Sabrina (Norma Sykes) Sings!

Hear Sabrina talk to me about the recording of her landmark single in 1957, including the medical drama on the day.

And visit the interview page for more juicy chats.

Sit back, turn up your deaf aid, and enjoy the vocal stylings of Sabrina on a new copy of her only disc, from 1957.
Vinyl, that is - with 45 of your human RPMs. Acquired at great expense and little wisdom in November 2023.

Persuade Me - Sabrina with Tony Osborne and his orchestra

I Want a Man (Not A Mouse)

And because everyone will want to sing along with Sabrina, here are the lyrics

Persuade Me - Sabrina with Tony Osborne and his orchestra (1957)

Persuade me

Cuddle closer and persuade me

Whisper low and sentimental

Be gentle

Persuade me

Hmm don't be bashful please persuade me

Let your heartbeat serenade me

Put your arms around my shoulder

Get bolder

Persuade me

Your eyes gave my heart an invitation

That my lips just long to do

So give with a little more persuasion

Because everything points to you.

Persuade me

In a wedding gown parade me

With the ring upon my finger I'll linger

Persuade me

Your eyes gave my heart an invitation

That my lips just long to do

So give with a little more persuasion

Because everything points to you.

Persuade me

In a wedding gown parade me

With the ring upon my finger I'll linger

Persuade me

Please

Persuade me?

I Want a Man (Not A Mouse)

I want a man, not a mouse

To be master in my house

Cos a man who's a mouse is disaster as a spouse.

(She wants a husband who is seven foot three)

I want a man, not a flea

To prepare my destiny

Cos a man who's a flea

Couldn't share my nest with me.

(There'll be a cuckoo in the nest of a tree)

I like a tan of a bronze Apollo

With some muscles I can see

I want a man who the girls all follow

But who only follows me.

(Wolf whistle)

I want a man, not a grouse

Who complains when I carouse

I want a man want a man want a man, not a mouse

(She wants a man)

I want a man

(Not a mouse)

Not a mouse

(To be master in her house)

To be a master in my house

(Because a man who's a mouse is disaster in a house)

I want a husband who is seven foot three.

(She wants a man)

I want a man

(Not a flea)

Not a flea

To prepare my destiny

Because a man who's a flea couldn't share my nest with me

(There'll be a cuckoo in the nest of a tree)

I like the tan of a bronze Apollo

With some muscles I can see

I want a man who the girls all follow

But who only follows me.

(Wolf whistle)

I want a man, not a grouse

Who complains when I carouse

I want a man want a man want a man, and not a mouse

To be my spouse

I want a man.

Found in June 2024 - a wonderful photoshoot of Sabrina taking singing lessons at the studio of Maurice Burman in 1955. It's so rare to find a completely one new photo of Sabrina, let alone twenty. You can find more about the event at this 1955 Daily Mirror newspaper page.






			Sabrina and Maurice Burman, and Norton, the dog. 1955

Found in October 2018 - a lovely picture of Sabrina singing

Found in March 2017 - Sabrina shows off her first and only song recording - Persuade Me , and A Man and Not a Mouse .

Yes. It was originally released as a 78 RPM vinyl. I have one. So few turntables play 78 RPM these days. I blame global warming.

28 Feb 2013 - A momentous missed chance. I found an Ebay listing for a copy of an Australian pressing of Sabrina's single. I bid $100 - as much as my Sabrinafunds would allow. Some other fanatic, however, bid $105! A sad loss for the Sabrina Encyclopaedia.

2 September 2014 - it happened again !

Sabrina sings

Thanks to the valiant services of Andy Briggs of Kent, we have a succulent treat for you.

Andy, who went to the trouble of ripping the 7" vinyl to CD and posting it from Blighty to Oz, reports that there are no writers shown on the record label (shown above), just the publishers (Leeds & Chappell). The record was released in 1957. He notes that he discovered the record before finding out who Sabrina was from this website - " amazingly suggestive-sounding record for the time and I was pretty dumbstruck when I saw the pictures of her!!! So I reckon this record must have had a lot of blokes rather excited at the time. "

Not only then, Andy! The pressure is rising at nylon.net even now!

So, for your aural pleasure, nylon.net presents the tremendous vocal talent of Sabrina (Norma Ann Sykes) for the first time, and often in tune, on the steam-powered Internet.

Sabrina sings

Late news: copyright information (Library of Congress 'Published Music' Vol 10 Part 5A, No. 1 - Jan-Jun 1956) found online reveals that Samba Sabrina was created by Denny Boyce (b. 1921) for piano, consists of 3 pages, sold for 2 shillings, and was copyright Vocable Music Co., Ltd. London 6 April 1956. EFO-42371.

Who knows if the artist was thinking about Sabrina when he drew
this cartoon, but... click it to see it in full.

Partial songs from Sabrina's cult classic, ~~Sabrina In High Heels~~
(sorry)
Satan in High Heels .

I Would If I Could
by Jack Lawrence and Stan Freeman - aA most confusing song

What have you done for me (lately)?

by Jack Lawrence and Stan Freeman. Only a few bars, but the last note is a classic.

Yes, it would have been nice to be present when Sabrina recorded her earth-shattering singles. Here's a photo in case you weren't there.

Found on Youtube - a cover of Sabrina's Persuade Me .

And if that's not enough to satisfy your lust for Sabrinasongs...

	Thanks to the Youtube efforts of Christian Blatter, we have a restored rendition of Sabrina singing "I Would if I Could" from her masterpiece, "Satan in High Heels" Sabrina is credited with the SIXTH WORST EVER B horror movie musical interludes with her rendition of "I Would If I Could" in SIHH. At least it just beat out "The Mushroom Song" from The Giant Gila Monster sung by Don Sullivan. Hear Sabrina singing "I Would If I Could " - updated 2023-05-21
	Or, even better, watch Sabrina sing "I would if I could" updated 2023-05-21 (was (2M, WMV - now 47MB MP4)
	WATCH Sabrina sing "I would if I could" - the original WMV version. Realise how technology has changed since this site began.
	Hear Sabrina singing the end of 'What have you done (for me lately)'
	WATCH Sabrina sing "What Have You Done for me Lately?" (WMV video - a very old version to show you how the site has grown over the years. Do browsers even play WMV videos any more?)
	12 March 1959 - The Age Sabrina as Torch Singer... Sabrina as a would-be torch singer... are in the new single-play 45's. Sabrina, whose entertainment talents definitely do not include high-class singing has her first record double — Persuade Me, and a Man Not a Mouse (Philips). "Sabby" suggests rather than sings these torchy titles, doing a good job with the second title.