History - Charts - Official Music Video
Throughout the 2nd half of 1989, Sabrina didn't slow down her activity. Indeed, she was busy with her European tour, the promotion of Gringo, published in autumn in certain countries as England, and the theatrical release of Neri Parenti's movie, Fratelli d' Italia, in which she played with Jerry Calà.
Her new album, although already announced, was in fact only in preparation. In order not to disappear from media attention in the coming months, Sabrina accepted to sign with Rai Due to take part, every weekend, beside Scialpi, to Raffaella Carrà's new TV program, Ricomincio da due, as from January 6th, 1990. This show allowed her to promote her own songs (from Super Sabrina to Gringo) and to perform rock classics and famous Italian songs in duet or trio. At the same time, she took part as a guest to different TV shows. Thus, she performed the rocky remix of Sex at the San Remo International. And, after a few weeks, Sabrina was back in studio to start to work on her new album which recording would take finally one year.
During the first sessions, she recorded Yeah Yeah, a song that would became the lead single of her next album. Co-written by Sabrina (after My chico and Gringo), this optimistic song dealt with a new theme in her repertoire: ecology. However, the Queen of Italo-dance didn't became a folk-singer: it was obvious for her manager that Sabrina could be sexy and happy (as evidenced on the picture used for the single cover) but not sexy and hippie!
The single was out in late Spring. Indeed, it was really time for Sabrina to publish a new song as her last single had been released 10 months before in Italy. The fact that Doctor's orders from the album Super Sabrina was on the B-side proved that no new song was finished at that time.
The promotion really started during summer. Once again, Sabrina took part to the Festivalbar and also promoted the song on TV. Her choreography which combined military hand salute with aerobics was quite vigorous and her fans loved it. For her comeback, Sabrina decided to change her look. If she didn't become blond, she had her hair lightened.
But, in spite of all efforts, this excellent single only peaked at #21 in the Italian charts, Sabrina's worst charts position until then. However, it didn't mean that the single was a huge flop. In order to make the fans satisfied and to boost the sales of a single in which the record company seemed to believe, it was decided to remix Yeah Yeah and to produce several versions which were later released on a second 12" (and a picture-disc) on the cover of which Sabrina seemed much less happy… This remix turned this optimistic and fresh song into a colder italo-house production (featuring a rap sung by Sabrina herself in the Club, Dub & Acapella versions). A music video was shot, showing once again a very sexy Sabrina in swimsuit. This summer video was actually quite similar to Boys and All of me and even some fans began to think that it was time for Sabrina to re-invent herself on her new album otherwise her success could fade away in the very near future.
Abroad, Sabrina wasn't so much active in 1990, to the risk of being forgotten by her audience. Indeed, Yeah Yeah (in its original mix) wasn't initially licensed to foreign record-companies unlike Sabrina's previous singles. However, it seems that she performed Yeah Yeah (and Vola) once on the Spanish channel Canal Nou. As it's still possible to find some (rare) copies of the Italian 7" in Spain, it's likely to think that the promotion of the single in this country in 1990 had been planned but finally canceled.
Yeah Yeah was finally released in certain countries in the following year to promote Sabrina's long-awaited album: Over the pop.
In France, the single was released in June and Sabrina promoted it twice on TV. If she sang the original version, the remixes featured on the 12" and maxi CD were the same as on the Italian second 12".
A German edition (featuring the remixed version) which actually was a pan-European release was distributed in Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Spain but not in Germany. If Sabrina did not sing the single on Dutch television, she however promoted it on Spanish television a number of times. In Chile, the song allowed her to promote her new album in June 1991. But nowhere, the single was successful. Nevertheless, the songs featured on several compilations in Canada and Finland.
Nowadays, Yeah Yeah remains cherished by many fans who were disappointed that Sabrina didn't re-record it for her album Erase / Rewind in 2008. If she probably remembers this single as a flop, it also seems that she doesn't like it anymore as she told us when we met her before her concert at Le Stade de France in 2008.
If a new version will probably be never recorded, 2 unofficial remixes are easy to find on the internet, especially on Youtube : Yeah Yeah 2004 aka Yeah Yeah vs Benny Benassi is supposed to be remixed by the famous DJ but is actually a (bad) fan-made remix; Yeah Yeah Electro dance 2012 is a very good new version made by Deejay Doctor who really succeeded in bringing up to date this song without denying its 90s sound.
Charts
COUNTRY |
HIGHEST POSITION |
CHART ENTRY DATE |
CHART HISTORY |
Italy |
21 |
Unknown |
Unknown |
Original 90' version performed on French TV in early summer, 1991
Official Music Video (Remixed version)
A great new (unofficial) version made by Deejay Doctor in 2011