If there’s one thing the 1980s had that seems to have been lost in more recent times its the really cheesey song, and they don’t come much cheesier than Save Your Love, the 1982 Christmas UK number one hit from classy duo Renee and Renato. Â I’m not sure whether to be thankful or not that songs of this calibre no longer seem to be released.
As mentioned Save Your Love hit the top of the charts at Christmas, but it was actually released back in October of 1982 entering the charts at a less than auspicious 54 in the charts. Â Somehow the song got discovered however and it rose up the charts both in the UK and The Netherlands and Norway, staying at the top of the British charts for no less than four weeks.
Renée (real name Hilary Lester) and Renato (full name Renato Pagliari) did release two other songs, Just One More Kiss and Jesus Loves Us All, but neither repeated their initial success and so Renée (sorry, Hilary) went back to her private life whilst Renato still sings aboard cruise ships and at his brothers Italian restaurant in Tamworth, Staffordshire, apparently.
The song was written by creator and voice of 1980’s TV robot Metal Mickey, Johnny Edward, with his wife Sue. Â Perhaps the song would have been funnier still had Renato been replaced by Mickey… Â Perhaps more surprising is that the song has even been covered several times, including most recently by Daniel O’Donnell and Mary Duff.
Another surprising fact about this song was that Renée didn’t actually appear in the video for the song, which having watched it back for the purposes of researching this post (the things I have to do for you people :-)) is now blatantly obvious, as the girl accompanying Renato clearly doesn’t sing anything and is always handily facing away from the camera when the female singing starts.
One thing I do remember from seeing the video on Top of the Pops as a kid is that even then I thought that the on screen Renée and Renato didn’t look like a very likely couple – a pretty young blonde and a slightly portly, middle aged looking man with a dodgy moustache.  Anyway, I’ve had to watch the video again so now I’m going to make you do so as well, but I do apologise for the quality of it.  And I don’t just mean the fact that the picture is a bit wobbly and grainy! 😉
A couple of funny moments to look out for are the incredibly quick peck of a kiss when they are walking through a garden, and the serenade which suddenly goes into Italian. Â The throwing of a rose accompanied with a swanee whistle sound is also hilarious.
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Hi Renato
Mary & I listen to your song all the time .
We meet you on a cruise last years Roy Carridean
What is your e-mail , we would like to send you a picture from that cruise .
Its a great picture
Anthony & Mary Mattera
Hi Anthony and Mary,
Thanks for visiting my site! Unfortunately this site is not affiliated with Renato Pagliari in any way, so unless he happens to be reading this I don’t expect you’ll get a reply. Sorry.
Sounds like you had a great cruise though, and its good to get confirmation that Renato does indeed perform aboard cruise ships today.
I love this song, and the video where they are performing the song live :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kp-XQJDAhY. I can’t find the sond to be able to download on my MP3 player. Any ideas?
The best I could find was on Amazon’s new MP3 download service. It appears to be a cover version unfortunately, but it sounds much like I remember it…
Save Your Love Cover on Amazon.co.uk
Renato was a true professional with a strong loving personality R I P
Thank you for the sad news about Renato, Stuart.
Renato Pagliari died on July 29th, 2009. He will of course be remembered both for Save Your Love, but also for being the voice of the Cornetto adverts for many years.
Just to set the record straight, Renato never had anything to do with the Cornetto adverts, other than to mimic the song on stage.
This is a fact!
I know as I have been his brother-in-law for over 40 years, and his true age at death was 69.
He was a great performer and will be greatly missed by many people.
My condolences are with you and Renato’s family Stuart.
Thank you for letting us know the truth about the Cornetto adverts. I always thought this seemed a little odd. Obviously one of those rumours that get made up on the Internet and so then somehow become truth.
Thanks for you kind sentiments
Renato… grazie!
Enric
BARCELONA
I STILL LOVE THE SONG VERY MUCH, MY SISTER BROUGHT IT ME AS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR MY 12TH BIRTHDAY IN 1982. I STILL LOVE THE SONG AND LOVE THE VIDEO AS WELL. IT IS SUCH A BIG SAME THAT RENEE DIED, I BELEIVE HE WAS A LOVELY MAN WITH A HUGE PERSONALITY