Yolanda Be Cool feat. D Cup - We No Speak Americano

‘We No Speak Americano’ may just be one of the most successful one-hit wonders of all time. A release by Australian duo Yolanda Be Cool featuring D Cup, the single managed to shoot to the top of the UK charts and stayed there for a week, while it hung on for a month at the peak of the UK dance chart. That wasn’t all, though.

A number of other countries thought it was pretty damn tasty, too. It jumped to number one in Austria, Belgium (both Wallonia and Flanders), Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea and Sweden. Number two spots were grabbed in Spain, France, Poland and New Zealand. No fewer than fourteen platinum certifications were added, shared between nine countries. Impressive, right?

It’s not bad for a song that essentially adds a blaring, somewhat obnoxious synth to a pre-existing tune released in 1956 by Neapolitan singer Renato Carosone. ‘Tu vuò fà l’americano’ – essentially “you’re an American wannabe” – is a well-regarded offering in its own right, having been used in The Talented Mr Ripley and covered by One Hit Wonderland veteran Lou Bega, among others.

The integration of Renato’s hit is pretty direct, as a section is repeated in all its glory at the beginning of the song. From here, it’s taken over by one of the most dance-worthy three-note synths you could ever hear. While it can be pretty repetitive, it’s certainly catchy. Walking with it gives you a strut; driving with it makes you very happy indeed, without forcing you to drive like a mad bastard.

It was covered plenty of times after it was released too, with even a pop culture Russian version floating around from Трикотаж (Knit-Wear). All-in-all, it was a smash hit. If you don’t know it by name, you’ll know its sound. Check it out:

By Matt Gardner