Save Your Love

Album: Forza Italia (1982)
Charted: 1
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Songfacts®:

  • "Save Your Love" is not quite a novelty song, but this one-hit wonder was a surprise Christmas #1 in Britain in 1982.

    In 1975, Italian-born singer Renato Pagliari auditioned for the talent show New Faces. Although he didn't win, the tenor caught the eye of record producer Johnny Edward, who wrote the song with his wife Sue. Edward was the founder of Hollywood Records, and "Save Your Love" was released on his label backed by "If Love Is Not The Reason."
  • It was not unnatural for people to believe Renée and Renato were lovers or husband and wife, but Reneé was actually a professional singer and actress named Hilary Lester, and she did not even appear in the video; her part was taken by lookalike Val Penny.

    Reneé and Renato cut two further singles, both of which flopped; she pursued her own career, and he went onto the club circuit and also performed at his son's restaurant. He died in August 2009 aged 69. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2
  • Renato admitted, "It's a very romantic song and just happened to come out at the right time (Christmas). At a time when the chart was full of heavy rock and bang bang music, maybe people wanted something romantic."

    While Renato was proud of their hit, Reneé saw it differently. In the '90s she said, "I think you have to laugh along with it, you have to take something for what it is. I'll never be ashamed of it, but at the end of the day it was a novelty record." (Both quotes from the book 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh).
  • Songwriter Johnny Edward also created, controlled and voiced the children's robot, Metal Mickey. He allegedly wrote this song, after hearing Brotherhood of Man's "Save All Your Kisses For Me," and deciding he could do better.

Comments: 1

  • Name Unknown from Australiathis song did nothing but make me cry for well over a year
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