Puttin' On The Ritz - Taco - 33 1/3 rpm

Taco Ockerse spent many of his childhood years moving around the world, and resided in the Netherlands, the United States, Singapore, Luxembourg and Germany. He attended the "International School of America" in Brussels, Belgium and graduated in 1973. Afterward, he studied interior decoration and finished acting school in Hamburg. He held lead roles in numerous school productions, including: "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown", "Carousel", "The Fantasticks", and "Fiddler On The Roof."

In 1975, he began his first professional theatrical engagements in Hamburg. This included roles in "Children's Theater", and roles as an ensemble member of the Thalia Theater in a number of plays, including "Sweet Charity", "Chicago", and "Three Musketeers." He also directed and choreographed for the musical "Nightchild." In 1979, he played "Chino" in John Neumeiers "West Side Story" at Hamburg opera house.
He founded his first band, "Taco's Bizz" in 1979.

In 1981, Taco signed his first record contract with Polydor for two record releases. A year later, he released "Puttin' on the Ritz" on RCA. Between 1983 and 1984, he performed extensive touring throughout Europe. His subsequent album release of "After Eight" sold in over 40 countries and reached Gold and Platinum status in Scandinavia and Canada, as well as Gold in the United States.

He appeared as a guest on the annual "Bob Hope TV Show", "Merv Griffin", "Alan Thicke", "Solid Gold", "Good Morning America", "Saturday Night Fever", and many other TV shows while touring.

Highlights of his early career include: meeting the Reagans at the White House, #3 on the Billboard Charts, #1 on the Cash-Board Chart and Singer of the Year Award.

A follow-up album, Let's Face the Music, was recorded in 1984 for RCA. Taco continued to record, 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 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.

Between 1989 - 1996 Taco worked intensively as an actor. He had television acting roles in "Friedrichstadt Palast" and "Das Erbe der Guldenburgs", movie appearance in "Karniggels", appeared as "Chico" in the theater production of "Marx Brothers Radio Show", and played lead roles in "Shakespeare Rock n Roll" in Berlin and "Shakespeare As We Like It" in Austria!

He currently resides in Germany, performing as a gala artist with the "Moonlight Affair" and "Brooklyn Bridge The Band".

In October 2009 the first channel of Russian TV 1TV will film the program "Songs of the 20th century". Taco appears with "Puttin' on the Ritz" in the sequence about the 1930s. The show will be broadcasted in January 2010. On November 27, 2009 he will perform "Puttin' on the Ritz" and "Singin' in the Rain" at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 33
• 33's
• 33 r.p.m.
• 33 1/3 rpm
• record
• vinyl
• wax
• phonograph
• rock
• pop
• dance
• retro
• album
• vintage
• flashback
• Turntable
• 1980's
• Classic Rock
• Taco
• Puttin'On The Ritz

[bobbo670]

Can i say this is the best song Taco has done thanks for sharing

[Ne14Gr8Music]

@bobbo670 You certainly can say that. :-)

[zMinybuddiez]

My record player died. :( I need this song on CD!

[Ne14Gr8Music]

@zMinybuddiez Sorry to hear that. You might be better off just buying another record player. :-)

[chicaplac]

we did this song in jazz, it was so much fun!

[Ne14Gr8Music]

@chicaplac That sounds like a lot of fun. :-)

[skunkypilot]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away,.....There was Taco!

[SOliverPiaffes]

My favorite version of the song, i love Taco!

[jay1stnewyorker7]

Fantastico!!! Great song!

[Settembre20]

to go to why don't you go where fashion sitssssss

puttin on the Ritzzzz

[moogoo68]

Strip it down to just the bast and the beat...very cool

[HemmaJuice]

Taco is an amazing name :)

[kylielovespuppiecash]

2 people still think Taco's a food

[cm524]

2 people can't put on the ritz.

Anyways, one of the best songs of the 80s. When I asked some teachers if they remembered this song before I graduated last year, and they did.