Review: “Boys” by Sabrina (CD, 1988)

Today’s POP RESCUE is the 1988 album Boys from Italian singer, Sabrina Salerno. Is this album like a summertime love, or is it like a yo-yo? Read on…

Sabrina Salerno - Boys (1988) album cover — Sabrina’s 1988 album ‘Boys’

Opening track Like A Yo-yo is a great little catchy pop gem, and this second album seems to be off to a promising start. The track was co-written and produced by Giorgio Moroder, and was released in 1989 as the third single from the album.

Then we’re into All Of Me, the lead single from this album, which was written by hit-maker team Stock Aitken and Waterman. It definitely has the S/A/W sound to it, and the video (see below) is pretty much on par with their other hits of the time… although it looks like it was filmed in Great Yarmouth in February. The track is a tasty slice of pop.

Then we’re in to Doctor’s Orders and it’s somewhat of a travesty. The vocals are a little strained here, and it may be apparent that the doctor orders her to rest her vocal chords until the throat infection goes away.

Still, next up is Boys (Summertime Love), which gave her fantastic exposure in many ways, and made her very popular with a swathe of teenage boys throughout Europe. Video aside, it’s fantastically 80s, and incredibly catchy, and even without the video, I’m sure it was a hit in it’s own musical right. This track was actually on her first album, but with this album (her second) being her first to see a wider release across Europe, they’ve added it in.

Funky Girl definitely has funky covered, as it’s a fantastic little track. My Chico follows it, and is also a great little track, complete with some house piano and chugging synth bass line, and it sounds like it too was part of the S/A/W offering, but it wasn’t. It was, thankfully, released as the second single from this album.

The oddly named Pirate Of Love is unmistakably 80s in musical and vocal style, although Sabrina’s vocals are a little weak here. Despite having co-written the catchy opening track Like A Yo-yo, Giorgio Moroder’s magic is a little thin with this one. Things improve however, with next track Sexy Girl which is musically a much stronger, and poppier, track.

Guys and Dolls is a fantastic catchy little track, with some heavy vocal sampling and a percussion solo, and it made the fifth and final single from the album.

The album closes, perhaps unsurprisingly, with Sex. And it’s not quite as good as you hoped it would be. This was the fourth single from the album, and I think that Funky Girl should have been released instead.

Sabrina’s lead single ‘All Of Me’

Where is Sabrina Salerno now?

Sabrina continued to release albums, although her success in the UK is pretty much isolated to Boys (Summertime Love) and All Of Me.

Her career has seen her as a model, actress, TV hostess and record producer. In 2010 she had a number 4 hit in Italy with a pumping cover of Blondie’s track Call Me which was a duet with fellow 80s pop vixen, Samantha Fox.

She is still regularly recording and performing new material in Europe, remaining popular in her native Italy. She released a single Colour Me in June 2014.

Verdict

There are many versions of this album, including some with different titles including Super Sabrina which was released in 1988. A few also have different track orders, and track listings, and I would guess that this was mainly to satisfy her growing audience outside of Italy.

Whoever did the artwork for this edition, needs to step away from Microsoft Powerpoint immediately.