Boys (Summertime Love)

"Boys (Summertime Love)" is a song recorded by Italian singer Sabrina. It was released in May 1987 as the third single from her eponymous album and achieved great success in many countries, including France and Switzerland, where it was a number-one single. It was Sabrina's first single to be released in the UK, where it reached number 3 in June 1988. In France, the song was a big hit, staying for five weeks at number-one. The single debuted at number 29 and remained on the French SNEP Singles Chart for 25 weeks from 12 December 1987 to 28 May 1988. Certified Gold disc by the SNEP, the single was the first number one by an Italian singer.[1] According to the Infodisc Website, the song is the 292nd best-selling single of all time in France, with 683,000 copies sold.[2]

"Boys (Summertime Love)"
Single by Sabrina
from the album Sabrina
B-side	"Get Ready (Holiday Rock)"
Released	29 May 1987
Recorded	1986
Genre	Italo disco Hi-NRG
Length	3:55
Label	Baby
Songwriter(s)	Matteo Bonsanto Roberto Rossi Claudio Cecchetto M.Charlton A Gill
Producer(s)	Claudio Cecchetto mixed by Matteo Bonsanto and Roberto Rossi
Sabrina singles chronology
"Lady Marmalade" (1987) "Boys (Summertime Love)" (1987) "Hot Girl" (1987)

The song also peaked within the top 5 in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 3. Outside Europe, "Boys (Summertime Love)" peaked at number 11 in Australia and number 6 in South Africa.[3] The song was re-released as a remixed version twice: in France in 1995, retitled as "Boys '95", and in 2003 as "Boys Boys Boys (The Dance Remixes)".

Music video

Sabrina in the music video for
"Boys (Summertime Love)".

Part of the success of the song is due to its music video, filmed at the Florida hotel in Jesolo (Veneto, Italy). In it, Sabrina splashes about in a swimming pool, while her bikini top keeps sliding down, thus repeatedly revealing varying shares of her nipples.[4] As a result, the BBC added black bars around the image when the video was aired on Top of the Pops in June 1988, effectively cropping it into widescreen. It remains one of the most downloaded videoclips on the Internet.[5]

During an interview with Nino Firetto on the Music Box program on Super Channel in late 1988, Sabrina explained that the video for "Boys" was originally created to be a segment in a magazine show. This was Sabrina's explanation of why its style more closely matched that of Italian magazine shows of the time (more overtly sexualised) than that of the traditional music video.

Track listings

7" single Chic

1. "Boys (Summertime Love)" – 3:56
2. "Get Ready (Holiday Rock)" – 3:20

7" single Dureco Benelux

1. "Boys (Summertime Love)" – 3:30
2. "Get Ready (Holiday Rock)" – 3:30

12" single

1. "Boys (Summertime Love)" (Extended mix) – 5:40
2. "Boys (Summertime Love)" (Dub version) – 5:35
3. "Get Ready (Holiday Rock)" – 3:30

12" single (remix)

A Boys (Summertime Love) (Remix – Wally Brill) 8:43 B Boys (Summertime Love) (Dub Version) 5:40

CD single – 1995 release[6]

1. "Boys '95" (Radio Lovers remix) – 5:36
2. "Boys '95" (N.Y.D.P. mix) – 3:40

Charts and certifications

Peak positions Chart (1987–1988) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[7] 11 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 5 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 2 Denmark (IFPI)[10] 7 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 3 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 2 France (SNEP)[12] 1 Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 2 Ireland (IRMA)[14] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 5 Norway (VG-lista)[16] 3 Spain (AFYVE)[17] 3 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[18] 14 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 5 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 1 UK Singles (The Official Chart Company)[21] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1987) Position Belgium Flanders (Ultratop)[22] 18 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[23] 13 Netherlands Dutch Top 40[24] 36 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] 7 Chart (1988) Position Australia (ARIA)[26] 41 Certifications and sales Country Certification Date Sales certified Physical sales France[27] Gold 1988 500,000 683,000 Germany[28] Gold 1987 250,000 United Kingdom[29] Gold 1988 200,000

Cover versions

• Japanese pop singer Aya Sugimoto's 1988 debut single was a cover version of the song. An alternate version, using the original English lyrics and entitled "Boys (Tokyo Mix)", appears on Sugimoto's debut album Aya.
• In 1989 and 2013 respectively, Cantonese singers Yolinda Yan and Hacken Lee covered the song in Cantonese.
• In 1994, the song was covered by French punk/alternative rock band Ludwig von 88 on their album 17 plombs pour péter les tubes.
• The Cheeky Girls released a version of the song called "Boys and Girls (Christmas Time Love)".
• In 1994, Bollywood movie Khuddar covered the song. Two versions were released, "Sexy Sexy" and "Baby, Baby".
• In 1999, the Swedish eurodance group Smile.dk made a cover of the song.
• In 2001, the song was covered by Rimini Project, a dance trio based in Austria.
• In 2002, Bulgarian rap group Upsurt covered it with different lyrics as "Joint" and included it on their album Chekai malko.
• In 2006, former Norwegian actress Aylar Lie made her debut in the music scene releasing a cover of Sabrina's "Boys (Summertime Love)".
• In 2007, Chinese singer He Jie covered the song, titled "Boys".
• In 2007, gay dance music band Bearforce 1 covered the song as part of the self-titled single "Bearforce 1"
• Slovak duo TWiiNS released a cover version of the song in January 2010, under the title "Boys Boys Boys", featuring German rapper Carlprit, and filmed in the same swimming pool where the original video took place, in Jesolo (Venice, Italy).
• In 2011, Finnish singer Sansa recorded a folk version of the song and included it on her album Savior. Sabrina herself made a cameo appearance on the music video of the song.
• In 2011, Polish singer Paula Marciniak recorded a cover version of the song.
• In 2012, the song was covered by 2 Atrevidas (Spanish for "2 Naughties"). The duo consists of Sonia Monroy and Yola Berrocal.[30]
• In 2013, the song was covered by Georgian model and actress Shorena Begashvili on a Georgian TV show.
• In 2015, Russian ice dancer-turned-singer Anna Semenovich recorded a Russian remake of the song featuring MBAND's member Artyom Pindyura and released as a single.[31]
• The song is featured in the video game Just Dance 2016, it was covered by The Lemon Cubes.
• In 2019, the song was sung by the swim team in the French movie The Shiny Shrimps (French: Les Crevettes pailletées).

References

1. Pessis, Jacques (2005). 20 ans de tubes (2005 ed.). Editions Pascal. p. 123. ISBN 9782350190099.
2. Best selling-singles of all times in France Infodisc.fr Archived 13 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 12 December 2007)
3. http://www.rock.co.za/files/sa_charts_1969_1989_songs_(A-B).html
4. "La Discothèque du 20è siècle", 1988, Polygram Direct, p. 15
5. Nos années Top, clips et 45 tours : 1984–1991, Marc Lemonier, 2008, p. 75 (ISBN 2-258-07648-X)
6. "Sabrina – Boys Boys Boys (Remixes)". discogs.
7. "Australian-charts.com – Sabrina – Boys". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
8. "Austriancharts.at – Sabrina – Boys" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
9. "Ultratop.be – Sabrina – Boys" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
10. Danish Singles Chart 27 November 1987
11. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
12. "Lescharts.com – Sabrina – Boys" (in French). Les classement single.
13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sabrina – Boys". GfK Entertainment Charts.
14. Irish Singles Chart Irishcharts.ie Archived 5 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 17 January 2008)
15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Sabrina" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
16. "Norwegiancharts.com – Sabrina – Boys". VG-lista.
17. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
18. http://rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(S).html Retrieved 6 January 2014
19. "Swedishcharts.com – Sabrina – Boys". Singles Top 100.
20. "Swisscharts.com – Sabrina – Boys". Swiss Singles Chart.
21. "Boys (Summertime Love)", UK Singles Chart Official Charts Company (Retrieved 14 July 2009)
22. 1987 Bangian Flanders Singles Chart ultratop.be (Retrieved 26 February 2014)
23. "1988 Year End Eurocharts" (PDF). Music & Media. 1 January 1988. p. 30. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
24. "Single top 100 over 1987" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
25. 1987 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 20 April 2008)
26. 1988 Australian Singles Chart aria.com Archived 4 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 20 April 2008)
27. Sales and certifications for singles in France, database Infodisc.fr Archived 30 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 9 December 2007)
28. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Sabrina; 'Boy's')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
29. "British certifications – Sabrina – Boy's". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 April 2008. Type Boy's in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
30. "Boys (Summertime Love) Official Videoclip". @ Youtube.
31. "Boys – Single by Anna Semenovich". iTunes Store. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.