored and in between each song the performers were shown getting into the lift that would take them to the stage.

Impossibly, infuriatingly French, and a little bit formal.

AND THE GROUP (OR ARTISTE)?

They came from Spain, were soft disco stars the world over (especially in Western Europe), and had already had two huge chart hits with Yes Sir, I Can Boogie and Sorry, I'm a Lady.

If it had been a disco contest they would have danced off with the prize.

So, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the tanned and lovely vision that is Baccara, representing Luxembourg.

Sung in French (naturellement), Parlez-vous français? tells the story of a romantic encounter at the beach over dancing strings and a slightly madcap Mediterranean guitar.

Cynics may have complained that it was pre-programmed for the contest and had a certain resemblance to Baccara's other hits, but it galloped along on the night without too much sniggering from the wings.

Plus, it has maracas in it.

Parfaitement.

ANY GOOD?

Not bad at all.

There's a way too long spoken intro, and, despite the relatively fast pace and vague nods to the dance floor, it remains a cheerful charabanc ride of a song, though at least Baccara is distracting enough.

AND IT CAME WHERE?

Seventh with 73 points.

Sacre bleu!

AND WHO WAS THE REAL WINNER?

The worst and most irritating Eurovision winner of all time (no, not Ding-A-Dong); A-Ba-Ni-Bi from Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta was well received on the night, though it remains to this day an absolute shaggy dog of a song; lifeless, soulless and shouty in all the wrong places.

Merde.

SO, IN SUMMARY

1978 was an odd year for Eurovision, what with the orchestra being moved about on the stage, the sudden dropping of the broadcast in the Middle East when it was clear that Israel was about to win, and the Oh So French presentation, but at least Baccara proved to be easy on the eye and ear.

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